Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-07-02
THE HEAVENS IN JULY.
The Constellation Scorpio is the spec.
tnculnr Feature for Next Month
Other sights to Re Looked For.

| 'uie Oh IL ClouuleSS night at any season
of the year. but there are certain con-
stellations which by the peculiar CON
| hguration of their constituent stars and
| their brilliancc enhance the intrinsic
beauty of the celestial dome. To the
| latter unquestionably belongs the zodia
cal constellation Scropio. which in the
| carly hours Of July evenings is situated
| Immediately above us.
| Among the ~ consultations that con-
stitute that remarkable belt. the zodiac.
1t is to Scorpio that the palm of beauty
| must needs be conceded. The general
confisuration Of this constellation is
that of a boys kite-not the modern
shaped kite. but one of tho good old
fashioned kind, when you and l were
boys. unless perhaps you happened to
be girl. l mean the kind with a long,
streaming tail, having whole lot of
bobbins on it. The brightest of the stars
of Scorpio is Antares, a word that means
the rival of Mars. whose Greek name
is Ares.
Tho name is not inappropriate, as at
times it certainly rivals Mars in the
| fiery red tinge with which it shines. An
tares is first magnitude star and is a
double one, the companion being of
green color, but hardly visible to any
but those having a rather powerful tele-
scope.
STARS OF LESSER MAGNITUDE.
The second magnitude star Beta is in
the arch Of the Nitebow, about S de-
grees northwest of Antares. The star
Gamma Is SO near the constellation Libra
that one would be in doubt as to which
of the two consultations it belonged In
fact. there prevails considerable confu-
sion among the students of the sky as
to the exact line of demarkation separat-
ing several of the star groups.
Besides the stars mentioned Scorpio
possesses n considerable number of sec
ond and third magnitude stars-a fact
that renders ii such a brilliant star pic
ture. North of it and also on the meri-
dian are the constellation Ophiuchus
the Serpent Bearer. and Serrens, which
are so closely connected as to justify
their treatment as one constellation
Ophiuchus probably refers to the great
physician Aesculapius. and was possibly
applied to him at the time he so bitterly
offended Pluto.
He stands with his feet on Scorpio and
grasps with both hands the huge serpent
the stars of the latter forming a large
semi circle The shoulder of Ophiuchus
is marked by a triangle. whose vertices
are Alpha. or Ras Abhague. Beta and
Kappa. The hero's right hand is marked
by the two stars Delta and Epsilon
both being at a very short distance from
one another Alpha Serpentis. or Until,
is east Of the head of Ophuchus, and
is of the second magnitude.
There is a group of stars in both
Ophiuchus and Serpens that certainly
form striking picture. resembling a
hanging lamp" The topmost star in
the group is Delta Serpentis to which
the imaginary chains are attached, while
Onuk forms the principal star in the
lamps chimney. The lamp itself is
marked by Delta Ophmch and the pend
ant by Zeta. Eta and Theta.
North of Ophiuch,s and close to Lyra
is the fine constellation hercules. which
is most readily recognized by a large
keystone shaped quadrilateral and by a
still larger triangle south of it, The
triangle marks the head and the two
shoulders and the quadrlatcra a part
of the demigods back. Alpha Hercules
Is a fine double star.
THE SHORTENING DAYLIGHT.
Arcturus and the Crown are still high
up, bending slightly toward the west,
while Leo is closely approaching the
western horizon and the meridian. Lyra
with the beautiful star Vega, is near the
meridian and Cygnus and Aquila high
up east of the equator, Pegasus, with
its large square, Is rising in the east,
and low down in the southeast we see
Fomalhaut rising above the eastern hori-
ION.
Before the month of July closes we
shall he painfully aware of the fact that
the sun is moving south. for there will
be three-quarters of an hour less day
light than we now have, so that we
shall have to hurry to finish the last few
holes on the golf links, the rubber
game of tennis. or get our boat to the
moorings before darkness catches us
with a lee tide and head wind to beat
up against. However we may find some
compensation in the longer evenings and
lovely moonlight which, in the summer
season, somehow seems more than or
dinarily attractive.
In July this year we have five phases
of the moon. one more than is ordinarily
the case. They begin on the first day Of
the month, with the phase of first quar-
ter and end on the last day by repeating
this performance-no doubt by special
equest-though just how one can twice
expect first quarter is mystery
known only to our old friend up aloft.
to whom, by the way, at this season Of
the year many important secrets are
confided.
ON the 9th is the glorious full moon.
followed on the 18th by a last quarterng,
while July's own new moon does not
come TO us until the oath. Mars begins
the series Of conjunctions in which the
moon and planets are interested by be-
ing occulted by our satellite on the LIST,
the two appearing a though they touch
cd each other.
on the Both, these two heavenly bodies
will be again in conjunction, but this
time with far greater space between
them than on the first mentioned oc-
casion,
on the 9Th Mars is in quadrature. or
half way between opposition and con-
junction with the same.
SOME OLD FRIENDS.
Uranus, having just been in opposition,
.,,1.a or t,,.,
and is in CONJUNCTION with the moon on
the eth, being at that time about five de-
grees to the southwark. This planet has
no other number assigned it in the pro-
gramme for July
Saturn is the most conspicuous actor
on the boards just at present, as he is
in opposition on the 26th. rising just as
the sun Is setting. and giving us n look
at his mellow appearing light when at
its greatest advantage. On the 18th Mcr-
curry and Neptune almost run against
one another, so close do they pass on
their ways the former toward conjunc-
ton with the sun. which point he win
reach on the Goth, and the latter on his
way from a similar experience that oc-
CURED last month. They both are morn
ing stars.
Jupiter is still morning star, and is
working toward the opposition point
where he will challenge Venus for the
supremacy of the evening sky, Jupiter
and the moon are at their closest for
the month on the 18th. but the moon is
| rather too much for the planet showing
too bright a disk.
Venus on the 9th reaches her furthest
eastern point from the sun, and will then
turn toward conjunction with that body.
| reaching that point in the middle of Sep
TENDER some hvev days after Jupiter
nf