160 
THE YOUNa SCIENTIST. 
The Heavens for December. 
BY BEBLIN H. WEIGHT. 
Mebouby will be brightest, as an evening star, 
Dec. 5-8, setting Dec. 6 at 5h. Mm., eve.— lb. 12m. 
after the sun, and 27m. before the end of twilight, 
at a point about 3° south of the Sun's path;* at 
starLAMD^ Sagittaeh. On account of his extreme 
southern declination, this will not be a favorable 
opportuniiy to see Mercury, and doubtless many 
who are not accustomed to search the Heavens 
will fail to find him. 
Venus, being in superior conjunction with the 
Sun, Dec. 5, cannot be seen this month. 
EAST. 
WEST 
SalJK • 
Sail* 
•Saf.JV 
Fig. 1. 
i 
SUNS PATH 
Neptune 
-I- J%Haf 
Fig. 2. 
which time he will be very near the ith magnitude 
♦For the convenience of the reader we ^ive in this 
place several units of measurement. The " Ell and 
Yard," called also the Three Stsrs, Three Kings, and, in 
Job, the " Bands of Orion," rise about 7 o'clock in the 
evening. It is composed of three 2d magnitude stars 
In a straight line, just 3 degrees long, the middle star 
being degree irom each extreme. This makes a 
good yard stick. The "Pointers" are the two stars 
which form the side of the Great Dipper, opposite the 
handle, and are 5 degrees apart. The two in the top 
are 10 degrees apart. The North Star is 28% degrees 
exactly north of the Northern star of the Pointers. 
Maes will be within the quadrilateral of Librae 
(composed of two stars of the 2d, and two of the 3d 
magnitude) until the lOtb, and will enter the con- 
stellation Scorpio Dec. 22, following very closely 
the Sun's path. He rises as follows: 
Dec. 5— 5h. Im., morning, 
Dec. 15— 4h. 57m., " 
Dec, 25— dh. 53m., " 
He will be 5° north of the Moon Dec. 21. 
JupiTEE will be a conspicuous object in the west- 
ern sky throughout the month, setting as follows: 
