Evening star., 1902-02-01

is of the third magnitude. The name Is
Arabic and means sword Bellatrix at the
upper right-hand corner. Is OF the second
| magnitude. This name is Latin, meaning
warrioress. AS the name OF a star its
point Is obscure.
In Orion's ReIt
The three stars which form the belt Of
Orion, all OF the second magnitude, are
sometimes regarded as an asterism in them
selves. They are va-iously known as the
Three Kings. as Jacobs Staff, as the Rake.
Taken in connection with fourth star, In
the sword, they form the Yard L, or the
Yard and Ell, as the name is sometimes
given. The line of these three stars is
about three degrees in length, fact useful
to remember when one is estimating dis
tances among the stars. The celestial
equator passes very close to the uppermost
of these stars. dividing the constellation
In such wise that II lies one-half in the
northern and one-half in the southern hem
isphere Of the heavens.
Below the belt and in the sword Is the
famous Orion nebula, the largest and in
some respects the most remarkable object
OF its kind. Unlike the Andromeda nebula
1t is not detachable with the naked eye,
and hardly with an opera glass. 1t sur
rounds the star Theta-the middle star of
three which mark the lewermost corner of
diamond-shaped figure, of which one side
is formed by the belt. Photographs of
this wondrous object are now common
that description of il is hardly necessary,
Indeed, no description can convey more than
feeble impression of its weird appearance
in the field Of a large telescopes cloud Of
luminous mist, not altogether formless, for
1t resembles curiously the severed head OF
scme monster animal. open-mouthed and
profusely adorned with shaggy, streaming
name. Its spectrum exhibits, besides the
three "nebular lines" many other bright
lines-ffty or more-among which have
been identified several lines OF hydrogen,
lines of helium, OF iron. of calcium, while
others are of a thus far undetermined orr
gin. These bright lines indicate that the
substances to which they are due are glow
ing gases. The nature OF this and other
true nebulae is still an unsolved problem
Of astronomy.
The MILKY Way.
Another Of the grand enigmas OF the
heavens is the Milky Way. which now, at
o'clock, passes directly overhead. form
ing one Of the most striking features Of the
night sky. Photography has shown con-
clusively that Hecschel's idea of the cause
Of this remarkable celestial phenomenon
namely, that the universe of stars was disc
shaped, and that in looking in the direction
of the Milky Way the eye pierced a greater
profundity of luminous worlds than when
we look in a direction perpendicular to its
plane-was entirely wrong.
That the Milky Way has not this sup
posed profundity. but that II 10 a cloud
formation, as it appears to be to the naked
eye, with Its various parts at essentially
the same distance from the earth, is clearly
indicated by the photographs OF it. par
ticularly by the beautiful series taken by
Professor Barnard with an ordinary Dor.
trait lens. AS to the size Of its funda-
mental stars and their distance from US
which really are two forms of the same
Questfon-there is at present wide diver
gence Of opinion among astronomers. Some
astronomers continue to regard these stars
as massive suns comparable with our own
In size, in which case their distance from
us must be measured In scores II not in
hundreds of light years." while others in
cline to the opinion that the galaxy is COM
paratively near to us and that its star
dust" Is made up OF luminous bodies which
are of a comparatively Insignificant size.
This is Professor Barnard's view.
Minima of Algol, at hours convenient for
observing, will occur on the 18th OF the
month at 10 pm. and on the 17th at $50
pm.
The Planets.
Mercury has been an evening star sincs
January 1, and will continue to be such
until the 18th Of this month During the
early part Of the month It should be visible
on clear evening. low In the west None
Of the other planets Will be visible during
the month, all being In too close proximity
to the sun. except Neptune (near the feet
OF the Twins), which Is never visible to
the naked eye.