The Wichita daily eagle., 1903-07-31
HEAVENS IN JULY.

The Scientific American says: The
brightest and most interesting regions
in the evening skies of July lie to the
eastward Of the meridian The Milky
Way. rising obliquely from the north
point of the horizon, sweeps round in
vast curve to the eastward of the zenith
| and descends toward the south Along it
We find a series of brilliant constells-
tions. Beginning low in the north. we
first find Cassiopeia-familiar al all sea-
sons. for in our latitude it never sets.
Next above, on level with the pole star.
few rather inconspicuous stars mark
the place of Cepheus.
Though this group hardly adds much 10
the brightness Of the sky. the next one
makes up for its deficiency, for it Is the
splendid constellation Cygnus This is
one of the few groups OF stars that bear
any resemblance to the objects for which
they are named 1t takes but little mag
ination to see the head and body OF a
flying swan in. the line Of stars that lies
almost centrally in the Milky Way. and
its outstretched wings in the equally con-
spicuous line that crosses II
The southermost Of the principal stars
Of the constellation-Beta Cygni-which
marks the tail Of the swan. Is well worth
looking at with any telescope. however
small It is one OF the finest double stars
In the heavens. though a very wide pair.
and is an admirable example Of contrast
Ell colors. the principal star being orange
and its companion blue The two stars
have a common proper motion IL space.
and it is not unlikely that tby are ai-o
in revolution around one another. though
the period must be many thousands Of
years, as the stars have shown very
little relative motion IN the last century.
Their distance from the earth IS very
great-to0 great for accurate measure
ment-so that We can only say that the
system must be oue CT enormous r1sEni-
tude. 50 ereat that the sun. or even Sirius.
II set alongside &. would seem small in
comparison.
Close 10 Cygnus, and OF the western
edge Of the Milky Nay. Is Lyga The brii-
liant Vega marks this constellation %
conspicuously that il is one Of the easiest
Of all 10 recognize
Below Cycnus the Milky Way divdes
into tWo branches. which pur.ue a rough
Is parallel course az far as the south
ern horizon The western brsnch Is con-
paratfvely faint but The eastern oe
contains the brightest part q the GALAXY
that we ever go. and Y ful . intricate
patches and knots Ol bTighsrees ard aisa
y DARK holes ard rockets. some q
most extraordinary charsrfsr- one o. fhe
most conspicuous ls in cysnus. and Iooss
almost as e a dark strelk q eioud ob-
scuTed tha stars
Eo- far beloE Cyznus "a rnis branch q
the MiiEy way Hes Affair, srsf-rrssfi-
iude star ard one II ihe nearest aslzn-
bors There are 10 very b iEhf - -
l0~er down. though the llfils inverted
mix Upper in Ssglttasla - eharac-
terisii- Cos.rlesrzfiez- but ne EaiaEg -
self is bee Ere eGossh 20 reward onasr-
Fsziou a5Enda1fiy.
West o ss<iffzrfas ard T5ght on fss
rsers1iaE. Scorpio is n fsu Tisw. from ne
three stars vhsch marx his e7zvs a-e fhe
red Antzrss = - bosT doEn 70 - re-
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q TIRE horfzon. fer 81 s. ons q tAs an@sf
r. The heavens
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