Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-04
HEAVENS IN AUGUST
Cygnus the Most Notable of the
Summer Consultations.
ITS STARS ARE ST. ANDREWS CROSS
Comet Can Now Be Seen With a
Three-Inch Glass.
\ EW STAR DIS CON Y

Written for The Evening Star.
One of the most notable of the summer
considerations is Cygnus. the Swan. now
situated at pm. a little north of east
and well up toward the zenith. Its six
brighter stars form a large ST. Andrews
cross: if the easternmost star is omitted
the five remaining form cross of the
ordinary type. The modern name OF the
constellation is the Northern Cross.
The brightest of these five or six stars
the most norCherly one-bears the Ara
bic name Deneb. the Tail" 1t marks
both the tail of the Swan and the head
of the Cross. 1t is sometimes reckoned
among the first magnitude stars. though
considerably below the average bright
ness of stars OF this class. The star in
the foot OF the Cross. or the beak Of the
Swan-the most s0Utherly one Of the group
is Beta Cygnt. OF the third magnitude.
This is one of the most splendid of the
colored double stars. and is particularly
fine object for a small telescope. 1t con-
sists of a yellow star and a companion,
which is deep blue.
Directly above the Swan and very nearly
overhead is Vega, or Alpha LYrae. one of
the brightest stars in the northern hemis-
phere. the jewel in the Tyre of Orpheus.
Southeast from this star. at about two-
lifths Of the distance from it to the hori-
ION, Is Altar, the brightest star IN the
Eagle. Affair may be identified easily from
The circumstance that it is fiauked by two
stars. one of the third and one of the
fourth magnitude, which very likely form
ed originally the Eagles wings. though the
modern chartmakers have thought other
wise and depict here a bird which has no
sort of resemblance to anything which can
be seen among the stars. Note that the
three stars. Vega Deneb Cygni and Affair.
form a large triangle. of which the two
longer sides have about the same length,
the star Affair standing at the apex.
The bright star seen in the west is Arc
turus. Between west and southwest. and
barely above the Horizontal 9 o'clock-is
Spica, the principal star in Virgo. Be
tween south and southwest, and at about
one-fourth of the distance from the hori-
ION to the zenith. is the ruddy star An
tares, the Scorpions Heart"
The Scrpent-IkOIder.
Nearly midway between Vega and An
tares is a bright star OF the second mag
nitude. which marked the head of Ophiu-
chus the Serpent-Holder one of the largest
and oldest of the consultations. and one
which can easily be made out, though the
figure is by no means a striking one. The
left shoulder is marked by a noticeable pair
of stars of the fourth magnitude. and the
lett hand by similar but rather brighter
pair. \ star of the third magnitude forms
the right shoulder. With these hints and
the aid of the rough sketch given on the
cllslfl llllS < Santlc lSure should easily be
located. The chart viii also aid in tracing
the wrigeing Serpent which Ophiuchus is
supposed to hold. The head of the Serpent
is formed by a small triangle Of starS-tvo
OF the third and one of the fourth magni-
tude-situated about midway between Arc
turus and the head of Ophiuchus; its tail
Is about midway between the star Affair
and the Holders right shoulder.
Close beside the head Of Ophiuchus is the
head of Hercules. marked by a reddish star
which varies between the third and fourth
magnitude. The feet Of this figure-known
anciently also as the Knee.er-are toward
the north.
Between Hercules and Arcturus Is the
conspicuous oval of stars which forms the
northern crown. Eastward of Affair is the
pretty little group of six or eight stars
known ancientiy as the Dolphin, but better
known. to modern stargaZers as Jobs Coffin
In the south, at about the same altitude as
Antares, is the short-handled Milk Din
per- formed of five stars and now easily
located, from the fact that the planet
Saturn. appearing as an orange-ye!low star
of the first magnitude, stands near the end
of its handle. The very brilliant star above
and at the right of Antares is the planet
Jupiter.
On the evening of January 81 FAINT
comet was discovered by Giacobini, at Nice.
in the constellation Eridanus about 10 de-
grees directly south of the star Menkar. in
Cetus. 1t moved in a northwestery direc-
lion through Cetus, Pisces and Androme,ia.
On our chart is laid down its track during
the past month. On July % il passed with
in two degrees Of the star Deneb CygnI. It. is
now moving in southwester.y direction.
Tonight it Will be near the eastern border
of the Tyre. 1t was at its nearest TO The
earth about the first of this month. 1t Is
now nearly twice bright as when dis
covered. and can probably be seen with a
good three-inch telescope.
On the morning of July "a DR.. William