Astronomy with an Opera-glass: A Popular Introduction to the Study of the Starry Heavens with the Simplest of Optical Instruments — John Shaqi
Astronomy with an Opera-glass: A Popular Introduction to the Study of the Starry Heavens with the Simplest of Optical InstrumentsServiss, Garrett Putman
Science
Astronomy with an Opera-glass: A Popular Introduction to the Study of the Starry Heavens with the Simplest of Optical Instruments
Serviss, Garrett Putman
Astronomy
Sirius, Orion, Aldebaran, and the Pleiades, all of which you will
perceive in the west and southwest, are generally too much involved in
the mists of the horizon to be seen to the best advantage at this
season, although it will pay you to take a look through the glass at
Sirius. But the splendid star Capella, in the constellation Auriga, may
claim a moment's attention. You will find it high up in the northwest,
half-way between Orion and the pole-star, and to the right of the Twins.
It has no rival near, and its creamy-white light makes it one of the
most beautiful as well as one of the most brilliant stars in the
heavens. Its constitution, as revealed by the spectroscope, resembles
that of our sun, but the sun would make but a sorry figure if removed to
the side of this giant star. About seven and a half degrees above
Capella, and a little to the left, you will see a second-magnitude star
called Menkalina. Two and a half times as far to the left, or south, in
the direction of Orion, is another star of equal brightness to
Menkalina. This is El Nath, and marks the place where the foot of
Auriga, or the Charioteer, rests upon the point of the horn of Taurus.
Capella, Menkalina, and El Nath make a long triangle which covers the
central part of Auriga. The naked eye shows two or three misty-looking
spots within this triangle, one to the right of El Nath, one in the
upper or eastern part of the constellation, near the third-magnitude
star Theta ([theta]), and another on a line drawn from Capella to El
Nath, but much nearer to Capella. Turn your glass upon these spots, and
you will be delighted by the beauty of the little stars to whose united
rays they are due.
El Nath has around it some very remarkable rows of small stars, and the
whole constellation of Auriga, like that of Gemini, glitters with
star-dust, for the Milky-Way runs directly through it.
With a powerful field-glass you may try a glimpse at the rich
star-clusters marked 38 M, 37 M, and 33^7.
[Illustration: MAP 4.]
The mythology of Auriga is not clear, but the ancients seem to have been
of one mind in regarding the constellation as representing the figure of
a man carrying a goat and her two kids in his arms. Auriga was also
looked upon as a beneficent constellation, and the goat and kids were
believed to be on the watch to rescue shipwrecked sailors. As Capella,
which represents the fabled goat, shines nearly overhead in winter, and
would ordinarily be the first bright star to beam down through the
breaking clouds of a storm at that season, it is not difficult to
imagine how it got its reputation as the seaman's friend. Dr. Seiss has
so spirited a description of the imaginary figure contained in this
constellation that I can not refrain from quoting it:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account