The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-03

DIV ~
thus making it very little smaller than
our moon.
Another note of interest is that AS
tronomer Wolff, of Heidelberg, has dis
covered three asteroids by means of his
Photographic process.
THE CONSULTATIONS.
The four principal consultations that
come to our meridian at about nine
o'clock in the November evenings are
the two circumpolar consultations Cas-
siopeia and Cepheus and the constella-
lions Andromeda and Pisces. Five
stars give Cassiopeia its peculiar con-
figuration of w. The star at the ex-
tremity of the last stroke of that letter
is Beta or Caph and the others, in reg
ular succession, beginning with the last
stroke and ending with the first, are
Alpha, or Shedir, Gamma, Delta and
Epsilon. The star Caph helps US In
finding on which side the true pole is OF
the pole star. The reader will remem-
Der that the pole star is at present
about one and one-quarter degrees dis
tant from the true pole of the heavens,
and that, consequently, the pole star
every twenty-four hours will circle
around the true pole. For nautical
and geodetic purposes 1T is important to
know at any time on which side OF Po-
laris the true pole happens to be. The
pole star is on that side of the true
pole which is toward Caph. Between
Alpha and Gamma, somewhat nearer
the former, is the small star Eta,
fine double star, whose two constitu-
ents form a binary system with pc
Rod of about two hundred and six
wears. The constellation Cepheus Is
between Cassiopeia and the head of the
Dragon, and its prominent configura-
ton is a somewhat distorted x, formed
by five stars. Alpha and Beta form
the first stroke of that letter, while
Gamma is at the extremity of the last
stroke. Cepheus is not as conspicuous
as Cassiopeia, but is important as ane
of the circumpolar constellation of our
latitude. The constellation Androme-
da begins with the northeastern star IN
the Great Square of Pegasus. This
star is called Alpha, Andromedae or
Alpheratz. Beta, or Mirach, marks
the waist and Gamma, or Almaach,
the left foot of the maiden. Extend
ing the straight line that connects
Beta and Gamma by rather more than
its own length, we see the bright star
Alpha Persei. If we bend downward
this line at the star Gamma we per-
ceive the remarkable variable star
Beta Persei, or Algol. This star, in
connection with Gamma and Beta
Andromedae and the Great Square of
Pegasus, forms a figure similar in con-
tour to the Dipper In the Great Bear,
but considerably larger. If in north
westerly direction we draw line from
Beta Andromedae of about ten de-
grees it will strike the great nebula,
which is visible to the naked eye like
little sloud of light In the year 1885
star appeared suddenly in the great
nebula of Andromeda which faded
away in about six months thus form
ing one of those mysterious stars
called temporary, a satisfactory expla-
nation of whose variability has thus
far baf1ied science.
Directly south Of Andromeda is stu
ated the zodiacal constellation Pisces,
II
star and being only nota-
BILE as now containing the vernal equi-
nox or First Of Aries" The loose as
of small stars directly south
If Beta Andromedae constitutes the
Northern Fish, about sixteen degrees
n length. A long crooked ribbon" of
title stars runs westward, terminating
n the Southern Fish, which may be
recognized by pentagon of small
stars. When the two ribbons meet
hat connect the two Fishes we see the
star Alpha Pscium, or Eel Rischa, an
Arabic word meaning 1.-The knot" The
beautiful star Capella, the Pleiades
md Hyades, with Aldebaran, in Tau
us, are climbing up in the east, while
Pegasus and Cygnus are bending to-
ward the west. Arcturus and the con-
tellations Ophiuchus, Scorpio, Sagit |
arius and Corona have either set or
ire on the point of setting,-Baltimor
sun.