El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-10-01

east to west, and we have there repre-
sented the revolving savens. rne sun
and moon both move along the ec:lp-
tic from west to east, and g0n;5 in
this direction round this circle, the
point where the ecliptic goes below
the equator marks~the automusl eqri-
FOX.
Revolve the ball slowly and notice
the varying angle which the elliptic
akes W n me sur aca Of rho water.
raging par -. lar at en- i'm t, the east
side of the ball. If the autumnal equi-
noX is in the eastern horizon it is seen
that the ecliptic is inclined at bit a
small angle to the horizon, and that II
requires but very small turn Of the
ball to bring the moon in its several
positions near the equinox, success
sively above the horizon. This will
explain clearly why the moons near the
full in September and October rise at
nearly, the same time, and why each
night they rise farther and farther
north. The northWard risingS may be
seen by referring to the sky map
which is merely the projection on
plane OF the celestial sphere. The eQua-
tor cuts the horizon at the east and
west points. BY looking at the maps of
be seen that the ecliptic cuts the east
ern horizon at very different points,
in the latter months, far north of east
The Consultations.
The average astronomer in the sum-
mer looks forward to the clear, crisp
evenings of early fall when the alb
Sence of summer haze makes each star
stand out like diamond in the sky"
The P1eiades and Hyades and later in
the night Orion give sure evidence that
winter is approaching. These clear
nights We are now getting make
splendid opportunity to study the con-
StelationS before the cold nights of the
winter come along. Our old friend, the
''Dipper,'' is low down on the horizon.
Everyone knows the two pointers" in
the bowl of the ''Dipper'' which indi-
cate the position of Polaris, the Pole
star. On the other side of the pole
from Ursa Major is Cassiopeia, the W.
or the Key of the sky. These two
consultations found, we.s have the
means of tracing an interesting line
of stars. The star where the bowl of
the Dipper joins the handle is Delta
Ursae Majeris,. the faintest star Of the
seven. A great circle through this and
the Pole star passes So degrees away,
ern<end of the constellation. Following
this line farther along we come to two
stars in the Square of Pegasus. the
first of these 80 degrees away from
Beta Cassiopeiae is known under the
several names of Alpheratz, Alpha, An
dromedae and Delta Pegasi From AL
pheratz to the second star in the
square, Gamma Pegasi or Algenib, the
distance is IA degrees. The same great
circle which has passed near the above
bright stars and continued south for
another II degrees passes through the
First of Aries" the important point
in the Greenwich of the sky the in
tersection of the equator and ecliptic,
the vernal equinox. No bright stars
are near to mark this fundamental
point, and though called the first in
the sign of Aries, it is situated in the
constellation of Pisces.
West of the Square of Pegasus we see
a small diamond-shaped constellation
in Delphinus known as Jobs Coffin. !
The great winged horse, Pegasus, has
close to it the Foal or Equuleus, a
small and insignificant constellation.
Half way between Delphinus and Lyra
we come to Albireo or Beta Cygni in
the Northern Cross or Swan. This is
one of the most beautiful doubles
known, and is a splendid object for
small telescopes, which split it up into
a third and a seventh magnitude star,
"a seconds, apart, the former light yell
low, the latter deep blue. The con-
trast of color is beautiful.
Another famous star in this same
is 81 Cygni, a double star
with components of the sixth magni- !
tude 20 seconds apart. easily separated !
by small telescope. 1t has a large
parallax of about O.4 seconds and is
one Of the nearest stars in the northern |
heavens.
The Planets.
Few of the planets can be seen this !
month, Venus, Mars and Jupiter all be- |
ing too close to the sun, and Mercury |
reaches an unfavorable opposition on |
the eleventh.
Saturn, however, is in a splendid po-
Sition to be seen. 1t is in opposition, or |
$50 degrees. away from>the sun on the |
twenty-siXth of the month. A posses
sor Of four-iT1ch telescope writes |
that he can see the division between |
the rings. On the fifteenth of the |
month it is on the meridian at 1896 1t |
can easily be located, the brightest star !
east on the meridian in the evening
Uranus. though low down towards |
the southern horizon, can be located |
from its position given on the sky map.
1t is at quadrature or 80 degrees from