Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-03

1t a star of the first, or ''Sirian'' type as
the stars are now classified according to
their coiors. or. more strictly speaking, the
character of their spectra. Castor is
double star, easily separated with even
small telescope into two components both
white. and of nearly the same magnitude
1t is also a binary star; that is to say, 1t is
not merely separated by a telescope into
two eomponents, but continued observation
of 1t has shown that these components are
physically connected with each other and
are revolving one about the other. appar-
emily in a period of about 600 years This
was one Of the first stars discovered by Sir
William Herschel 20 form in this way stel-
lar systems, another being Gamma vir-
ginis, a star of the third magnitude. sit
uated about midway between Spica in Vir-
go. and Deneboia. in the tail of Leo The
larger Of the two components of Castor
proves to be spectroscopic binary. with
period of about three days. 1t is the third
discovered of this class of stars, Beta Au-
rigae mentioned above. having been the
second. Two other objects of this class are
now known. one in the Scorpion and one In
now above the horizon at the hour of our
observation.
A MixinE-Up of Twins.
The constellation Gemini is rich in stars,
good part of it lying in the Milky Way;
and yet one who will examine the figures
of the Twins as they are delineated upon a
celestial chart can hardly avoid the con-
clusion that the artist has drawn them
pretty much at venture and with very
little reference to the stars simply he
cause he thought they belonged somewhere
hereabout. 1t is more than probable that
these figures have no sort of warrant among
the stars. The whole consolidate sprang.
with very little doubt, from a name an
Piled originally only'to it's two conspicuous
stars-the doubles" or the twins" Stand
ing very nearly In the suns path, thew
formed for the ancientS one excellent mark
err by which to keep tally on the changing
seasons, and no name for them could be
Castor and Pollux, by which thew are now
known, cannot have been given originals
iy to these twin stars, but belonged to
quite different pair of twins, the brothers
the fall of Troy-twins whom students of
mythology have identified with Gay and
night, Castor being the bright one and Pol
lux the dark one. Hence the legend that
they shared between them the gift of i'm
mortality, one being above ground living.
while the other was dead in the lower
world. a conceit quite in harmony with the
NEUROLOGICAL conception of day and night,
but which has no point whatever when APP
piled to these two stars.
Interesting Bodies.
About midway between the Twins and
the eastern horizon is the bright star Reg
illus, the Jewel in the handle Of the Sickle,
which forms the bushy head of the old
constellation Leo. This constellation will
ba hettar nosaa for ,hs,r,,.,i.r -; -.
month.
Barely above the horizon, a. little south
OF east, Is Splca, the Wheat-ear, the prin-
eipat star IN virgo, BetWeeh east ana
northeast ArcSurus. the Bear-warden, tie
rival Of Capella In brilliancy, has just
risen.
Inc bright star which has just crossed
the meridian at o'clock. south OF the
Twins. is Procyon, in the Little Dog. Be-
ior
The second mapnitnde star seen baIo1v
,nd % ~ 10. ~ n,oo,,o, oh.Ht .s,.1,