The Nome nugget., 1921-02-05
STAR NOTES
 FOR FEBRUARY

Even the casual observer pauses to observe the spledor of the starry heav- ems on these clear. dark nights. The brilliant cancellations of winter are al above .he horizon Ut an early hour, and at 9:30 p. m. no Less thar 10 first magnitude stars and the planets Venus. Jupiter and Saturn are visible. The dazzling l,uninary dn the southwest at . cracts attention first. and the question is often heard. What is that bright star?' The brilliant white object is no star. bu. the planet Venus. the earth's twin and nearest planetary neighbor Venus is almost the exact counterpart of :he earth. being about 225 miles less in diameter and having n denser covering of air. The pull of gravity is nearly the same as on earth. the climate is moist and tenn perate. and it is statefby scientists that human beings could exist on V venus. Ht i't-tHNt iS stf' itti A'b7t ttH it will get and on February 9 will com- inence to go westward and On April oa it is in inferior conjunction. that is passes directly between the earth and the sun. It will be visible during all of February and March and it's brill iancy is increasing. At present it can be seen in full sunlight.
 The planet Mars. which is much fainter and of T reddish color. is be low Venus and a little farther west.
 The magnificent constellation Orion is due south about s;S0 p. m. Four figure the upper star in the left cor nor being known as Betelgeuse, and the lower one on the wight as Rigcl In the center of the large figure are three bright stars nearly in q line and the same distance apart. South of these stars is the great nebua in Orion cne of the finest objects in the heavens, but only visible with telescope.
 Right above Orion and near the Capella in the constellation Auriga. Above Orion and more to the west is the familiar star group known as "the Seven Stars" the proper name of which is Pleiades. Between Pleiades and Orion is the first magnitude star Adebaran in the star group Hysldes, which is in the form of il V. In the southeast is a brilliant white star which is called Sirius, also "tlle big dog star" the brightes: star in the heavens. At about the same altitud" as Retelge,u>e. but duite a little to tho eartward. is the hr6gh. star Procyon. "the little dog star" Procyon. Sirius and Betelgeuse fonm a large equila- teral triangle Above Procyon may be found the two twin stars in Genini. Costor and Pollux. of nearly eaual brightness and separated about de- rrees. Vega, one of the brightest stars, may be seen low in the north west. and to the iedt of it is tlie con- stellation Cygnus also known as the Northern Cross. being in outline ES, a large cross. The familiar Big Dip per in Ursa Major is on the east side of the pole star. and on the opposite sida of the pole is Cassiopea, or the Lady's Chair.
 The constellation Leo. which con- tains the first magnitude star Regu'us. Is dae east and well above the horizon at .:sO D. m. Regulus is in the lower end of the. handle which fo"ms tne Sickle in Leo, a group of stars in the form of a grain hook. The brilliant star Arctuils is rising in the northeast at this time.
 The brightest object in the eastern sky is the planet Jupiter, which is be- Low Leo and more to the northward. Jupiter is due east about 10 o'clock, and it shines with such splendor that | is can not be mistaken for a star. With a small glass four of the moons of