The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-06-12

also the latitude OF the place OF obser-
vation. d
The queenly Venus Is still our even
ing star and reaches the height of
hef brilliancy on the first OF the moasa.
She is now situated at O point just
below the two bright stars, Castor and
.PoIlux, forming with those stars
pretty triangle.
She reverses her motion In her orbit
on the 18th az the month, and :hen
commences to travel towards the sun.
losing in brilliancy and setting earlier
each evening until she entirely disap-
pears from our view when she comes
into inferior conjunction With the
sun on the sth OF next month. after
which she becomes our morning star
The ancients did not recognize Venus.
the evening star. TO be one and the
same body as Venus. the morning star,
but thought they Were different plan
cts. and accordingly gave them differ
ent names. calling the evening star
Hesperus and the morning star Luci-
fer.
The fiery red planet Mars has now
become quite a conspicuous objec IN
the morning skies. He IS daily IN
creasing his distance from the sun. and
therefore coming into a position more
favorable for observation. on .une
23rd he may be seen about four de-
grees TO the south OF the Pleiades. al
which time he rises about 2:45 a. m
AS soon as the evening twilight deep
ems Jupiter may be seen shining with
great lustre some distance above the
eastern horizon. Jupiter's claim 10 the
rank OF king of the planetary host Is
far beyond dispute. and x Is no wonder
the Romans designated him as the god
OF the air.
Our interest in this planet has been
recently intensified by the confirmation
of the reported discovery OF a NTH sa-
tellite. Jupiter continues 10 favor us
with his presence until the small hours
of the morning, setting about the time
mars rises. Saturn Will be in opposl-
ton to the sun on 23d OF June, at whlch
time he is at his greatest brilliancy-
He now rises about the time the sun
sets.
Thus are the June skies particularly
honored by the presence or brilnant
array Of planets.
Looking skyward about 6 o'clock dur
ing the evenings of this month. We see
brilliant Arcturus directly overhead.
The Great Bear has passed the medi-
an. and is slowly crawling beneath the
North Star. CAMS Minor, Auriga.
Perseus and Gemini will set ere the end
of the month and thus the last OF the
winter consultations will disappear
from the heavens. Far down in the
southwestern horizon We see 'the Cra-
ter with the Crow just a little TO the
east of it, The Crow is a small constel-
lation, containing three stars or the
third magnitude and two OF the fourth
Ii, however, may be readily distin-
guished by means of the three third
magnitude stars and-one Of the fourth.
forming an irregular square. We VIII
here remark that forming well-known
geometric lines out of the stars enables
us to more readily trace them out on
the celestial map. This constellation
was named for the crow. which bird,
according 10 the ancients, was once OF
purest white. but was changed to its
present color for tale-bearing. A light
| punishment FOR such a vice. OF the
| consultations which will reach the me-
| ridian before the night is very far gone,
we will name Corona Borealis. Serpeus
and Libra. Looking to the southeast
| of Libra We see the Scorpion. which is
| the most beautiful of all the summer
| consultations The red. first magnf-
| tude star Antares belongs TO this con-
| stellation. To the north of Scorpic we
see Ophinchus which, with its m.ny
| contortions, occupies large space in
| the mid-heavens. North Of Ophinc us
| is Hercules. now rapidly approach lg
| the meridian. This constellat n,
| named by the ancients in homo, OF
| Hercules the Theban. possesses a Pc
| culiar interest for US from the fact that
| our solar system seems to De saillnS
| towards it. If we connect the Great
Bear by a straight line with Cassio-
lpeia and from the middle point between
| the two let fall a perpendicular line to-
| wards the southeast 1t will pass nearly
| through the bright star Vega in Lyra.
| To the northeast Of Lyra We see tie
| Swan, treasuring in her midst the
| bright star Deneb; while farther 30 the
| south and in the midst of the Milky
! way We see the Eagle, containing AL
| tair, which is one OF the stars much
| used by navigators for computing long
| itude at sea. Just little ways north
| east of Affair. and very close to the
| eastern horizon is the Dolphin, a c1us-
| ter of five stars close together. which
E! cannot fail to attract the observers q
| attention, even. though not acquainted
with it's name. II seems strange there
should be found many so occupied with
the daily routine of business as TO be-
| entirely oblivious Of the extraordinary
| beauties of the starry heavens. For in
| comparison with the grandeur. the au-
| gust motion and the infinity of the ce-
| lestial vault, the most magnificent ter
| restial scenes sink into a pitiable in
Significance which seems utterly un-
/ worthy OF consideration.
". A. c..