The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

(eastern standard time). At this time the Pleiades will be high in the heav- ems in the west; Capella, the Hyades and Orion will be seen shining high in the south, the two Dog Stars, Sirius and Proavon. will have almost reached the meridian, while the bright Saturn will shine high in the east. As the oc- cultation proceeds the observer will lastly see the very brilliant Venus ris- ing little to the north of the east point of the horizon, and by the time the entire phenomenon is concluded 1t will have climbed high up into the morning sky. Altogether the entire heavens on this morning will present a most beautiful sight.
 On October IA the moon will be three days past the full and will hence pre- sent approximately the appearance shown in Figure 2. As it is moving eastward over the heavens the stars will disappear at its bright edge, to reappear- later at its dark Gnvisible) edge after having been hidden for greater or less length of time, depend ing upon their position.
 As seen from Washington, the cen ter of the moon will move along the path AB, and all stars lying between the lises MP and NR will be occulted. It should be carefully borne in mind, however; that this appearance varies with every change in the position of the observer upon the earth. Our satel- lite is so near us that an observer south of Washington will see it's path projected higher among the stars, while to observers in the northern parts of our country the moon will appear low CT down. Thus to an observer whose latitude is 42 degrees the lines MP, BA and NR will be depressed so far that the bright Electra will entirely escape occultation. while to one so far north as 49 degrees Alcyone will all ways lie above the moon.
 In Figure 2 the moon is shown in two different positions. In the first its advancing edge has just touched the star Merope, whose disappearance will occur at hours 10 minutes a. m. Electra, whose occultatton began at hours 36 minutes. is seen still hidden, but this star will emerge Is minutes after Merope has disappeared In the second position Atlas and Pleione are seen just emerging at about a. m. These disappear at hours 53 minutes and 5 hours 5S minutes, respectively, while the eastern heavens is already bright with the coming dawn. Since at their emergence the sun will have risen this part of the phenomenon can not be witnessed except in the largest telescopes. Alcyone. the brightest star of all, will be hidden at 5 hours min utes a. m. and will reappear 1 hour minutes late.
 This most interesting phenomenon can only be viewed in the telescope. The observer should, if possible, pro- tect the object glass from unnecessary moonlight by affixing long black ened tube to the end of the instru- ment. Even thus. if his lens is a small one, he may have difficulty in seeing the disappearance of the stars which are fainter than Alcyone; their reap pearance at the dark edge of the moon is much more easily observed.
 THE PLANETS IN OCTOBER Mercury enters the morning sky on Oc- tober and reaches it's greatest distance west of the sun on October 20 For a few days before and after the latter date it may be detected shining low in the southeastern dawn for about one hour before sunrise.
 Venus, which attained it's greatest dis tance west of the sun on September 12, is TOW slowly drawing near the sun's rays and also moving rapidly southward among the stars. On October 1 it will rise in the northeast about three and one-half hours before sunrise and on October S1 it will rise two and three-quarters hours before the sun. almost at the east point of the horizon. It is the brightest ob- ject in the early morning sky.
 Mars during the month runs rapidly eastward and southward among the bright stars of Scorpio; it will finally pass Antares on November Il. The sun, however, in it's own, more rapid, eastward motion, is steadily overriding the planet. Tho latter's position, low in the south west. its proximity to the suns rays, and it's great distance from the earth, all combine to render the conditions for it's observation very unfavorable
 Jupiter shines brightly in the east. Tn excellent position for observation. The planet is slowly retrograding in the ex- treme northwestern border of Cetus. It will come to opposition, and so be on the meridian at midnight. at a. m.. of Oc- tober A.
 Saturn is in the western border of Can cer, almost in straight line with the Twin Stars, Castor and Pollux. It now rises before midnight. and by sunrise is near the meridian in the south, at which time it is very high in the heavens in very good position for observation. Saturn is in quarature with the sun on October "A at a. m., exactly one hour before Jupiter reaches opposition.