, 1877-03-10
How 40 Tell tlIc Time.
A CLOCK IN THE SKY AT NIGHT

land which have clocks showing the
time with only one hand-the hour
hand. dare say that it will seem very
strange to active and busy minds IN
America that such clocks rs these should
continue in existence. A slumbrroUs
place It must he, truly, where men ARE
content to know time 10y the hour, and
10 take no note of the minutes. Or, II
tnat is not really the way OF it, still it
must be strangely backward world
where such clocks, once sufficient for
their purpose, have not been rcpIacedh hy
time. measures better suited to active,
business like folks. When such clocks
were more common, and houSe.clOcks
and watches less used (and probably
very seldom in order), it would have
been useful to know what l am now 90
ing to tell you about clock in the sky,
though at present the knowledge will
help rather to teach young folks the
stars than to show them how to learn
the time from the stars Tor the clock l
have to describe has only one hand, and
not only so, but that hand goes the
wrong way round, and only once round
in day.
The first step toward knowledge OF
the stars should be u recognition or the
pole star, because the pole Of the heav-
ems being the point around which all the
stars are seemingly carried, so soon as
we know the stars around the pole, we
have center, so to speak, from which
we can pass to other groups until we
know them all. Once known the pole
star can always be found by the learner,
supposing he observes the heavens al
ways from the same station for it al
ways lies in the same position Tor so
nearly SO that the change can scarcely be
-noticed) II, for example, you have once
been shown, or have found out yourself,
that from certain spot in your garden,
or from a certain window in your
house, the polesar can be seen just
above certain chimney or tree, then
at any time, on any night when the sky
is clear, if you betake yourself to the
spot, or look through that window, you
will see the pole-star over its accustom
ed chimney or tree. 1t is there, indeed,
all the time, whether the sky be clear or
cloudy whether it be day OF night. Not
only does a knowledge of the pole.st
give you known central point whence
to Others, but it gives you the means of
knowing where lie the cardinal points
round the horizon for, of course, when
you face the pole star, the north lies be.
fore you, the south behind you, the east
ON your right, the west on your lett.
But to find the pole star, it is wei! to
begin with the dipper, This well mark
ed group includes two stars which are
called the pointers" because they point
to the pole'star. The dipper is so con
spicuous and wellmarked a group that
=. it is easily learned and cannot easily be-.
forgotten. Although not very near the
pole, it is yet not SO far from it as to
range very widely over the heavens; and
ii you look toward the north at any
hour of any clear night, you will seldom
require many seconds to find the familiar
set of seven bright stars, though at one
time it is high above the pole, at another
close to the horizon, now to the right OF
the pole, and anon to the left. In Eng
land the dipper never sets in America
it partly sets, hut still can be recognized
Except at stations in the most southern
States) even when partly below the no.
rizop.
In order to see the dipper in its differ
ent positions, and also in that portion
of its course which in December it tray.
erses during the daytime, it is not nee.
essary to keep long watch upon the
group, or to study the heavens during
those "wee sma' hours ayont the twal'
wherein the professional astronomer
does the best part of his work. If you
come out in the evening (say at about s,
once or twice week on clear nights, al
through the winter halt of the year, and
little later during the summer months
you will see the dipper and all the polal
groups carried right round the pole
For though, speaking generally, it may
be said that they complete circuit ono,
in every day, yet in reality they gaiI
about four minutes motion in twenty