Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-03

sections or signs" having the same names
as the consultations which form the belt.
and formerly identical with them.
Owing, however, to the movement known
as the procession of the equinoxes''-a slow
sliding of the equinoxes along the ecliptic,
toward the west-each sign now stands west
of the constellation of the same name
Thus, when the sun is said to enter the
sign Aries on passing the vernal equinox,
it really enters the constellation Pisces.
which adjoins Aries on the west, and SO on
around the entire circle.
The six signs which are now above the
horizon-here indicated by their symbols,
as they may be found in an almanac-reck-
oned from west to east are Pisces 0he last
of the twelve), Aries (he frst), Taurus,
Gemini. Cancer (Which the sun enters about
June q. reaching then its highest northern
latitude), and Leo.
Stellar Magnitudes.
In somewhat arbitrary classification Of
the stars according to their brilliancy, the
brightest twenty have been selected to
form the first class. Ten Of these FIRST
magnitude stars are in the northern and
ten In the southern hemisphere. Only
fourteen of these stars. however. can be
seen by an observer in the latitude OF
Washington, the remaining six lying with
in that south circumpolar region which
never appears above his horizon, although
all may be seen by an observer in the lower
latitude of Key West OF the fourteen
which we may see at one time or another
eight will be above the horizon at 9 o'clock
tonight. Named in the order of their bril-
liancy they are Sirius. Capella, Rigel. Pro-
cyon. Betelgeuse, Aldebaran, Pollux AID
Regulus.
About sixty stars, less bright than these.
are classed as Of the second magnitude.
OF this number thirty-three appear on our
chart. Among them are the Pole Star, six
Of the seven which form the Great Dipper.
the five which form the w of Cassiopeia.
@1,-o@ 1T ah Co. ~ ~NlA - n~.1
the pair which mark the head Of Aries.
There are about 200 stars of the third
ma gnitude. $50 of the fourth, LOO OF the
fifth. 1900 of the sixth (these latter stars
being the faintest visible the dearest
nights. The telescope magnitudes run
down to the sixteenth or seventeenth. stars
Of this order being the fantest brought into
view by the largest telescopes.
Algol, 1.-THE Demon Star"
One Of the most interesting of the stars
visible tonight Is Algol-Al Ghul, the De-
mona famous variable star. Ordinarily
it is of the second magnitude. but at regu.
lar intervals Of little under three days
it begins to wane and in about four hours
drops nearly to the fourth magnitude. In
the next four hours it RECEIVERS its usual
brightness.
been satisfactorily demonstrated to be the
passage round the star Of dark COM
panion, which, passing periodically between
it and us, cuts off portion of its light.
Upward of twenty variables of the Algol
type are now known, although only four
of them are visible to the naked eye.
Four minima Of this star at favorable
hours will occur this month. namely on
the 4th at 10 pm, on the It'll at pm.
on the oath at IL AS pm, on the 9th at
$50 pm. The star stands at about L.Iree-
fifths Of the distance from the center Of
Cassiopeia to the Pleiades.
The Planets.
Mercury has been an evening star since
December IL and will continue such
throughout this month. 1t may be looked
for on a clear evening low In the SOUTH
west half hour or so after sunset.
Venus also is an evening star and should
become visible before the close OF the
month, low In the southwest.
Mars is now an evening star, rising on
the 1st of the month soon after IL o'cloc-.
idly eastward. On the LIST of this month It
crossed the celestial equator and entered
the southern hemisphere.
Jupiter, which during the summer and
fall months was so splendid an ornament
of the southern evening sky. has nearly
closed his season evening star, set
ting on the 1st Of the month ct about 8
pm Saturn, farther west, sets an hour
and quarter earlier.
to the sun to be visible Neptune. to COM
plete the list, is an evening star, near the
western border of Gemini, but appearing
as a star of only about the eighth magni-
tude is beyond the reach of the naked eye
and barely within that of a field glass.