Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-15
NUMBERING THE STARS.
Astronomer Completing Task Of Centuries.

Astronomers Completing a Task Of Centuries.
The discrimination of time and the
observation of the weather changes
are duties the importance of which
readily commends itself to the general
public. 1t is easy to see that IN any
civilized country it is necessary to
have an accurate standard OF time
Orr railways and telegraphs make II
quite impossible for us to be content
With the rough-and-ready sun dial
which satisfied our forefathers. while
the desIrabllty of keeping a constant
watch on meteorological changes so
as TO he able to forecast the weather
for some little time ahead will appeal
10 everybody. But ii was not for such
purposes as these that the Greenwich
Observatory was founded in 1913. II
VAS for the rectifying of the tables of
the motions of the stars.
We have no idea who made the ear
lest census of the sky. IL Is written
for Us In no book; 1t is not even en-
graved on any monument. And yet
no small portion of 1t is III our hands
today. and. strangeSt Of all. Wa are
able to fix fairly closely the time at
which 1t was made and the latitude
which its compiler lived. The GAIA
logue is very unlike our star cata osues
Of today The places Of the stars are
very roughly indicated. ANA yet this
catalogue has left more en- iuring
mark than ali those that have sue
eeeded il. The catalogue simply con-
sists of ;he star names.
An odd lady who had attended a uni
versity extension lecture on astronomy
was heard to exclaim: What Won
derful men these astronomers are, /
can understand how they can find out
how far off the stars are, how big they
are and what they wegh-that IS all
easy enough; and | think | can see
how they find out what they are made
Of But there is one thing | can't I'M
derstand-I don't know how They can
find out what are their names
The same difficulty, though with a
deeper meaning than the old lady IN
her simplicity was able TO grasp, has
occurred to many students of astrono-
my. Many have wished to know what
was the meaning of. and whence were
derived, the sonorous names which are
found attached to all the brighter stars
on our celestial gIobes-Adhara, Alder
amin, Betelgeuse. Denebola, Scholar,
Zubenesehamal, and many more The
explanation lies here. Some 5000 years
ago, a man or college of men, living IN
latitude forty degrees north, in order
that they might better remember the
stars, associated certain groups of
them with certain fancied figures and
the individual star names are Simply
Arabic words designed to indicate
Wherea bout in its particular figure or
constellation that special star was sit
uated. Thus, Adhara means "nack,"
and is the name of the bright star in
the back of the Great Dog Alderaniin
right arm" and is the brightess star
in the right arm of Cepheus. the king.
Betelgeuse is giants shoulder, the
giant being Orion; Denebola is lion S
tail. Scholar is the star on the breast
of Cassiopeia, and Zlrbeneschamal Is
northern claw that is. of the Scor-
pion. So far it is clear enough The
names of the stars for the most part
explain themselves: but whence the
consultations derive their names. how
it was that so many snakes and fishes
and centaurs We're pictured out in the
sky. is a much more difficult problem.
and one which does not concern us
here.
One point, however, these constella
@ons 90 tell us. and tell us plainly
They show that the axis of the earti,
winch. as the earth turns round the
sun, moves parallel with itself yet. in
the course of ages. itself revolves 50 as
II period of some $4,000 years to trace
cut d circle among the stars This is
the cause of What is called 'ureces-
si0i1. and explains how it is that tile
star We can pole star to-day was not al
ways the pole star. nor win always re-
MAIN 50. We learn This fact from the
circumstance that the old conste1la.
Tons GO not cover the entire celestial
sphere. They leave Il great circular
sLace of 40 degrees radius unframed
IN the southern heavens This simply
means that the oiiginators off the con
sttlldtiDlis lived in 40 degrees north
attitude atd stars within 40 degrees
" the South Pole never rose above
tAeir hue'iZon. and consequently Were
never seen. ard gould not be mapped
by Them.
hese old workers gave us the con-
stelfat.ou groupings ard names wihic,
SUN remain 10 us. and are stlll in com.
'iFon, everyday use. Their work ar
t2lNla us the ;rCst striking illustration
4 the result Of procession, but preces-
S,tn Itself was Ent recognized TIL near
~ eco years after their day, When a
marvellous genius. Hipparcfus. estab
Eshed The fact, and lJuilt himself m
everlasting name by the creation OF A
catalogue of over 1000 stars prepared
= modern principles That catalngua
formed the basis OF orc wlr:ch SUR
wives to us at the present time, a;Nl
was made some 1850 wears ago ,y
Al q Us tcltny,the great astronomer
cf .Mexandr-ia, whose work. which still