Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-06-06

render an observation OF their relative
cult, but despite this difficulty some
changes have been noticed, although it
will require millions OF years before
the CONGREGATIONS OF the stellar con-
stellations will be noticeably altered.
Changes In the brightness of fixed
stars have been observed In quite q
number of cases. Thus we see that
steadily changes are going on through
out the whole universe, which in the
minds OF the uninitiated will engeuder
a feeling of wonder, but TO the philo-
sophie mind ever be a potent stimulus
for further and deeper researches into
the mysteries of the universe.
The principal consultations that
come to our meridian at about 0
O'Clock In the June evenings are
Bootes. LIBRA. Serpens, Corona Borealis
and Ursa Minor. Extencing the line
OF the last two stars in the handle Of
the Great Dipter. 1t will pass near u
brilliant altar that cannot fail to engage
attention. This is .Arcturus, in the
constellation Bootes, or the Hunlst
man, the word Arcturus itself meaning
"bear driver" Aoturus is the fifth 10
the list OF first.magnitude stars and
after Sirius, tine most brilliant among
the stars visible In our latitude. 1t ia
recognizable by its own splendor and
by the great equilateral triangle it
forms with Spica, in Virgo, and Dene.
bola, in the Lion. Drawing line Of
about 10 degi eos in q nurtheasterly
! direction. we notice star Epsilon
Boots, or Mire-which, with four
Others, forms rather large pentagon,
the potthernmost vertex of which lie
marked by the star Beta Booths, or
Nekkar. The star nearest to Epsilon
In the pentagon IL rather faint, Epsilon
is fne double star. Almost due east
of il We see a constellation which, 10
spite of its smsllDess, Is one of the
pfettiest star pictures In the heavens
on account of its forming almost per-
J Borealis, or the Northern Grown. The
brightest star in this constellation ID
| Alpha Oorone Borealis, also called
| Gemma ard Alphaoca. To tile right
| OF this are beta and Theta and to the
left Gau ma, Delta and Epsilon. About
degree north of Delta, now visible
which in May Of the ysar 1866 sud.
denly blazed out until IT became
brighter than Alpha itself. 1t belongs
10 that exceedingly interesting and
mysterious class of stars called tenn
porary. Before Its outburst it was ar
eighth magnitude star of Highlander
catalogue, and within short time aftel
II assumed IT'D low estate, which ii still
retains, Eta, at very short distance
from Beta, is remarkable for its beinf
a rapid binary with period of les:
than AZ years. At times it can b,
easily divided by small maenifyint
glass. East OF Virgo is the somewhat
inconspicuous constellation Libra, Of
the Balance, but IL is important al
one OF the consultations of the zodiac
The Alpha of this constellation IL th,
sepond and Beta, 10 degrees northeas
of Alpha, of the third magnitude
Gamma, also of the third, forms, with
these two, small triangle. About
degrees west OF Beta is the REMARKABLE,
variable star Delta, which is of abou
the fifth magnitude, but sometimes
dwindles into invisibility. North o
Libra is the constellation Ssrpens, bu
as 1t is to be considered part o
Ophiuchus we shall reserve dc
"A scription until we have occasion Il
' describe the latter. In the far south
bur on the meridian, We see some star
that belong to large constellation
the main part Of which, however, !
too low down to be seen In our latitude
This Ia Oentaurus, whose prinoipa
stars, however, are not visible in tn
United States Just south of Libra /
the ancient constellation Lupus, OF th
Wolf, which is too low for any salts
factory observation In or latitude
Uras Minor is too familiar n constel
lation to require any detailed de
scription. 1t bears a. striking resem
blance to the Great Dipper, and 10
this reason, bears the mans of til
Little Dipper. 1t is of special signifi
canoe for US, because it contains tn
pole star, Polaris, the Greek nam
OF which was Cynosura. The pole sta
! is at the extremity OF the handle of tn
,, Dirper, and always pointed out by th
,, direction Of Alpha and Beta 10 th
! bowl of the Great Dipper. The tw
: stars 10 the bowl OF the Little Dippt
/, farthtst away from Polaris are Ret
/, and Gamma, which correspond to th
, Pointers in Ursa Major. and are know
as the Guardians Of the Pole.
While in the west Virgo, with Spic
is slightly bending toward the WEI
!. and Leo is halfway between til
meridian and the horizon. Hercules
Ophiuohus and the splendid ooustelll
|. ton Scorpio are closely approachin
the meridian. heIalding the coming ,
I, the summer season.