The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-05-02

consequence call the Pointers, the two
last stars in the handle. sufficiently pro-
/ 1uced. point out one Of the most glorious
fixed stars in the Observation-Disclosures. the
/ brightest star, after Sirius, visible IN this
latitude, and at present high up and
closely approaching the meridian.
The star at the bend in the handle is
Zeta, or Mizar, easily recognized by tho
little star Alcor near it. But MfzaT itself
IS double, as can be easily seen with even
2 small telescope. There is another inter-
esting feature connected with this star.
IN the year 1889 the famous director of
the Harvard Observatory. discovered that
Mizar IS really a triple star, the larger Of
the two stars being itself double, in
visbiy so to the telescope, but revealing
us double character by means of the Inca
in its spectrum It vas the FIRST discoy-
cred sPectroscODic binary. This moderate
" bright star in the middle of the Din
pPFS handle has q mass exceeding that OF
the sun foTty-folG, and the period of its
invisible companion s ffty-two days
1t cannot fail to strike anyone with ad-
miratiOn that the revolution of star
which has never been seen, even through
the most powerful telescope, and, in fact.
cannot be seen on account of its opaque
ness, about another star which is at an
inc3nceivable distance from the earth has
been determined with such precision.
II We extend the two Pointers il di-
rection opposite to the Polestar. il will
pass through pair Of stars that mark
the left mind paw Of the Bear In a
straight line with this pair. which runs
nearly parallel to he line connecting the
two upper stars l. the bowl Of the DIpper
there are two OF er very similar pairs
marking the right hind and the left fore
paw. Although UTsa 15aio belongs 10 the
eircumpolar consteilaztons-that is, those
that never set in this latitude-these
three pairs do set Below the handle Of
the DippeT is the constellation OF Canes
Nenatici. or the Hunting Dogs, OF which
only two stars are not inconsDiCuous.
Alpha Or ASterion, the northern Of the
two, and Beta or Chara. the southern The
former is also, and in England generally.
known as Cor Carroll, of the Heart of
Charles. 50 called in conmemoratfon of
the hapless Charles Stuart l. South CT
the Hunting Dogs and also on the meridi-
an is the extensive zodiacai constelIa-
tiCn Of Virgo. distinguished by the first
magnitude star Spica Virgins. Beta Vir-
giniS. OF the third magnitude, is about Il
degrees south Of Denebola in the Lion
Between Cor Carroll and Spica. some
what nearer the former. is the small but
interesting ClusteT-lfke constellation
Coma Berenices. of Berenices' Hair. which
was established by the Aiexandrian as
tronomeT Conon in honor Of the Queen
Of Pt0lemy Softer, who dedicated her
beautiful hair TO the gods to secure her
husband s safety in war. Leo, still high
I'D in the sky IS slightly bending to the
west. Down in the southeast is the spIen-
did constellation of Scorplo. Taurus.
Orion and CAMS Major have set, and
Vega has just risen in the northeast Be
tween Vega and ArctuTus we see Her
CUles and the Crown The skies are as
suming that aspect which persons are ac-
customed to see and admire in the sum
neT evenings, thus announcing the coming
Of that season.