Evening star., 1901-05-04
THE SKIES IN MAY
Some Facts About the Zodiacal
Consultations.
FOR SIGNS AND FOR SEASONS
Two Stars That Are of More Than
Ordinary Interest.
PLANETS OF THE MONTH

The bright star which may now be seen
at pm. a little east of south and at
about two-fifths of the distance from hori-
zon to zenith, Is Spica, the Wheat-ear, in
the contellation Virgo. At a somewhat
greater altitude in the southwest stands
Regulus, in Leo, easily identified from it's
position at the end OF the handle of the
Sickle, which forms the Lions head and
shoulders. East of Regulus and nearly on
the meridian is Denebola, a bright second
magnitude star, in the tail of Leo. Still
farther east and at about the same alti-
tude Is Arcturus, the brilliant Bear-war-
den, always easy to identify from the cir
cumstance that it lies on a continuation of
the curve Of the handle of the Great Dip
per in the Ursa Major, now in its highest
position and nearly overhead. Arcturus,
Spica, Denebola and Cor Caroli-a star Of
the third magnitude the brightest star in
the Hunting Dogs Games Nenatic), situat-
ed at three-ffths Of the distance from De-
nebola to the end star in the Dipper's ham
dle-form a large loZenge-shaped figure
known as the Diamond of Virgo, one of the
grand landmarks for modern star-gazers
in this quarter of the heavens
At about two-ffths of the distance from
Spica to Denebola, In a straight line, is a
star Of the third magnitude, Gamma Vir-
ginis, standing at the center Of Y-shaped
.,
which Is Spica at the foot Of the Y. The
group is quite noticeable one. and is. in
deed, about all that the imaginative OBJ
server can make Of the constella-Virgo, of
which, however, 1t forms only a portion
the upper part. Possibly, the branching
arms Of this Y, one of which extends west
ward from Gamma toward Regulus. the
other northeaStward to point near the
center of the great Diamond suggested the
wings which adorn the Maiden Virgo as
she Is represented upon charts. Spica
marks the wheat-ear which she holds in
her left hand.
The Zodiac.
Virgo is one Of the zodiacal consultations
the sixth. reckoned from Aries. the sew
enth, IL We reckon from the present posi-
tfon Of the vernal equinox at the western
border of the constellation Pisces. 1t occu-
pies the place of the sign" Libra. which
the sun enters on passing from the north
ern to the southern hemisphere, about the
21st of September. The autumnal equinox
the point at which the sun crosses the celes-
tial equator on that date-is at about two
f1fths of the distance from Spica to Regu-
lus, very nearly on a straight line dra wn
from one to the other of these two stars
These zodiacal consultations are, from
one point of view. the most interesting of
all the ancient astertsms. They represent
the earliest device of our very remote an
cestors to make of the heavens a timekeep-
er for the regulation of their works and
heaven
ly bodies served primeval man "for signs
and for seasons The fact that the great
sphere Of the heavens has an apparent an
nua1 as well as daily revolution, and that
the dlfIerent seasons Of the year are indi-
Gated by different star groups-that, for
example, in the spring certain stars rise
with the sun. that is. appear above the
eastern horizon just before the dawn causes
the stars to fade from view. and that GER
tain other stars thus rise in the autumn
must have been observed at a time long an
terror to that which can be assigned to the
origin Of astronomy as science. The 20
dtac was the natural outcome of this neces-
stty OF continual stargaZing for the practf-
cal purposes of daily life. AS it has come
down to us it forms belt in the heayens.
sixteen or eighteen degrees in breadth.
along the center Of which runs the ecliptic.
or path OF the sun. 1t Is the grand high
way of the sun, moon and planets-the
yellow road of the Chinese The division
Of this highway into twelve equal parts, or
signs. was evidently suggested by the
movement Of the moon there being twelve
complete lunations during the solar year,
Each sign" corresponds. therefore, prac-
t1cally, to one lunar month, in the old way
OF reckoning. and more exactly to the mod
ern calendar month. Each month the sun.
ems, performed from west to east, passes
through one OF these signs"
Meaning of the Name Zodiac.
The name zodiac" given to this belt Of
consultations is OF Greek origin, and signt-
fies animal (girdle)." the latter part Of the
name having been dropped. But while the
name Is Greek. there is abundant evidence
that the zodiac itself was borrowed by the
Greek astronomers from the Chaldeans
Assyrlan cylinders and Inscriptions tndt-
cate for the existing names and order OF
its signs an antiquity Of at least 1000 years
Centuries before Sardanapalus reigned at
Nineveh. according to Lenormant, the