Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-30

| equal-sided square, of about the size of the
bowl of the Great Dipper The brightest OF
1 these stars, of the third magnitude, Is at
the lower left-hand corner. and is I'm the
crows feet This star bears the Arabic
name Alchiba, which means tent" and
doubtless was applied originally to the
whole constellation, which certainly re-
sembles a tent quite as closely as n docs a
bird.
Both the Cup and the Crow stand on the
back of the Hydra, or Watersnake con-
stellation chiefly remarkable for its .enor-
nous length OF over one hundred degrees
The head of this monster is formed by a
| small curved group of three or more stars
"a very pretty opera glass object-sItuated
about midway between Regulus and Pro-
| cyon. The Hydra's Heart (Cor Hydrae), a
star or the second ma gnitude may now be
seen about twenty degrees below and at
the right OF Regulus. Owing to the paucity
IN stars or this region of the heavens this
| heart is a conspicuous object The Arabs
called 1t Alphard, The Solitary"
The great Diamond of Virgo, formed by
the four stars Arcturus, Spica, Denehola.
| In the tail of Leo, and Cor Carroll CHARLES
Hearth In the Hunting Dogs, is now con-
spicuous In the eastern sky. Although this
is like the great Square of Pegasus
modern constellation, ii is one of the grand
celestial landmarks with which the stnr
gaZer should early become familiar
The PIanetoid Eros.
The observations of Eros which have
been In progress at all of the large OH
servatories since early last autumn-under-
taken Tor the purpose Of obtaining a new
determination of the suns distance from
us-are now nearly or quite completed IL
has been arranged by the committee In
charge OF the observations at the head az
which is NJ. Loewy, director of the Paris
observatory, to furnish each of the par
ticipatlng observatories with the results
obtained at all of the other observing sta
tons, so that the reduction" of the Oh
RI
and labor. will doubtless he made ind
pendently by number OF astronomers
Dr. Oppolzer announced some time ago
that he had discovered that Eros varies In
brightness to the extent of about one
magnitude, and this has been confirmed
by several other astronomers. The period
or the variation is about six hours Two
suppositions have been made I'm explana-
ton of it, one that Eros is a binarr sys
TEN, the other that it is not of a spherical
FORM but has some irregular shane SO
that, as IL revoives on its axis. the IL
Eliminated area presented to us is variable
In extent. The diameter of this tiny ce-
lestial can hardly be over twenty miles.
and possibly is much less than that
The New Star i'm Perseus.
Inc position OF the new star discovered
In Perseus on the morning OF February u
by DR.. I. d. Anderson OF Edinburgh is
shown on the chart given herewith. When
discovered it was estimated to be of mag
nitude 81. Prof E. B. Frost of the
Dartmouth College observatory discovered
the star independently on the evening of
February %. when to his eye it was bright
er than a standard star OF the first mag
nitude- On the oath Sir Norman Lockyer
estimated 1t to be brighter than CapeIla
and the same estimate of its brilliancy
was made on the same day at the Lick
observatory. 1t has since declined quite
steadily, and when last seen by the writer
nitude.
This nova" is the most considerable OBJ
5ect OF its kind that has appeared since
keplers star" which broke out in the
lower part of Ophiuchus in 1904, and which
appears to have been comparable in bright
ness with the planet Jupiter. "Tyeho
Bhahes STAR, which suddenly appeared in
Cassiopeia In November. 1872 is the bright
est on record-as well as the first well-au-
theDticated case of a new, or Temporary,
star-having been, when at its brightest.
scarcely inferior to the planet Venus This
star remained visible for eighteen months.
The nova which appeared I'm the Northern
Crown in May, 1866. was of the second
magnitude when first seen. II diminished
In brightness SO rapidly that twelve days
after Its discovery 1t was of only the eighth
magnitude.
The cause of these sudden apparftfon. I'm
the heavens is a still debated question In
some cases the nova has proved to be a star
already catalogued, which has suddenly
burst into unwonted brilliancy; and I'm sew
eraf cases the star" has ended by becom-
lug a Hcpuid All OF Inc RECORDED nONae
have appeared in or near the Milky Way,
and they are doubtless the results OF on
efations taking place regularly in this mys-
ferrous region of the heavens. The opinion
now prevalent among astronomers seems
to be that they are due to collisions one or
both Of the colliding objects being a body
Of meteorites. In all cases in which the
spectroscope has been turned upon them
1t has been found that a part of their light
probably the greater part-comes from
glowing gases, of which one is the every
where present hydrogen.
The Planets.
Mercury. has been an evening star since
March Z, and will be visible as such
throughout the month.
Venus will be a morning star until the
Goth. but not visible. and after that date an
evening star for the remainder of the year.
Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus are morning
stars. the first two in Sagittarius, the last
in the Scorpion. All three run so low as to
be unfavorably situated for telescope OBJ
servation.
Mars. in the constellation Leo, Is now the
reigning evening star. crossing the merid-
ian at about pm. During the last month
1t refrigerated" across the handle OF the
Sickle, and is now west OF Regulus. There
is no mistaking Its brilliant rudy light.
From this time on its course viii be ''di-
rect" or toward the east. 1t will first take
a downward curve and will pass quite near
to the star Regulus. 1t is now midsummer
In the northern hemisphere of Mars. Tho
north polar cap" has decreased very
ticeably i'm the last three weeks. and Is now
barely perceptible through a small tele-
scope.