Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-29
THE EASTER SKIES
Will Have Two Consultations
and Ten Great Stars.
CHANGING POSITIONS
HOW THE SEVEN POINTS OF THE
GREAT DIPPER ARE MOVING.
Six Planets Are Morning Glories Now
and Four of Them of Rare
Beauty.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star
/ Ten stars of the first magnitude will be
found above the horizon at o'clock to-
night, the same ten as were visible at the
same hour one month ago; but, as will be
seen from a comparison of the chart given
herewith with that given for March, they
are all now considerably farther west than
then. In the interval from March ] to
April the great sphere of the heavens has
performed one-twelfth Of its annual revo-
luton (apparent)-has rolled over toward
the west 30 degrees-carrying with it all
the stars and consultations. The resulting
change in the aspect Of the heavens is
the same as is caused by the apparent daily
revolution of the great sphere in two hours.
That Is to say, the aspect of the heavens at
pm. on the LIST of April is precisely the
same as at IL pm. on the LIST Of March.
Consultations.
Two Of the most notable of the constel-
lations the Ursa Major or Great Bear, and
Leo, the Lion, will be found at the hour
named nearly overhead. The most conspic-
uous portion of the Great Bear is the Great
Dipper. which forms the animals hind
quarters and decidedly unheariike tail. Leo
stands directly south of the Bear. 1t is
easily identified by means of the WELL
known Sickle, which forms the lions head
and shoulders. Regulus. the brightest star
in Leo and the jewel in the handle of the
Sickle-sometimes called Cor Leonis the
Lions Hearts just crossing the meridian
at the hour of our observation. The name
of this star, by the way, probably has no
reference to the famous Roman general
of the same name, but was derived from
Latin word which means to rule or to regu-
late and had originally an astrological i'm
port.
The tail of the Lion is marked by the star
Denebola, of the second magnitude, about
% degrees east of Regulus. Some 80 de-
grees east of this star stands Arcturus, the
Bearwarden, one of the brightest three
stars in the northern hemisphere. South
of Arcturus, and about equally distant
from it and Denebola, stands Spica, the
Wheat-ear. in the constellation Virgo, Mid
way between Arcturus and the Pointers"
in the Great Dipper and at three-ffths OF
the distance from Denebola to the end star
In the handle of the Dipper stands Cor
Carroll, Charles Heart, so called in memory
of Charles 1 of England. a star of the third
magnitude, the principal star In Canes
Venatici, or the Hunting Dogs. These four
stars form large lozenge shaped figure
known as the Diamond OF Virgo, which
though not one Of the ancient constella-
lions, is for modern star gazers one Of the
most notable landmarks Of the heavens,
Diamond, Is a diffuse cluster Of between
forty and fifty stars OF the fourth, fifth ana
sixth magnitudes and Is splendid opera
glass field.
HYDRA or Water Snake, stretches its enor-
nous length of over 100 degrees, from a
point midway between Regulus and Pro-
cyor. to point Just above the horizon In
the southeast The brightest star in. this
very shadowy constellation, Cor Hydrae.
the Hydra's Heart, is of only the second
magnitude, yet it is quite conspicuous from
| it's lonely situation. 1t stands southwest
from Regulus and is at about the same
distance as that star from Procyon. Near
the center of the triangle formed by these
three stars is the Hydras head, marked
| bv a short curved line of three stars, of
which the middle ard brightest one-the
eye-is Of the third magnitude. This head
| is very pretty object for an opera glass,
| which reveals quite cluster of stars here.
Midway between Leo and the southeast
ern horizon and standing upon the Hydra's
back are the Cup Crater and the Crow
(Corvus), two small consultations, which,
although they contain between them but
ere star as bright as the third magnitude,
are quite noticeable figures, owing to the
pa ucity of stars in this region of the
heavens. The Cup is the more westerly of
tie two Its bowl is formed by semi
circle of five STAYS, of about the size of
the bowl of the Great Dipper. open to the
east while a line of three stars. on the
western side, forms the base. The cup
thus formed, though a little lopsided, is
otherwise very passable goblet.
The Crow is rather more conspicuous
| tran the Cup, but is not so like as
constellation. Its four brighter stars form
trapeZlum, or uueQudl-SlQeQ square inc
lcwermost and brightest of these stars
marks the Crows feet; the curved line
of the others forms the body. The bird is
represented upon charts as pecking at the
Hydra's back The bright star in the feet
bears the Arabic name Alchiba, which
means tent" and was probably applied
originally to the whole constellation At
any rate, the group is quite as suggestive
OF a tent as of a bird
Stellar Proper Motions.
About midway between the star Denebola
and the handle of the Dipper may be seen
on the chart given herewith, a minute circle
with an arrow shaft attached. A dot with
in this circle indicates the position of
particularly interesting star. though un-
fortunately just below the limit OF naked
eye vision-a nameiess star. designated only
by its. number. $50. in the catalogue of
teresting point about this star. II should be
promised that the old idea that the stars
are fixed" is no longer held by astrono-
mers II Is now known that the stars-at
least The brighter stars. whose positions
have been accurately determined-are slow
ly changing their places in the heavens
are moving In various directions on the
starry vault. The rate Of this movement
known as proper motion" IL rarely 80
| greft as one second OF angular measure
nent per annum, and even in the few cases
In which Il exceeds this excessively minute
quantity, centuries are required to effect
In the position of a star change detectible
to the naked eye. Arcturus. fer example.
which has the large proper m stien Of nearly
three secnnda pee a1anum. chanafs its posi-