=The Constellation of Taurus.=—The last constellation which need concern us here is _Taurus_ (pronounced To´-rus) the Bull. Taurus is one of the constellations of the _zodiac_ of which we will have something to say in Chapter XI. By the time you have learned the foregoing constellations you will be able to locate Taurus without using your star chart, for it lies to the north of Orion, to the south of Auriga and a little to the west of both of these constellations as you will see in Figs. 25 and 27. [Illustration: FIG. 25.—CONSTELLATION OF TAURUS.] [Illustration: FIG. 26.—TAURUS THE BULL.] The little group of stars nearby is the _Pleiades_ (pronounced plē-ya-dez), and is a part of the constellation of Taurus. There are six small but bright stars grouped closely together when seen by the ordinary person, but if you have very sharp eyes you may be able to make out one or two more. It is believed that the stars of Taurus were the first to be woven into a group or constellation by the ancients, and it is thought that the _Bull of Light_, as Taurus was called, was known long before the time of Abraham, or over four thousand years ago. Fig. 26 shows Taurus as the Egyptians saw him. The bright red star which sets in the right eye of Taurus is called _Aldebaran_ (pronounced Al-deb´-a-ran) and is one of the brightest stars in the sky. In the star chart shown in Fig. 27 the different constellations you have learned are grouped together in the same positions in which they are placed in the sky. [Illustration: FIG. 27.—STAR MAP SHOWING SIX CHIEF CONSTELLATIONS.] Six stars of the first magnitude, that is 6 of the 20 stars which shine the brightest (see Appendices F and G), are also shown on the chart, Fig. 27. By following the equator from west to east across the bowl of the sky, and which runs right through the middle of Orion, you will find to the west and south of it the brightest star in the heavens—_Sirius_, the Dog Star, so named because it is in the constellation of _Canis Major_, which is Latin for Big Dog. Of the other stars on the chart, Capella in Auriga is the next brightest star, and _Arcturus_ (pronounced Arc-tu´-rus) which can be found by following the handle of the Big Dipper, is third in brilliancy. The fourth place is held by _Rigel_ (pronounced Rai´-gel) in Orion; _Betelgeux_ (pronounced Bet-el-gerz´) in Taurus is fifth in order, and _Aldebaran_ in Orion comes last. There are many other constellations and a large number of other stars but when you are able to name and point out those described in this chapter you will have made a very good running start. CHAPTER III THE SUN, THE BRIGHTEST OF ALL STARS In naming over the stars of the first magnitude—that is, the stars that shine the brightest—there is one star I did not mention and yet as we see it it is brighter than all the other stars put together.