Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-05
JANUARY HEAVENS
How to Locate the Stars by Means
of the Chart.
CONSULTATIONS AND PLANETS
Some Interesting Discoveries of
Modern Astronomy.
I H E ETOID EROS

| Written for The Evening Star
The chart given herewith represents on
| a plane surface the entire hemisphere of
| the heavens which will be above the hori-
ION at o'clock this evening. It's center is
| the zenith, or point directly overhead; it's
circumference the horizon. To compare this
chart with the heavens one should hold it,
or imagine it to be held nearly overhead
| with the marginal letter or letters which
| indicate the point in the horizon which the
observer faces brought lowermost. All the
stars and consultations shown upon it will
then fall into their proper places and
should easily be identified.
| AS the chart lies before US now with the
| letter IS" downward, it is in position for
| studying the southern quadrant of the
| heavens. Facing the south-at the hour
| named-we may see upon our left low in
the southeast, the brilliant Dog Star, Sir
! Jus. Directly in front at three-fourths of
the distance from the horizon to the ze-
| NTH, is Aldebran, in Taurus-a reddish star
| of the average first magnitude. Between
| these two stars stands the great X-like
( figure of Orion. containing two stars of the
| first Observation-Disclosures, in the right
shoulder, and Rigel, in the left lot. On
| our left. between Taurus and the south
western horizon, is the monster. but incon-
| spicuous constellation Cetus, the Whale,
| easily located by means OF two stars Of the
second magnitude which stand one at each
end-Menkar. the ''Snout," and Deneb Kali
tos, the Tail of Cetus.'
| The Square of Pegasus.
| Facing the west-turning the chart one
quarter of the way around and bringing
| the letter W. downward-we have before
us the great Square of Pegasus, formed by
| four stars of the second ma gnitude, of
which the uppermost is in the head Of An
n
! spicuous line of four stars of about the
| same brightness and at the same distance
| apart, which extends upward to near the
zenith. They are Alpha, Beta and Gamma
Andromedae alpha. known also as Alpher-
atz. being in the maiden's head and Gamma
| in her left foot. and Alpha Persei at the
center of Perseus. At the left Of line
joining the latter two stars, forming with
| them a nearly right-angled triangle, is Beta
Persei. better known Algol. the De
mon.' one of the most famous Of the vari-
able stars. The pair of second magnitude
stars seen nearly midway between Beta
Andromedae and Menkar marks the head
of Aries.
Turning now to the mountaineering the
chart and bringing the letter TO the bot
tcm-we have on our right the Great Dip
per, standing on its handle. between north
and northeast the W-shaped figure of Cas-
siopeia on our left, high in the northwest.
and between these two considerations, the
Pole-star, at the tip of the very long tail
of the Little Bear-end of the handle of the
Little Dipper. Draco. the Dragon, is now
in its lowest position, directly beneath the
Pole-star, its two flaming eyes" barely
above the horizon
In the east-bring the letter E downward
Leo, the Lion, is Just rising, the Sickle.
which forms his head and shoulders and
the handle of which is marked by the bright
star Regulus, being fairly above the hori-
Zon Above Leo, midway between the
horizon and the zenith, the two Twins
tGeminD, Castor and Polux, and above
these is the constellation Auriga the Wag-
oner, containing the star Capela, one of
the brightest three stars in the northern
hemisphere.
For the Opera Glass.
An opera glass contributes greatly to the
pleasure of star-gazing. About midway be-
tween Regulus and PolluX may be seen
pair of stars which, though of less than the
third magnitude, are quite noticeable in the
general paucity of stars in this region. |
They the Aselli, Asses. and faint |
though they are, they are the brightest |
stars in the constellation Cancer, the Crab.
About midway between them may be seen a !
nebulous spot which even opera glass !
will show to be star cluster. This is |
P1aesepe, the Manager, or the Beehive for |
the name bears either Interpretation, one of |
the most beautiful Of the star clusters |
which are just beyond the reach of the |
naked eye. Turn now to the west. About |
midway between Alpha Persei and the CEN
trail star In Cassiopeia may be seen SINH |
lar fleck Of nebulosity, which is also shown |
by the opera glass to be a star cluster. |
This cluster, in the handle Of the sword Of !
Perseus, is double, and Is an exceedingly |
pretty object for small telescope. Both |
of these clusters were favorite objects In |
the experimental days of celestial photog-
raphy. About six degrees-twice the length |
of Orions belt-to the right of the star
Beta Andromedae may be a star
which to the naked eye looks singu,arly
blurred and becomes still more nebulous
when viewed through the glass This is the !
famous great nebuia in Andromeda, of
which many excellent photographs have
lately been taken. The nebula In Orion.
though larger, is less bright and Is hardly
detecHble with the naked eye even with |
directly below the belt. The glass reveals
here, however an exceedingly pretty elon-
gated group of stars, which is in itself q
fine object. Turn the glass now upon the
Pleiades. In the place of the six or seven
tabled daughters Of Pleione may be seen
twenty or thirty twinkling stars, which,
however. give but feeble impression of
the richness of this remarkable cluster
which photography has shown to contain
over 5000 stars. The Hyades-the V-shaped
cluster close beside Aldebaran, the Pigs
man rustics-form a still more beautiful |
opera glass object than the Pleiades, being,
in fact, one Of the finest in the heavens.
SpectrOscopic Binaries.
Among the most Interesting discoveries
Of modern astronomy is that of the ex-
istence of a large number Of binary and
multiple systems Of stars; that is, two
or more stars which are tied together. so