The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-09-12

about two-thirds of the distance from
the horizon to the zenith. The Dolphin
known also as Jobs Coffin, is the littl
! cluster of six or eight small stars at thu
left of Affair, and about the same alti
tude. The Swan (Cygnus), bette
known as the Northern Cross, is direct
ly overhead. Cassiopeia, strongly
marked by the W-shaped figure formed
by its five brighter stars, is in mid
heavens in the northeast
! The triangular region between the
head of the Cross, the Pole star anc
Cassiopeia is occupied by Cepheus-ir
mythology the husband of Cassiopeia-
not striking constellation, but rich in
telescope stars. The second magnitude
star midway between Cassiopeia and
the horizon is Alpha Persei at the cen
ter of an elongated group of stars which
form the body of Perseus Some ten de-
grees to the right of this star, and lower
/ than it, is Beta Persei, also of the sec
ond magnitude better known as Algol
| (al-GhuD the Demon. This star is in
the head of Medusa, which Perseus-as
he is depicted upon celestial charts
swinging by it's snaky locks in its left
hand. In mid-heavens in the east may
be seen the great Square of Pegasus, a
large rectangular figure formed by four
stars Of the second magnitude. Only
three Of these stars. however belong to
the old constellation Pegasus, the
Winged Horse, whose head is now
above and at the right of the square,
and whose forefeet are paving upward
toward the zenith, the star at the
northeastern corner of the Square be-
! ing in the head Of Andromeda.
Between this last designated star
Alpha Andromedae, known also as Al
| pheratz, and Alpha Persei, on a line
curving slightly downward are two
other stars Of the same magnitude.
Both belong to Andromeda, one of them
Beta, being in her belt, the other Cam
| ma, in her left footA Andromeda, was,
according to legand. the daughter Of
| Cepheus and Cassiopeia, and is sup
| posed to be bound to a rock, a propit-
| iatory Offering to the gods destined to
be devoured by sea monster but hap
PLY rescued by the hero Perseus who
now stands at her feet.
This constellation, is however, less at
tractive to the modern star gazer for
its mythology than for its famous
nebula. The nebula lies nearest to the
northern-most of the three stars, two
of them OF only the fourth magnitude,
which form the maiden's belt It is
visible to the naked eye as hazy star,
and, indeed, it has attracted attention
before the invention of the telescope.
Its nebulous character is quite apparent
through an opera glass. Seen through
small telescope it presents an appear
ance which was APPLY described by
Simon Marius. who was the first to
turn telescope upon It, In 1872 as that
of candle shining through horn.
Photography has shown that this in
teresting object belongs to the class Of
spiral nebulae. 1t is evidently turned
toward us partly edgewise, so that its
apparent figure is elliptical. The gen
eral arrangement of its numerous curry
ing Whorls bears ,unmistakable testi-
mony to vertical movement going or
within 1t. According to the theory of
Sir Norman Loclsyer it Is an enormous
whirling and condensing of meteorites,
its faint luminosity being due to heat
cngendered by the collisions Of the me-
teorites. THIS view of the nature of a
nebula is supported by the testimony of
the spectroscope. which indicates that
the light of all true nebua comes from
few gases only, one of them hydro
gen, at a low temperature. and though
not universally accepted, seems to be
gaining favor among astronomers
he
conspicuous feature on September's
bill giving us theoretically equal days
and equal nights, but as matter Of
fact the apparent sun is little bit
ahead of the fictitious sun that we used
to keep our clocks in order with, and I!
so the periods of sunrise and sunset
do not take place when the hands of
the clock are exactly up and down it's
face. On the 23d the sun actually takes
up Its course In the southwestern declin-
Gtion and astronomical Autumn begins
September's full moon is the most
beautiful of all the year. for it is the
well known and much admired harvest
moon. 1t obtains this distinction be.
cause 1t is the full moon nearest the |
autumnal equinox The moon at this |
time makes but small angle with the
horizon and rises for several nights |
with q comparatively small average !
in the time of her appearance. |
The ancient husbandmen explained the |
as a divine interposition |
to help them in gathering in the fruits |
Of the arth, the continued early rising |
Of the moon prolonging the day for this
special purpose.
Jupiter is occulted by the moon on
the 1st and again on the 2Sth, at which |
latter date almost the entire disk dis |
appears. As the face of the moon Is |
not very full on the dates given, the |
picture presented should be one of |
unusual attractiveness. The planet |
having Iassed the position of quadra
,rY dces not give us his beautiful face
10 lcolS upon during the early hours
Of the evening; he is still conspicuous
y lovely when he does come above
he horizon, and we have him with us
rom that time until daylight.
Uranus, following his brilliant lead
'r's example, is also twice occulted ty
he moon We can now form some
What mcrr definite idea of the planets
bouts if we observe the stars
loosely surrounding the moon on the
I'd and Goth, for they form the setting
n which the planet is placed.
Saturn is In conjunction with Luna
IN the 3d, and on the 22d he reaches
J,.., lo, ,,t 1on to-,