Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-05-02

home among the consultations So much of
the mythology, the history, the poetry, and
romance Of the human race Is reflected upon the
starry page Of the heavens, which has remained
open to the view of mankind for thousands OF
years with hardly any perceptible change, that
the celestial bodies seem like common possess
sIons in which all men, the world over, have a
personal interest. The stars are interesting
from their associations independently of the dis
eoyeries of modern astronomy which prove that
they are distant suns, some larger and some
smaller than our sun. and in whose
light and heat. in all probability, tlocks
OF worlds are basking. The stars
the most remarkable stars were gwen distinct
i've names In the earliest ages. Even the Al
mighty is represented as calling Arcturus and
the PIeiades and other stars by name when he
talked with Job out of the whiriwind. There is
nothing which so readily carries us back to the
most remote antiquity of the stars. Every hu-
man eye. from the very beginning of the race
has rested upon them. The landscapes which
the inhabitants of the world before the flood
saw have disappeared. or have undergone great
changes, but those ancient people must have
seen the Great Bear slowly treading his long
path around the pole we see him to-day. and
they. too, must have admired the splcndor of
Sirius and the beauty of Spica Virgins The
followers OF MOhammed, and the Saracens who
fodSht aSdtiisi hicHafd the Lion Hearted, used
the small star that hides in the rays of Mizar as
a test of Their eyesight, aud to-day we can see
the same little star glimmerng close under the
wing of It's more brilliant companion.
when one knows the stars and considerations
the face of the heavens possesses fourfold in
terest Tor him. The stars no longer all seem
alike. He recognizes many of them by their
color, as q ieweler distinguishes gems He
would no sooner mistake Aldebaran with it's
delicate rose tint for the topaz-colored Betel-
geuse or the creamy white Capella than dia-
mOnd merchant would cOnfOund emeralds with
sapphires At every season, and in every quar-
ter OF the heavens, he recognizes familiar
friends. He sees the whole sky manned with
considerations which recall by their names and
associations the heroes and legends which have
deiiThted the imagination OF man for thousands
OF Years. AT no spot on the earth can he feel
wholly lost. for the stars are everywhere visible
rms delightful and often useful acquaintance
with the stars is not difficult to acquire 1t does
not require that one shall shut himself I'D I'm an
observatory. or even become an astronomer
The only wonder is that everybody does not
know the stars. If man should live within
sight OF the Alps and not be able to point out
the different peaks and tell their names he
would be thought very ignorant ard stupid
fellow; but why should people live all their lives
under the starry heavens and never learn where
the famous Dog Star is, or to what star the
name Reguus belongs. especially when the stars
90 not all look alike any more than mountains
do We propose to give a few simple direc-
tons by which persons unacquainted with the
stars and considerations may learn to recognize
them without the aid OF maps or books. In the
course OF year person, by going out a few
lar nights I'm each month and studying the
heavens Tor half an hour. can become familiar
with all the stars and cons citations visible in
these ATTITUDES. which include all in the heavens
except those within forty degrees of the South
Pole.
We are now at the beginning of Nav Let
the observer step out on the roof of his house
or any place commanding a clear view of the
heavens IN all directions, say at o'clock p. m.
Facing the north he will see about forty degrees
above the horizon lone star Ofthe second mag
nltude- 1t is POlaris or the North Star. In or
der the more certainly to recognize it LET him
lOOk still higher, almost overhead and he will
see the Great Bear, recognizable by seven bright
stars which mark out the figure of large din
per with long bent handle. The dpper will
appear upside down, and by following with his
eye an imaginary line drawn through the two
stars in the bowl which are furthest from the
handle and extended downward distance about
equal to the length of the dpppr he will he led
TO the same lone star before described and
Will thereby obtain certain evidence that
the star is Poiars. The two stars i'm the
clipper through which the line is supposed to be
drawn are sometimes called the Pointers A
still further means Of making sure that the star
under observation is really the North Star is by
noticing that it Is the last star in the handle of
second dipper much smaller than the other but
resembling it in shape, except that the handle
appears to be bent the wrong way. As the large
upper Is the most conspicuous part of the con-
steliatl0n of the Great Bear so the small dipper
comprises the chief stars i'm the constellation of
the Little Bear. which swings around the pole of
The heavens as if attached to it by the end of it's
tau III the observer has a telescope with a
nrst rate object glass of not less than two
inches aperture, and an eyepiece magnifyinp
about 100 times. he may expect to be able to see
me celebrated companion of POlaris little
blue star OF only the ninth magnitude close to
The large star and hard to catch with small
telescope, but very beautiful when well seen.
Let the observer now follow with his eve the
trend of the dipper's handle, and continuing
the same curve to a distance from the end of the
handle little greater than the whole length of
the upper. he Will come upon fine star of the
hrst magnitude, OF fiery hue, well up In the
eastern sky and Outshining all its neIghbors.
This is Arcturus. The stars around it belong to
the constellation BOOtes, or the Bear Driver of
which Arcturus Is the chief brilliant. With q
telescope, crowd of little stars invisible to the
naked eye can be seen surrounding Arcturus.
AT considerable distance northeast. or to the
left OF Arcturus, the observer win notice a
beautiful circlet of stars forming the almost
complete outline of a crown. This Is the con-
stellatlon OF the Northern Crown, and the
brightest star In the circet is called Alphacca.
Still further to the left and low down in the skv
some Of the stars of Hercules are visible and
far to the northeast, close to the horizon the
splendid Vega is scintillating but the observer
HAD better leave these stars until next month
when they will be much higher at the same
hour. and turn back to Arcturus, which will
serve as the base for fresh excursion i'm an
other brilliant quarter of the sky. Between
Arcturus and the Great Bear are the Hunting
Dogslw1th which Bootes is supposed to be cbas
ing the Bear: but the stars composing them are
all small and inconspcuous. except one of the
third magnitude called Cor Carroll. This star is
about halfway between the end Of the Dinners
handle and little group of faint stars west of
Arcturus. which resembles patch of thin white
cloud. This group is called Berenices Hair.
small telescope, or even an opera glass. suffice
TO reveal clearly the crowd of little stars com
posing this singular constellation A little
north OF the middle Of line drawn from Arctu
rus to Alphacca is the fine second -mapnifude
star Mlrac, one of the most beautiful doubles I'm
the heavens. 1t requires a first-rate three-inch
telescope to separate it. One Of the stars COM
posing 1t is orange and the other green.
Almost in line with the Northern Crown and
Arcturus, and well down toward the sontb-
eastern horizon, the glitterng white star. SDica
Virgins, will be seen. This is one of the stars
used by sailors to ascertain their Longitude ar
sea- West OF Spica is an irregular uuadranuIe
Of stars marking the constellation OF the Crow
Looking now little southwest Of the point
overhead, half q dozen stars will be seen ranged
In the form OF sickle with a short handle. The