Evening journal., 1899-07-01

culiar conhguration Of its more promi- |
nont stars Is an unmistakable resem-
blance to a boys kite with a long tail.
The principal star is Antares, of the
first magnitude. and in all its intense
resembles the planet Mars. In
fact, from this resemblance in color il
received its name, which means equal
TO Ares" Ares being the Greek name
for Mars. Antares is a pretty double
star. though the dupiicity is not so
easily detected by means Of a small
telescope Northeast Of Antares is
Beta, OF the second magnitude and be-
tween those two there is situated one
.of the finest star-clusters. easily seen
with small telescope. The tail Of the
kite extends far down TO the south and
east The line passing through An
tares and Beta will, when produced
in northwesterly direction. pass
through Beta and Gamma of the con-
oscillation Libra. There prevails, in
fact, some confusion among uranog-
raphors in regard to the boundary be-
tween Scorpio and Libra. West on
Corona Borealis, between that constel-
lation and Vega. the observer Of the
evening skies canont fail to notice a
somewhat large quadrilateral of stars
and a still larger triangle, the chief
conhguration Of the fine constellation
Hercules. The three stars in the tri-
angle are Alpha, Beta and Gamma. the
first of these marking the head Of the
demi-god, while the stars OF the quad
rilateral are Epsilon, Zeta Eta and Pi.
Alpha Hercules, also called Ras Al
gethi, is a fine double star. The con-
stellatlon Hercules has a speciai inter
est for us. because il has conclusively
been proved that our sun with his
whole noble retinue of planets moves
toward a point in that constellation
which is called the apex of the suns
way" Between Hercules and Scorpio
spread out the large consultations of
Ophiuchus and Serpens, the former be-
ing q Greek word meaning the SER
pent-bearer. Both consultations are
so closely connected as to make It best
TO describe them together. At a short
distance east of Alpha Hercules, a lit
ward the south is Alpha Ophriuchi,
marking the head Of the hero, prob
ably referring 20 the great physician
Aesculapius. The shoulders are each
marked by pair Of stars, those on the
right side being called Kappa and El,
and on the left Beta and Gamma. zeta
is in the right leg due south of Antares,
and Eta and Theta mark the left leg,
the latter being due east of Antares.
The head of the serpent is marked by
small triangle of stars of which
Beta Is one OF the brightest in the con-
stollation. About 10 degrees south Of
Beta is Alpha or Unuk, of the second
magnitude, which may also be recog-
! nized by a small star, Lambda, near it
All the stars i'm the serpent form a
large. but somewhat irregular semi.
circle the extremity of the tail being
marked by Thetanot far from the con
stellation Aquila. Our attention has
recently been called by a gentleman
from Massachusetts, to a group OF stars
partly IN Ophiuchus and partly In th,
serpent which certainly bears re
semblance 70 what he has named it, ,
Hanging Lamp The topmost stal
= Is Delta Serpentis, to which the imagi
E nary chains are fastened, and Alpha
forms the principal star in the chin
ney. The lamp is marked by Delt;
Ophiuchi and the ornamental pendan
by Zeta, Eta and Theta. Not far from
3 the latter in q southeastern direction
the planet Saturn is at present stu.
ated. 10 Is, as the gentleman remarks
quite suggestive star-group. anC
worthy of being traced by the star
5 gazer.
I Lyra. with the beautiful star Vega
and Aquila with Affair, are very nea
the meridian Cyganus is climbing M
in the northeast. while far down il
the southeast Fomalhaut may be ceen
Y Bootaes, with brilliant Arcurus. an,
y Virgo with Spica, are slowly glidinl
8 down the western skies, while Coroni
Borealis is still high up in tn
heavens.