The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-30

For the first time this year there are also to be seen in the evening SKY the great groups of the Serpent and the Ser pent Holder. These two intermixed groups now cover the whole southeastern heaV- ens from Bootes to the horizon. The head of the winding Serpent is very near Corona while the extreme tip of its tall is in Aquilla. The Serpent Holder. Ophiu- chus, grasps the creature firmly in his two hands Cat M and M, his head being at R, and his feet just above Scorplo' With a small star atlas the reader may find very many objects of interest within
 the borders of this faint constellation especially in the eastern part of IL, where are found the wonderful cloud forms of the Summer Branch of the Milky Way.
 THE PLANETS IN JUNE An unusually favorite opportunity to observe the planet Mercury will be af- forded toward the close of the month, when Mercury comes to It's greatest east ern elongation. This will occur on June 29 and for few days before and after this date the observer will see 1t shining
 far in the northwest in the twilight glow for more than one and one-half hours after sunset. If he finds 1t when near It's
 elongation it will look half full. but hav- ing located it then, he can probably fol-
 low it for some weeks longer and oo-
 serve it's change into narrow crescent. Venus is now so very near the sun that 1t cannot be seen at all during the pres ent month. On July it will pass to tne
 east of the sun and become an evening star, but it will not emerge sufficiently from the suns rays to be easily seen until next autumn.
 Those who have been watching the rex rograde motion of Mars in Virgo have seen how this planet has been drawing nearer and nearer to the bluish star Spico Cat s. until by June l it has almost reached this star. but is degrees north of it. But on this evening at O clock the westward motion of Mars VIII cease and from then on until the end of the year it will run eastward again' it will cross Ophiuchus and reach the borders of this months map by Decerl- ber The planet is still in excellent po- sition for observation. although duriEs the month it's distance from us will m crease from 6l,O00.C00 to 7S000,00O miles. {, and it will diminish one-half magnitude 1 fh brightness. The last was not; the most favorable possible opposition. for , even when nearest us the planet was 1 54, ,OoO,Oo0 miles away, while it's distance {, at an opposition occurring in August may be but 36,00O,000 miles. Yet doubtless dur 1 ing the past months this little world has been kept under constant observation at
 many observatories. and the results will
 be published in due time.
 | On June 24, at 10 hours and 43 min i utes D. m., the moon will pass to the | east of Mars. As seen from the United states. the two objects will then be a.
 | little more than the diameter of the moon. Observers in southern lati-
 moon apart. Mars being north of the
 tudes. however. will see the planet
 hidden by the moon. On the same eve- ming, and only four hours earlier, they
 will see the moon hide Spica. but to us
 I our satellite will be seen to pass some
 distance south of the star.
 l Jupiter continues 1t slow southward
 and eastward motion toward the east ern borders of Cancer. but is still in
 good position for observation. Inter-