THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



The Heavens in January. 



BY PROFESSOR ERIC DOOLITTLE OF THE 

 UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



This, the first month of the year, is a 

 month crowded with matters of interest 

 to those who watch the skies. It is in this 

 month that the heautiful Leo, the last of 



southeast in the twihght glow after sun- 

 set ; and also the very brig'ht little Mer- 

 cury, which attains its farthest entrance 

 into the evening- heavens toward the end 

 of the month, it will result that every 

 one of the five naked eye planets are to be 

 seen during- the early evenings of the 

 present month. 



NORTH. 



South. 



Figure 1. The constellations at 9 P. M., January 1. I If facing soutli, hold the map upright. If fac- 

 ing east, hold East below. If facing west, hold West below. If facing north, hold the map inverted.) 



the winter constellations, has entered the 

 evening heavens, so that the whole south 

 and southeast are now covered with the 

 brilliant winter train of stars. And more 

 than this, we now have the unusual spec- 

 tacle of no less than three bright planets 

 — Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, all shining 

 in our evening sky at one time. Indeed, 

 if we include the very beautiful Venus, 

 which is now the most brilliant in the 



besides this wealth of interesting ob- 

 jects presented for our study we will also 

 in the early morning of January 20, wit- 

 ness an interesting partial eclipse of the 

 moon, while, (most interesting of all to 

 an astronomer) the wonderful variable 

 star, Mira, is seen shining in the south- 

 west, and this object will during the pre- 

 sent month pass through its epoch of 

 maximum light. 



