The Heavens in February. 



BY PROFESSOR ERIC DOOLITTLE, OF THE 

 UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



Certainly no one who watches the 

 sky at all can fail to be impressed with 

 the extreme brilliancy of the February 

 sky. Orion, the mighty Warrior, and 

 the brightest of all star groups, rides 

 high in the heavens, while Sirius, pro- 



In the telescope this distant sun now 

 shines with a deep red color. Above 

 Mira there is the bright, golden Jupi- 

 ter, which is to remain in a favorable 

 position for observation but one month 

 more, while the beautiful planet, Sat- 

 urn, has attained almost its highest 

 possible position in the heavens and 

 shines out almost on the meridian in 



Figure 1. The Constellations at 9 P. M., February 1. (If facing south, hold the map upright. If 

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



cyon, the Twin Stars, Taurus and Leo 

 now cover the whole southern half of 

 our evening heavens. 



Slowly sinking in the west, there still 

 shines the wonderful variable star, Mi- 

 ra, but this is now rapidly fading away, 

 and by the end of the month will prob- 

 ably be quite invisible to the naked eye. 



the south. Altogether, the February 

 heavens of this year shine with an un- 

 usual beauty and splendor. 



^ ^ ^ -r 'r 



Variable Stars. 



Of the many readers who have this 

 year been watching the wonderful 

 brightening and fading away of the 



