Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-07-09
The Skies in July

the evenings of early July we see
the white light of the Milky Way
lying like cloud against the sky,
AS it rises higher we begin to
recognize individual stars, scores,
hundreds of them. We lift our
opera glasses-the hundreds become
thousands, a countless host, back OF
which lies the shimmering light OF
the hundreds of thousands more
which the telescope will reveal In
the richest portion lies the Northern
Cross, a figure of six bright stars,
forming a Roman cross, with Deneb
a star so bright that sometimes il
has been rated as of the first magni.
tude, forming the head of the cross
At the foot of the cross the Milky
Way is cleft by the rift which ex-
tends as far as the southern horizon
of the observer in this latitude
West of the cross is seen the brilliant
white star Vega, in the little star
Epsilon Lyrae, is very near Vega
An opera glass shows it as two stars
and the telescope splits each of these
into two. Further along the Milky
Way to the north we come to the
constellation Cassiopeia, marked by
an irregular W-shaped figure of si1
bright stars, often compared to 6
broken-backed chair.
This constellation, though small
in area, contains about a hundred
naked-eye stars, given, of course, {
clear night, while an innumerablt
host just below that limit awaits in
PRODUCTION through the opera glass
or telescope. East of the Milky Way
at about the same distance as Vegs
is west, is the little constellation O
Delphinus, marked by the diamond
shaped figure known as Jobs Coffin
Further south, on the eastern bound
airy of the Milky Way, is the frs
magnitude star, Affair, in the con
stellation of the Eagle. 1t is th,
middle and brightest of row c
three bright stars and easily identi
fed in this manner. Still furthe
toward the southern horizon is tn,
great constellation of the Scorpion
marked by long row which winds
along the sky, terminating in pal
of stars in the western branch o
the Milky Way. Ut includes th,
remarkable star, Antares, known l..
it's brightness and by its deep rec
color. 1t is situated at such a dis
tance that its light, travelling at th'
rate of 186, 1000 miles a second, re
quires more than 100 years for it
Journey. At the same distance ou
sun would have sunk into a tele
scopic star like one of the million
of the Milky Way.
In the north the Big Dipper j
seen west of the pole, while tn
north star maintains it's unvaryinI
positiou due north of the observe
and about half way between tn
zenith and horizon. The handle G
the Big Dipper points backward tc
ward the great star, Arcturus, in tn
western sky. The kite-shaped figur
in the constellation Bootes, to whic
Arcturus belongs, lies between tha
brilliant object and the North sta
Near this figure is seen the beautifr
semi circle of the Northern Grown
On the evening of July l the moo
was conjunction with Saturn, but a
it's nearest approach will be belo
the horizon. On the morning {
July 80 another con- junction wi
occur. Jupiter is in the wester
sky, setting about IL o'clock. Eli
superior brightness will identif
him without difficulty. The moo
will pass near Jupiter on the ever
ing of the 12. Mars is too near til
sun to be of further interest for I'll
present. Venus is in the mornin
sky, rising little after 2 o'clocl
Her great brightness if her sufficiel
Identification New York Globe.