Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-08

very conspicuous by four stars-Gamiua,
Beta. M and Zeta forming an irre9u-
lar quadrilateral 1t is the more easily
recognized as 1t Is always near the bril-
liant fist magnitude star Vega. The
star Gamma, Or Etanir, ia noted for its
connection with the discovery OF new
law In physics, called the alteration
OF light Ii passes almost exactly
through the zenith OF Greenwich
One star in Draco, Alpha, or Thuban,
deserves special notice. Connecting
Gamma Ursa Minoris, in the bowl OF
the Little Diprer, with Mizar. in the
handle OF the Great Dipper, by q
straight line, the star Thuban marks
tho middle OF this line. In consequence
OF the procession of the equinoxes the
pole OF the heavens is slowly changing
it's position among the stars. While at
present il Is very near Polaris, which
iE will approach still more closely,
Thuban was the pole4star 1000 years
ago, and then within quarter OF a
degree of the pole --muoh nearer than
Polaris is at present, and in fact ever
will be. The pole OF the er,iptic--the
CIRCLE in which the earth actually moves
around the sun, or In which the sun
apparently moves north and south In
deulination-is very important. 1t ia
situated in this constellation. 1t Is
between the quadrilateral In Draco
and the north pole, somewhat nearer
the former. IL on celestial globe we
describe from the pole OF the ecliptio
az centre a circle with d radius of
about 23I5 degrees, this circle will
track out the path of the celestial role
among the stars. 1t would be seen that
the beautiful star Vega is near this
circle, and, in fact, 10 ~, COO years hence
1t will be the pole star. The constela-
tion Lyra coming to the meridian about
8 O'Clock in the August evenings, is
rendered very conspicuous by the star
Vega, whose brilliance cannot fail to
attract the gazer's attention. Although
we can as yet make but q rough esti-
mate OF the sizes and distances Of fixed
stars, it is matter of absolute GER
tainty that Vega Is q considerably
larger sun than our own. Very near
Vega two fourth magnitude stars, Ep.
silon and Zeta, form with il small
but sufficiently plain equilateral tri-
angle. A Keen eye will n0tice that
Epsilon is douh.e star, and large
telescope will split each into two, so
that Epsilon is in reality quadruple
star. Here we have an instance of two
twin systems of suns moving about
common centre OF gravity, and of the
respective components around each
other. Not far from Vega In south
easterly direction lie the third
magnitude stars Beta and Gamma.
South of Ophiuchus and right on the
meridian is the zodiacal constelltion of
Sagittarius, or the Archer, tho prinoi-
pal contiguration of which Is an in
verified inilk-dipper. ~ Ihis resem-
blance makes the constellation quite
recognizable, though 1t contains no star
OF the first magnitude. At present, how
ever, it presents magnificent star
picture by the presence OF the two large
planets Jupiter and Saturn about 8 de-
grees from each other, whose brilliancy.
especially that of Jupiter, cannot be
quelled even by the full moon, which
cannot but acknowledge the royal
presence OF these two noble planets
the largest in our solar system. North
OF Sagittarius and east of Ophiuchs is
the fine constellation of Aquila, or the
Eagle. containing the first. magnitude
star Affair, now chosen as the standard
st-magnitude star.
The reader Is aware that the 20 stars
e'e' bo'ohE ~ Wv DdtNkOT1 vi 1lFbb-
magnitude stars are by no means of the
same brightness. The range from
Sirius, the brightest of this class, and
Pollux lsome add Regulus), the least
bright, is very great and renders the
selection of standard rst-magnitude
star necessary. This is Affair. On both
sides of it and at the short distance of
about 2 degrees are the stars Beta and
Gamma, the latter being the brighter
OF the two, and the former a double
star. Affair is one of the so. oailed
nautical stars, from which the moon's
distance is recorded in the Nautical
Almanac, for computing longitude at
sea- North Of Aquila and at a short
distance from 1t lie the small consteIla.
tion Sagitta, or the Arrow, one of the
famous 4S OF Ptolemy. The con5tella.
tions Scorpio, Hercules, Corona
Borealis, Ophiuchus, though slightly
bending toward the west, are still high
up in the beavens. Arcturus and Spica
are about halfway between the merid-
ian aud the western horizon, and Leo
is close to the latter. In the east we
see Cygnus high up, and half way be.
tween the meridian and the eastern
horizon We notice the Great Square of
Pegasus in the north and Fomalhaut
down in the south, all presenting
panorama well worthy of contempla-
tion.