Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-05-10
STAR GAZING"


mas become ike a star OF the first
magnitude just now rises in the
morning al a few minutes before four
o'clock. In this city its long plume Is
first seen extending near the summit
OF the Big mountain. when the OBJ
server stands at any place on Second
South or not far north or south OF
that street
The tail is visible at three o'clock
as faint haze. IL is now almost or
quite straight, and runs parallel with
the two stars OF the square Of Pegasus,
close 70 the earth's horizon. To the
naked eye 1t is about ten degrees in
length. with neld glass, the head is
seen as a distinct spot Of shining light.
As the writer watched the comet rise
on the morning of the sth, and noted
the aspect OF the starry heavens. the
sky was clear, with not "a cloud TO
"dim the ether blue The winds
We're whist. as Everett says, and the
entire vault of heaven thick inlaid
with the diamond lights known only
to lands OF the balmy and rarefed
atmosphere Free from the dust fog,
and smoke OF most places, the observer
here can view the constellation Of the
starry universe brilliant in all the
sparkling splendor that is peculiar TO
their shining from our clear skies. The
hues of the stars OF FIRST and second
magnitude-blue, red. yellow. violet
are evident at glance, and become
more characteristic and impressive the
longer we continue to gaze at them.
The Milky way but an hour east Of
the zenith, extends In a vast arch OF
powdered silver from north 70 south.
The consultations fash the mystery Of
their existence upon the Observers
view, recalling some Of the myths with
which the ancient world sought to
relieve mans oppressive wonder as 10
their function in the material universe.
In twenty minutes Venus rises In all
her glowing beauty Of red and violet,
while Haney's comet fades rapidly
from view. BY 4:2O the comet has
practically disappeared, dimmed by
the gray dawn that is spreading
through the skies The cool air stirs
again. and growing cocks renew their
announcement Of the dawn. As Ten
nyson expresses Il:
For a breeze Of the morning moves,
And the planet OF love is on high.
Beginning To faint in the light that
she loves,
on a bed of daffodll sky.
TO faint In the light Of the sun that
she loves,
To faint in his arms and to die"
This dreamy stiffness. nearly always
ushers in the dawn when one arises. 10
note the appearance Of the famous
wanderer from the depths OF space
now rushing past the sun and earth
with uncomfortable velocity.
The appearance Of the comet. while
much better now than at any prior
time, lasts barely half an hour, and
is really less impressive than the view
of the glories OF night VISIBLE on any
clear evening through our unsullied
skies As we step out into this de-
ilcious quietude and lift our eyes 20
the broad vault studded with stars
unutterably bright" we can under
stand the exaltation OF him who ex-
claimed. 20 night how sublime is
thy language to mel"
And we apprehend that "star gaz-
ing of the real sort has special value
with mountain and valley jewellers.
For the mountains enhance with their
dark outlines. the distinctness of the
cleaning consultations above them.
And any youth who learns the star
groups here at home associates them
with the encirclng mountain peaks,
and whenever wandering afar. as when
a missionary In foreign lands. recalls
with the familiar consultations their
accustomed environment in his native
land. He feels as did a local poet:
20 diamond lights in the starry dome.
o mountain heights that guard our
home.
More deep your message is 20 me
Than words can e'er make known
Because these sights recall the oh
iects with which they are FIRST as
ISOLATED. the starry skies suggest the
hills and ranges about the valleys of
the mountains and so become re-
minders of the dearest place on earth
10 those who wander affair and whose
thoughts 10y TO dwell" on the
/ memories of horne
For except as we go far north or
far south on the globe, there are no
! allen Skies" these are the same in
all lands: and just because OF this
! fact, the observation of the heavens,
while it lifts the mind 20 "a contem-
plation of grandeur that exists afar,
gests az home. II broadens ones view,
because he is studying precisely the
same object that observers IN distant
places are also considering This par-
ticipation tends 10 make of him n
citizen of the world at large, hut II
serves also TO attach him to the home
OF his youth ana 70 carry his nina
20 those well known scenes as often
as he views the familiar heavens.