The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-24

Dpdsa may be found BY continuing the
curve still further toward the south.
Arcturus ID usually regarded ~ the bright
~ star in the northern heavens, although
this honor ID sometimes accorded to Vega.
The difficulty in deciding this point lies in
IT. very marked difference in the light of
No i've stars. Arcturus il q yellow star.
!. II bslongs 10 the second Of the i've classes
Into which astronomers now divide the
atarA accordingto the character. OF their
li9ht % analysed by the speotroscope. It
ID of the .'solar type" that is, it ia thought,
upon tho evidence Of the spectroscope. to
] Ut 10 in the same condition physically as the
sun. vse., 2. NJ other 9 !: = white
Glasses referred to-the class often spoken
or ~ .sEirian stars." Sirius being the most
Industrious member Of the class. These
stars are usually believed to be hotter than
those Of the solar type-to be, in fact, ju-
vsnile suns, the youngest members of the
celestial host.
Arcsurus is among the few stars, some
nifty or sixty in number, Of which the dis
tanoe from N has been asosrtalned with q
greater or less margin Of uncertainty. Its
distance il probably not less than ono and
: half million times that Of the sun. Its
traverse his u~nthinkabls space. It has
beon estimated thst b sun, removed to
that distance, would appear, il visible at all
% the naked eye. % one OF the faintest of
sthe stars, q fact which should give " some
lmprsasion Of the probable size OF Areturus.
! ana-mnst be at least 9 Thousand and ia
spo1sibly Ave or nix thousand times the size
. { ,our swn glorious orb Of day in volume,
and Il. therefore. deserves even more than
Sirius 10 DO styled : giant SUM-"
Between Spics and Procyon, at about
*Ahwnna Afkha nj thu diakaucn from tho for.
mer to the latter stars, is ReRulus. a bril-
ldant star OF the sscond magnitude, the
prineipal star In the constellation Leo and
tho jewel in the handle Of tho better
known constellation Of the Sickle. Nearly
subway between Regulus and spioa may
spsars - an or~angs-colored star Of the
Asst magnitude. A little north of west,
between ProeyOn and Cspella, is tho
planet Venus. This is by far the brightest
celestial object visible, except the moon,
and cannot pc mistaken for an ordinary
stRr.
Directly shove the planet Venus 10 a no
tipoable pair OF stars, one of tbs second,
ths othsr Of the third magnitude, which
are worth noting. They are the Twins
tGemini). The more northerly is Castor,
She other Pollux.
Beneath the Twins 4 second pair, some
what wider apart. 10 just about to disap-
rear below the horizon. These are the
tips Of the golden horns of Taurus"
which constellation, containing the star
Aldsbaran and The Pleiadss, has already
ct, II was NEAR the more northsrly of
Sthese two stars that the new star in Auriga
was discovered In February last. When
6rst sesn this nova" was Of about the fifth
nagnitsds; but il rapidly decreased in
brightness and 10 no longer visible to the
naked rye.
Ainest exactly in the zenith 10 q star of
ths third magnituds. known as Cor Carroll
lCharlss' Heart, y Is slnost exactly in
: line With Alioth (ths third star in the
handle of tho Dippsr) and the Pole star,
and. standing apart from others OF equal
This u the principal star in tho constella-
tion OF the Hunting Dogs. IT ID 4 colored
double. its ~componsnts being white and
biue. and y Z very pretty object for a small
Directly south Of Cor Carroll, at about
0ne-fourth Of the distance from this star
- 6pica. il the somewhat diffuss. yet very
Hnotioeable cluster know ~ Coma Bsrenices
Beteniee'a Hairy. This cluster contains
& 1ogty-three stars, visible to the naked eye,
meet Of which are Of the fifth or sixth mag
nttudas ~ u . Inc object for an opera
glass. 4 large Telescope shows II not
ametoly ~ Ahound Ii faint stars, but also to
- exeep1aenaily sish Ia nsbule. Accord
a4n4 ~ - os~t-sepeAtsd story, this constel-
Aeelo1 Nne na1n1d by the astronomer Conon
III ~ Qaeen BslsAice, the wife of
T. aaEkeal0ntfas Who had sacrificed
81 - Of bsAuty, in fulfil
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