The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-12-09
THE DECEMBER SKIES.
HalIey's Comet-The Planets and
ConsteIlations-Full Moon on the
OatI

ing astronomical events, says WINS
low Upton in the Boston Transcript.
The most important are--The visi-
bility of Halley's comet in telescopes
of small as we'll as of large size, the
increasing brilliancy of Venus, the
decreasing prominence of Saturn in
the evening and of Jupiter in the
early morning.
The interest aroused in the arrival
of Halley's Comet is widespread, but
this does not hasten it's approach
nor increase its brightness. At the
beginning of the month it is distant
from the earth about 135,000,000
miles, and at the end of the month
it will be about 130,000,000 miles
away. 1t is of about the ninth or
tenth magnitude, in technical Ian
guage, and will brighten to about the
seventh or eighth in the course of
the month. During the total eclipse of
the moon on Nov. q it was plainly
seen in telescopes of three, or four
inches aperture. 1t has a bright
nucleus and hazy outline. A short
tail has been detected by photog-
raphy, but as the direction is nearly
in line with the earth, it will not be
seen to advantage for some time. 1t
is possible that by the end of the
month a sharp-eyed observer, know
ing just where to look, may be able
to see the comet without a telescope,
but it will be many weeks yet before
it will be at all conspicuous. 1t is
moving rapidly. On the LIST it is in
the Hyades, near the red star Aide
baran; at the end of the month it will
be in the constellation Aries, in right
ascension two hours, nineteen minu-
ties, and declination north eleven de-
grees, thirty-nine minutes.
Venus is the brilliant star in the
southwest each evening, setting on
the first at 1888 p. M, and on the
thirty-frst at 75S D. m Its brilliancy
is increasing, the maximum coming
in January. On the second it is at it's
greatest apparent distance from the
semi-circular disw, and it's phase will
diminish as the brightness increases.
After the second it will draw nearer
the sun and in February disappear
from the evening sky. Like the Star
of Bethlehem, il will this year be
the celestial sign of the Christmas
season.
Mars is rapidly losing it's brilliancy
and at the end the month will be
one-eighth as bright as it was in
September The chic interest at2
taching to the planet at present is
it's rapid eastward movement among
the stars. AS the month ends it over
takes the planet Saturn passing 8
degrees north of it.
Saturn is the bright star east
of Mars. 1t has been moving west
ward among the stars for several
months On the Goth it turns and
resumes it's normal path toward the
| east. Its apparent rate is slow, be-
cause it takes nearly thirty years to
go around the sun. 1t is therefore
two and half years in crossing one
! of the twelve divisions of the zodiac.
At the present time it is in the con-
stellation Pisces.
Jupiter is the bright planef>which
appears in the east in the early
morning hours. 1t rises on the first at
lao a. m. and on the thirty first at
1907 a. m. 1t is in the constellation
| Virgo. AS Jupiter takes nearly
twelve years to complete one revolu-
ton around the sun, it traverses one
each year.
| Mercury is not visible this month
until the last few evenings, when it
may be seen in the evening twilight
after sunset. 1t begins the month
hidden by the suns light. On the
third it comes out from behind the
sun and moves rapidly eastward, set
! ting at an increasing interval after
the sun. On the thirty-first the in
terval is one hour and fifteen min
utes. In the early evenings of Janu-
airy the planet will be found readily.
The moon passes near the leading
planets in the following order: 9Th,
Jupiter; 18th, Mercury; 10th, Venus;
goth, Mars; 21st, Saturn. Moonlit
evenings will begin after the middle
of the month. First quarter is reach
ed on the 10Th, and full moon falls
on the 26th, so that the evenings of
the holiday season will be brightly
illuminated.
A partial eclipse of the sun oc-
ours at the time of new moon on the
18th. This is wholly of theoretical
interest, since it will be observed by
the few persons who may be in the
Antartic region, or in New Zealand
or other southern islands. Less thar
one-half of the sun will be obscured
The consultations visible in Dec,
ember evenings are the same eacf
year. In the west at 8 p. m. on the