Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-10
THE SKIES IN DECEMBER.
Jupiter the Evening star and Venus the
Morning-How to Pick Out Con-
steIIattous,
(From the New York Commercial Adver-
tiser)


stcliations.
From the New York Commercial Adver-
tiser)
when an observer notes the position Of
the sun as it reaches the noon mark on
the first day of December, he may know
that on the next day 1t will be lower in
the sky by about on-third of it's apparent
diameter. Ii the observer were located
in South America, Australia, or Africa
at a point where the centre of the sun
would pass directly over his head at noon
he would have to travel ten miles south
in order to repeat the experience the
next day. On the third he must again
move south, slightly less distance, and
so each day a shorter stage until Decem-
Der %. when he must turn to the north
and follow the sun in that march which
causes such rejoicing in northern lands
II is Il great joke on the inhabitants of
those lands which lie below the tropic
of Capricorn that custom constrainS them
TO celebrate with festivities tho departure
of the warmth giving sun to northern lat
itudcs
The precise moment on which the sun
reaches his point OF furthest southern doc
lination and then starts north is Dccem-
Der y. 7.0i p. m. New York time ~
this time the length OF the day in this
latitude is nine hours and fifteen min
utes, and the height of the sun at noon
time but little more than IL quarter Of the
way from the horizon to tho zenith.
As a slight compensation the moon rides
triumphdntly high in the heavens. and on
the night of full moon, December 4, we
get the longest and brightest moonlight
of the year. Several circumstances COM
bine to give this vicinity an cXtraordin-
arily brilliant moon Oh the night in qIcS-
ton, Tho earth is approaching its perihc-
lion. SO that the moon is flooded with the
mott, ~
perigee, so that the maximum Of this
light when reflected reaches the earth,
The moon is near its turthost north and
gives our closest approach to the beauties
of tropical moon. Finally, the phase Of
full moon occurs within an hour of mid
night in this longitude. and 50 gives al
most the maximum of light that is pos
sible under all these favorable conditions
Jupiter is still the brightest Of the
st9rs of evening, being scen due south
about $50 at the beginning Of the month,
and setting about midnight. lie will pass
the meridian and set about four minutes
earlier each evening throughout the
/ month.
West Of Jupiter, and setting at eight
o'clock is the planet Mars the brightest
object between Jupiter and the southwest
ern horizon. Between these planets is Sat
urn, which is brighter than any of the
neghboring stars, and SO is easily recog
| ~
eastward around the sun, are are the
earth and all the other planets but it
/ takes Saturn nearly thirty years to make
the circuit of the sky, while Mars, for a
hike revolution, requires only IS7 days
During the next twenty days 1t will be
very interesting to watch Mars rapidly
closing up the considerable gap which
now intervencs between tho two planets
on the Goth, when Mars ovcrhauls the
more distant body. the distance between
them viii be only slightly greater than
the breath of the full moon.
I Venus is morning star, rising little
after three o'clock, and shining with a
brilliance which has no rival in the sky
save only tho sun and moon. An occulta-
! ton Of Venus by the moon occurs Decem-
Der II, but will not be visible III this
! locality conjunction Of the moon with
both Mars and Saturn is an especially
! interesting occurrence on the evening Of
December 20 The approach is only about
! half as close will be the conjunction
with Jupiter on the 25th.
| Neptune is in opposition and bright est
on December q. 1t is said In many popu-
lar treatises that Neptune can be seen by
means of an opera glass. AS the planet
is less bright than some of the satellites
Of Saturn, il will be seen what kind Of an
opera glass and what kind of eyes Will
he required for the observations The
planet is, moreover. in Inc very thick Of
the Milky Way. whore it will remain for
several years. On tho whole, amateurs
will do we'll to leave Neptune out Of their
/ calculations.
/ The consultations of the evening sky
arc now exceedingly beautiful. High
/ overhead runs tho Milky Way with its
countless profusion of stars. Near the
zenith is the constellation Of Audlumvda
with PorSe Us to the west and Cassiopcia
to the north Perseus can be recongized
-4.aH..