The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-11-09
THE. NOVEMBER SKIES
THE NOVEMBER SKIES

III - - - -
THE NOVEMBER SKIES l
i Winslow Union In Boston Trans
cript: The month OF october just
passed has been of unusual interest
IN astronomical events Three bright
comets have been under observation.
all visible to the naked eye; on one
j two evenings all three we're to be seen
at the same time. They are all going
away from the earth, and two OF the
three have passed their nearest point
to the sun, SO that they will not be
as bright as heretofore. All three are
near the sun in dire elton, two in the
west after sunset, one in the east
before sunrise. The last one is the
only one which can zow be readily
/ seen without a telescope.
The Comets in view.
This comet, comet c, 1911, or Brooks
comet. is still conspicuous comet in
the morning about O'Clock, and well
worth little trouble to see. 1t has
been nearly as bright as that of
HALEY. two years ago. In October
It was seen in the west after sunset,
appearing at first as bright, hazy
star, but without tail. AS it drew
nearer the sun it developed tail
very rapidly, which was 10 to Is de-
grees In length when the comet was
again seen in the morning before sun
rise. The comet was brightest near
the end of the month On the morn
ings OF the 10Th and 2Sth, when wealth
er conditions were most favorable, its
brightness was equal to that of
second magnitude star, as the stars
OF the Great Dipper, and its tail ex.
tended upward for 10 to 10 degrees.
1t was best seen with a field glass or
small telescope. During the coming
month of November it may be seen
each fair morning at about 5 a. M. 1t
rises on the LIST at about $40 a. m.
and on the Both an hour later. On
the 1st 1t will be little south of the
east point of the horizon, and will
be still further south each succeeding
morning. On the 9Th it will be be-
low the brilliant planet Venus, and
after that date at the right. 1t will
diminish rapidly in brilliancy and the
moonlight will interfere with its con-
spicuousness after the 10th Before
the month ends it will be visible only
with telescope assistance. Conse-
quently, if one is to see it at all to
advantage, let him look during the
present week. Face the east about
5 a. m. and look for hazy star, with
probably long faint tail extending
upwaf1. Do not mistake the planet
Venus for the comet. The latter is
lower down nearer the horizon.
Comet g, Beljawsky's comet, which
to the naked eye in the early morning,
is now in the west and may still be
seen, but with great difficulty, as
soon as it is dark enough. It sets on
the first one hour thirty minutes af-
/ ter the sun, and before the end of the
month ct sunset, when it will be far
| south Of the equator. Its brightness
now is about that of fourth magni.
| tude star, SO that it can be seen with
/ difficulty when so near the horizon.
II will not be worth while trying to
find it. 1t is going away from the
sun and it will not be seen again, as
/ far as now known.
Comet I, Quenisset's comet, has
been under observation all through
October in the northwest each even
ing. 1t has been visible to the naked
eye, but not at all conspicuous, and
has shown no spectacular characters
tics. appearing simply as hay star.
1t may still be seen, and is best found
with telescope. On the first the set
ting should be. Right ascension fif-
teen hours forty-four minutes, decli-
nation north IA degrees. 1t sets about
three hours after the sun. AS the
month advances it sets earlier each
evening and cannot be seen after the
middle of the month. 1t reaches its
nearest point to the sun On or about
the 18th. but has already passed its
nearest point to the earth. It will di-
minish slowly in brightness.
A New Planet Discovered.
Besides comet history, October wit
messed the discovery of small plan
ct which may be of interest when
its orbit Is better known. Fifty or
more small planets are discovered
each year, and are usually found to
belong to the group of small bodies
between Mars and Jupiter. Several
are 80 far away as Jupiter and but
one, Eros, discovered in 1898, ever
comes nearer the earth than Mars.
as fas as known. According to q