Evening star., 1897-05-01
THE HEAVENS IN MAY
Consultations Which Make the Skies
So Brilliant.
how TO FIND THE POLE STAR
In Line With Two in the Bowl of
the Dipper.
PRACTICAL ASTRONOMY
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
The Hydra still stretches its enormous
length across the southern sky, its head
being, at pm. between west and south
" est, at one-third of the distance from
the horizon to the zenith, its tail low in
the southeast. The Crow (Corvus) and the
Cup (Crater), which stand upon the Hydra's
back are directly before US as we face
the south at that hour.
OF these two minor consultations the
Crow is the more conspicuous. 1t consists
of q trapeZium of four stars of the third
magnitude and one Of the fourth, rather
smaller than the bowl of the Great Dipper.
The star at the lower left-hand corner
Is supposed to be in the crows feet; the
remaining four form its curved body. the
crow being represented on celestial charts
as pecking at the Hydra's back. The
brightest Of these stars-that in the feet
bears the Arabic name Achiba, which
means the tent" and was probably ap-
piled originally to the whole constellation,
which certainly resembles a tent quite as
closely as it does a bird.
The Cup consists of a semi-circle Of
five faint stars, the brightest being below
the third magnitude, which opens toward
the east, and forms bowl, while a short
line of three fourth-magnitude stars, on
the right, forms the base. The Cup is a
little lop-sided, but is otherwise very
passable goblet.
The Hydra itself is decidedly shadowY
constellation, the region which it occupies
being remarkably deficient In stars of above
the fourth magnitude. One star only in
this whole region, a stretch of the heavens
over hundred degrees In length, reaches
the second magnitude This star Is Cor
Hydrae, the Hydra's Heart. the very lone
illness of which, Indicated by its Arabic
name. Alphard. the solitary one rem
ders 1t conspicuous. 1t will be found to-
night in the southwest, at one-third of the
distance from the horizon to the zenith.
Directly above Cor Hydrae is Regulus, a
star of the first magnitude. but below the
average brightness of stars Of this class.
1t is the principal star in Leo, and Is easily
identified from its position in the handle CT
sthe Sickle. which forms the Lions bushy
head and shoulders. Three degrees east
of Regulus. rendering its identity still more
unmistakatl lie, is now the planet Jupiter.
The Hydra's Head.
At low altitude little south of west
is Procyon, the Little Dog (Canis Minor),
an average star of the first magnitude, the
rear-guard Of Orion, VINO now sets before
pm. Procyon, Regulus and Cor Hydrae
form large right-angaed triangle, near the
center of which is the Hydra's head.
marked by short curved line of three
stars, Of which the ceatral and brightest
of the third magnitude makes an excellent
eye.
At about the same altitude as Procyon,
in the northwest is Capella, the principal
star in Aurisa. the Wagner, one Of the
brightest three stars in the northern hem
tsphere. Midway between Procyon and
Capella, and at about twice their altitude
are the Twins Gemmi), the more northerly
Of which. Caster, is a bright second-magni-
tude star; the more southerly, Pollux. is
somewhat brighter and ranks as of the
first magnitude Five degrees south of
Pollux-the distance Of the Twins apart
is now the planet Mars, shining with its
well-known ruddy light, bu. hardly up to
the first magnitude.
Facing the east We shall find Arcturus,
the brilliant Bear Warden, q little to our
right and well UP toward the zenith. Still
farther to the right Is Spica, the principal
star in Virgo, star of about the average
first magnitude brilliancy. Between Arc
turus and Regulus and about equally dis
tant from the former star and Spica is
Denebola. second magnitude star, in the
tail of the Lion. A fourth star. Cor Car
oil, forms with these three a large four
sided figure. known as the Diamond Of Vir-.
go, which. though not one Of the ancient
consultations. is a striking figure and is a
useful landmark in this part of the heay-
ems Cor Carroll Charles HearD Is the prIn-
ciral star in the Hunting Dogs Games We
naticD. Although of only the third magnf-
tude. 1t is q very conspicuous star lying
about midway between Arcturus and the
bowl Of the Great Dipper, now nearly over
head.
Yellow Saturn.
In the southeast. some ten or fifteen de-
grees above the horizon, is the planet Sa-
turn. shining as an orange yellow star Of
the first magnitude. 1t makes, with Spica
and Arcturus, large, nearly equal-sided
triangle. Below Saturn and hardly high
enough to be visible at o'clock is Antares,
the ruddy Heart Of the Scorpion. In the
northeast, at about the same altitude as
Saturn, Is Vega, or Alpha Lyrae, the rival
In brightness both of Capella and Arcturus
In midheavens in the east, little be-
low a straight line drawn from Vega to
Arcturus, Is the Northern Crown Below
this, on the right, Is the Serpent now only
In part above the horizon. and ON the left,
stellation Hercules.
We win now face the north, bringing
Vega on our right and Capella on our left,
and will spend a few moments with the cir
cumpolar consultations
How to find the Pole Star Is one Of the
| first questions which the beginner In star
gazing asks. There are several ways of
| identifying this very important star. First,
| the Pole Star. or the North Star, as 1t Is
| often called, lies very nearly in line with
Great DtDper-the two which form the
side opposite the Handkerchief are called
Tor this reason the Pointers" its distance
from the nearer Of the two being about
| The star Is Of the second magnitude and
since there is no other Of equal brightness
| within fifteen degrees Of 1t there can hard
" be any mistake with reference to 1t
II one will follow this simple index. Re-
member that this relation between the
Pointers and the Pole Star ID always the
same wherever the Dipper may be found,
| whether to tho right or the left Of that
star, above It or below It. for. though the