LOCATION.--Three degrees north and 2° west of Rigel, in Orion, lies β Eridani, the source of the River. Thence it flows west till it reaches π Ceti, then drops south 5°, thence east southeast, its total length being about 130°. The great curve the River takes, just east of the Whale, resembles a horseshoe. Acherna, the first-magnitude star in Eridanus, is too far south to be seen in this latitude. Note the pretty star group around β and a pair of stars of an orange hue below ν. The asterism known as "The Brandenburg Sceptre," consisting of four stars of the fourth and fifth magnitudes, can be seen arranged in a straight line north and south below the first bend in the River just west of Lepus. [Illustration: ERIDANUS] METEORIC SHOWERS. JANUARY TO APRIL. +---------------+--------+------------------+---------------+-------------+----------+ | | | | | Other Dates | | |Name of Shower | Date | Radiant Point |Characteristics| of |Location | | | | | | Observation | | +---------------+--------+------------------+---------------+-------------+----------+ | Quadrantids. | Jan. 2 | (44) Boötis, | | | | | Rich annual | |between Boötes and| M. Sw. B. | Jan 3. | E. | | shower | | Dragon's head | | | | +---------------+--------+------------------+---------------+-------------+----------+ | Zeta Cancrids |Jan. 2-4| (ζ) Cancri, | | | E. | | | | near Bee Hive | | | | +---------------+--------+------------------+---------------+-------------+----------+ | Theta Ursids | Jan. 5 | About 10° from β | Small | | | | | | away from γ | Sh. Sw. F. | Jan. 2-8 | N. | | | | Ursæ Maj. | | | | +---------------+--------+------------------+---------------+-------------+----------+ |Alpha Draconids| Feb. 1 | Near Thuban | Sl. | Jan. 9 | N. | | | | α Draconis | | Dec. 8 | | +---------------+--------+------------------+---------------+-------------+----------+ | | | Near Capella | | Aug. 21 |High in | |Alpha Aurigids | Feb. 7 | α Aurigæ | Sl. | Sept. 12-22 |Southern | | | | | | | Sky | +---------------+--------+------------------+---------------+-------------+----------+ | Tau Leonids |Feb. 16 | τ Leonis, | | Nov. 27 | | | | | between Leo | Sl. Sk. | Dec. 12 | E.