Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-05-03
THE SKIES DURING MAY.

on the DIN, fuiI on fhe I4tn, IN nef laSt
quarter on the Dist, and new on the
18th. On the sth she will be in apogee
and on the 9th in perigee. While on
the LIST Of tho month the sun is Just
little more than 10 degrees north of
the equator, it will be by the end
little more than ! degree 81 minutes
within its northern limit, the summer
solstice iraVeIsing duiing tho month
IN arc Of about z degrees north
declination.
Tho planet Mercury will ba sue
cessivelysin the consultations Pisces,
Aries and Taurus in course Of May and
act as morning star, although but
few will he able to catch glimpse of
this planet on account OF its being SO
roar the sun. Venus will at first he in
Taurus, but soon enter Gemini. Being
at q considerable elongation from the
sun, Venus Will not set before quarter
of II o'clock in tho evening Even per-
sons that are not in the habit Of gazing
at tho stars will have their attention
aroused by that magnificent planet.
which for some time has been the
evening star Par excellence. We here
remind the reader that tho expressions
evening star and morning star are not
confined to the planet Venus, as the
ancient Greeks did when they bestowed
two names on Neutrality-suspicious. as
morning star and Hesperus as evening
star. Any OF the planets may act in
either capacity, though Venus seems
to- enjoy the prerogative of being
generally considered both the morning
and the evening star. Duiing the
greater part OF the month Mars will be
in Pisces, but towards the end in
Aries. 1t is morning star. rising a
little before 4 O'Clock, while the frat
glimmer Of the morning twilight is
already visible. Jupiter is in Sagit-
tarius, almost on the boundary limo
| that separa ties that constellation from
Scorpio. This great lanet rises about
half.past 7 o'clock in the evening, and
so 1t happens that the two most bril-
liant planets can be seen together for
nearly three hours in evening, Venus
| approaching the western horizon aud
Jupiter rising higher and higher above
| the eastern, two AFFECTS of nearly the
remain In the sky during the whole
night and emit bis genial light until it
| is wrapped up in the superior reful-
| gence of the advancing morning
| twilight. Not very far from Jupiter,
| though rising nearly two hours later,
We see the bright planet Saturn in the
constellation Sagittarius, within which
| it has been lingering for long time.
| 1t will be easily recognized, as there is
no other star close to it with which
the planet could possibly be con-
4 founded. The presence Of these three
| planets-Venus, Jupiter and Saturn
| during a not inconsiderable portion Of
| the evening will inpart to the evening
skies a peculiarly attractive appear
ance.
At about o'clock in the May even
ings We see the Great Bear overhead.
OF all the consultations Ursa Major is
the most familiar and In certain re-.
spects the most important. Its rrln.
cipal CONFORMATION is large dipper
with the handle formed by seren bright
stars, though the entire constellation
is far larger; in fact, one Of tho largest
in the heavens. Tho two stars in the
bowl, not contiguous to the handle, are
known by the name Of the pointers, I"
because the line connecting them and
prolonged four and one-half times
points out the Polestar. Their proper
names are Alpha, or Dubhe, and Beta,
or Merak. The star in the bend of the
handle, called Zeta or Mizar, is easily
recognized by a little star quite close
to 1t, the name Of which is Acor. BY
means Of small telescope Mizar itself
is easily seeh to be double, and it is
but at q comparatively recent date that
in reality it has been found to be
triple, the larger of the two being
itself double, though the duplicity Il
not discernible by the telescope, but
by the spectroscope. Parallel to the
line Joining Alpha and Gamma the tar
that succeeds Beta in the bowl of the
dipper in the direction opposite from
the Polestar, We see three pairs of stars
nearly equidistant from each other,
! which mark three OF the four paws ol
the beast. These three duplicate stars
are the only ones in tho constellation
which eeer set in our latitude, all the
other stars being cireumpolar.
Extending the line that connects the
last two stars in the handle of the
dipper it will pass about 3 degrees or 4
degrees above a magnificent first
magnitude star high up in the sky.
This is Arcturus 10 the constellation
Bootes, the liehtest fixed star in the
heavens north of the equator. Joining
: Arcturus with Denebola 10 the Lior
by astraight line and constructing upon
il an equilateral triangle toward thu
! south the third vertex is marked by
the first magnitude star Spica, OF
Alpha Virgins, in the constellation o.
Virgo. Spica stands alone, which
renders it the more conspicuous. While
Spioa marks the ear of corn the yireir
, holds in her left hand. Beta marks III,
! left wing near the head, and Gamma, {
, remarkable double star, lies nearl,
i midway between Spica and Beta. Sinol
i it's tirst discovery as binary star il.
, period of 1856, has nearly been com
/ pleted. East of Spica at short dis
4 lance from it four rather conspicuou!
/ stars form the constellation Coryus, OF
i the Raven, the bird being percheC
| upon Hydra, or the Water Snake
! Nearly on line with Arcturus ant
/ Gamma Ursp Majoris, somewhat nea
' the latter, star will be seen
, which, though only of third magni
. tude, is quito conspicuous on accoun
t OF it's isolated position. This is Co
Carroll, tho only prominent star in tn
constellation Canes Venatici, or TN
Hunting Dogs. The name Cor Carol
a wrs given to it in commemoration o
\ the hapless King Charles Stuart. Be
!. tween this constellation and Virgo tn
q interesting cluster OF Coma Rerenices
: OF Berenice's Hair. is situated, pre
y sentirg an appearance not unlike tina
! of the. Milky Way. Although thi
i constellation is ancient, il is no
: among the famous As CT Ptolemy
I Arcturus is high up, while the beau
tiful consultations Taurus, Orion an
CAMS Major have set, which, wit
their splendid first magnitude star
| kal, =