St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-12-06
DECEMBER SKIES
The Late Professor Lowell and His
Work. Midnight Eclipse of the
Sun-WinteP Begins on the 21st.

Sun-WfnteF Begins on the 2ISt-
The sudden death of DR.. Percival
Lowell, founder and director of the
Lowell Observatory at Flagstaff. Ariz..
has taken from us one of the best
known of American astronomers. DR..
Lowell was one of the first to realize
that the location of an observatory is
more important than its instrumental
equipment. As long ago as 1895 he
wrote: "A large instrument ~ poor
air will not begin to show what a
smaller one in good air will. When
this is recognized, as it eventually will
be, it will become the fashion to put
up observatories where they may see
rather than be seen" That this pre-
diction has been realized is shown by
the care taken in selecting site for
the Mt. Wilson Observatory, and moro
recently in finding the best location
for the new Dominion Observatory Of
Canada.
Although best known as a student
of Mars, Dr. Lowell made valuable
contributions to the study of other
planets, especially Mercury. Venus and
Saturn. His theories in regard to the
presence of intelligent life on Mars
are too we'll known to need repetition
here. 1t might be well, however, to
mention two points which have been
generally misunderstood: First, the
markings called canals" which we
see are not the waterways themselves,
which are far too small to be seen,
but strips of vegetation sustained by
IN artificial irrigation system. Sec
ond, DR.. Lowell did not claim that
Mars is inhabited by beings like our
selves. 1t is proba BILE that the various
orms OF plant and animal life on this
earth have been adapted to condi-
ions here by a process of evolution
Similarly, life on ether planets must
De adapted to conditions there. Since
conditions on Mars are quite different
rom those on the earth the forms Of
ife there may well be very different
rom any we know, if indeed life ex-
SITS there.
1t is Of course too early to form an
opinion of the permanent value Of DIR.
LowelI's theories. That must be left
for the future. Should the existence
Of life on Mars be ultimately con-
frmed, DIR. Lowell win take his place
beside the great astronomical specu-
iators of all time.
One of the most interesting events
IF the present month will be q small
partial eclipse of the midnight sun on
Christmas Eve. It's visibility, how
1Ver will he confined to a small sec
ion Of unfrequented ocean about
lalf- between the Cape of Good
Hope and the South Pole. Only one
md one-tenth per cent of the suns
liameter will be Obscured and the
eclipse will last only IT minutes. A
.otal eclipse of the midnight sun is a
rare event, the last one having oc-
cured on June "a, 1897.
VOLTS comet has passed conjunc-
ion with the sun and is coming into
.avora BILE position for observation. It's
notion this month will be eastward
Ind southwark in Libra from right as
eension 15h. 10m., declination-5' IS.
IN the 1st to right ascension 16h. 3m.
md declination-60 s. on the 31st. Al
| present it is not visible without the
id of a telescope, but it is growing
brighter as it approaches the earth
| Ind should become a conspicuous OBJ
| iect next June, when it viii be nearest
he sun.
The sun will reach it's position
l~-arthest south on the 21st at 1859 D.
| will thsn enter tho sign CT the zodiac
Known as Capricornus, although ac-
ually in the constellation Sagittarius
lbout 230 81 south Of the equator.
After the 21st it will move northward
again and the days will begin 10 in
:rease in length in northern attitudes.
The moon will be in first quarter on
he LIST at S.56 p. M, full on the 9th
| It IA pm, in last quarter on the
| nth at LOG p. m, new on the oath at
| 3.31 p. m, and in first quarter again
IN the 31st at 7.07 a. m. 1t viii be In
| apogee on the 18th and in perigee on
| he 25th; will run high on the 9th
md low on the 23rd, crossing the
| equator on the End, 18th and 29th. In
he journey around the zodiac it will
| pass the planets in the following or
Ter: Jupiter on the 5th, Saturn on
| he 18th, Neptune on the 18th, Venus
On the 22nd, Mars and Mercury on the
25th and Uranus on the 27th.
Mercury will become visible toward
| the end of the month low in the west
| just after sunset. 1t will be nearly
over the sunset point, setting about
an hour and a quarter after the sun.
| On the 22nd Mercury and Mars will
| be within 10 TO- of each other, Mer-
| curry being farther south and brighter
| than it's rudy rival
Venus is dropping back toward the
sun and hence rising later, at $50 a.
m. on the 1st and after a. m. at the
end of the month. 1t is growing slight
| ly fainter as it recedes from the earth.
1t will move eastward and southwark
from Virgo through libra into Scorpio
and will pass 60 north of Antares on
the 9th.
Mars is now too near the sun to be
well seen. 1t is also very faint on ac-
count of it's distance from US, being
but little brighter than the pole star.
1t may be found low in the southwest