Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-02-10
THE SKIES In FEBRUARY
BY the Middle of the Month the Will Give the Earth Dur
ing the Day More Heat Than Is Lost at Night

twenty may be seen by means OF an
opera glass High toward the zenith Is
the fine constellation OF Auriga. marked
by the brilliant star Capella. which is one
Of the stars forming an easily recog-
nlzed pentagonal figure. Near Capella Is
the pair OF little stars known as The
Kids. only a moonbreadth apart.
High in the northeastern sky is the
famous pair of stars. Castor and Pollux,
which gives Its name to the constella-
ton OF the Twins. They are of nearly
equal Brightness. and are about ten
moonbreadths apart. Between the Twins
and the Dog Star is the bright star
Procyon, in the constella ton of the Lit
tie Dog. star of the third magnitude
is about four moonbreadths away The
name Procyon before the Dog) was
given by the Greeks because the star so
named rises in this latitude little be-
fore the Dog Star. As a matter of fact.
1t is east OF the latter. and its earlier
rising is occasioned only by its greater
northern declension. In the east the
great constellation Of the Lion is rising
At it's western extremity is the Sickle
with the bright star Reguus In the end
of the handle This asterism is one OF
extremity of the constellation is TRAN
gle of bright stars, the one at the east
ern apex being Dencbola. OF the second
magnitude.
| Cancer is constellation in which all
the stars are OF low magnitude, and on
hazy night it looks like a blank space
among the stars. 1t has. however, its
features of interest and Is this month in
/
tween the Twins and the Lion and form
| ing triangle with the former and Pro-
cyon is 4 cluster with appears to the
naked eye as a hazy patch of light. The
opera glass at once shows 1t as great
number of separate stars. This is tho
famous Bee Hive of ordinary speech r
! Hraesope or Manager of the old astron-
omers. The two Asses who are supposed
to eat from the Manager are two stars
of low magnitude about four moon
| breadths away on either side of the
cluster. About three times as far away
| to the west and south of Praesepe is the
star Zeta Cancri, which to the naked
eye or low-power instrument Is only a
star of the fourth or fifth magnitude
| but which astronomers having greater
advantages of study do not hesitate to
!
| the whole heavens. 1t consists first Of a
pair of suns, of slightly different magni-
tude, revolving about common centre
in period of about sixty years. This
| pair Is accompanied by a third star OF
nearly the same magnitude which re
wolves about the pair nj greater dis
lance and In the opposite direction.
Venus. tho brilliant evening star. is
rapidly nearing the sun. and after n few
evenings will disappear soon after APP
nearing In the east as morning star,
Saturn. In the constellation OF the Fish
es, sets about 10 o'clock, followed by
Mars. in the Ram, setting at midnight
Jupiter rises about 10 his great bright
ness serving as his Identification. Mer-
curry may be seen as bright star. show
ing itself in the east shortly before sun
rise few mornings before and after
the 18th. The moon will be In commune
to. with Venus on the 10th. Saturn on
the 18th, Mars the 18th. and Jupiter the
Goth