Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-04
Interesting Astronomical
Conditions in February.
HaI|ey's, Dnl.Ps and A191O
Comets Nov Ia Sight.
n)w the Stars Take M3:n.ng and
Evening Positions.

Naicc peonle who are fond Of aStro-
nou,icnI observation can gaze at the
heavens for the next four weeks with
q rood deal of satisfaction. In addition
| to the regular heavenly bodies observ-
able at this season Of the year, there
arc three comets to he seen in the
heavens now-Haley's, Daniels and the
ono recently so consciDuous and still
visible in the west each clear evening
Haieys comet is still! a telescope OBJ :
iect slowly frightening. During this
mont, il will be in the southwest each
evening. setting earlier as the evenings
follow each other. It's position on the
Isl is. Right ascension l hour, min,
declination n. s degrees q minutes:
on the 18th. right ascension 0 h. AZ
minutes: on the 2Sth. right ascension
h. 80 minutes, defamation n. degrees.
"a minutes. These positions are in the
constellation Pisces, which contains no
bright stars. The planet Saturn is,
however, in that part of the sky. The
comet on the first is 4 degrees west of
the planet, on the 18th, degrees and
on the 18th, II degrees. 1t may be seen
with small telescope: if the Sky is
very clear. without moonlight or art-
fetal light, it may be detected with a
field glass or possibly with the naZed
eye. In the telescope its apparent sur
face is growing brighter than month
ago. The comet keeps close to the path
calculated for it, and increases slowly
in brightness in the calculated ratio,
undist urbed by the desire of many
persons to anticipate it's coming bril-
liarcy.
Daniels comet is still under obscrv-
alton ia the northern heavens. The in
teresting point regarding this comet is
whether it is the same comet as one
observed in 1867. This cannot be deter
mined until all the observations for its
position now being made are cOmplet-
ed
The planet Venus begins the month
glowing in the west after sunset, but
in a few days it will disappear from
the evening sky. 1t passed north of the
sun on the 18th and by the close of the
month may be seen in the cast before
sunrise. ct NAV be noted parenthet-
ically that the lights from flying ma
chimes, searchlight5 and other peculiar
appearances recently observed will dis
arpear)
The planet Mercury may be seen in
the early morning for few days be-
fore and after the goth. On that date,
it is at its greatest apparent distance
from the sun, rising 1 hour 10 minutes
earlier. 1T will not be very readily seen
as it shines with but one-half of its
greatest brilliancy.
In the evening sky Mars. Saturn and
Jupiter may be found. The two first
are in the southwest. Both are moving
towards the cast among the stars. out
not as fast as the sun. so that they set
earlier as the evenings follow each
other. Mars is moving the faster and
therefore increasing it's distance from
Saturn. At the same time it is losing
it's brlliarcy.
Jupiter now takes the place aban-
doned by Venus as the brightest star
seen before midnight. 1t rises on the
first at 1901 +. NJ, and is the brilliant
star seen low in the east in the later
evening hours. 1t is in the constella-
ton Virgo, moving rather slowly west
ward among the stars of that group.
Its apparent motion, resulting from
the combination of its actual motion
around the SUN with our own can be
detected by comparing it's position
with regard to Spica, which is the
bright star southeast Of it. The dis
lance at the beginning of this month
is = degrees. 1t will be about 10 de-
grees at the end of the month and 10
degrees in May
Neptune is in good position for tele-
GcOpic examination, rising before sun
SCI and setting, in the early morning.
Ii is in Gemini, in right ascension III
lam. and defamation n. q degrees, 50
minutes. Uranus is in the opposite part
of the sky and too near the sun in di-
rcction 10 be observed.
Moonlight evenings arc the latter
half Of the month, as First Quarter
comes on the 18th and Full Moon on
the Esd. The moon will be-near Saturn
on the 18th, Mars on the 18th and Ju-
piter on the 9th.
The winter considerations are in their
best position for observation this wear.
NO one looking at the eastern and
southern sky IN the evening, especially
IN the Iirst half of the moon. when
the moor is absent, can fail to be i'm
pressed by the large number of bright
stars. This year the list of conspicuous
stars. which includes Aldebaran, Cas-
tea, fol'uX. Regulus. Betelgeuse, Rigel
'apolIa, Procyon, and eliminates with
Circus in the southeast, is increased
by the planet Jupiter. the last to rise
which outshines them all.