The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-19
THE STARS IN DECEMBER.

The consultations are now the most brill
liant and interesting of the year. From
S to 8 o'clock in the evening there are
visible ten stars of the first magnitude and
twenty-seven of the second magnitude. OF
all the consultations in the starry tirma-
ment, that of Orion is the best known and
the most conspicuously splendid 1t now
rises at o'clock, and by O'Clock its fam
ing glories are in full view. Two hours
after Orion simultaneously appears the Lit
tie Dog and the Great Dog-sometimes
called the Hounds of Orion. The former
contains the magnificent star Procyon, the
latter the dog star Sirius that CLOVIS with
a luster unequaled by any other star in the
whole heavens. The girdle of Orion con-
tains three second magnitude stars of great
interest. They are called the Three Stars,
because nowhere in the sky are there stars
that resemble them in position and bright
ness. The shepherd astronomers called
them Jacobs Staff. Job calls them the
Bands of Orion" They are also known as
Our Ladys Wand, the Rake and the Yard
stick. The last name is given them because
they form a line three degrees long, that is
used as a standard for estimating angular
distances between stars. In 1907 the Uni
versity of Leipsic gave to them the name
of Napoleon. These stars are also called the
Three Kings because they point out the
Pleiades on one side and the dog star Sirius
on the other. Orion is in the celestial
equator, and is therefore visible to all the
habitable world. In his right shoulder is the
bright star Betelguese, and in his left foot
the splendid star Rigel, fit companion for
flaming Sirius.
Bounding Orion on the northwest is Tau
rus, the most important of all the zodiacal
consultations. It's first magnitude star is
Aldebaran in the bulls eye. 1t contains
two remarkable star clusters, called the
Pleiades and Hyades, familiar to all The
Pleiades are also called the Seven Stars
and Virgins Of Spring. Job refers to the
sweet influence of the Pleiades," because
the same enters the cluster in the season
of blossoms. But six of these stars are
visible to the naked eye. 1t is asserted that
before the destruction of Troy they were
known as seven. Homer refers to them as
six stars The Greek poet Simonides (B. c.
5000 calls them seven stars, and they have
been known by that number to the present
time. According to mythology the Pleiades
were the seven daughters of Atlas; one of
them named Merope, loved a mortal, and.
therefore, her star is dim among her sis
ters.
Those who have read Du Maurier's story
of 1.-The Marian will remember that Bart
ley Josselyn could see the satellites of Jupi-
ter with his naked eye. This is not impos-
sible. Several people have lived who could
see the Jovian satellites without glass.
With superior eyesight and the best atmos-
pheric conditions, Merope, the seventh star
of the Pleiades. may be seen. Another test
of the vision is TO discern the great nebula
of Orion 1t is in the sword below the mid
die star of the girdle, and is the most inn
-portant of all the nebulae.
The nebula of Andromeda is the only one
that can be seen by persons with ordinary
vision. 1t is now in the zenith at o'clock,
and is often mistaken for small comet.
The Pleiades and Hyades were among the
first stars used in navigation. Palnurus, the
pilot of the Trojan fleet.
observed the stars, and noted their sliding
course.
The Pleiades. Hyades and their wat'ry
And both the Bears was careful to behold.
And bright Orion, arm'd with FURNISHED
gold"
East of Taurus is Gemini, the third sign
and fourth constellation of the zodiac Gem
mi rises with Orion. Its principal stars are
Castor and Pollux.
Fair Ledas twins in time to stars decreed:
One fought on foot, one curb'd the fiery
steed."
Castor is of the first magnitude and
Pollux is of the second. They are only three
and one-half degrees apart.
This is a favorable time to observe the
blinking demon star Algol, the most notable
of the variable stars. 1t is exactly in the
zenith at 8 o'clock 1t changes from the
second to the fourth magnitude in three and
one-half hours. JOHN c. DEAN.
indianapolis. Dec. IT,