Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-08-25
Written for the Green Mountain Freeman.
Astronomy.

Astronomy. a
EDITOR FREEMAN Having been for many
years an attentive reader of your excellent
Freeman, have become fully convinced that it
is far superior to any other paper published in
the State, and have ascertaiued that its supe-
rior excellence consists mainly in the large vari-
ETY. of reading matter it presents for the peru
sal of its readers. am
find in the. FreeaanS Smany entertaining,
amusing, and instructive articles that enliven
its general appearance, and give it favor IN the
sight of many who care but. little for politics,
and who would otherwise regard it as, perhaps
good enough lin it's place but only lit for the
perusal of a few who are 50 deeply engaged in
political affairs as to be completely lost to all
the better sciences and arts, in which those who
love instruction are wont to take SO deep an in
terest.
am, Mr.. Editor, somewhat of an Amateur
in the science of Astronomy, or Geog raphy OF
the Heavens; and, although do not wish to
exhibit any of my own qualifications, still
may say flatter myself that l have SO fal
mastered the science as to be able to tell with
out difficulty the name and place Of every con
stellation and also the name and position o
each of It's stars which is more / am arfad THAI
all of your readers can say, md with your per
mission will enlighten them little on thi
subject, by giving them occasionally few ex
erclses on the Geography of the Heavens as m,
time and your room will allow.
! For the sake of convenient reference tn
Ancients divided the stars into clusters o
groups called, consultations and assigned tt
each constellation the name Of an object th
shape of which is seldom like that formed b.
the stars although sometimes there is some re
semblance. Teere are some very brilliant con
consultations visible at this season-when i
isn't such abominably cloudy and rainy weathe
as at present
If the reader will look at that part of tn
heavens where the sun is usually found
little past noon-say one or two o'clock, in tn
month of December he will notice bright clu'
ter of stars in figure somewhat resembling
boy kite the upper part being formed by
three stars of the third magnitude, and the Ger
ter by very bright star called Antares.
may be known by its being the only bright sts
in the vicinity and by its peculiar redish lustr
There are eight or nine stars of the thir
magnitude which form the tail of the kite
o. ciire'ss arecasly traced Uut; they Sommencoab
nine degrees south Of Andarcs and continr
down nearly to the horizon, whence they pr,
ceed easterly about eight degrees, and then curry
north making figure somewhat resembling
shepherds crook. These stars with the small,
ones in their immediate vicinity form the col
stellation of Scorpio the Scorpion, The su
reaches the uppermost star of the three, a
ready mentioned as forming the top of the kit
the Goth day of October.
Perhaps some of my readers may not undo
stand the distance of II degree in the heavens
will give them scale which can always
seen.
1t is presumed that everybody knows I'll
Dipper," cluster of stars very much resen
bling that article, now seen about half way b
tween the zenith, or point exactly overhea
and the northwestern point of the horizo
Well the two stars forming the open part
the bowl of the dipper are exactly ten, and I'll
two forming the bottom are exactly eight degre
apart with this scale the student will find !
difficulty in calculating the distance betwe
two stars when it is told him in degrees. B
as this communication is already longer thu
was designed, the next lesson is deferred till
future occasion. ORION
Tunbridge, July 25th, 1858.