Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-01-13

Watertown Wis, Jan. II, 1917

heavens ny tue star HGnld6 or the "a mag
nitude and of a yellowish hue; about 40
from it and southwest, is the star .Sheratan
with another small star south of that.
Polaris Almaach one of the socalled mile
stones, and HamaI are in line, let your
eye range only four degrees south of the
equnoctal line, and Is degrees south Of
Hanlal and you will see the star Mira call
ed the wonderful: this is uarying STAR
sometimes shining out as Of the I'd magnl-
tude, and again falling to that of the 9Th
or 9th. 1t is believed that this is revolv-
ing star, having one side emitting more
light then the other, and that these regular
changes can be presented only by its motion
on its own axis. 1t is a little east of line
from the pole star through Hanaal, it is in
the breast of the constellation Cetus or the
Whale; little north of east is the star
Nenkar In the aOhales mouth; there is also
a smaller star between Mira and Menkar,
but these three stars, Hamal, Mira and
Menkar form a very observable trians lie,
the two sides being of equal length, the
base or south being little the shortest of
the three.
The star Hamal is in the forehead of
dries the Ram, tho first of the q signs of
the Zodiac and the original point of the
vernal equinox. The reader will please
observe, that in former article pointed
out as distinctly as could the equinoctial
point Aries; | was correct there, aud now
I shall describe in the plainest manner
can, the point occupied by the sign Aries.
1t is now some 800 east or behind the
cquinoctial point, the variance is caused by
sliding or falling back Of the point at
which the sun crosses the equinoctial line
every goth of March, or vernal equinox.
The sun in his apparent annual revolu-
ton round the earth does not cross the
equinoctial line always at the same point;
but at every revolution crosses: "a little to
the west OF the point at which it crossed
previously. The irregularity seems to ex-
list in the motion of the sun, but of course
1t is really in the motion Of the earth.
This motion has long been known to Astro-
nomers and is called the procession Of the
equinoxes, the annual movement is ABOUT SO
seconds of space every year.
In the time Of Hipparchus who is known
as the father of Astronomy, and who was
the first to make a map of the heavens, he
taught his philosophy 100 years b.iore the
birth of Christ or 1000 years ago. In his
time the vernal equinoctial point was at
the star Hamal, at the first degree of the
constellation Aries. Now this same point
has slid back or west until the point of
crossing is in the constellation Pisces; as
| have before described on line with th g
stars Algenib and ALphratz.
1t is calculated that in order to make the
entire circuit of the line to the point of
Hamal again, it would require $4,000
years.
1t must seem strange to read about horses
and other figures being drawn out in tn 9
sky, these figures were Egyptian or Chal-
dean hieroglyphics, intended to represent
some remarkable event in each month
especially is this the case with the u signs
of the Zodiac. Thus, Aries the ram, is said
to represent that the lambs begin to follow
the sheep about the time of the vernal
equinox. And that the COWS bring forth
their young about the time the sun arrives
in Taurus or Tie Bull. That the goat was
followed by her two kids about the time
Gemini came to the meridian and so with
the other signs and considerations which
shall be described according as they swing
up in view.
The story of Aries, the ram with the
golden fleece, was old before the siege of
Troy. 1t was legend in those days that
Aries was the rama with the golden fleece,
that carried Phry1us and HeLle through the
air on his back, when they aed from their
father Athamus who was going to murder
them at the instigation of their p-mother
Inc. Helle fell from his hack into the
Hellespont and was drowned.
Phryxus continued bis flight and arrived
safe at Cochis, an ancient city in Asia
east of the black sea, near where Sabastopol
now stands. The fable of the fight of
Phryxus on a ram from Boeatia to Colchs,
has been explained by some learned men,
who observe that the ship in which he en-
tarked was called by that name or carried
on her Prov the figure of ram, with a
golden fleece.
The golden fleece is again explained by
the immense treasures which he carried
from Thebes, he was afterwards murdered
by his father-in-law Aetis which gave rise
to the celebrated expedition which was
carried out under Jason and other princes
of Greece, and which had for its object the
recovery vi tne SO.ueu ueeceanQ the punish
ment OF the king of Colchis for his cruelty
to the son of Athamus. A line drawn from
the north star through Algoz in the con-
stellation of Perseus, one of the illuminated
mile stones and the third from the star
Aphratz, and passing a little east of Menkar
in the whales mouth, will mark the line of
the Third Astronomical hour; and we then
come into the constellation of Taurus the
BaX and he too has history, and is cele-
brated In the bible.
Who has not heard of the stars how
many are there in Watertown tonight who
can point them out, yet job in the midst
OF all his sufferings, while conversing with
Ballad spoke of them, how ancient then
must be this constellation.
About o'clock this evening look up
over your head and you will see bright
cluster of small stars of an oval form, the
largest still very small star, is Azcyone.
This cluster is known as the Pzeiades, or
the stars. 15o southeast of the Pleiades is
a large deep red star Azdebaran in the Bulls
forehead, surrounded by cluster of small