Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-04-30
THE STAR CLUB.



spioa and the virgin-The "Lone Ono ~
Alkes-Ths Raven-Bootes-Arctur
ON /" Forces" BY Mr..
Hardy, Etc.
The closing meeting of this useful Or
ganization was held last evening in tho
main hall of the Young Mems Christian
association. The numerical list of stars is
here carried up to one hundred. as origin
ally proposed. During the winter several
excellent papers have been read on special
subjects. and the general publication of
these proceedings has doubtless done much
to increase the interest already aroused by
the work of the club in the grand science
of astronomy.
The abstract here given of the remarks
of Mr.. J. P. McCaskey, leader of the class,
will enable the reader readily to follow the
work of the club
and next the Crab, the Lion shines,
The Virgin and the Scales"
The Crab and the Lion we have recently
bad upon our list. The Virgin is fousd to
the east of the Lion. It was regarded the
harvest constellation though it is on the
meridian at o'clock in the evening about
the middle of May. The Virgin is some-
times represented on the charts as holi-
ing handful Of wheat heads or an ear of
corn in her left hand. This is marked by the
star Spica or Arista, which is the bright
est in the constellation, and may readily
be fixed by the figure known as the
"DiamOnd of the Virgin"
To trace this. with the two stars Dene-
bola and Cor Carroll known, look east for
the very bright star Arcturus, the bright
est now in the eastern sky, and then COM
plete the Diamond, southwark or to the
southeast where We have the last of the
four stars, Spica Of the Virgin. The word
itself means an ear of wheat or corn. This
star is the only bright one in its imme-
diate vicinity. 1t is some thirty
in the tail of tho Lion, and
about fifty degrees south from Cor Carroll,
| in the in the neck Of the hunting dogs of
Bootes. The next scar of note in this
constellation is Vindemiatrix, which is in
the right arm of the Virgin. 1t is about
half way between Berenice's Hair and
Spica. Berenice's Hair, it will be remem-
bered, is a faint but beautiful star cluster
half way between Cor Carroll and Den
ebola. Vindemiatrix is about thirty de-
grees from Arcturus and about the same
distance from Berenicc's Hair, the line
connecting these forming the base Of an
is0sceles triangle which points southwark
and has Vindemiatrix at its vertex. Zav-
ijava, the third star named in the Virgin,
is thirteen degrees south from DenObOla.
| ArcturuS, Vindemiatrix aud Zavijava form
a very low isOsceles triangle with Vim
dcmiatrix at the vertex.
| Directly south of the Crab is group
| of small stars which marks the head Of
Hydra, or the Water Serpent. From this
point curving line of stars, more or less
faint, carried in a sOutheasterly direction
brings us to the star Alphard, the Lone
One, as the Arabic word is translated.
The star is comparatively bright, and it
stands alone, hence the significance of the
name it bears. 1t is also known as "Cor
Hydrae, or the "Heart or Hydra" :"
The four stars. Alphard, Regulus,
Pollux and Procyon, form a quad.
rilateral which may readily be traced by
right line from Al Gieba in the blade Of
the Sickle. through Regulus, and pro-
duced some twenty or more degrees be-
yOnd it will reach Alphard.
The star Alkes in the Cup, which rests
upon Hydra, is found some twenty -four
degrees southeast from Alphard when this
star is on the meridian. 1t is directly
south of Zozma in the back of the Lion.
A line from Spica to Alkes will fix the
star Alsorab in the Raven, which is repre-
sented in some of the charts as perched
upon the Hydra. The four prominent stars
of this constellation makes an irregular
quadrilateral Of large size directly south
of the Virgin. It is on the meridian at
nine o'clock in the evening about the mid
die of May. Of the two stars in this quad
rilateral which are named, that at the
upper angle to the left, nearest Spica, is
Algorab. At the lower anglo to the right
diagonally across the quadrilateral, is
Alchiba. 1t marks the eye of the Raven.
We turn next to Bootes, the Bear Dri-
yer, conspicuous star group, now in the
northeastern heavens during the early
evening. This constellation will be on the
meridian at nine o'clock about the middle
of June. The bright star in this group,
and the brightest now in the eastern sky,
is Arcturus, splendid star Of the first
magnitude, the name of which at least
everybody has heard, though there may
be some who do not recognize It when
seen in the heavens, just as there are peo-
pie who know neither the North Star moi
the great Dog Star, Sirius.
Arcturus is in the foot of what is known
as the g Big Y" this figure being easily
traced in = northerly direction. North
from it, at the distance Of ten degrees, is
Mirach in the belt of Bootcs, at the juno
ton of the arms of the "Y." Beyond
Mirach, ten or twelve degrees distant, arc
Alphecca and Seginus, in the extremities
of the arms of the letter. AlkaturOps is
fourteen degrees beyond Mirach in right
limo drawn from Arcturus. and about ten
degrees cast from Seginus Nekkar in the
head of Boo,es is six degrees from Segi-
nus, with which and Benetnasch, the first
star in the handle of the Dipper, it makes
almost right angled triangle Mufride is
| in the foot of BOOtes, some five degrees
southwest from Arcturus.
All the stars Just named, with the sin
gle exception of Alphecca. are in BOotes.
Alphecca or Gemma, as it is sometimes
called, is the bright star in the constella-
! ton Of the Northern Crown. This may be
| recognized from the curving line of fainter
stars to which it belongs.
Next after the Virgin is the Scales in the
order of the Zodiac. Two stars are here
to be noted. A line drawn from Spica to
Antares will, during a part of the year,
pass between these stars, Zubenelg being
above it and nearer Antares, while Zu-
benesch is below and nearer Spica, from
which it is twenty degrees distant. Or
better still, triangle formed by connect
ing the stars Spica, Arcturus and Antares
will usually include these two stars in the
Balances which mark respectively the
Northern and Southern Scales. This con-
stellation is on the meridian at Q O'Clock