The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-11-07

dips under the horizon just about map-time.
 Unfortunately, Uranus is not much of an attraction, either to the naked eye or even in a telescope. Though it Is large body, much larger than the earth, 1t is 50 far away that 1t appears only as bright as a star of sixth or seventh magni- tude. It is thus just on the border line of naked eye visibility. Like all the other planets, Uranus shines by reflected sunlight only. It was not known to the ancient Greeks, for without the aid of powerful optical instruments 1t cannot be distinguished from the neighboring fixed stars. If 1t were possible to observe its motions through the field of the true stars, the ancient astronomers would have realized its real natue as Q wanderer or planet. But this they could not accomplish, because their otherwise excellent measuring instruments were not equipped with telescopes. The first to recognize the nature of the planet was William Herschel, who announced its discovery in 17S1. He named 1t Georgium Sidus, the throne of George II of England, but this name did not last very long, being replaced by name which fitted in with the nomencla- ture of the other planets.
 Taurus, the Bull
 Over the eastern horizon is the great constellation of Orion pre- ceded by another fine group. that of Taurus, the Bull. The most Arl s.ta tty-ss1 Ia 4hA vnl- Jewish Aldebaran of first magni- tude. The easiest way of finding Aldebaran is by the use of the Belt of Orion which is following up from the horizon: If the imagin- ary line of the belt is extended up- ward 1t brings us very close to the position of Aldebaran. We have here a very large star, a giant, over fifty thousand times the sun in vol tune and emitting quantity of ra- diation equal to ninety suns like ours.
 Surrounding Aldebaran Is a clus- ter of stars called the Hyades, rep resenting in the Greek mythology the nymphs who were daughters of Atlas. These stars form a physic- ally connected group all moving through space in the same direc- ton and at the same rate of speed Aldebaran Is not a part of this Hyades group. A better known cluster group than the Hyades is also found in this same constella- ton; we refer to the famous Ple- fades which are easily recognized lying somewhat higher in the sky than Aldebaron. Perhaps no star or group of stars in the entire Armament has been mentioned oft .ener in song and story than these They figure prominently in the mythologies and religions of all the primitive peoples, from Persia Babylon and Greece to the Ameri- can Indians, the Aztecs. and the Australian savages.
 TO the average eye the group seems to consist of seven stars forming what may be termed 2 small dipper; six of the stars are easily seen but the seventh is some what illusive and has given rise to the fable of the lost Pleiad. How eyer, 1t can he seen on clear nights and people with sharp eyesight have counted as many as twelve or thirteen. In the telescope many hundreds are revealed in the same tarfield. All these form a physic- ally united swarm which Is a gravi- tational unit. moving together through space. The stars of this group are of considerable luminos- ity, the brighter one equaliing 3 hundred suns; we know this to pc true because of the great distance of 220 Tight-years which separates them from us. A star only as big