Milford chronicle., 1958-02-14
THE FEBRUARY SKY

VI VIC OCoe iiiOhtiio W PiOSli JOul dnldtCui
astronomy.
The Indians called February the month
of the Hunger Moon because it was the
month in which they had most trouble pro-
viding food for their families. Fish were
buried under thick ice, the ground was froz-
en- hard, digging was difficult, dried berries
and greens were now almost non-existent. In
addition, bears were in Information and it
was difficult to find enough game.
Since you do not have to obtain your food
like the Indians, you might very well use
February as a month to learn about the sky
and the stars. Begin by finding the familiar
Big Dipper. The Big Dipper also goes by
other names, such as Great Bear, Ursa Ma
jor, Plough, and Charles Vain. Notice the
two outer stars Of the bowl, which are known
as the Pointers. They always point to the
North Star, which is also known as Polaris.
Tonight, if you search the sky, you will
find this to be true. You will also notice that
the handle of the Dipper is composed of three
stars and that very near the central star is
another star, which is much smaller. Many
people do not see this star, and it must be
observed on a clear night, with the naked
eye.
The name of this little star is Alcor and
the nsidde-handle star is Mizar. These two
stars were known to the Arabs as the Horse
and Rider. They form double star, which
was the first double star to be discovered
(1850). The open part of the Dipper's bowl
points into the open part of the bowl of the
Little Dipper constellation. The North Star,
you can Observe is in the end of the handle
of the Little Dipper.
AS you are observing the sky, and famil-
iarizing yourself with the familiar Big Dip
per, or Little Dipper, or North Star, rennenl-
ber that if these stars had ceased to exist
eighty or ninety years ago, you would still
be seeing them, since their light beams would
be travelling to the earth. Knowing that light
travels at terrific speed, one can well imag-
inc what he is seeing and the great distance
he is investigating in studying the sky.
>&~ZWA<
FEBRUARY
The name February" comes from the
Latin verb, "Februare", which means to pur-
ify. The Romans formerly held festival at
which goat was sacrificed, after which the
priests struck the hands of women with a
strip of the skin of goat, which was sup
posed to insure fertility and safe delivery
In United States history February is no
table as month Of birthday anniversaries
The foremost birthday anniversary of the
month is that of George Washington, the
founder of the country, whose reputation has
grown by leaps and bounds in recent years
1t is also the month in which the birthday
anniversary of Abraham Lincoln falls Wash
ington's birthday comes on February 22nd
and Lincon's on February 18th.
Other birthdays of interest include those
of Charles Dickens, who was born February
7th, 1872, at Landport, England. The ami
versary of the chartering of the Boy Scouts
of America falls on February 9Th. The char
tering took place on February 9Th, 1910.
The birthday anniversary of William
Henry Harrison, ninth president of the Uni
ted States, comes on February 9th. Harrison
was born in Charles County, Virginia, on
February 9th, 1773.
An often-forgotten anniversary is that of
the Spanish peace treaty, the signing of
which, by the president, occurred on Febru-
ary 10th, 1899. BY that treaty Spain ceded
to the United States the Philippine Islands !
and the island of Guam in the Pacific, and
the island of Puerto. Rico, in the Atlantic. In
consideration of payment of $2O,OOO,OOO |
Spain also agreed to withdraw from Cuba !
St. Valentines Day falls on February
18th. Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as
President of the Confederacy on February
18th, 1861. The Washington Monument was
dedicated on February 21st, 1885.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of the !
most popular American poets of the nine
teenth century, was born February 9th,
1907, in Portland Maine.