Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-30
THE SKIES IN APRIL
Eleven Stars Of the First Magnitude
Now Visible.
How THEY GOT THEIR NAMES
Consultations That Are at Present
Above the Horizon.
STUDYING NOVA PERSEI

Written for The Evening Star.
OF the twenty stars of the first magni-
tude six are situated too near the south
celestial pole ever to appear above the
horizon of observers in the mean latitude
Of the United States. or the remaining
fourteen which we may see at one time
or another eleven will be above the horizon
at o o'clock this evening.
Named in the order of their brilliancy,
these eleven stars are: Sirius, low in the
southwest: Capella, at a somewhat greater
altitude in the northwest; Arcturus, at
about the same altitude as Capella In the
east: Vega, too low to be visible, in the
northeast: Rigel, in the left foot of Orion,
who now reclines above the western hori-
zon; Procyon. In midheavens in the south
west; Betelgeuse, in the right shoulder of
Orion; Aldebaran, barely above the hori-
zon, between west and southwest; Spica, in
the southeast, at one-fourth of the dis
lance from the horizon to the zenith: Pol
lux. the more southerly of the Twins
(Gemini), at two-fifths of the distance from
the zenith to the western horizon. and
Regulus. in the handle of the Sickle in
Leo, now, at the hour named, crossing the
meridian, at two-thirds of the distance
from horizon to zenith.
Star Names.
In the system of star nomenclature in
troduced by Bayer about the beginning of
the seventeenth century and now employed
universally in star charts and catalogues,
each Of these eleven stars is Alpha of the
constellation to which it belongs, being the
brightest star of the constellation. Thus
Sirius is Alpha CAMS Majoris, Capella is
Alpha Arigae, and SO on. The popular
names above used are of various origins,
some ancient and some comparatively mod
ern. The name Sirius is as old, at least, as
1.-The HAD of Homer. 1t is probably,
however, not a Greek word, but, like the
name Orion, which also was known to Ho-
mer, 1t appears to- have been borrowed by
the Greeks from some other people. The
significance of both these names is I'M
known.
Capelia is a Latin word. and signifies
"She-goat." The star marks the position
Of the goat which the Wagner (Auriga)
was supposed to carry on his left shoulder,
while in his lap he carried the goats three
kids. Now, close beside the bright star
Capella, may be seen three stars of the
fourth magnitude, which form a very no.
ticeable triangle, and which. as has before
been pointed out in these papers, are prob
ably the original kids. Evidently the Ro-
man rustics saw in these stars a goat and
her young, and thus originated the singu-
lar name which the bright star still bears.
The same rustic Imagination appears also
the cluster of the Hyades. beside it. a sow
and her litter At any rate the popular
Roman name for this star cluster was SUI
culae. the Pigs" and there is reason to
think that this was also the idea expressed
originally by the Greek name Hyades. That
A1debaran may have been known to both
Greek and Roman rustfcs as the Sow" al
though the name. unlike Capella, did not
find its way into literature, is quite con-
sistent with what we know of the popular
fancies in naming stars and star groups.
The Arabs are said to have called this star
the Camel the smaller stars clustered near
1t being little camels." The name Aide
baran is Arabic. 1t is said to mean 1.-THE
Follower" 1t seems to have reference to
the position of the star with respect to the
HyadeS.
Derivation of Names.
Arcturus IL a Greek name. 1t means
"Bear-warden." Vega (or Vega Is the
Arabic al-Waki. and is said to mean 1.-The
Falling Eagle)" Rigel, Arabic Rijql,
means Foot" Procyon is Greek. 1t means
"Before-dog," the reference being to it's
rising just before the Dog" Sirius Betel-
geuSe is the Arabic Bat al-Jauze, the ''arm-
pit Of the Giant" Spica is Latin, meaning
"Wheat-ear." 1t marks the position Of the
sheaf Of grain which the Maiden (Virgo) Is
supposed to carry in her left hand.
Castor and Poliux were NEUROLOGICAL
twins. the brothers of Helen and Clytem-
nestra, who figure in the Sreek legends
probably originally Night and Day. Castor
being the Dark-one and Pollux the Bright
one. The names certainly did not belong
originally to the twin stars which now
bear them.
The name Regulus Is commonly supposed
to have been given to this bright star I'm
Leo In commemoration OF the heroic 81 IL
sacrifice OF the Roman general and patriot
Regulus. who returned to Carthage to GER
tain death after having advised his coun-
trymen against making peace with that
city. 1t il more probable that the name
has an astrological sOurce-that II Is the
Roman translation of some eastern name
for the star. having the Specification of
Leo having been astrologically the first
Sign" Of the zodiac.
The names Of the three other first-magni-
tude stars that we may sometimes see but
Antares Greek. the rival of Mars" so
called because Of its red color; Fomalhaut
ARABIC, Famal Hut, the mouth of the
whale" and Altar (Arabic). the flying
eagle"
Consultations.
Two very pretty consultations which are
now above the horizon at the hour of our
observation are the Cup tCrater) and the
Crow tCorvus). in the southeast. The bowl
OF the Cup Is formed by a semi-circle of
five or six stars, Of which the brightest is
being formed by a short line of three equal
ly faint stars on the preceding or west
ern side. The bowl has about the size of
the Northern Crown. which 1t somewhat re-
sembles. though consisting of fainter stars.
The whole group makes very passable
goblet. q little lopsided. however.
The Crow, which stands eastward from
the Cup. Is rather more conspicuous than
the latter. its stars being brighter; but it
Is not 50 like as q constellation. Its four
brighter stars form n trapezium mr. nm