Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-01-10
STARS AND STAR GROUPS,


stars and dCosteIlatiOns-Aurtga, the Chari-
Oteer-eiemini. the Twlns-Canis Minor, the
Little DOs-COmets and MeateOrs-Gen-
eral information, Etc.
The Star club had a large attendance
last evening. the audience nall of the
Young Mems Christian association bcin.
filled. as is usually the case ut these meet
ings. The three consultations for the even
ing We're Auriga the Charioteer, Gemini the
Twins. and CAMS Minor the Smaller Dog
In the northeastern sky of early evening
one of the most prominent star groups
now visible is the Charioteer. Its five
leading stars make a well-detincd pcnta-
gon, by which the constellation may readily
be distinguished. The brightest star.
which is also one of the most brilliant in
the heavens, is Capella, near which is
small triangle of faint stars known as 1.-THE
kids The light from this star is esti-
mated to be seventy years on its way to
our earth. At the next angle in the pen
tagon from Capclla towards the north
eastern horizon, is the star Menkalina,
about eight degrees distant. in the right
shoulder OF the Charioteer Nearly half
way between Capella and Eellatrix, in
Orion, is Auriga, or Ell Nath, which star
also marks the tip of one of the horns of
the Bull, thus making it common to both
consultations. The remaining two stars
of the pentagOn, that farthest east and
that nearly west from Ell Nath. are i'll
dicated Oh the maps by Greek letters. \
very good figure to aid in fixing the stars
just named is the long and narrow paraL
telegram, readily distinguished here, whose
northern side is marked by Capella and
Menkalina, the most northern star of the
pentagon, and its southern side by BeteL
guesc and Bellatrix. The length of the
figure from north to south is nearly five
times its width. Within this nearly regu-
lar figure is the star Ell Nath, which makes
slender triangle both north and south
with the two stars at the ends of the paral-
telegram. This parallelogram may be
made still better by including the whole
Of Orion.
We turn now to the next constellation
eastward, Genini, or the Twins. Castor and
POllux are the two bright stars in the heads
of the Twins. TO fix these. extend a
line in an eastclly direction from AlGenib
in Persuns, or Algol, the ''Demon Star in
the head of Mcdusa, beyond Capella and
Menkalina, until it strikes these stars, five
degrees apart, Alyenib or Algol being as
far in one direction from the ChariOtcer as
are these stars in the other. Castor, the
star iarthcst west, passes the meridian
~ l,oc D,.l
in this constellation are named. Extend
ing Il line from BetelSucsc, in Orion to
PolluX, VIC note two stars, one bright, the
other dim. The first Of these is Athena.
nearly half way upon this line, but farther
from POlluN. 1t is in the foot of one of
the Twins. The other is Wasat in his
body, nearly halfway between Athena
and Pollux. This is the eastern side of
the rude parallcloyram which marks the
constellation. The western side is nearly
parallel with this, its southern star, Tcjat.
completing the quadrilateral with Castor,
Pollux and Athena. The star between
Tejat and Castor, nearer Teat, is named
Mebusta. This is very interesting group,
five of the six being multiple stars. Castor
is noted double star. Wasat and
Mebusta are each double, and Athena is
triple, while Pollux is quadruplc, the
telescope resolving it into four mighty
suns.
Our next constellation, the Little Dog,
is south of the Twins and cast of Orion.
This is one of the dogs of Orion, the Hun
ter. The other we will look after at our
next meeting. The brightest of the two
PrOcyon, which is OF the first magnitude,
and a lone bright star. This word means
" before the dog because it rises some
what earlier than Sirius, the Dog STAR the
brightest star in the heavens, now seen in
the early evening in the southeastern sky.
Procyon is 23 degrees south of POllux and
2G degrees east OF Betelguese, with which
stars it forms Il conspicuous triangle. 1t
also makes a large equilateral triangle
with Sirius and Betelguese, each side of
the triangle being about 2G degrees in
length. Four or five degrees northeast
from Procyon is Gomelza, small triple
star in the neck of the Little Dog. These
two stars make long but narrow par
allelogram with Castor and Pollux, it's
length about 90 degrees, its width de-
grees. GOmelza also forms a right-an-
gled triangle, with Pollux and Betelsuese,
GOmelza at the right angle.
Carrying forward the numerical list we
have : No. 20 Capella, II Menkalina, 72
Aurisa or Ell Nath, in the Chariotcer, 73
Castor, "A Pollux, IS Athena, Is Wasat,
n Tejat, 79 Mcbusta, in the Twins 20
ProcyOn, and 80 Gomelza, in CAMS
Minor.
In referring to the growing interest
manifested in the subject of star study.
Mr.. McCaskcy spoke of letters recently re-
ceived from teachers who are actively at
work in the practical study of the constel-
lations, and i'll presenting the results of
their observations to their pupils. They
uniformly report it the easiest and most
subject they have ever pre-
sented in their schools.
The county superintendent, Mr.. b. F.
Shaub, who has been for years a student
in this direction, and is well up in stars and |
star groups, inserts the following among
his official notices in the report of the
county institute, which has just been is
sued: Under the head of general infer
nation applicants may expect to be
luestioned-morc particularly than here
to their knowledge of the solar
70, 41,n