Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-12-30

three stars in the handle, reading from lef
| to right or from the bowl are LIST Ahoth, I'd
| Mizar, Sd AHdid or point star. Follow the
sweep of the handle, down low towards
the equinoctial and the vast and graceful
! curve will terminate at one of the most
brilliant stars, Arctawus in the right leg of
| B0oteS, the curve being perfectly marked
| by the star Mirach in the belt and Segenus
in the head of Foote's the great hunter.
Bootes is supposed to be areas the son
of Jupiter and CdIisto Dootes is represented
on the globe as man in a walking posture
| holding in his left hand a club, his right
| hand raised holding The cords of The two
dogs, Asterion and Chara which seem 10 be
barking at the Great Bear, hence be is
sometimes called the Bear driver, and the
Office assigned him was to drive the Bear
round the Pole
Ursa Mojor is said to be Calisto or Hezice
who was daughter to Lycaon king of
Arcadia and one Of Diaaa's attend an is
Jupiter seduced her under the shape of
Diana; and Juno in revenge changed her
into a she Bear. But the God fearful of
her being hurt by the hun ,smen, IN ade her
a constellation in Of the heavens. The
term dipper is of late date and is not used
by astromers, or in refined society.
Ursa Manor is also SAID to be Areas son
of Jupiter and Calisto, he nearly killed his
mother whom Juno changed into bear.
He reigned in Pelasgia which from him was
called Arcadia, and taught his subjects
agl iculture, after his death Jupiter made
him constela ion with his mother.
The constellation Of the Little Bear is
also composed of 7 stars forming figure
almost iden ical with the Great Bear, only
the tail is turned upward, and he seems to
hang head downwards on the back OF the
Great Bear. The North S,ar, AAuccabah,
is in the point of his tail. The stars in this
figure are small, and can only be seen on
clear night, but it goes to prove what close
observers the ancients We're when they so
infinitely observed 80 small a figure, for in
those days the Pole Star was Thu6Ga, 250
from the present Pole, and on a line passing
a little west of Arcturus. Since then the
Pole of the Ecliptic has moved slowly on to
the present point The pole is not now,
nor never Will be, at Vie star Polarls 1t IS
now u from II, and the star swings round
the actual Pole once in "a hours, like every
other star. This cannot be observed by the
nakad eye, but is well known to engineel 8
and surveyors, who have TO pay great al
tention to the regulating Of their lEstru-
ments, to secure the correct variation Of
their compasses, for the needle never pon 8
TO the tue north except at a few places in
the United States.
There are two particular times every day
in which the north polar star Is in correct
line north and south. These times are at
the moment when the star AHoth, in the
handle of the dipper comes in line with the
pole star and the star Ruchbah in Cassiope-
las mp. No matter which of them may be
at this side or'above The north star, then is
the true time to AXE the observation, which
is thing have had occasion to do several
times.
There is in the great Pyramid in Egypt
small opening or pipe clear through from
the centre of the vast structure to the out
side face Of the north sde it is so truly
laid that the star Thuban can be seen
through it, thus proving that that star
was the pole star at the time of its forma-
ton and this is one Of the methods they
have of knowing the era of its construction.
The bearings of Ihubd,. are Right asceu-
sion Il bours l minute. North Polar dis
lance 250, Defamation $50 north This
brings me to the end Of the I'd astronomi-
cal hour. There is glorious spectacle
rising in the east these evenings 1t shall
be described in my next.
Most Respectfully,
BROTHER PETER.