Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-07
THE SKIES IN JANUARY

The SKIES !
The soistice is passed, and on we go,
thousand miles minute. toward IA
point In the suns orbit which marks
the coming Of equal day and night"
says the New York Globe. so far we
nave gained only about two minutes
over the shortest day, but the end OF
the month VIII see the sun L degrees
higher at noon--twe!vc times It's own
bfcadtn-and the day will have been
iehsthencd more than half an hour.
Inc hncst considerations OF tho en-
gre SKY are now seen at an early
hour. OF In the east Is Orion easily
recognized as quadrangle OF bright
stars inclosing row of three stars
each about three moonbreadths from
It's neighbor. When We look at this
magnificent constellation we see IL as
II was 200 years ago. FOR the light
which reaches US tonight has been
that long on its Journey. travelling ut
the rate OF about 1000 100 miles a
minute But We see It as 1t Is to-
night for those mighty suns do not
chanEe much In any period which may
he grasped by our knowledge or imagi
nation. Ages would be required for an
alteration OF position which would be
noticeable to us
Two of First Magnitude.
''Of the four stars forming the paral-
telegram. two, Betclguesc and Rlgcl.
are OF the first magnitude. They are
especially useful to the beginner be-
cause they offer a splendid contrast
OF color. Betelguese being deep.
glowing red, while Rigcl Is OF the
purcst white. While it is believed gen
orally that the red stars are older
than the white. 1t would be very err
ropcous to infer that the red stars
have cooled down 10 the temperature
OF hot iron. They are still no;
n nFs l.,
stance. OF their size we cannot yet
know anything definite, but we know
That they must be very grant for
they are at a distance AT which our
own mighty sun would be one OF the
millions OF telescope stars
The row OF three stars Enclosed by
the quadrangle, and known as the Belt
O! Orion, points upward to the red
star Aldebaran in the constellation
Taurus. This star may further be
known by It's being in the end OF one
or the arms Of the N-shapcd figure
known as the liyades, 1t is interesting
as one OF the stars which have been
the subject Of special study by means
OF the spectroscopr. In its atmospheric
have been detected the yapors Of iron.
sodium, magnesium, anthony, calcium
ana other metals.
AN hour further to the west, but
also In the constellation Taurus IS the
little group known as the Pleiades
rms asterism consists OF six naked
eye stars. one OF which, Alcyone, Is OF
the third magnitude. There are sew
cral stars jus; below naked-eye visi-
oii!ty. y good opera glass shows about
twenty stars, the telescope more than
1000. The entire group occupies about
as much OF the sky as would be COW
cred by the full moon.
Grent Dog Star In Seen
The stars which form the Belt of
Orion pointing in the direction oppo-
site from Aldebaran, show us the Great
DOG star, sirius, which ia well up by
o'clock during the evenings Of jan
uaEy. AT that time IL forms a con-
spicuous object in the lower eastern
SKY, and may be seen by New Workers
%! LOOKING eastward at that hour along
any OF the cross streets uptown. 1t IS
me brightest of all the fixed stars, and
the astronomers OF ancient days he
leVed the hottest weather OF summer
was caused BY the fact that Sirius then
rose with the sun, making, In their
opinion, very formidable combination
Wherefore we Of the twentieth cen
fury still talk about the dog days But
The light we get from Sirius Is about
one seven thousandth- millionth OF that
winch We get from the sun, and the
heat We get is still less in proportions
Not FAR from Taurus, but nearer the
zenith. is the fine constellation of
Auriga, marked by pcntagon OF stars
one OF which is the very bright star
Capella. Near this Is the beautiful
little pair known as the Kids or Babes
IN the Wood. They are apart about
the breadth of the full moon
Wen up in the eastern sky, follow
Ing Taurus. is the pair known as
Castor and PolluX, OF nearly equal
brightness and about ten moonbreadths
apart. Castor is the higher of the pair
when rising. The telescope shows
Castor to be double star, composed
oil ltgt H.,
I'm a period of thousand years.
between this pair and Sirius, but
nearer the horizon, Is the bright star
Procyn, in the constellation of the
Little Dos. Rising in the east some
what later is tho constellation of tho
Lion, marked by the great figure
called the Sickle. At the end of tho
handle of the Sickle Is the bright star
Regulus.
In the Milky Why.
IN the Milky Way, well toward the
zenith. is the bending row OF three
bright stars which marks the constel-
iatiop Perscus. 4 row Of bright stars
leads westward TO The Great Suua re
OF Pegasus. Cassiopeia is in the Milky
way, past the meridian, and marked
py me Irregular W-shaped figure usual
ly likened to chair.
I'm the north the Big Dipper is east
or the Pole, and standing on the end
of the handle during the evening.
This great figure is one OF the most
easily recognized of all asterisms-a
crooked handled dipper formed OF
seven bright stars-four for the bowl
and three for the handle. 4 line drawn
through tho two outer stars OF the
bowl points toward the North Star.
and hence are known as the Pointers
The North Star may be further recog-
nized as bright second magnitude
star, due north of the observer and.In
this latitude. about half way between
zenith and horizon, 1t 10 OF tho end of |