Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-12-02
College Of tho Sacred Heart.
WatertOwn Wis, Nov. 2Ist. 1877

There IS no time or season of the year
better suited for making observations on
the starry heavens than on clear frosty
nights, such as are now approaching.
A more glorious spectacle, or one more
suited to impress the beholder with awe,
wonder, and reverence for the almighty
power, that created and rules SO many
millions of worlds by the power of HIS
divine Will; can in no other form be sub
mitted to the contemplation of mankind
From the days Of Noah, the movement of
the heavenly bodies have been studied by
the learned; and it is the names ofsrch
men only, who were learned in sciences re-
lative to Astronomy in those days, that
| have been handed down to US with honor;
as will the names Of the profound Astrono-
mers OF our own age, and those who are
now aborlng in the most distant parts of
the earth to note and record the event of
the passage of the planet Venus across the
| disc OF the Sun an event that will happen
on the 9Th OF December, on the other side
of the globe, while the inhabitants of the
western world are enjoying their midnight
| repose
The teaching of Astronomy is totally ig-
| nored in public Schools in the United
States, and generally neglected in private
ones The usual reply being, What do
I want to know about the Stars" let US
see; Many years ago, the writer pointed
out to number of Students how to find
and know the North Pole Star, PoIaris;
some four years ago, one Of those students
formed one OF party of two clergymen
and two other gentlemen who went out in
boat fishing on lake St. Clair, from the
harbour of Goodrich in Canada. After
dark q dense fog rose off the lake, and after
hours of rowing like men Olndtolded, they
gave themselves up for lost and prepared
for death, suddeAly one OF them shouted
Tor JOY /; through rift in the fog he saw
some stars, and at last found the pole star
through the directions he recolecled to
have received from me. They had been
rowing west, away from home; they.
changed their course right round, keeping
the Pole Star on their left side, after two
hours rowing they struck land two miles
north OF the point they started from, thor
oughly exhausted, feeling like men re-
proved from death sentence, owing their
precious lives to the Knowledge of only
one Star by one oftheir party, this anecdote
was related to me by the amateur astrono-
mer himself, who felt duly grateful for the
knowledge small as it was, he had received
in that casual conversation
1t would seem that sketch of the Starry
armament describing the principal con-
stellatons and Stals as they monthly pass
over our meridian, would tend to interest,
and awaken the curiosity of the youthful
reader as well as Of those in more advanced
age.
In this mouth of November, when the
stars first shine out about O'Clock P. NJ.
II We look nearly overhead, and little
south OF east, we will see an immense and
perfect cross formed by 4 fne stars, the
centre space being free from stars. This
singular figure is called by astronomers the
great square OF Pegasus, (the flying norse)
IN the month Of November while laying on
the meridian, it assumes the form of q
square as 1t swings round to the south. and
when due south of any place; that is, on
| the meridian, it will show perfect square,
| which it will do about 10 O'Clock these eve
| nings.
| The most northWard star in the Cross is
| Alphratz, in the head of the female figure
Andromeda, IN the constellation of the same
| name. The next, the centre or highest
! star is Algenib in the point of the wing of
| the flying horse. These two stars are $50
| asunder and lie directly on the line of
| the Vernal Equinoctial point and the Pole
star, this imaginary line is called the
Equinoctial Colure.
At a distance south of Algenib, equal to
| that stars distance from Alphratz, is pei
| haps the most important point in the
| heavens, 1t is the point of the crossing of
the Equinoctial line by the Ecleptic, or
properly speaking, the Earth's course round
the SUM- This is the first point of reckon
ing for the "a Astronomical hours, and in
counting time Is marked 0. This is also
the first point in counting right ascension,
which is the celestial longitude, and IS then
| marked O., also, 1t is the first poi ut in the
constellation Aries the Ram) the yernal
| equinoctial point, and is always easily
found by passing line with the eye from
the pole star through two, thestars Alphratz
and Algenib. The next star to the right
or south is Markhab in the horses ne ok, and
| sheat, the lowest star is in the shoulder.
When thesesIars are due south, Alphratz and
| Algenib form the east side ola great square.
| and sheat and Markhab the west side.
Now turn to the right or west and see
stars inclining from the northwest to the
southeast, they are in the Eagles neck, the
| highest is Farazed, the centre one Affair,
| and the lowest Alchain, Affair is fine
star and serves as guide to many DINERS.
little east of south from Altar, lays
group OF seven small stars; they are in the
head OF Aries the Ram, (Note, the signs
themselves have receded from their origin
al position IN the last thousand years i;
distance of 81 degrees; this may be ex-
planned hereatter) 81 degrees little west
OF north from Affair is Alberco in the
swan s bill, of the I'd magnitude, 25 degrees
northeast from Alberco, is Arded in the
swans breast, star of the LIST magnitude.
rn