Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-07

terest to the naked-eye observer except its
bright star, Spica, star Of the first magni-
tude, which marks the wheat ear, held in
the virgins left hand. Libra, the balance,
which comes next, is marked by two stars
of the second magnitude, one in each scale,
which are now barely above the horizon and
are too low to be visible The sun will
traverse Gin a direction from west to east
that half of his path now above the horizon
at p. m, between the middle of May and
the middle of November, reaching the point
at which he crosses the celestial equator
from north to south--the autumnal equinox
on the I'D of September.
Between Leo and the Pole star is the
monster constellation Ursa Major better
known as the Great Bear. 1t is now nearly
overhead. The seven stars of the Dipper
belong to this constellation, although they
form but small portion of 1t, as It is
delineated on celestial chart. The Bear is
one or the oldest of the consultations, and
1t is also one of the most pulling Scan
this region as closely as you will, 1t is i'm
possible TO discover here any such figure as
the chart presents to US. Not the least per-
picking circumstance connected with this
constellation is that some of our North
american Indians. who cannot be supposed
TO nave received their astronomy from the
old world, are said to have pointed out a
bear among these stars, so that the evidence
Is fairly good that there is such an animal
somewhere hereabouts. Perhaps we have
,
hints as to the animals location, the reader
may be trusted to solve this problem for
himself. The handle of the Dipper forms
the Bears tail-a curious appendage for a
bear, by the way its bowl is in the hind rart
of his body. Beyond the bowl, on a line with
Its two upper stars, are two stars of the
fourth ma gnitude, which form sort of
slender counter-handle. The outer of these
Is In the Bears nose. Midway between The
bowl and the Twins is a close pair of fourth
magnitude stars. which are in his forepaws.
and
similar pairs nearly on line with the first
These are in the Bears hind paws Fix
these points well in mind, and complete the
sketch from a study of the stars themselves
The animal discovered will be a rather I'm
couth animal. but 1t will do for a constel-
lation.
The Dfpper and Its Names.
The seven stars of the Dipper are Of the
second magnitude, except the middle star,
which is of the third. They form a group
too striking not to have been observed and
ramed at very early period. The ancient
HiDdoos called them the Seven Risnis, or
Seven Prophets. TO the Romans they we're
known as the Scptentriones, a name ex-
plairel by Var-o to mean the Seven Plow-
Oxen. The Romans also called them the
Pole AID Oxen. Among the Greeks this
group was known as the Plow and also as
the Chariot Its resemblance TO wagon
was noticed also by the ancient Germans
who called it the karls Wagon, a name
which appears in the early English Etera-
ture as Artnurs or Charles VAIN al
though its popular name in England at the
present time is the PIow. Two of the stars
OF the Dippers bowl-those opposite the
handle-lie nearly in line witn the Pole
star, and are known as the Pointers The
distance of this star from the nearest
Pointer is about equal to the Dippe-s
length. 1t is of the second ma gnitude and
with this index 1t can always easily be
found.
The Pole star is at the end of the handle
of the Little Dipper-known astronomic-
ally as the Ursa Minor, or Smaller Bear
which, with this hint, may readily be
found. The two stars in the Little Dipper
which correspond to the Pointers in the
Great Dipper are of the second magnitude
and form conspicuous pair. sometimes
called the Guardians of the Pole Facing
third of the distance from the horizon TO
the zenith, Arcturus. the Bear-Heeper usu-
ally accounted the brightest star in the
northern hemisphere of the heavens. 1t
lies on continuation of the curve of the
Dippers handle, position which renders
this star easy to find, when above the
horizon. Midway between Arcturus and the
nearer of the Pointer stars is star of the
second magnitude, the principal star in the
Hunting Dogs, which bears the name of
Cor Carroll, Charles Heart given TO it in
memory of Charles L of England. Cor
I Carroll is equiolStant from Arcturus and
Denebola, forming with them LARGE ,ri-
angle. of which the base is somewhat
longer than the other sides. Arcturus
Denebola and Spica form a second large
/ triangle the sides of which are nearly equal
| The two triangles united form a large four
sided figure, known as the Diamond of
Virgo. AT the center of the upper of these
triangles, directly south of Cor Carroll, is
the constellation Coma Berenices Eere-
: ntce's Hair, a scattered group of faint stars
which form excellent opera-Sla.;s field.
Coma Berenices is extraordinarily interest
ing from the remarkable richness of this
region in nebulae.
The Planets.
Mercury will be a morning star through
out the month, and early risars VIII have a
good opportunity of gIimpsing it above the
eastern horizon. 1t will reach it's greatest
western OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES from the sun
on the 10th. Venus alsoNs now a morning
star, adjoining the eastern sky with nearly
her greatest splendor. Mars is q moraing
star, rising at about | am. 1t will be sew
erai months yet before this planet will be
in a position to render it of especial in
tereSt either to naked-eye observers or to
astronomers Its opposition viii occur on
the goth of October. The four remaining
planets are all evening stars and are all
above the horizon at pm, in the positions
shown on the planisphere, although hut
two of them, Saturn and Jupiter, 4 re Wis
ible to the naked eye. Saturn will be in CD
position to the sun on the 18th, crossing the
meridian on that day at midnight. 1t is
near Spica, as shown on the planisphere
but 1t may easily be distinguished from that
star by its Orange-yellow color, The star be-
ing pearly white.