Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-01
SKIES IN SEPTEMBER
Some of the Principal Luminaries
in the Heavens.
H0W 70 FIND The N
Grecian and Indian Stories of the
Consultations.
THE INTERESTING PLANETS

Written for The Eveni1s Star.
one OF the most marked of the north cir
cum-poIar considerations is Cassiopeia,
known also as the Lady in the Chair. or
simply as the Chair. At about y o clock
this constellation may now be seen to the
right CT the Pole star. and at about the
same altitude as that star above the nori-
zon- The arrangement OF its nve brighter
stars in the form of a rather broad letter
" renders II easy TO identity.
Directly beneath Cassiopeia and nearly
midway between II and the horizon may be
seen star Of the second magnitude, which
marks the teginnins OF a line OF nve stars
OF nearly the same splendor and about the
same distance apart, curving upward to-
wards the right, and terminating IN a rec
tanguIar Inquire completed by the addition OF
two other stars still farther to the right.
the whole group OF seven stars forms a
large dIpper like figure. OF rather more than
twICe the length OIL the Great DIppe- IN the
Ursa MAJOR. Inc first ana iowermost OF
these stars belongs 10 Perseus, the next
three. 10 AndrOmeda; the remaining three
10 Pegasus. Above ana 10 the left OF cas-
sIOpela Is Cepneus. These nve constelia-
tons. or rather the personages from whom
they were named are associated with one
another in neurological story, and the
terlsms themselves are, probably, OF very
ancient origin.
Grecian and Indian Legends.
Evidence of the great antiquity, not only
OF these considerations, but also of the story
associated with them, was found by Lieut..
MILFORD il India. In order" he says, ITO
prove by every species of evidence the iden-
tity of the Grecian and Indian fables L one
right requested my pundit, who is a learn
ed aStrOIOSer, to show me among the stars
the constellation of Antarmada and he in
stantly pointed to Andromeda, which 1 had
taken care not to show him first as an as
terism with which L was acquainted. he
afterwaId brought me very rare and
wonderfully curious book in Sanscrit on
the Consultations out of the Zodiac, and
with a delineation of Capeya, or casyapi,
seated with lotus flower in her hand OF
Antarmada. chained with the fish near her.
and of Parasica, holding the head of a
monster, which he had slain in battle. drop
ping blood. with Stakes instead of hair, &C
cOrding 10 the explanation given in the
book
CaSsiCpeia is always represented seated
In chair. which is sometimes placed on a
raised dais. She is drawn either in a very
airy costume, more BETTING nymph than a
queen, or in full flowing robes, according to
the fancy of the artist, and she holds her
arms raised, the hands bent inward, prob
ably she held them when she made her
impiOus boast.
Cepheus appears to have been of small ac-
count as a king, and he is equally unin-
teresting as a constellation. None of the
stars in this aSterism is above the third
magnitude.
The body of Perseus. as the figure is
drawn on the chart. is marked by notice
able l-shaped group Of Stars-the central
enc of which is the star already noted
which a strong imagination can shape into
human figure, and which may have been
INC original OF the constellation. though it
now forms but small portion of it. Per-
seus carries in his left hand the head of
Medusa. in the forehead of which stands
the star Alsol. the blinking demon of the
81
Variable AIgoI.
Algol is an interesting variable star.
After shining for about two and a half days
as star of the second magnitude 1t begins
to lose its splendOr, and in the space of
about four hours il fails to the fourth mag
nitude- 1t then begins slowly to brighten,
ami in another four hours it has recovered
its usual splendor, thus to remain for an
other period of two and a half days The
now accepted explanation of this singular
behavior of the star is that it has dark
satellite revolving round it, which period
ically interveneS between us and 1t. and
cuts on portion of its light A mini
mum of AlgOl will occur Monday evening
at about O'Clock. eastern standard time.
one who will look for the star at that hour
in the position shown on the pIanisphere-
note the triangle which Algol makes with
the bright star in Perseus. and that in the
left foot of AndrOmeda-wiu find here two
stars or about the fourth magnitude. some
two or three degrees apart. The more
Eortnerly of the two is Algol. BY midnight
this star will be found far outshining its
humble companion. and quite as bright as
the two stars with which 1t forms a tri-
angle.
AndrOmcda and Pegasus
Andromeda is represented in a recumbent
posture. manacled by each of her out
stretched hands to an imaginary rock The
constellation is well marked with stars and
is easily located. The star in the left foot
Gamma Andromedae-is a beautiful COL
ored double star, easily separated with a
small telescope. Its cOmponents are orange
and green. The position OF the famous
nebula is indicated the planisphere by
small circle. 1t Is just above the outer
most OF the three StarS-two of them of the
fourth magnitude-yhich form the 'girdle.'
An opera glass will show it distinctly as a
rebulOus star
The winged horse Pegasus-said to have
mounted to the skies of his own accord
ana with his own wings after having cast
MS rider. BellerophOn-is a rather fanciful
constellation: still, its location can easily
De made out by means of it's three brighter
stars These stars in connection with that
In the head of AndrOmeda form a large
rectangular figure. known as the square of
Pegasus. an asterism easy to recognize
when once noted.
With Queer Names.
The principal consultations now above
the horizon toward the south are: Cetus.
the whale. just rising. tail foremost in
the southeast: Aquarius the waterman.
Capricorn, half goat and ha!r - .. -.-~
ster; the Southern Fish. in r..