Half-Hours with the Stars: A Plain and Easy Guide to the Knowledge of the Constellations — John Shaqi
Half-Hours with the Stars: A Plain and Easy Guide to the Knowledge of the ConstellationsProctor, Richard A. (Richard Anthony)
Science
Half-Hours with the Stars: A Plain and Easy Guide to the Knowledge of the Constellations
Proctor, Richard A. (Richard Anthony)
Stars -- Atlases
The Great Bear (_Ursa Major_) occupies all the upper sky from the
west to north, except a small space occupied by the Hunting Dogs
(_Canes Venatici_). The Pointers are in the northwest, almost
horizontal. A line from the Pole Star (a of the Little Bear--_Ursa
Minor_) to the Guardians of the Pole (b and g) now occupies the
position of the minute hand of a clock 3 minutes past an hour.
Due north, low down, lies _Cassiopeia_, while above, somewhat toward
the east, we find the inconspicuous constellation _Cepheus_. The
Camelopard is in the west of north, and getting upright.
Low down in the northwest lie the Charioteer (_Auriga_), and the
head stars of the Twins (_Gemini_) further west. The Crab (_Cancer_)
is nearly due west, the Sea Serpent (_Hydra_) holding his head
almost exactly to the west point. Above is the Sickle in the Lion,
its blade curved downward, and the tail of the Lion (_Leo_) lies
above, toward the south of west.
On the Serpent's back we find the Cup (_Crater_) and the Crow
(_Corvus_), in the southwest and to the south of southwest respectively.
Above these constellations, and extending beyond the south toward
the east, the Virgin (_Virgo_) occupies the mid-heavens.
Above the Virgin we see the Herdsman (_Booetes_), his head and shoulders
nearly overhead. Low down in the south is the Centaur (_Centaurus_),
bearing on his spear the Wolf (_Lupus_) as an offering for the
Altar (_Ara_), which, however, is invisible in these latitudes.
Above the Wolf we see the Scales (_Libra_), while the Scorpion
(_Scorpio_), one of the few constellations which can at once be
recognized by its shape, is rising balefully in the southeast.
The Serpent Bearer (_Ophiuchus_) bears the Serpent (_Serpens_) in
the mid-heavens toward the southeast, the Crown (_Corona Borealis_)
being high up in the east, close by the Serpent's head.
Low down in the east is the Eagle (_Aquila_), with the fine steel-blue
star _Altair_, the Swan on the left about northeast, and above
it the Lyre (_Lyra_), with the still more brilliant steel-blue
star _Vega_. Hercules occupies the space between the Lyre on the
one side and the Crown and the Serpent's head on the other. He
is high up, due east.
Lastly, the Dragon winds from between the Pointers and the Pole
round the Little Bear, toward Cepheus, and then eastward toward
the feet of Hercules, close by which we see his head and gleaming
eyes (b and g).
[Illustration: MAP VI. NIGHT SKY.--MAY AND JUNE.
At 11 o'clock: May 7. | |At 9 o'clock: June 7.
At 10-1/2 o'clock: May 15.|At 9-1/2 o'clock: |At 8-1/2 o'clock: June 14.
At 10 o'clock: May 22. | May 30. |At 8 o'clock: June 22.
Stars of the first magnitude are eight-pointed; second magnitude,
six-pointed; third magnitude, five-pointed; fourth magnitude (a
few), four-pointed; fifth magnitude (very few), three-pointed.
For star names refer to page 4.]
[Illustration: MAP VII. NIGHT SKY.--JUNE AND JULY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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