Year: 1876

A Clock in the Sky at Night.


There are some old churches in Eng
land which have clocks showing the
time with only one hand-the hour
hand. / dare say that it will seem
very strange to active and busy minds
in America that such clocks as these
should still continue in existence. A
slumberous place it must be, truly,
where men are content to know time
by the hour, and to take no note of
minutes. Or, if that is not really the
way of it, still it must be strangely
backward world where such clocks,
once sufficient for their purpose, have
not yet been replaced by time.meas.
ures better suited to active, business.
like folks. When such clocks were
more common, and households and
watches less used land probably very
seldom in order), it would have been
useful to know what am now going
to tell you about a clock in the sky,
though at present the knowledge will
rather help to teach young folks the
stars, than to show them how to learn
the time from tho stars for the clock
! have to describe has only one hand,
and not only SO, but that hand goes the
wrong way round, and only once round
in a day.


The first step toward 4 knowledge of
the stars should be the recognition of
the pole-star, because the pole of the
heavens being the point round which
all the stars are seemingly carried, so
soon as we know the sta1s around the
pole, we have a center, so to speak,
from which we can pass to other
groups until we know them all. Once
known, the p0le.star can always be
found by the learner: supposing he OBJ
serves the heavens always from the
same station :; for it lies always in the
same position Tor so nearly so that the
change can scarcely be noticed).


1t, for example, you have once been
shown, or have found out for yourself,
that from certain spot in your gar
den, or from certain window in your
house, the pole.star can be seen Just
above a certain chimney or tree, then
at any time, on any night when the
sky is clear, if you betake yourself to
that spot, or look through that window,
you will see the pole-star over it's &C.
custemed chimney or tree. 1t is there,
indeed, all the time, whether the sky
be clear or cloudy, whether it be day
or night. Not only does a knowledge
OF the pole-star give you a known cen
trail point whence to proceed to others,
but it gives you the means of knowing
where lie the cardinal points round the
horizon; for, of course, when you face
the pole-star, the north lies before you,
the south behind you, the east on your
right, the west on your left.


But to find the pole.star, it is we'll to
begin with the dipper. This well.
marked group includes two stars which
are called the ''pointers, because they
point to the pole.star. The dipper is
SO conspicuous and well-marked a
group that it is easily learned and can
not easily be forgotten. Although not
very near the pole, it is yet not so far
from it as to range very widely over
the heavens; and if you look toward
the north at any hour of any clear
night, you will seldom require many
seconds to find the familiar set of sew.
en- bright stars, though at one time it


is high above the pole, at another
close to the horizon, now to the right
of the pole, and anon to the left. In
England the dipper never sets; in
America it partly sets, but still can be
recognized Except at stations in the
most southern States) even when part
ly below the horizon.