El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-01-06

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/ Shield, Ophiuchus, Scorpio and Sagitta-
rius. This magnificent region Of the
milky way hangs across the meridian
during the midsummer evenings, when.
in the absence Of moonlight. 1t fills the
southern quarter Of the sky with
luminous splendOr that is indescribable.
I The stream In this splendid reach is
neither Of Uniform breadth. nor uniform
bTilliance. Broad lagOon-like branches
set off from IT, and IN places 1t seems
! to gather in deep pools, where the tele-
scope plunges into fathOmless wells Of
light, from whose profOundest deeps
come still the silvery rays Of innumer-
able and UNNECESSARILY distant stars.
But the brightest parts OF the milky
way are not visible from our northern
ATTITUDES. Tt attains its greatest bril-
lance not far from the famous South
ern Cross, where, nevertheless. 1t is
quite narrow. After passing the cross
Il br0adens and brightens, and in the
midst Of its most luminous part yaWns
the Coal Sack, strange opening
which appears to give access TO an
empty region OF black space beyOnd.t
Photographic information.
1t is astronomical photography that
has given US most OF our information
about the structure Of the milky way,
and in phOtOgrap hing II no one has
succeeded so well as Prof. z. E, Bar
nard. His pictures OF its star clouds.
star streams, dark gaps, star clusters,
and nebulOus masses will probably
never be eXcelled, and they are in every
sense marvellous to look upon In max
ing these photographs the sensitive
Plate must be continuously exposed for
hours at a time, and the utmost precau-
tiOn must be observed in keeping the
telescope pointed exactly upon one
spot in the sky. Thus stars and nebu-
lac are plainly pictured which the eye
cannot see at all though aided by the
most powerful telescope, because the
Photographic plate is impressed by light
that does not affect the human retina.
Although the milky way appears TO
reveal the plan on which the universe
is built yet il is not easy for US to fully
comprehend that plan or TO reconcile IL !
with the mechanical laws which we sup
pose to be operative through all space. [
Probably ninety-nine one hundredths OF /
all the stars are included within the /
limits of the galaxy. We can see with |
the naked eye about 5000 stars IN the /
whole Sky, but the number included IN I
the milky way is estimated to be at 4
least 100000. 600. Through excess OF I
distance they are so faint that they are /
not separately visible but their light /
blends together in soft glow. II we /
regard the milky way as roughly a cir
Gle drawn round the outer limits Of the Z
universe, we find that the sun and a few
thousands OF other scattered stars are /
situated within that circle just as q few /
scattered lamps in q circular plaza 1
would be within a great ring Of crowd I
ed lights surrounding the outer border +
of the plaza. The sun appears to be not
very far from the center of the opening
within the circle. But the sun is NOV
ing at the rate Of zoo 600 600 miles a
year across the opening, and II ii keeps /
on il viii eventually arrive near the /
border OF the milky way in its northern
part.
The strange irregularities Of the out
line Of the milky way that have been
described seem to indicate that its real
form closely resembles that of the bl.
zarre objects known as spiral nebulae.
and from this we might conclude that
the universe was formed by tie con-
Qensatlon into stars of q gigantic neb- I
bulae originally of that form If this
view is correct the sun and other scat
tered stars inside the circle are like
flakes thrown out of a vast cyclonic
whirl of snow.
The Planets for January.
The sun will be fin Sagittarius on
31st.
The moon viii be at its nearest point
to the earth on January a. and at its I
tarthest point on January is. The DIFF
ference between these two positions is I
81 400 miles Mercury viii be 2 morn
ing star and at Its greatest eIongatfon
west on January 10. 1t rises over an I
hour before the sun for several dave me- I
fore this date and should he easiI,- ]
found. Jupiter and Venus viii On rbe ,
or January present a beautf- I
ful sight in the eastern morning skv
being withm one and half minutes
of each other in right ascension ana
only about one degree and fortv-tbree
minutes of arc in declination aDart
Venus VIII be below south of Jupiter
Mars and Saturn win continue ~ be /
finely placed for observation in the
evening sky as shown on the man
Mars is moving eastward and saturn
viii move west"ard Tor the first half of
the month, but after that eastward
again.
Neptune VIII be in opposition with
the sun on the 18th. Its position is
shown on the map.
Uranus viii be in conjunction with
the sun on the 20th and commemorative
viii not be visible.
The earth viii be at its nearest point
between the earth's nearest approach
TO and farthest distance from the sun is
over 100000 miles
The moon viii be In conjunction with