«4 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



Saturn is moving- slowly eastward in 

 Gemini, and is hence also conspicuous 

 in the morning sky. It will be passed 

 by Venus on September 5. 



Uranus is in opposition with the sun 

 on August 10. The observer may find 

 this faint world at this time as follows : 

 Let him point his telescope on the star 

 .at K, Figure i, bringing this object 

 ''Carefully to the middle of the field. Be- 



Figure 3. Showing all stars so bright 

 as the tenth magnitude within a region 

 three degrees square about the star K of 

 Figure 1. For use in finding the planet 

 TJranus with a small telescope. 



insr careful not to disturl) the tele- 



scope, let him then wait 4 minutes and 

 7 seconds, and then elevate the tele- 

 scope in declination exactly one degree, 

 or an amount equal to twdce the ap- 

 parent diameter of the moon. Uranus 

 will then be found in the center of the 

 field It wdll appear as a greenish star 

 of exactly the sixth magnitude, but by 

 its dull luster may be readily distin- 

 guished from a true star, especially if 

 the seeing on this particular night is 

 reasonably good. 



The August Shooting Stars. 



These shooting stars, known also as 

 Perseids, are most numerous for a iew 

 nights before and after the loth of the 

 l)resent month. "Iliey will be seen to 

 dart outward in all directions from the 

 Radiant, at R, Figure i, and mo^•e 

 slowly over the sky, sometimes leaving 

 a short trail behind them. By steadily 

 watching tliis region of the heavens the 

 observer vill j)rol)ably see a shooting 

 star at an average interval of some 

 three or fcnr minutes. A careful record 

 of the apparent paths of these objects 

 among the stars, the time being also 

 noted, constitutes a kind of observing 

 of real value, and one especially suit- 

 ,' l:)le for the amateur astronomer. 



The Joy of the Fields. 



Let the young folks bid good-bye to 

 the cities in August and spend as much 

 time as possible in the woods and fields 



