Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-05

the same altitude in the northwest viii be
found Capella, the Goat. the principal star
in Auriga, the Charioteer. Midway between
these two bright stars and at a somewhat
greater distance above the horizon are the
Twins (GeminD, Castor and Pollux, the for
mer of which is a bright second-magnitude
star. while the latter, being somewhat
brighter, Is usually placed in the first class.
In the northeast Vega, or Alpha Lyrae,
which Is to be one of the brilliants of the
northern evening skies during the summer
months, taking the place which Capella has
occupied throughout the winter, Is now fair
ly above the horizon at 9 O'Clock. Vega is
the principal star in the Tyre of Orpheus.
It il the rival in splendor of Arcturus. which
may now be seen in mid-heavens, little
south Of east, although the precedence Is
usually accorded to the latter star. Their
respective claims are difiicuit to decide on
account of their difference in color. Arcturus
being a yellow star, while Vega Ii BLUSH
white.
Its position on q continuation Of the curve
of the Dipper's handle. Following this curve
stih farther south We strike, at a distance
from Arcturus about equal to its distance
from the Dipper. Spica, the wheat-ear. in
the constellation Virgo. Like Vega Spica 10
''Sirian." or white star. and though less
brilliant than Vega. 1t is one Of the most
beautiful OF the starry host.
Handle of the Sickle.
At about three-ffths of the distance from
Spica to Procyon is Regulus, the principal
star in Leo. Its position in the handle of
the Sickle-a curved group OF stars 50 sug-
gestive of the object for which it has been
named that no one can fail to recognize it
renders Regulus easy to identify. 1t is of
about the same brilliancy as Pollux, and
like that star 1t is admitted into the COM
pany of the first-magnitude stars, perhaps
for no better reason than to raise the num-
Der of those stars to twenty. The eighth
star of this class. now above the horizon. is
Antares. in the Scorpion. which has only
just thrust its lobSter-like claws above the
horizon in the southeast. At the hour of
our observation, however. Antares is too
| low to be visible.
The position Of the Scorpion. just rising.
while Orion, whom We have been admiring
all through the winter months, has but just
| disappeared in the west suggests an expla-
| nation Of the story anciently told of the
| way in which this mythical huntsman and
| warrior met his death. Proud of his ex-
| ploits in the chase Orion, II is said, boosted
| to Latona and Diana that he could kill any
| animal they would send against him. They
sent a scorpion, which easily vanQuished the
| over-confident giant with its venomous
| sting. Whether the story was suggested
| by the relative positions of these constella-
/ tons or not, the fact remains that no sooner
| does the Scorpion appear on the celestial
| scene than Orion vanishes from II. Through
| out the summer months this slayer Of Orion
| will take his place the most brilliant
| constellation OF the southern evening skies
| A few of the more notable Of the constella-
| lions now above the horizon have been out
| lined on the planisphere. to aid the reader
| Imagination in his search for them.
| The Great Bear.
The Great Bear CUrsa Ma3or) will be
found nearly overhead. Begin the search
| for this famous celestial monster with the
Dipper which forms the hinder part Of Its
body and its decidedly unbearlike tail. The
| position Of Its nose is marked by q star CT
| the fourth magnitude. at a distance from
| the bowl of the Dipper about equal to the
length of its handle. This star is the outer.
most Of three which form q noticeable little
triangle as shown on the diagram. OBJ
| serve that the Bear paws are marked by
| three little pairs Of fourth magnitude stars.
| arranged nearly in a line with one another.
| The pair which marks the two fore paws is
midway between the bowl Of the Dipper and
| the Twins. The two pairs which mark the
| hind paws lie midway between the Dipper
and the Sickle. These are the salient points
| Of the constellation. To clothe this crude
| skeleton with a betting form Is excellent
exercise for the imagination.
| The Lion Ueo) can be located quite as
| readily as the Bear. and it makes. on the
| whole, a rather more satisfactory constella-
| ton The Sickle forms the Lions head and
| shoulders His forepaws, extended forward,
| as IL he were in the act of springing on his
prey, are marked by a little group of faint
| stars, to the right Of Regulus. Deneb in
| the tail, a star of the second magnitude, is
| easily found from its position at the lower
ft-hand corner of rectangular figure
| formed by four stars of difrent magnitudes,
| that diagonally opposite Deneb being of the
| third and the others of the fourth. The
| Lions hind legs extend down across the
| equator into the southern hemisphere.
They are marked by an elongated group of
| stars of the fourth and fifth magnitudes,
rot shown on the chart here given. Leo is
| one of the zodiacal consultations. as also
are Virgo. Libra and Scorpio, which follow
| It in succession toward the east. Cancer
| and Gemini, to the west OF Leo. are the two
| remaining Of the six consultations Of the
zodiac which are now above the horizon at
o pm.
| Diamond of Virgo.
The Diamond Of Virgo is formed by the
four stars Deneb. Spica, Arcturus and Cor
Carroll. The first three Of these are nearly
equidistant from one another. forming a