Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-10
GLORIES OF THE HEAVENS.
Saturn to be in Opposition-Venus In
Conjunction with tho Moon.

UlUnlLO VI IHC HCNVINo'
Saturn to be in n-Venue In
Conjunction with tho Moon.
The duration of Old Soils stay above the
horizon reached it's maximum June "a ana
henceforth and until June next we snail
see less of him than has been our pleasure
tho last few weeks. The difference in the
length of the daylight period. however, can
not vet be discerned by the average per-
son. When the days were at their longest
the sun rose a few minutes after lour
o'clock and set at 7:24, giving us daylSht
for fifteen hours and seventeen minutes
to which twilight made sufficient addi-
ton to call the days sixteen hours long. On
July first the later rising takes away -FOUR
minutes. 1t will be observed that the set
ing for several days is at 7:2o a inmate later
than at the time of the summer solstice.
This is due to the gradually increasing
equation of time, which for these FEW days
is a greater factor in the local time of the
suns setting than the earlier moment OF
the actual disappearance of the sun user
as timed by the astronomical measure
says'the New York Times
Around the beginning of July the earth
will be at its greatest distance from the
sun. At that time it will be about 3'0OU,-
coo miles further away from the great
central orb of the system than 1t was
six months ago, and then it will be SIX
months hence. The fact that the sun Il
nearer to us in midwinter than IL IS N
midsummer may offer some diflcultles
to the ordinary understanding, out u
simple explanation Is possible. the rate
of the temperature of the earth IS &C.
termined less by the distance of the heat
disturbing body than 1t is on the angie
at which the heat rays strike us and the
length of time which they are felt IN
summer the sun is higher above the south
erly horizon at noon than 1t Is In winter
and it is visible longer. Consequently Its
rays do not have to pass through so much
atmosphere in reaching us. They come
to us more directly and they stay with us
for a greater length of time, and hence
although the sun is more distant from us
than in December, its effect on us Is
greater.
Reference Is here made to the globe
north of the Equator below which line
the conditions are, as we know, reversed.
When summer is in this section or the
earth winter Ia in the other. and vice versa.
The month of January, when the earth Is
nearest the sun, is the middle OF south
America and Africa and in Australia. IN
those regions the direction and duration
of the suns rays at that time are relnforc-
ed by the nearness of the body from which
they emanate. Therefore the summers IN
the south temperate zone are usually not
ter than they are in the north temperate
AS the winter IN the south side OF the
globe comes in June and July, when the
sun is furthest away, the season is Scner'
allY colder in that section than it is with
us.
The scene in the armament Mt nine
O clock in the evening of the opening days
of July will be materially different IN
some respects from that which presented
itself at the same hour month earlier.
Regulus, which then was high above the
tn, no
near the horizon that it can barely be dis
Cerned, and the stream of small stars to
the north and east of IT, which formed the
Sickle. will not be as readily traced ont
All the stars visible at that time Will be
noticed to have shifted westward in these
four weeks. Spica, the leading star III inc
constellation of the Virgin, is in the south
| west. Castor and Pollux, which were IT
| the west, north of Eegulus month ago
! have vanished, and the only bright stai
| passing anywhere near the zenith Whlcl
will be west of the point overhead Mt ina
| time is Arcturus. In the southeast An
tares of the group of the Scorpion will be
seen. In the east, and now high above tbs
| horizon at nine o'clock. Affair of the Eagl:
will be in view Altar is the middle
and brightest star of three ranged in a line
up and down with respect To the horizon
| In the northwest and well up near I'M
zenith. is ' cga of the constellation of thu
| ~
nearer the horizon. is Deneb of the stal
group of the Swan, which Is sometime:
! known as the Northern Cross. All thes'
are first magnitude stars. except Deneb
! and this is the brightest in its locality, an,
is prominent enough to be noticeable Il
those looking at that part of the he1N
ems. From the Scorpion and the Arche
in the south, northward through the Eagl
the Lyre and the Swan, to the Lady II
Her Chair the zone formed of the hlcnde'
! light OF tens of millions OF distant star
called the Milky Way is flung like scar
across the armament
| The new moon comes to us on the NTH
the first quartering on the twelfth, tn
i full moon on the twentieth, and the las
/ quartering on the twenty eighth. 1t Il
claimed by Prof. Pickering that 1T is alb
solutely impossible for water TO exist upoi
the moon in the liquid state. Above tn
freezing point it would be wholly gaseous
below 1t would he partly gaseous and partl.
solid. He also holds that the temperature
of the dark portion OF the disk and of tn
regions IN shadow in the bright portion
must be far lower than any found on tn
earth's surface, which discoveries VII
somewhat dampen the ardor of the aeron
auts who contemplate visiting our Satellit
In their flying machines.
Among the planets for July Saturn hold
the post of honor. for on the seventeenth
he is in opposition and rising about tn
time the sun sets. At this time we shal
see the planet at his best for the year. an
during the summer months he will form
beautiful and conspicuous object in tn
evening sky. Three days after opposition
Saturn and the moon are In conjunction
but there is so much clear sky intervenin
that the picture will not form a particu
larry striking feature.
Venus Is twice In conjunction with tn
moon during the astronomical month
that which occurs first, on the second @
the month, being the closer of the tive
Venus Is stil queen of the early morn
ing sky, and rises a little before tw
o'clock so that we can get a real good loo
at her charming face some little time be
fore sun-up.
Mars is morning star and receives
visit from Luna on the third, as sh
makes her monthly rounds among tn
planetary brotherhood. Mars helps out tn
programme considerably In this seaso
of rest for the chief stars, as he has
close meeting with Neptune on the twenty
. third. and a somewhat closer one wit
Venus on the last day OF the month, as
! Economically speaking. Neptune, Will
} not really in evidence, also has some I'm
, parts allotted him during the heated tern
To begin with he and the moon are 1