Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-10-09
THE OCTOBER SKIES
The Western star Groups in Autumn
The Plnnets--Thc Two New Comets.

which will be conspicuous in the win
ter are appearing in the east. The west
ern groups, which will gradually disap-
pear from the evening sky, include Sag
ittarius, Capricornus, Aquila, Delphinus,
Ophiuchus, Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus and
Corona Borealis. The eastern groups in
clude Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Pegasus,
Andromeda, Pepseus and Auriga. The
brightest star visible is the planet Jupi-
ter in the southwest. The brilliant star
low in the west is Arcturus. that some
what higher in Aqula is Affair, that
nearly overhead is Vega. The star low
in the southeast is Fomalhaut. that low
in the northeast Capella. The Milky Way
extends from Auriga in the northeast
through Cassiopia Cygnus, Aquila and
Sagttarius to the southwestern horizon
The peculiar features Of october this
year are due to the positions of the
planets and moon and to the presence OF
two telescope comets discovered in Sep
TENDER.
Jupiter and Uranus rise long before
shutdown and are in the southwest when
darkness reveals them. Both of these
planets reach the point in their apparent
paths which has the technical name
eastern quadrature. This old express
sion means simply that the planet is ex-
actly 90 degrees east of the sun, and Is
of no special significance as nothing hap
pens to either planet earth or sun when
this point is passed. Jupiter reaches this
point on the 3D. Uranus on the eth.
Jupiter ceases to be of special interest
this month, as It is too low in the SOUTH
west for careful study. In the evening
of the 18th. observers with telescopes will
notice two black dots crossing the face
of the planet, which are the shadows of
satellites H. and III. Jupiter sets on the
list at 1918 p. m, on the 3lst at $3.50
n. m. It is in the star group Sagittarius
and is moving slowly towards the left
or eastward among the stars Of that
group Uranus can be seen without a
telescope If one knows exactly where to
look for it. but is best found by lite
position with telescope fitted with set
ting circles. on the list its right ascen-
sion is 20h. 25m.. declination S. 10 degrees
- minutes which mark a point in the
constellation, Capricornus, near three
stars of the fifth magnitude. 1t moves
les than one-half a degree from this
month Until the 18th it is also moving
westward. and after that date eastward
Mars and Neptune also reach the point
in their apparent paths which is called
'quadrature," but with the adjective
western" prefixed This means that the
planet is 9Odegre swest of the sun and anti
cipates the sun in rising by the time which
the earth takes to turn on it's axis the
required amount. This would be exactly
six hours were the planet and sun at the
same distance from the celestial equator
but both of these planets are much far
Their north than the sun and Will rise
before midnight Mars is in western
quadrature on the md, Neptune on the
list.
Mars will this month begin to attract
attention from evening observers for It
rises on the list at 10 p. m. and on the
31st at p. m. This autumn offers a
specially favorable opportunity for notic-
ing how planet moves among the
stars, first eastward, then westward,
then eastward again at the same time
moving northward or southwark During
this month Mars is moving among the
stars of the constellation Gcmini. 1t rises
and sets each day with the stars of this
group. but moves among them In addi-
ton, as is evident by watching 1t at
times a few evenings apart on the LIST
the planet is very near the bright star
lettered Epsilon in that constellation In
the course of the month it moves l3
eastward and nearly one-half degree
southwark towards the proongation Of
the line joining Castor and PolluX. It's
speed is diminishing for in November It
will alter its direction and move west
ward and northward. The planet Is
brighter than either Castor or Pollux and
! will he conspicuous several months.
Neptune may be found by pointing tho
telescope at the position right ascension
Sh., Omin., declinaton y. 20 Q. This is in
the area Cancer, near the boundary of
Gemini and removed from any conspcu-
Gus star. The planet rises on the LIST at
/ AS p. m. and on the 3lst two hours
earlier
Venus is the brilliant star which an
nounces the approaching day 1t rises on
the list at 300 a. m, on the 3lst at
! AIS a. m, two hours or more before the
sun. II is drawing nearer the sun, but
will be conspicuous in the morning
heavens for the remainder of the caen-
dar year.
Mercury sets after the sun each even
ing, but too soon to be readily detected.
| on the lst it sets at sos D. m, on the
3lst at 5:35 p. m, sunset preceding these
times by thirty minutes and ifty-iivc
minutes, respectively.
An event in the history of each of
these planets occurs this month which
IS important In its effect on the planet .
condition on the 18th Mercury is at its
greatest distance from the sun and de-
ceives but two-fifths the amount of solar
sun. Even so, its least heat is four times
that received by the earth On the 18th,
Venus is at its nearest point to the sun,
but as its orbit Is nearly circular there is
no such range in the amount of solar
heat received as Mercury suffers. Venus
receives about twice as much heat from
the sun as the earth does
The moon may be seen on the second
evening as small crescent low in the
southwest. Its path is lowest in the south
on the 9Th. on the 9th at first quarter II
is nearest Jupiter. Full moon Is on the
18th and for eight evenings It rises be-
fore midnight, until after last quarter
on the ed. The name hunters moon
was formerly applied to the moon follow
ing the harvest moon, the two having
similar characteristics. If one notices the
points where the moon rises on success.
sive evenings he will how rapidly II