Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-01-06
WHAT TO WATCH IN
THE JANUARY SKIES
\ Partial Eclipse of the Noon and
Mercury Visible In the West just
After sunset.
CBy Samuel G. BartonJ


The. first eclipse Of the year viii he Il
small partial eclipse of the moon which
occurs in the early morning hours Of Jan
uary o The eclipse begins ut 2f6 a IN
and ends at 4:24 a m At the time of
greatest observation. $50 u. m, Only one
seventh of the moons diameter will he
covered. The first contact of the moon
with the earth's shadow viii occur at
point degrees west of the sputherln0st
point of the moon. and the last contact
will occur at a point 40 degrees east "t
the same point. Thus It is the southern
or lower portion Of IN" moon winch Will
he hidden. The eclips4 occurs too lat"
at night for convenient observation, the
ecipsed portion being So small. however.
the eclipse will not hay" the interest of
total or even large partial eclipse.
There viii be another eclipse of tho
moon this year, larG" partial eclipse
occurring on July H. This eclipse viii
begin at 9:lS p, IN. and VIII thus be seen
at convenient hours There will he total
eclipse of the sun partial AS seen here
on February and an annular and par
tal eclipse of the sun, neither OF which
will be visible here during the year. TINS
total OF five eclipscs is larger than usual
but not at all exceptional. We snail
have seven next year In 1915 We had
only two. both of the sun and both 90
! curin.; under conditions very unlaN orah.e
for obserl alton. II has recently been
pointed out that the eclipse Of August.
1918. was quite exceptional in that at
the time Of the eclipse he centers Of the
earth and sun and moon We're verT nearly
! in a straight line As seen from the
/ enrth's center. the centres Of the sun and
moon would have appeared only - ser-
/ onds or "a of the suns diameter apart,
! \ similar eclipse has not occurred since
1903 AMI will not occur again until 1891
IN order that there may be an eclipse
{ OF either the sun or moon. the sun must
he near one Of the points In the sky
where the moon in its orbit crosses the
plane OF the earth's orbit The sun us
uaily passes these points twice each year
This year it passes on January p and the
other July :, II passes one Of the points
again January II. 1917. SO that by the END
OF this year the sun viii be sufficiently
near that point for an eclipse to occur
/ 4 very minute partial eclipse Of the Sun
Will occur on December "A. So this year
We sinai; have three times when eolipsc'
can occur instead ~ the usual two. con
d'NonS are sun moro Ia oIap'e he"' VA
when tnc sun WI" pass tue H'Ne'se'''"l'
~ the planes or the e"rlh ana moon
o"hts thr'" times IN TN" sam" year
! Tho variable Hl"f NlA' or 'n'FoN -
ls now OF very near the same hr1Shu"S
"a Alpha Cell. which ~ IS magnitude
This is almost whole magnitude bright
er than Mira was at its last maximum
II should reach it, greatest brightness ol
January After that time It's oright
ness will decrease, but not 80 rapidly n
it has increased. This star vas discov
cred in 'HS by an amateur astronomer
Fabrlcius. 10 study variable stars
which there are large number we hec'
observations OF their changes OF bright
ness, particularly ut the times or great
est or least brightness Such onserNa
, tions consist in comparing tn" nrlehlncS
Of thu VariahI" with that OF "ther near
by stars, whose hr'Sh'h"sses are not var
liable and known. THESE observation
can he made with very small instruments