The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-03-03
The Starry Dippers.

There are three groups OF stars which
form fancied resemblance to that uten-
sill commonly known as the dipper. One
of these is in the constellation of the Lit
tie Bear, another in the Great Bear and
the third, IN Sagittarius called from it's
situation on the Milky Way, the Lower
Bear, has attracted more than ordinary
attention from the fact that the Pole
Star, or the star nearest to the stationary
point in the northern sky, is the last in
the handle of this dipper.
The dipper of the Great Bear is COM
posed of seven bri ght stars. A line drawn
from the last two stars in the bowl of the
clipper in this constellation passes nearly
through the North star, hence these two
stars have received the name of ''the
Pointers" AS the Pole star is the guide
Of the mariner on the trackless ocean, and
the forlorn hope of the bewlldered trav-
eler on the limitless prairie, these stars
| possess an interest which attaches to no
other of the suns which night reveals in
the heavens. Both the Great and Little
Dipper are visible every clear night in
this latitude; sometimes above the pole,
and at other periods below it, but never
sinking below the horizon.
!! The Milk Dipper in Sag1ttarius, like
| other consultations of the Zodiac, is visl-
BILE only part of the year, being most
conspicuous during the summer months.
The sun enters this constellation in De-
cember. The early navlgators directed
their courses by the Pleiades, or seven
stars probably from there peing easily
recognized. But as they were visible
only at certain seasons of the year, they
were abandoned for more reliable guide
OF the Polar Star when observation had
pointed it out as the centre about which
the stars appeared to revolve.
That the group of stars in the Great
Bear has always attracted attention, IS
shown by the names which it has received
at different times, and by different ma
! tons. By The Romans it was called the
| Septentrio, Seven Worker Oxen; by the
| Arablans, the Bier and Mourners; in the
Middle Ages, Charles Vain and the
Plough; in the more recent times, the
Butchers Cleaver, and at the present is
best known by the name of the Dipper.
Besides its usefulness and beauty as
seen by the unaided eye the constella
ton Of the Great Bear, Ursa Major, pre-
sents many objects of interest when
viewed through the telescope. The mid
die star, in the handle of the Dipper,
called by the Arabian astronomers Mizar,
is double star the two having period
OF revolution about the common centre
of both OF about sixty years. This star
can be observed to be double by con-
mon spy glass. A small star, seen near
to Mizar with the naked eye, is not ply
sically con lected with the stars in the
Great Bear. The inhabitants OF the earth,
familiar only with the phenomenon pre-
sented by one sun, can have but faint
idea of the appearance presented by two
suns, as in the case with Mizar, rising and
setting, both appearing in the sky at the
same time, or one alone causing day and
tie other below the horizon.
In the Great Bear there are two singu-
lar nebul@ or cloud-like patches of light
one of them with two bright spots in the
centre, the other of an oval form with q
white nucleus. Although so interesting
to the Inhabitants of the northern lati
tudes, both from its usefulness and it's
being always visible, yet it is never seen
by those residing south of the equator
and although they rejoice in beholding
the constellation Of the Cross, even it has
contributed less to the safety of naviga.
ton and the extension of commerce anG
civilization than the Great and Little
Bear, which constantly adorn the north.
ern sky.