Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-08-05
The AUGUST SKIES.
M"rs Conspicuous Among the Planets
Two Full Moons This Month--Thc
August Mctcors nru IIaIIey's
Comet.
From The Boston Transcript

II rises at 9.35 =. NJ, and on tho Asst nj
1850 p. m; II seems especially brilliant
because II is Isolated from other objects
in region sparsclv occupied BY stars
1t Is growing brighter ne It draws ncni-
or the earth. reaching ite greatest bril-
nancy IN September. Its apparent motion
In the sky Is Interesting but ns There
fr" no stars noar It's path for compari-
son this motion Is not readily detocto1
Az THO beginning Of the molth II Is NOV
Ing eastward and continucq~1n direction
until the 221. when It retraces its steps
curvinF n li'tlc to tho south. II Will con-
tnu" us westward or retrograde motion
until oct. rs. accomplishing 70 degrees
before It resumes its normal eastward
path. Tho alternate forward and back
ward motion of tho planets was n great
puzzle to tho early astronomers, and was
first satisfactory explained by Iteplcr.
exactly three hundred years ago. Copper
nicus had given the general explanation
for II "A century earlier by showing t
must result II tho earth wns In motion
around tho sun. but tho details Of his
theory were not correct Kcplers labors
removed the errors In the Copcrncan
theory, and established II firmly \ plan
- NV ~ S''iIlN ~ lltN' III II ul''llbll
opposite 20 its true direction of motion,
when seen from another planet. NJ the
time tho two are nearest each other.
While Mars is moving westward IN the
next fou weeks ms seen from the earth.
the earth also appears to move westward
ms seen from MFRS although both planets
are moving eastward around the sun.
The planet this month is not far from
the verna equinox, or point which the
sun reaches in March when It crosses
the equator going North. II s In the
constellation Cctus. near the boundary
OF Pisces.
w ilc Mars Is entering the evening
sky at It's eastern portal. Venus Is en-
tar'ng and Jupiter departing ut the oppo-
site gate. Venus has for several weeks
been visible In the evening twilight.
and this month will advance so for from
tho sun that 1t will become conspicuous.
on the lst It sets at s:1b p. m. and on
the 21st. NJ $40 p. m. Both sun and
planet seem TO be moving In the same
direction eastward among the constel
lations, but Venus which Is already In
advance ~ the sun, is moving the faster.
and. therefore, increasing the distance
between them. It moves through Leo into
the adjoining area Virgo this month
Jupiter ceases TO hc an object OF inter
est TO observers this month. on the
LIST II sets at $40 p. m. and on the 3lst
at p. m. lost in the evening twilight.
On tho 18TH OF passes Venus, and tie
two planets Will appear very much near
zach other. One Of the interesting fea-
lures OF this month Is the relative posi-
tons Of those two brilliant planets. Jupi-
ter, like Venus Is moving eastward
among the stars. hut at much slower
rate. The latter planet. as the evenings
follow each other, seems 10 rise ont of
the twilight and approach the former.
After passing II. Venus remains as queen
Of the western sky while Jupiter d!sap-
pears In the twilight. TO reapn"ar inter
some weeks In the morning before sun
rise
Tho planet Saturn is coming into good
position for evening observation on the
LIST II rises at 1910 p. m. and on the
3lst at $40 p. m. on the 9Th It IL sta
tionary In right ascension. moving In
declination only, and begins to move
westward in the constellation Pisces.
This planet and Mars are not from
each other in the sky. Neither Is near
any conspicuous star.
Uranus IS In the constellation Sagit-
tarius II rises before sunset anl may
he seen nearly all night. It's position on
the LIST is right ascension H. l9n.. decli-
nation 500. 40. IT moves about degree
from this position towards the west in
the course Of the month.
Mercury and Neptune. the nearest
planet to the sun and tno one farthest
removed from il as fnr MS known, are
both In nearly the sam" direction as
the sun this month and cannot he readily
observed. on the An Mercury 10 nearly
In In" with the sun beyond II ana en-
tiers the evening sky. II passes near
Jupiter on the oath and will Zoe visible
after sunset In September. Neptune is
n m. and on the 3lst AZ lo5 n. m
Inc moon Is az us fuII Phase IVY g
this month, on the LIST and on tie %th'
New moon comes on tho 18th. Moon'it
evenings come the first f"" evenings
and after the Goth. The moon Is near
Mars on the 9Th. Saturn on the 9TH, Jupi-
Ter on the nth. Venus on fhe lNth,
The consultations in August evenings
are worthy of especial attention by those
who are away from the electric illum-
ination of our cities. The beauty Of the
SKY cannot he appreciated In these mod
ern times except In the country ana
preferably in the higher attitudes OF the
mountains. Besides tie hriitnnt p!anots.
enns ana Jupiter in the West ana Mars
ana saturn In the Fast. -FOUR conspi'u-
Gus stars are visible In tho evening -
Arcturus In the West, Antares In the
South. Vega nearly overhead Altar In
the East Early in the month Spica may