Astronomy with an Opera-glass

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:

"The figure itself is that of a mighty man seated on the Milky-Way, holding a band or ribbon in his right hand, and with his left arm holding up on his shoulder a she-goat which clings to his neck and looks out in astonishment upon the terrible bull; while in his lap are two frightened little kids which he supports with his great hand."

It is scarcely necessary to add that Dr. Seiss insists that Auriga, as a constellation, was invented long before the time of the Greeks, and was intended prophetically to represent that Good Shepherd who was to come and rescue the sinful world.

If any reader wishes to exercise his fancy by trying to trace the outlines of this figure, he will find the head of Auriga marked by the star Delta (d) and the little group near it. Capella, in the heart of the Goat, is just below his left shoulder, and Menkalina marks his right shoulder. El Nath is in his right foot, and Iota (?) in his left foot. The stars Epsilon (e), Zeta (?), Eta (?), and Lambda (?) shine in the kids which lie in Auriga's lap. The faint stars scattered over the eastern part of the constellation are sometimes represented as forming a whip with many lashes, which the giant flourishes with his right hand.

Let us turn back to Denebola in the Lion's Tail. Now glance from it down into the southeast, and you will see a brilliant star flashing well above the horizon. This is Spica, the chief twinkler of Virgo, and it is marked on our circular map. Then look into the northwest, and at about the same distance from Denebola, but higher above the horizon than Spica, you will catch the sparkling of a large, reddish star. It is Arcturus in Boötes. The three, Denebola, Spica, and Arcturus, mark the corners of a great equilateral triangle. Nearly on a line between Denebola and Arcturus, and somewhat nearer to the former, you will perceive a curious twinkling, as if gossamers spangled with dew-drops were entangled there. One might think the old woman of the nursery rhyme who went to sweep the cobwebs out of the sky had skipped this corner, or else that its delicate beauty had preserved it even from her housewifely instincts. This is the little constellation called Berenice's Hair. Your opera-glass will enable you to count twenty or thirty of the largest stars composing this cluster, which are arranged, as so often happens, with a striking appearance of geometrical design. The constellation has a very romantic history. It is related that the young Queen Berenice, when her husband was called away to the wars, vowed to sacrifice her beautiful tresses to Venus if he returned victorious over his enemies. He did return home in triumph, and Berenice, true to her vow, cut off her hair and bore it to the Temple of Venus. But the same night it disappeared. The king was furious, and the queen wept bitterly over the loss. There is no telling what might have happened to the guardians of the temple, had not a celebrated astronomer named Conon led the young king and queen aside in the evening and showed them the missing locks shining transfigured in the sky. He assured them that Venus had placed Berenice's lustrous ringlets among the stars, and, as they were not skilled in celestial lore, they were quite ready to believe that the silvery swarm they saw near Arcturus had never been there before. And so for centuries the world has recognized the constellation of Berenice's Hair.

Look next at Corvus and Crater, the Crow and the Cup, two little constellations which you will discover on the circular map, and of which we give a separate representation in Map 5. You will find that the stars Delta (d) and Eta (?), in the upper left-hand corner of the quadrilateral figure of Corvus, make a striking appearance. The little star Zeta (?) is a very pretty double for an opera-glass. There is a very faint pair of stars close below and to the right of Beta (ß). This forms a severe test. Only a good opera-glass will show these two stars as a single faint point of light. A field-glass, however, will show both, one being considerably fainter than the other. Crater is worth sweeping over for the pretty combinations of stars to be found in it.

You will observe that the interminable Hydra extends his lengthening coils along under both of the constellations. In fact, both the Cup and the Crow are represented as standing upon the huge serpent. The outlines of a cup are tolerably well indicated by the stars included under the name Crater, but the constellation of the Crow might as well have borne any other name so far as any traceable likeness is concerned. One of the legends concerning Corvus avers that it is the daughter of the King of Phocis, who was transformed into a crow to escape the pursuit of Neptune. She is certainly safe in her present guise.

Arcturus and Spica, and their companions, may be left for observation to a more convenient season, when, having risen higher, they can be studied to better advantage. It will be well, however, to merely glance at them with the glass in order to note the great difference of color-Spica being brilliantly white and Arcturus almost red.

We will now turn to the north. You have already been told how to find the pole-star. Look at it with your glass. The pole-star is a famous double, but its minute companion can only be seen with a telescope. As so often happens, however, it has another companion for the opera-glass, and this latter is sufficiently close and small to make an interesting test for an inexperienced observer armed with a glass of small power. It must be looked for pretty close to the rays of the large star, with such a glass. It is of the seventh magnitude. With a large field-glass several smaller companions may be seen, and a very excellent glass may show an 8.5-magnitude star almost hidden in the rays of the seventh-magnitude companion.

With the aid of map No. 6 find in Ursa Minor, which is the constellation to which the pole-star belongs, the star Beta (ß), which is also called Kochab (the star marked a in the map is the pole-star). Kochab has a pair of faint stars nearly north of it, about one degree distant. With a small glass these may appear as a single star, but a stronger glass will show them separately.

And now for Ursa Major and the Great Dipper-Draco, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, and the other constellations represented on the circular map, being rather too near the horizon for effective observation at this time of the year. First, as the easiest object, look at the star in the middle of the handle of the Dipper (this handle forms the tail of Ursa Major), and a little attention will show you, without the aid of a glass, if your eye-sight is good, that the star is double. A smaller star seems to be almost in contact with it. The larger of these two stars is called Mizar and the smaller Alcor-the Horse and his Rider the Arabs said. Your glass will, of course, greatly increase the distance between Alcor and Mizar, and will also bring out a clear difference of color distinguishing them. Now, if you have a very powerful glass, you may be able to see the Sidus Ludovicianum, a minute star which a German astronomer discovered more than a hundred and fifty years ago, and, strangely enough, taking it for a planet, named it after a German prince. The position of the Sidus Ludovicianum, with reference to Mizar and Alcor, is represented in the accompanying sketch. You must look very sharply if you expect to see it, and your opera-glass will have to be a large and strong one. A field-glass, however, can not fail to show it.

Sweep along the whole length of the Dipper's handle, and you will discover many fine fields of stars. Then look at the star Alpha (a) in the outer edge of the bowl nearest to the pole-star. There is a faint star, of about the eighth magnitude, near it, in the direction of Beta (ß). This will prove a very difficult test. You will have to try it with averted vision. If you have a field-glass, catch it first with that, and, having thus fixed its position in your mind, try to find it with the opera-glass. Its distance is a little over half that between Mizar and Alcor. It is of a reddish color.

You will notice nearly overhead three pairs of pretty bright stars in a long, bending row, about half-way between Leo and the Dipper. These mark three of Ursa Major's feet, and each of the pairs is well worth looking at with a glass, as they are beautifully grouped with stars invisible to the naked eye. The letters used to designate the stars forming these pairs will be found upon our map of Ursa Major. The scattered group of faint stars beyond the bowl of the Dipper forms the Bear's head, and you will find that also a field worth a few minutes' exploration.

The two bears, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, swinging around the pole of the heavens, have been conspicuous in the star-lore of all ages. According to fable, they represent the nymph Calisto, with whom Jupiter...