The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-12

called the Sea Monster, is a very eX-
tensiVe constellation, although it con-
tains only one star that may fairly be
called bright. The head is marked by
an irregular pentagon, situated south
Of Alpha Arietis. Alpha, or Menkar, is
the principal star in the pentagon, but
it is not quite as bright as Beta, or
Deneb Ceti, which marks the tail of
the monster and is the brightest mem
Der in the whole constellation.
The most remarkable feature of this
constellation consists, however, in the
fact of its containing one of the most
singular of the variable stars. 1t lies
at not a great distance northwest from
Alpha Ceti and is called Mira, or the
Wonderful" Its variability was dis
covered as early as 1886 Most of the
time it is invisible to the naked eye,
being then a ninth-magnitude star, but
once in a little less than a year it APP
pears as a fourth-magnitud star, and
even sometimes attaining to the bright
ness of a second-magnitude star. 1t
then changes back TO its original faint
ness, the rise and fall occupying q
space Of about 100 days. Mira. there
fore, belongs TO that class of variable
stars that have a certain fixed period
in their changes, differing from those
IN which no such DeriOdicity is notice
able. Extending the Andromeda han
die OF the Great square of Pegasus in a
straight line, the bright second-magni-
tul star Alpha will be noticed, which
IS the most conspicuous in the constel-
lation Perseus.
1t is also called Algenib, and must not
be COMPOUNDED with Gamma Pegasi in
the square, which bears the same
name. The reason for two different
stars bearing the same proper name is
not apparent. With Delta on one side
Of Alpha, and Gamma and Eta on the
other, we see d confguration which
sometimes, and not inapproprately is
called the Segment of Perseus." form
ing curve which is concave toward
lhe northeast and runs along the
Milky Way toward Cassiopela.
Due south of Alpha is seen what
may be regarded as one Of the most re-
markaole fixed stars in the heavens.
Fhis is Beta Persei, or AlgoI, which.
with some small stars near it, forms
the Head of Meduca." The classical
scholar will recollect the story Of Per
seus and the petrifying head of Medu-
sa' AIgol is most of the time of the
second magnitude to the fourth in the
Drlet time of about 1-2 hours. and
PACK again in the same time. after
Whlch 1t remains so for 2 ga DAYS.
When the same changes recur. The
period of changes is known with great
precision, being days 20 hours As
minutes 55.4 seconds. AS to the causes
Of the singular changes of the class of
variable stars of which Algol forms
the type opinions are still divided and
no certain conclusion arrived at, though
some appear plausible
AuBlra with Capella, Orion with its
pelt and sword and the two fine first
magnitude stars Betelgeuse and Rigel
and Taurus with the Hyades and PIE
iades and bright Aldebaran are high M
IN the eastern skies and present a mar
Vicious panorama of stellar worlds. Pc
gasus, with its great square and An
dromeda, though bending towards the
western horizon, are in fun view. wbiIa
the line northern cross, Cygnus. is an
preaching the horizon, though, like
AquiIa with Affair, stiu sufficiently
high, up to be plainly seen. In The
southwest the fine first-magnitude star
Fomalhaut in Piscis Australis is aIso
yet plainly visible and the most MAG.
nhcent of all fixed stars. Sirius is ria
ing up in the east.