Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-01-04

once by its brightness and the equal
distance OF the middle star from those
mt the extremities OF the line. The
length OF this line Is almost exactly 3
degrees and serves as a useful measure
Of the spherical distances of the stars
from one another. When the three
stars are mentioned without any other
qualification the Bolt of Orion is re-
ferred to. Sometimes they are called
the "Three Kings because they point
out the Hyades and Pleiades on one
side and Sirius on the other. The
ancient husbandmen called them
tJaoob's Rod" A more modern
appellation for them, including this
stars in the Sword OF Orion is the Ell
| and Yard From the belt hangs the
sword, composed Of three smaller stars,
lying mere nearly north and south.
The middle one Of these is the multiple
star Theta, 10 the great pebula Of Orion,
the finest nebula In the heavens, which
even In small telescope Is u beautiful
object. On both sides Of the belt and ut
| equal distances from IL arc the two
magnificent 6rst mapMitude stars l3etbl-
guese, or Alpha, and Rigel, or Beta.
the former Of reddish tinge and the
latter of a pure white color. Rigol IL
somewhat lighter than BetelRuess,
though older observations prove that
formerly the later was the brighter,
whence its name, Alpha, from which it
follows that Betelguese is to some ex-
tent variable star. West Of Betei-
guese is the bright second magnitude
star Gamma, or Bellatris, which marks
the left shoulder OF the mighty hunter.
North of Orion Is situated the zodIacal
constellation Taurus, or the Bull,
characterized by the Pleiades and the
V-shared group of the HyadeH, form
ing the face OF the bull, with the red
first magnitude star Alpha Tauri, or
Aldebaran, marking the eye, and for
this reason sometimes called the Bulls
Eye. The Pleiades are, perhaps, the
most remarkable and certainly are the
best known star cluster in the heavens.
An eye of ordinary power Of vision can
easily discern STA stars in this group,
and in a moonles3 clear sky seven or
eight. The brightest Of them is Alcyone.
to which the German astronomer,
Maedler, assigned the homer of the
Central Sum- hypothesis, how
ever, that later investigations have dis
proved. Looking to the north we see
the constellation Perseus, whose prIn-
ciple star, Alpha, or Algenib, lies very
nearly on the line produced of the three
main stars Of Andromeda. III, however,
this line is bent a little toward the
west, we see Beta Persei, or Algol,. one
of the most remarkable of the variable
stars. East of Perseus the constella-
tion Auriga, or the Charioteer, is too
striking not to engage at once the at
tention of the star gazer. The prin-
cipal CONFORMATION Of this star group
is rather large pentagon, the most
conspicuous vertex Of which is marked
by the splendid first magnitude star
Alpha Aurigae, or Capella.
The majesty Of the celestial piano.
rama, as it lies spread out before our
| admiring eyes, may we'll engender in
the thoughtful mind feeling of con-
tempt for those whose mind is too
shallow to perceive what Is really grand
and beautiful, aud in such striking
contrast with all the petty transactions
and meannesses, that man endowed
with loftier sentiments and aspirations
every day sees and despises. The surest
criterion Of intellectual mediocrity Is
the oallousness with which the works
of nature and the achievements of art
and science are looked at, while, on
the other hand, there is no surer mani
festntion of the thinking mind than
never to lack profound appreciation
of what is great and beautiful in nature,
art and science. There is no self.
conceit on the pnituf true artist In
admiring his own creation, or on the
part of great scientist in adniiring his
great discoveries. 1t is said that the
great musician, Haydn, shed. tears of
joy when Tor the first time he heard his
| own great oratorio, 1.-THE Creation, 7"
played by q full orchestra. There
cannot be any doubt that Sir Isaac
Newton cannot but have been impressed
with the grandeur OF the great ard all
pervading law Of gravitation. which he
discovered and established as the funda-
mental principle OF celestial mechanics.
| There is in all nature nothing grander
to be- conceived than this poise of in
| Vulnerable worlds, all moving in their
orbits-sateilite about planets, planets
| about suns, suns about suns-and GER
tainly there is no more valid testimony
| of what the human mind is capable Of
achieving than tho discovery Of the
| different forces acting upon those celes-
| tial bodies and their reduction to n
| doctrine as eyaot harmonious and
| rigorous as geometry itself. Most men
are but too prone to forget what they
daily see, the marvellous laws and the
wonderful harmony that pervades this
universe, and tho grand efforts that
have been made in order to ascer tain
the nature of these laws, to ieduoe them
to system, and to achieve success
than which there is nothing grander
10 any other department Of human