The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-05
HEAVENS M AUGUST.

Find Planets-Interesting Features
ofthc Month-stAr Showers.
New York Times: There are two fea-
lures for which August is distinguish
ed-one the dog days and the other the
frst of the series OF falling stars. There
is another -November-tha has
the latter distinction, but the canicuIar.
or dog, days, belong exclusively to this
month. The constellation known az
CAMS Minor was at one time known as
canlcula, and so that the word is oftan
used In sclentlhc circles to denote
Sirius. or the Dog Star. the largest and
brightest Of all stars. It is really a
mighty globe. It far transcends in
splendor our own sun, but 1t is plunged
into the depths Of space to such an APP
palling distance that It's enfeebled rays
when they reach the earth give us the
impression, not Of a mighty sun, but
only OF brilliant star From the ris-
ing, then, Of this Dog Star the anclents
reckoned their dog days, which were
forty in number-twenty before and
twenty after the stars rising. The rIs-
ing of the star was lgnorantly supposed
to be the occasion Of extreme heat and
of the diseases Incidental to those days.
As we look up into the heavens to ind
particular stars there are certain tints
connected with the prominent ones, the
named stars. as we popularity call them,
that aid US in distinguishing them from
others. These delicate tints can of
course convey to US but very imper-
feet idea of their real coloring. In
passing from our latitude, with its pc
oullar meteorological conditions, to the
limpld regions OF the tropics, the colors
of the stars are accentuated, and the
sky becomes a verltable casket Of
precious gems. Anatares, Pollux, Aide
baran, Betelguese, and the planet Mars
shine like rubies, Polaris. the North
star, capella, Castor, Arcturus, and
Procyon are veritable celestial topazs,
while Sirius. Vega, and Affair are dla-
monds OF the first water, ecllpsing all
Others by their dazzling whiteness.
The names OF the signs Of the zodiac,
although fairly familiar to US by this
time. are not always easy to remember
in their order, and unless we do TX
them in mind the difficulties Of finding
ourselves about are very much greater.
The name Of zodiac, given to the zone
of stars which the sun trayerses during
the course Of the year, comes from
Greek words referring to the species
OF figures traced on this belt Of stars.
in which animals predominant. Our
ancestors called these twelve signs Of
the zodiac the houses Of the sun" or
the monthly abodes OF Apollo" be-
cause the day star visits them each
month, and returns every spring to the
beginning of the zodlacal city. In Eng
llsh they are the Ram, the Bull, the
Twins. the Grab, the Lion, the Virgin,
the Balance, the Scorpion, the Archer
the Goat, the Water Bearer, and the
Fishes. The signs by which each is dis
tlnguished are vestige OF the primi-
tive hleroglyphics which described
them.
The Ram. which moving in front Of
the herd and regulating the march,
opens the series This constellation has
lin Itself nothing remarkable; the
brightest OF its stars Indicates the pase
OF one OF the horns OF the leader oil the
sheep, and Is only n star OF the sec
ond magnitude. After the Ram comes
the Bull. Admire on a tne winner
night the charming Pleiades which
sSintillafe in the ether; not far from
| them shines a fine red star, this 10 Al
debaran. the eye OF the bull. one OF the
choicest OF our brilllants. We now have
the twins, whose heads IRE marked by
| the two fine stars, Castor and PolluX.
/ Cancer. the Crab, is next In order, but
unfortunately contains no conspicuous"
ly bright twinkler. The Lion Is more
fortunate, as he has the brilliant hrst
magnitude star Regulus, with several OF
| the second magnitude, and n regular
figure formed Of third magnitude stars
making a trapezium. The virgin con-
\ taIns a very bright star, popularly
known Us SpIca. The Balance has two
second magnitude stars which are very
much like the Twins. The Scorpion
follows this, and Is quite q remarkable
constellation, star Of the frst maBnl-
/ tude, called Antares, marks the nehrt
in tho middle Of the two stars OF the
| third magnitude, and above these nre
three bright stars arranged In a dia-
dem. The Archer has his arrow FORM
cd OF second and third magnitude stars
and pointing toward the tail Oh the
Scorpion Capricornus Is not at all a
conspicuous group. but possibly II may
| be recognized by two third magnitude
stars quite near each other and repre-
ssntlng the base Of the animals horns.
| Aquaarlus Is indicated by triangle OF
third magnitude stars, the one at the
apex being a point on the equator.
Pisces in itself Is inconspicuous, but u
IL lust south Of the large and maBnlf-
cent quadrilatRral known as the great
square Of Pegasus.
The speed OF the sun in August In
crcascs materially as the time Tor
reaching the equinox approaches ana
we find that ut the months close nine
and oue-hnlf degrees OF northern decll-
nation have disappeared. The Intense
heat Of the month is greatly modified
by the lcngthenlng nights, which are
f-rndunlly taking unto themselves many
+, minutes from the light Of day.
Tho August moon Is new on the 4th,
rsnchea the phase Of first quarter on
tho llth. Is full on the goth. and passes
Into last quarter on the zitn' ~ oG
cults Mercury on the eth and we would
have n charming picture to gaze upon
n 'twcrc not for the planets invisibili'
" on that occasion. Almost all OF the
coniunctions between moon ana planets
take place this month between the new
end the full moon, so that we have the
majority OF the wanderers as evening
stars.
A notable exception to the dlstribu-
ton of he planets is found In Neptune
which IL twice In conjunction with me
moon. once on the ID and again on tn
goth. We miss 20 many pleasant taD'