Part 2 (2/2)

Above [beta] and near a small star, is visible a faint, whitish, lu nebula of Andromeda, the first mentioned in the history of astronomy, and one of the most beautiful in the Heavens, perceptible to the unaided eye on very clear nights

The stars [alpha], [beta] and [gamma] of Perseus form a concave bohich will serve in a new orientation If it is prolonged in the direction of [delta], we find a very brilliant star of the first nitude This is Capella, the Goat, in the constellation of the Charioteer (Fig 7)

If co back to [delta] in Perseus, a line is draard the South, we reach the Pleiades, a gorgeous cluster of stars, scintillating like the finest dust of diamonds, on the shoulder of the Bull, to which we shall co the Constellations of the Zodiac

Not far off is a very curious star, [beta] of Perseus, or Algol, which forle with two others smaller than itself This star is peculiar in that, instead of shi+ning with a fixed light, it varies in intensity, and is soory of variable stars which we shall study later on All the observations o to prove that a dark star revolves round this sun, al as it passes in front of it a partial eclipse that reduces it fronitude, every other two days, twenty hours, and forty-nine minutes

And now, let us return to the Great Bear, which aided us so beneficently to start for these distant shores, and whence we shall set out afresh in search of other constellations

If we produce the curved line of the tail, or handle, we encounter abrilliancy: let us make our bow to Arcturus, [alpha] of the Herdsonal constellation The principal stars of this asterisnitude, with the exception of [alpha], which is of the first Alongside of the Herds of five stars of the third and fourth nitude, save the third, [alpha], or the Pearl, which is of the second nitude This is the Corona Borealis It is very easily recognized (Fig 8)

[Illustration: FIG 8--To find Arcturus, the Herdsman, and the Northern Crown]

A line drawn from the Pole-Star to Arcturus forle, the apex of which, situated opposite the Great Bear, is occupied by Vega, or [alpha] of the Lyre, a splendid dianificent star, of first nitude, is, with Arcturus, the ht, in the proximity of the Milky Way, not far froement of its principal stars in the for 9), and is easy to find by the Square of Pegasus, and the Milky Way This figure, the brilliancy of whose constituents (of the third and fourth ly with the pallor of the Milky Way, includes at its extremity at the foot of the Cross, a superb double star, [beta] or Albirio: [alpha] of Cygnus is also called Deneb The first star of which the distance was calculated is in this constellation This little orb of fifth s 69,000,000,000,000 kilometers (42,000,000,000,000 miles) above our Earth, is the nearest of all the stars to the skies of Europe

[Illustration: FIG 9--The Swan, Vega, the Eagle]

Not far off is the fine Eagle, which spreads its wings in the Milky Way, and in which the star Altar, [alpha], of first nitude, is situated between its two satellites, [beta] and [gamma]

The Constellation of Hercules, tohich theus, with all the planets of its systenized inside the triangle fora

All the Constellations described above belong to the Northern Hemisphere Those nearest the pole are called circumpolar They revolve round the pole in twenty-four hours

Having now learned the Northern Heavens, we must come back to the Sun, which we have left behind us The Earth revolves round him in a year, and in consequence he seeh a vast circle of the celestial sphere In each year, at the same period, he passes the same points of the Heavens, in front of the saht We know that the stars are at a fixed position from the Earth, whatever their distance, and that if we do not see theuished by the dazzling light of the orb of day With the aid of a telescope it is always possible to see the more brilliant of them

The Zodiac is the zone of stars traversed by the Sun in the course of a year This word is derived fronifies ”aniures traced on this belt of stars represent animals The belt is divided into twelve parts that are called the twelve Signs of the Zodiac, also named by the ancients the ”Houses of the Sun,” since the Sun visits one of thens, with the priuish them: the Ram [Aries], the Bull [Taurus], the Twins [Geo], the Balance [Libra], the Scorpion [Scorpio], the Archer [Sagittarius], the Goat [Capricorn], the Water-Carrier [Aquarius], the Fishes [Pisces] The sign [Aries] represents the horns of the Ram, [Taurus] the head of the Bull, and so on

If you will now follow nize theain, provided you have a clear picture of the principal stars of the Northern Heavens First, you see the Ran of the Zodiac; because at the epoch at which the actual Zodiac was fixed, the Sun entered this sign at the vernal equinox, and the equator crossed the ecliptic at this point This constellation, in which the horns of the Rahtest, is situated between Androarded as the sy to the secular moveer there on March 21: he is in the Fishes

To the left, or east of the Rale in which burns Aldebaran, of first ht eye; and the Hyades, scintillating pale and tre, on its forehead The timid Pleiades, as we have seen, veil the cluster, of which six stars can be counted with the unaided eye, while several hundred are discovered with the telescope

Next the Twins They are easily recognized by the two fine stars, [alpha] and [beta], of first nitude, which mark their heads, and immortalize Castor and Pollux, the sons of Jupiter, celebrated for their indissoluble friendshi+p

Cancer, the Crab, is the least iuished only by five stars of fourth and fifth nitudes, situated below the line of Castor and Pollux, and by a pale cluster called Praesepe, the Beehive

The Lion next approaches, superb in his nitude, [alpha] or Regulus This figure forrand trapeziuin exhibits a splendid star of first ulus and Arcturus, fornized

The Balance follows the Virgin Its scales, nitude, are situated a little to the East of Spica

We next cohth constellation of the Zodiac, which is one of the most beautiful of this belt of stars Antares, a red star of first nitude, occupies the heart of the venoation of a line joining Regulus to Spica, and forreat isosceles triangle, of which this latter star is the apex