South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-27
The Heavens in Nav

The May sky map this year is
very rich in planets. Our map shows
the positions OF four. and partic-
ularty noteworthy r. the fact that.
Tor the first time IN many months.
Ne are enabled 20 show the position
OF Venus
Venus Is so close 10 the sun that
Il usually sets well before the time
which we have set for our maps.
Our readers have no doubt noticed
this very beautiful evening star.
glowing brilliantly in the western
sky just after sunset. II IS the
brightest Of all the celestial bodies
after the sun and the moon.
Futher up In the western sky, not
far from the Heavenly Twins, Is
Jupiter. which Is next 20 Venus in
brilliancy. and still higher is Saturn.
the ringed planet. Between them,
but invisible TO the naked eye, the
map shows the position OF Neptune.
the outermOst planet OF the solar
system. Neptune's size is consider
able. about 20 times that OF the
earth. but its enormous distance
from as more than Offsets this.
More disicuIt 10 observe than
Venus. because still closer 20 the
sun. is Mercury. the innermost
planet OF the system About May 4
this planet will be a morning star and
will rise somewhat before the sun.
40 that observation will be possible
II can be found low in the eastern
sky about an hour before sunrise.
The Dtppers.
Undoubtedly more people know
the Big Dipper than any other group
OF stars IN the heavens. and these
nights Il will be found almost direct
y overhead ~ map time. The an
clients called IL the Great Bear. but
this name includes other stars be-
sides the Dipper. The two stars
called the Pointers. through which
an arrow is drawn on the map. are
widely used TO find the position Of
the star POlaris, which lies very close
TO the north celestial pole. ia a field
entirely lacking in other bright
stars. This makes its Identification
very easy. for an imaginary line
I'm the last star in the handle OF the
Little DipPer. which is itself a part OF
the group called the Lesser Bear.
II you will look for the Big Dip
per each night for "a year. you will
find IL occupying different positions
in the sky. but II BY means Of it you
find Polaris. you will be struck by
the fact that IL does not change its
position relative 10 you. your hOri-
zon and your compass directions.
Parenfhetically. we may say that of
course Polaris IS not absolutely on
the pole itself and therefore does
change slightly. but TO the naked eye
this motion is indistinguishable.
Motion" Merely Reflection.
Further observation will show that
all the northern stars seem TO go
about the pole IN circles We must
bear in mind that this motion Is not
one OF the stars themselves. but
merely a reflection. as II were, Of
the earth's axial rotation. The earth
rotates once on its axis in "a hours.
therefore the stars will seem TO do
the same. but in the opposite direc
ton. When we are seated IN a NOV
ing railroad coach the stationary
objects outside seem 10 fly by US
with a speed equal 10 ours. but in
the opposite direction. If II were
not for the swaying OF the coach. we
really could not tell. merely from
the evidence OF our senses. what
really was In motion. we or the land
scape.
II we imagine NE earth's axis pro-
longed into the heavens. il will meet
the heavens In two points. which are
the celestial poles. To an observer
at the earth's pole the celestial pole
Is directly overhead in the zenith
Every point on the earth's surface
moves in a circle about the earth's
axis. and similarly every point In the
heavens must seem TO move in n
circle about the axis Of the celestial
sphere The earth rotates from west
TO east, the stars seem 10 rotate
from east TO west.
Polaris looks like n single star to