The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-11

FEBRUARY SKIES
ARE MOST BEAUTIFUL
washington Evening starr

washington Evening starr
The aspect Of the heavens on a Feb
ruary evening" at about O'Clock at the
beginning Of the month, an hour or so
earlier toward its CLOSETS unquestiOn-
ably the finest ever presented TO an
observer in our northern latitude. In
the south stands the great X-like inquire
of OriOn-the Mighty Orion of Homer
with it's splendid setting of first-mag-
nitude stars, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Sirius,
ProcyOn and Aldebaran- Overhead IS
Auriga the principal star, in which
CapelIa is the brightest star visible TO
us, with the single exception of Sirius.
In the east is the old constellation, Leo,
containing the bright star Regulus, the
jewel in the handle of the sickle, which
forms the lions bUshy head and Shout
ders. In the north the most striking
two of the circUmpolar considerations
the great dipper. or the blow, and the
W-shaped figure of CaSsiOpeia, The
Lady in Her Chair, are both well
posed for observing. the former at the
right, the latter at the left of the pole
star. Overhead stretches. in a direc-
ton from southeast to northwest, the
grand nebulOus arch of the milky way
All seven of the stars just named are
of the first magnitude To this list may
be added an eighth, POlluX, the lower
of the two Twins, which stand about
midway between the head OF Taurus
and that of Leo. These are the only
stars of this order of Splendor now
above the horizon. It viii be observed
that they are punched within an area
that might be inCloSed by a circle
which would take in considerably less
than One-fOurth of the visible hemis-
phere of the heavens-a fact which
Strikfngly illustrates the irregularity
in the distribution Of the brighter stars
over the celestial sphere.
There are but six other stars of this
class visible in the mean latitude of the
United States and these are scattered
somewhat at random over the hemis
phere which is now below the horizon.
Another point worth noting in this
connection is that while among our
northern circumpOlar Stars-stars that
never disappear below our horizon
there is not one of the first magnitude.
There are among the southern circum-
polar stars, which never appear above
our horizon, no fewer than six of this
order of s0lendOr. Among these are
Campus and Alpha CentauTi which
stand, respectively, second and third
for briIliancy in the list of the twenty
first magnitude stars.
Mercury has been an evening star
since Jan. q. and viii continue such
] until March I. It reaches its greatest
/ elOngation east from the sun on the
/ 18th of this month. 1t may now be
/ looked for on a clear evening a half
hour or so after sunset, q little SOuIn OF
west
/ Venus is still a morning star, but q
now rapidly drawing in toward the sun,
/ with which it viii be in superior con-
! junction April 80. After that date it
/ will be an evening star for the remain
der of the year.
Jupiter and Saturn, in Sagittarius,
/ and Uranus, in ScOrpio. are morning
] stars, visible like Venus. in the south
! east. Neptune far beyond the reach
/ of the naked eye. is an evening star,
| near the western border of Gemi1li.
Mars is now the most interesting of
/ the planets, approaching its opposition
! to The sun, which occurs on the 22d OF
this month. 1t is situated in the con-
( stelIation Leo. some ten or twelve de-
/ grees east of RegulUs, and therefore IS
we'll above the horizon at p. m. Since
! the middle Of January Mars has been
ograding-mOving westward among
the stars-and this movement will con-
tinue until April L, when the Diane'
| will be some six or eight degrees north
| west of Regulus. The coming oDDosi-
ton is one Of the least favorable. Mars
. being now at about his greatest dis
lance from the sun. His least distance
from US this year will be about 6S,OOO,
600 miles.