The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1932-03-05

The brightest star between Castor
and Pollux and Betelgeuze, In
Orion, Is Athena or Gamma Gem
inorum; north Of the latter are
more Gemini stars and fine clus-
ter, Messier 35. Pluto. the new
planet discovered in 1880 and the
furthest known from the sun, lies
also in Gemini, where 1t has been
since its discovery. 1t lies south
Of Pollux and because of its low
brightness, which Is equivalent only
to a stellar magnitude OF IA, 1t Is
invisible to the naked eye: In fact,
1t requires quite q powerful teles-
cope to observe It. Interesting II
is to note, too, that Uranus was
discovered by Herschel when 1t al
so was in the constellation of the
Gemini. Uranus Is now in Pisces.
having completed less than two
complete trips around the sun since
It's discovery in 1881. Pluto's time
for one completion Of its orbit Is,
Of course, much greater because OF
its greatre distance from the sun
2S4 years.
As the winter consultations sink
to the westward, they are follow
ed by Leo, Virgo, Coma Berenices,
and others which will shine for US
through the spring and early sum
mer. Between Gemini and Leo,
there lies along the ecliptic the
zodiacal constellation of Cancer.
which gave its name to the north
ern tropic when the summer SOL
stice, the farthest north of the
ecliptic circle, lay in this constel-
lation as it did some thousands
of years ago. The solstice Is now
in the western end of Gemini,
where 1t abuts on Taurus along
the ecliptic circle. This is a pro-
cessional movement of about thirty
five degrees and has taken between
twenty-five hundred and three
thousand years. Similarly, the YER
nal equinox, which is the point OF
crossing of the equator by the sun
on it's northward journey along the
ecliptic circle is now IN Pisces, in
stead of in Aries, where is was
when this phase of Astronomical
knowledge became well established.
Until lately the vernal equinox
has been commonly calld the FIRST
point in Aries" its ancient name,
but this has rapidly gone out OF use
among astronomers. For the
present year the sun will be on
the vernal equinox at 2:54 p. m,
on the goth of this month. Spring
officially commences Mt that in
slant and winter Is behind us.
Astronomers have scheduled two
eclipses for March of this year but
unfortunately neither one Will be
visible from our northern ATTITUDES.
On the 7th there Is TO be an am
nular eclipse of the sun and on
the 22nd a partial eclipse OF the
moon. The beginnings OF the lat
ter eclipse will be visible In North
American. excepting the north
eastern part; the ending VIII be
visible In North America only from
the extreme northwest. About pl
per cent OF the moons disk VIII
be In the shadow OF the earth NJ
the maximum phase Of the eclipse
ne half past seven In the morning
by eastern standard time. IL IN IN
terestlng 10 note that the annnlnr
eclipse OF the sun has mechanically
all the conditions for total eclipse
OF the snn except that the moon
N 10 far from the earth that ~
apparent slse II smaller than that
OF the suA's hlak. Consequently
when the moon " centrally IN front
ef the sun II still leaves bright
rlng (annuluH. VI fafinl Of the
suns photosphkfe IN evidences