Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-11-05
THE NOVEMBER SKIES.
Position of PIanets-The November
Meteors-The Consultations.

In the month of November five planets
may be seen in the evening sky, viz:
Uranus Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and
Neptune. Venus is visible in the early
morning and Mercury is too near to the
sun to be seen at all without a tele-
scope. OF the five planets, Uranus sets
so soon after sunset that it is not easily
seen, and must be sought for, if at all,
with a telescope 1t is in the constella-
ton Ophiuchus near the boundary of
Sagittarius.
Mars is low in the southwest in the
constellation Sagittarius 1t is the red
star which is seen in that part of the
sky an hour or more after sunset. 1t is
not conspicuous, but is brighter than
the other stars in it's vicinity. 1t sets
on the first at 7.27 p. M. and on the
thirteth at 7.1S P. M. 1t is moving
rapidly eastward, crossing the constel-
lation Sagittarius in a few weeks. AS
it's motion is nearly as great as that of
the sum- they keep at about the same
apparent distance throughout the
month.
The two conspicuous planets in the
evening sky are Jupiter and Saturn.
Jupiter is the brilliant star in the south
each evening. 1t is in the constellation
Aquarius, which has no very bright
stars, so that the planet seems to be
especially imposing in it's solitude. 1t
does not move very much among the
stars this month, as it ends it's west
ward movement on the tenth, and curv-
ing slowly northward begins its east
ward movement once more. 1t is in ex
cellent position for those who have tel
escapes to watch the movements of it's
satellites and to examine the belts
which cross it's disk. On the seventh,
fourteenth, twenty third and thirtieth
satellite l. and it's shadow may be seen
in transit; on the eighteenth the shad-
ow of satellite LII. and on the eleventh
the shadow of satellite ii. cross the disk
as round black spots, and on the seven
teenth satellite III. may be seen in sim
liar motion.
Saturn is the fairly conspicuous star
in the southwest. at the right of Jupi-
ter. 1t may be distinguished from the
stars Of Capricornus, among which it is
moving, by it's quiet, steady light and
it's greater brightness. The rings are
readily seen in the telescope and also
the brighter satellites. 1t is moving
slowly eastward across the constella-
ton Capricornus, but it will be m'bre
than year before it enters the neigh
boring area Aquarius.
Neptune rises on the first at p. M.
and on the thirtieth at GOA r. M. 1t is
found with the telescope in right as
\, .,,l
degrees Is minutes. 1t moves one-half
a degree westward in the course of the
month.
Venus is the brilliant star which rises
at about $50 A. M. and hardly fades
out until the sun has actually risen. 1t
reaches one of it's orbit stations this
month, for on the twenty-ei it is at
its greatest apparent distance from the
sun, nearly forty-seven degrees. On
that date planet and sun are moving
eastward at precisely the same rate,
about one degree per day. so that they
are at a constant distance for a time.
Then Venus begins to move the faster,
and after several months will overtake
the sun and appear in the evening sky.
Mercury is in the morning sky, rising
OIl TIC III 81 dl o.ll "a M, DQtbIt Is wv
near the sun to be readily seen. On the
twenty-first it passes the sun and en-
tiers the evening sky, where it can be
seen after a few weeks.
The moons motion carries it near
the planets in the following order:
eighth, Neptune; fifteenth, Uranus;
eighteenth. Mercury; twenty-first, IRA
nus: twenty-fourth, Saturn; twenty
seventh, Jupiter. Moonlit evenings
will be the first ten of the month, full
moon occurring on the fifth, and also
the last week of the month, first quar-
ter falling on the twenty
The only unusual features of the
month which can be foretold is the dis
play of meteors, which will occur in
the early morning between the four
teenth and seventeenth. They radiate
from Leo, which rises near midnight.
and are seen until dawn. No one knows
whether the number this year will be
large, but certainly many will be
counted. The time for the predicted
shower has passed. though it is quite
possible that the little particles near
the swarm are arranged in such irreg-
lllar punches that we may encounter a
larger number this year than last. The
mornings of the fifteenth and sixteenth
are the best. The greater number will
he seen in the east.
Nov ember is a specially favorable
month for studying consultations and
learning to recognize the brighter stars.
A casual glance upward in the evening
shows that the groups in the west are
lese CONSPICUOUS than those in the east.