Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-07-10

mote becomes nucleus, and globule
of water is formed upon 1t. All con-
densation Of water vapor in the air,
whether it appears as rain, mist, fog,
cloud or snow, takes place on nucleus
OF dust. We cannot leave this intensely
interesting subject without again
briefly mentioning two pdrely atmos
pheric phenomena-r efraction and twi
light. The solar rays in passing through
the various strata CT the atmosphere,
varying in density, have their direction
changed, and thus by refraotion the
stars and all bodies seen through the
atmosphere have their position appar-
emily displaced. In this manner the
time of sunrise in our latitude is ac-
celebrated from 2 to minutes, sunset
is delayed by the same amount, and
the day is heightened by refraction
from to minutes at the expense of
tho night. Twilight is caused by the
reflection of light to the observer from
the higher regions of the atmosphere.
1t is due to reflection, as mentioned
above, from dust notes, also from
minute crystals of ice and salt, from
infinitesimal drops of water. 1t is
possible that the pure gases themselves
have some power of rejecting light.
The duration of twilight depends upon
the latitude and the height of the at
mosphere. In our own latitude twilight
varies from two hours at the longest
days in summer to an hour and half.
In higher ATTITUDES it lasts longer. In
certain high latitudes it lasts all night
in midsummer, and at the north pole
for more than two months, thus to some
extent relieving the dreariness of the
long winter nights of theArctic regions.
The skies present an attractive picture
in cloudless night at any season of
the year; but there are certain con-
stellations which, by the peculiar con-
figuration of their constituent stars and
their brilliance, enhance the intrinsic
beauty of the celestial DOME To
the latter unquestionably belongs the
zodiacal constellation Scorpio, which
in the early hours of July evenings is
situated right above us. Among the -
consultations. that constitute that re-
Scorpio that the palm of beauty must
needs be conceded. The general con-
| figuration of this constellation is that
of boys kite with long streaming
tail extending far down to the south
and east and containing several pairs
of stars The brightest of the stars or
| Scorpio is Alpha Scorpii, or Antares,
word that means the rival of Mars,
whose Greek name is Ares. The name
is not Inappropriate, as it certainly
rivals Mars in the fiery red tinge it
| Possesses. Antares is a frst-magnitude
star and double, the companion being
of green color, but not easily seen
with small telescope. The second
magnitude star Beta is in the arch of
| the kite bow, about s degrees north
west of Antares. The star G ANNA is
SO near the constellation Libra that one
| would be in doubt whether to concede
| it to Scorpio or to Libra. In fact, there
| prevails considerable confusion among
uranographers as to the boundary line
Of these two consultations. Besides
| the stars mentioned, Scorpio possesses
a considerable number of second and
third magnitude stars-a fact that
renders it such brilliant star picture.
| North of it and also on the meridian
are the consultations Ophiuchus, the
"Serpent- Bearer" and Serpens, which
rae SO closely connected as to justify
their treatment as one constellation.
Ophiuchus probably refers to the great
physician Esoulapius. He stands with
his feet on Scorpio and grasps with
both hands the huge Serpent, the stars
of the latter forming large semi circle.
The shoulder of Ophiuchus is marked
by a triangle, whose vertices are Alpha,
or Ras Alhague, Beta and Kappa. The
hero's right hand is marked by the two
stars Delta and Epsilon, both being al
very short distance from each other.
Alpha Serpentis, or Unuk, is east Of
the head of Ophiucbus and is of the
second magnitude. There is a grouI
of stars in both Ophiuchus and Serpens
that certainly form striking picture
resembling changing lamp anc
deserving to be permanently adopted
by all photographers. The topmost stal
in this group is Delta Serpentis, tc
which the imaginary chains are at
tached, and UDuk forms the principa
star in the lamp chimney. The LAM
itself is marked by Delta Ophiuchi anC
the pendant by Zeta, Eta and Theta.
The attentive reader cannot fail tt
recognize the picture from this brie
description. North Of Ophiuchus ane
close to Lyra is the fine constellation
Hercules, which is most readily recog
nized by large keystone shaped quad
rilateral and by still larger triangle
south of it. The stars constituting the
quadrilateral are Epsilon, Zeta, Eta
and Pi, while those of the triangle arr
Alpha, or Ras Algethi, Beta and Delta
The triangle marks the head and the
two shoulders and the quadrilateral |
part of the demigod's back. Alpht
Herculis is fine double star. Con
Meeting the stars Eta and Zeta by {
straight line, there is, about one thirG
from the former, one of the finest sta
clusters, Messier ID, which in darl
and cloudless night may be just visible
to keen eye, but which, when looked
at through good telescope, presents ;
magnificent object in the heavens
Arcturus and the Crown are still higl
up, but bending slightly toward tn,
west, and Leo is closely approaching
the western horizon. Spica Virgins i
about midway between the horizon ant
the meridian. Lyra, with the beauti
full star Vega, is near the meridian
and Cygnus and Aquila high up cas-
of the equator. Pegasus with its larg
square is rising in the east, and loy
down in the southeast we see Fomal
haut rising above the eastern horizon
: lis strange how much colder it j
: in winter and how much hotter il
} summer on SUNDAYS than on othe