Chapter IV: Part 4

The motions of Mercury and Venus are comparatively swift, particularly that of the former. Few persons have ever seen Mercury, because of its nearness to the sun. When well seen it is brighter than any first-magnitude star. As an “evening star” it appears in the west immediately after sunset about once every four months (more precisely once every 116 days). It remains within view about twenty days, but can be easily distinguished only for a week or so when it is nearest eastern elongation. Every almanac gives the dates of its appearances.

Venus, being farther from the sun, travels less rapidly. It reappears in the evening sky once in every 584 days, gradually withdrawing from the sun, and growing brighter until it reaches greatest eastern elongation, which may be as much as forty-seven degrees from the sun, after which it approaches the sun, still becoming brighter for several weeks, until at last it is lost in the glare of the sunlight. During its excursions in the evening sky (and the same is true of its morning apparitions), Venus becomes the most brilliant object in the starry heavens, so brilliant, in fact, that many persons can hardly be persuaded that it is not an artificial light, or some extraordinary phenomenon in space. In the telescope it shows (as does Mercury, also) phases like those of the moon, and when it is seen in the form of a narrow crescent it becomes one of the most charming objects imaginable. For more details about Mercury, Venus, and the other planets, the reader may consult _Astronomy with the Naked Eye_.

Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are more likely to cause confusion to the beginner by getting “mixed up” with the stars of the constellations he is studying, because they travel all round the sky, and may appear in turn in each of the zodiacal constellations at any hour of the night. The zodiacal constellations are twelve in number--Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Pisces--and they lie in succession along the course of the ecliptic.

Mars is not remarkably brilliant except when it is in opposition to the sun, which happens once every 780 days; but some of the oppositions are much more important than the average, because they occur when Mars is relatively near the earth. This planet is always distinguishable by its ruddy color. In case it is mistaken for a star, the error can be corrected by watching it for a few successive nights, when its motion will become clearly apparent. On the average it moves eastward about half a degree per day.

Jupiter, always very conspicuous when in view, outshines even Sirius, though lacking the scintillation characteristic of that great star. Its light has a slightly yellowish tint, and is remarkably steady. Since it requires nearly twelve years to make a revolution round the sky, Jupiter’s motion is not immediately apparent. It remains for a long time in any constellation in which it may be found, travelling eastward, on the average, about 5′ of arc, or one-sixth of the apparent diameter of the moon, per day. In a month it moves about two and a half degrees.

Saturn is yet more deliberate in its movements. Requiring almost thirty years for a revolution, it may remain more than two years in the same constellation, and its real motion will only become evident upon careful observation continued for several weeks.

The best way to recognize the planets with certainty is to look up their positions with the aid of the _American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac_, published annually by the Government at Washington. There the right ascensions and declinations of all the planets are given for any time of the year. Having these, you may find on the large-scale charts the approximate place of the planet sought, and, if you choose, indicate its position with a pencil-mark.

The study of the planets, even without telescopic aid, has a charm hardly less potent than that of the stars. Mercury is fascinating because of the difficulty of seeing him in the light of twilight or dawn. The ancients were greatly puzzled by his dodges, and some of them thought that he was a double personality, and gave him two names, one for his morning and the other for his evening apparitions. With the Egyptians he was respectively Set and Horus, and with the Greeks Apollo and Hermes. The same was true of Venus, who was Phosphorus in the morning and Hesperus in the evening.

Venus, after she passes the half-moon phase, becomes so bright that she simply overpowers all stars in her neighborhood. Her splendor seems almost supernatural, and she has frequently been seen at high noon, a point of intense light burning in the blue sky.

Jupiter’s entrance into any constellation immediately alters its familiar aspect, and he becomes its unquestioned leader, and remains such until his slow eastward motion carries him on to reign in another quarter of the firmament. He is never more impressive than when, in consequence of the annual revolution of the heavens, he rises late some night and takes the lingering star-gazer by surprise. Then all the stellar hosts that for hours have held the watcher spellbound cease their incantation in the presence of this great counter-charmer, to whose power they, too, seem to bow. Although Venus at her brightest outshines Jupiter, she lacks a certain majesty which he alone possesses. His light is calm, steady, insistent, commanding. He does not look like a star, but rather a _superstar_. If he beams at all, it is not the hurried scintillation of the twinkling multitude around him. Rising through a moisture-laden and wind-swept sky, where the stars are like pulsating atoms, shaken apart and scattered in tinsel showers of rainbow sparks, he glows unflickering, recognizing the aerial tumult only by a deepening of color which makes him the more imposing. As he mounts the heights of the sky he gleams ever brighter and ever steadier, and, casting off the tarnish of the horizon, his supereminent light glows with a splendor that is amazing. If you have an eye that can detect one or two of Jupiter’s moons hiding close in his rays, you may boast of your powers of vision, for that feat has been accomplished by very few human beings. Humboldt heard of a German “master tailor” who could do it. There are a few other cases on record. Most persons cannot see them even with the aid of a strong opera-glass. There is a superstition that they can be seen with a looking-glass, but it is only ghostly reflections that are thus perceived--perhaps as real as any other ghosts.

Saturn, although as bright as a first-magnitude star, is somewhat disappointing as a naked-eye object, owing to the relative dulness of its light. Like Jupiter, it shines with great steadiness, and a practised eye could not mistake it for a fixed star. But its appearance without a telescope gives no hint of the unearthly beauty with which it astonishes the beholder when its rings are rendered visible. Not to have seen those rings at least once in a lifetime, as they appear in a powerful telescope, is to have missed one of the supreme spectacles of creation.

Mars is never very brilliant except during favorable oppositions, when, approaching within less than 40,000,000 miles of the earth, it hangs in the midnight sky, gleaming red like a portent of disaster. The aspect of Mars at such times is truly alarming. It is surprising to see what a quantity of stained sunlight a world only about four thousand miles in diameter is able to reflect across so vast a gap of space. The reason why the ancients connected Mars with the god of war is plain enough when he puts on his color.

Close conjunctions of the bright planets are exceedingly interesting phenomena. Mars and Jupiter seen together when the former is near one of its favorable oppositions make a scene of strange beauty. After long intervals of time several of these great planets sometimes assemble in the same quarter, and such conjunctions are always memorable occurrences. The stars are forgotten in the presence of this new constellation, and yet the tiniest of the sparks that seems to hide its light in the depths beyond would master these great planets and make gravitational slaves of them, as the sun does.

The planets are so conspicuous to our eyes, because of their relative nearness, that it is not easy for the beginner in such studies to realize how insignificant they actually are. But suppose that one could fly like a spirit away from the earth and the neighborhood of the sun, out into the deeps of interstellar space. As he moved away the planets would seem to be swallowed up, one after the other, in the solar rays. First Mercury would disappear, as if it had fallen into the sun. It would be just like two neighboring lights which appear to draw together and blend into one as the observer travels away from them, the greater swallowing the less. Then brilliant Venus would go, plunging into the great solar furnace, to be seen no more. Next the earth would follow in the perspective holocaust. Mars would seem to draw nearer until he, too, disappeared; Jupiter would follow; then Saturn; then Uranus, and finally Neptune. When the last planet was gone the sun would be seen shining alone, unattended, as if he had never had any planets. Thus it may be with the stars; most of them may have systems of planets circling round them, but at our distance these planets are concealed in the rays of their primaries.

One would not need to go so far away as the stars in order to see the sun apparently swallow his planets, as Saturn was fabled to have swallowed his children. But as one approached the stellar region, the sun itself would become a mere star. Fainter and fainter it appears, glimmering and twinkling, deprived of its dominance, stripped of its splendor, a pitiful spark now instead of an all-ruling and blinding maker of daylight, until at last the far voyager from the earth, gazing with his soul in his eyes, straining his vision to the utmost to hold that glinting point clear of its fellows, _for it is his sun_, suddenly, as a momentary film blurs his sight, loses it, and henceforth seek as he may among the countless hosts that spangle the firmament, he will never again find the day-star under whose cheery beams he was born! Hidden in the Milky Way, one would have no more chance of recognizing the sun than of finding a particular grain of sand on the sea-shore. Man physical is as insignificant as the rock he dwells on and as the eye-searing orb that lights him at his daily work; but man spiritual is as great as the universe--and greater!

APPENDIX

URANOGRAPHY OR HEAVENLY DESCRIPTION OF THE CHURCHMEN

Many readers may be interested in seeing a list of the names given to the constellations when, as mentioned in the Introduction, the starry sky was “Christianized.” In the seventeenth century Julius Schillerius put forth his _Cœlum Stellatum Christianum_, and Jacobus Bartschius a celestial globe, in which all of the well-known constellations received new and strictly orthodox names. Unfortunately the sponsors for these names did not always agree in their choice, and a certain Harsdorfius (who may have been the poet Philip Harsdoerfer, born at Nuremberg in 1607) added to the confusion by further varying the selection. Wilhelm Schickard also introduced variations. In the following list the first of the “Christian” names given is that chosen by Schillerius, while their variants are due to either Harsdorfius, Schickard, or Bartschius:

ARIES--St. Peter--Abraham’s Ram.
TAURUS--St. Andrew--The Burnt Sacrifice.
GEMINI--St. James the Elder--Jacob and Esau.
CANCER--St. John the Evangelist.
LEO--St. Thomas--The Lion of Judah. (Observe that the variants are
generally more imaginative.)
VIRGO--St. James the Younger--The Virgin Mary.
LIBRA--St. Philip--Belshazzar’s Balances.
SCORPIO--St. Bartholomew.
SAGITTARIUS--St. Matthew--Ishmael.
CAPRICORNUS--St. Simon.
AQUARIUS--St. Jude--Naaman.
PISCES--St. Mathias--The Gospel Fishes.
URSA MINOR--St. Michael--One of Elisha’s Bears--The Wagon of Joseph.
URSA MAJOR--St. Peter’s Fishing-boat--Elisha’s other Bear--The Chariot
of Elias.
DRACO--The Innocents--The Dragon Infernal. (Quite a difference of
opinion.)
BOÖTES--St. Sylvester--Nimrod.
COMA BERENICES--The Scourge of Christ--Absalom’s Hair--Samson’s Hair.
CORONA BOREALIS--The Crown of Thorns--Queen Esther’s Crown.
HERCULES--The Three Wise Men of the East--Samson.
LYRA--The Saviour’s Manger--David’s Harp.
CYGNUS--The Cross of Calvary.
CASSIOPEIA--St. Mary Magdalen--Bathsheba.
CEPHEUS--St. Stephen--Solomon. (Solomon seems a better choice.)
PERSEUS WITH MEDUSA’S HEAD--David with the Head of Goliath--St. Paul.
ANDROMEDA--The Holy Sepulchre--Abigail. (The last reverses Andromeda’s
romance with a vengeance.)
AURIGA--Jacob--St. Jerome.
OPHIUCHUS ET SERPENS--St. Benedict--St. Paul and the Viper. (The
latter very pat.)
SAGITTA--The Lance of Calvary--Jonathan’s Arrow.
AQUILA--St. Katharine--The Standard of Rome.
DELPHINUS--The Canaanitish Woman’s Pitcher--Leviathan.
EQUULEUS--The Mystic Rose.
PEGASUS--St. Gabriel--Jeremiah’s King of Babylon.
TRIANGULUM--St. Peter’s Mitre--Emblem of the Trinity.
CETUS--Sts. Joachim and Anna--Jonah’s Whale.
ERIDANUS--The Red Sea with Moses Crossing It--The Brook of Cedron.
ORION--St. Joseph--Joshua. (The last a good choice.)
LEPUS--Gideon’s Fleece.
CANIS MAJOR--Tobias’s Dog--St. David.
CANIS MINOR--The Paschal Lamb.
ARGO NAVIS--Noah’s Ark. (Inevitable!)
HYDRA--The River Jordan.
CRATER (together with Corvus)--The Ark of the Covenant.
CORVUS (according to Schickard)--Elias’s Crow.
CENTAURUS--Abraham and Isaac.
LUPUS--Jacob.
ARA--The Altar of Incense.
CORONA AUSTRALIS--David’s Crown--Solomon’s Crown.
PISCIS AUSTRINUS--The Widow’s Meal Barrel--St. Peter’s Fish with Money
in Its Mouth.
GRUS }--Aaron.
PHŒNIX }
INDUS }--Job.
PAVO }
APUS }
CHAMELEON }--Eve.
PISCIS VOLANS }
TRIANGULUM AUSTRALE--The Cross of Christ. (At that time the Southern
Cross seems not to have been known.)
DORADO }
TOUCAN }--St. Raphael.
HYDRUS }

The southern constellations, Grus, Phœnix, Indus, Pavo, Apus, Chameleon, Piscis Volans, Triangulum Australe, Dorado, Toucan, and Hydrus, were all named by Bayer at the beginning of the seventeenth century, so that the revisers were not upsetting any antique legends in giving them more sacred names.

LETTERS OF THE GREEK ALPHABET EMPLOYED IN URANOGRAPHY

α--Alpha
β--Beta
γ--Gamma
δ--Delta
ε--Epsilon
ζ--Zeta
η--Eta
θ--Theta
ι--Iota
κ--Kappa
λ--Lambda
μ--Mu
ν--Nu
ξ--Xi
ο--Omicron
π--Pi
ρ--Rho
σ--Sigma
τ--Tau
υ--Upsilon
φ--Phi
χ--Chi
ψ--Psi
ω--Omega

PRONUNCIATION OF STAR AND CONSTELLATION NAMES

Achernar (ä-ké̃r-när)
Albireo (ăl-bí̄-rē-ō)
Alcyone (ăl-sí̄-ŏ-nē)
Aldebaran (ăl-dé̆b-ȧr-ăn)
Algenib (ăl-ḡén-ib)
Algenubi (ắl-ḡen-ú̄-bǐ)
Algieba (ăl-jé̄-bȧ)
Algol (ăl-gol)
Algorab (ắl-go-rá̈b)
Alioth (ắl-ĭ-ŏth)
Alkalurops (ắl-kā-lú̄-rŏps)
Alnilam (ắl-nĭ-lá̈m)
Alnitah (ăl-nĭ-tá̈h)
Almaack (ắl-mā-ắck)
Alphacca (ăl-fắk-kȧ)
Alphard (ăl-fá̈rd)
Alpheratz (ăl-fé̄-rătz)
Alrischa (ăl-rĭ-sh́ȧ)
Alrucaba (ăl-rũ-cá̈-bȧ)
Altair (ăl-tá̄r or ăl-ẗá̈-ǐr)
Aludra (á̈-lũ-dr̈á̈)
Andromeda (ăn-dŕŏm-ē-dȧ)
Antares (ǎn-tá̄-rēz)
Antinous (ăn-tí̆n-ŏ̄-ŭs)
Aquarius (ȧ-kẃā-rĭ-ŭs)
Aquila (ắk-wĭ-lȧ)
Arcturus (ärk-t́ũ-rŭs)
Argo Navis (ār-gō ńā-vǐs)
Aries (á̄-rēz or á̄-rǐ-ēs)
Auriga (äw-rí̄-ḡȧ)

Baten Kaitos (bá̈-tĕn kí̄tŏs)
Bellatrix (bĕl-lá̄-trĭx)
Benetnasch (bē-né̆t-născh)
Betelgeuse (bé̆t-ĕl-ḡooz or bé̆t-ĕl-gēz)
Boötes (bb̄-ó̄-tēz)

Camelopardalis (căm-ĕĺ-ō-pă´r-dā-lĭs)
Canes Venatici (cá̄-nēz vĕn-á̆t-ĭ̆-sī)
Canis Major (cá̄-nĭs má̄jor)
Canis Minor (cá̄-nĭs míṅor)
Canopus (cȧn-ó̄-pus)
Capella (cā-pé̆l-lȧ)
Caph (kāff)
Capricornus (cá̆p-rī-kór-nus)
Cassiopeia (cá̆s-sĭ-ō-pé̄-yȧ)
Centaurus (cĕn-táw-rus)
Cepheus (śē-fē-us or śē-fũs)
Cetus (śē-tŭs)
Coma Berenices (có̄mā bēr-ĕ-ní̄-sēs)
Corona Borealis (có̄-ró̄-nȧ bō-rē-á̄-lis)
Corvus (côŕ-vus)
Crater (crá̄-ter)
Cygnus (sĭǵ̄-nus)

Delphinus (del-fí̄-nus)
Deneb (dĕń-eb)
Denebola (dē-né̆b-ō-lȧ)
Draco (dŕā-co)
Dubhe (dũb́-hĕ)

Eltanin (ĕĺ-tȧ-nĭn)
Equuleus (ē-kwóo-lē-ŭs)
Eridanus (ē-rĭd́-ā-nus)

Fomalhaut (fó̄-măl-hôt)
Fornax (fôŕ-naks)

Gemini (jé̆m-ĭ-nī)
Giedi (jé̄-dĭ)
Gienah (jé̄-nah)
Gomelza (gō-mé̆l-zȧ)

Hamal (há̆m-al)
Hercules (hé̑r-kũ-lēz)
Hyades (hí̄-ȧ-dēz)
Hydra (hí̄-drȧ)

Lacerta (lȧ-sė̄r-ta)
Leo (lé̄-ō)
Lepus (lé̄-pus)
Libra (lí̄-brȧ)
Lyra (lí̄-rȧ)

Maia (má̄-yȧ)
Marfak (má̇r-făk)
Markab (má̇r-kăb)
Megrez (mé̄-grĕz)
Menkab (mĕn-ká̄b)
Menkalina (mé̆n-kȧ-lĭ-ná̄h)
Merope (mé̃r-ō-pē)
Mesarthim (mē-sār-th́ĭm)
Mintaka (mĭń-tȧ-kȧ)
Mira (mí̄-rȧ)
Mirach (mí̄-rak)
Mizar (mí̄-zȧr)
Monoceros (mō-nŏś-ĕr-ŏs)
Murzim (mú̆r-zĭm)

Ophiuchus (ó̄-fĭ-ú̄-kus)
Orion (ō-rí̄-ŏn)

Pegasus (pĕǵ-ā-sŭs)
Perseus (pé̃r-sē-ŭs or pé̃r-sũs)
Pisces (pĭś-sēz)
Piscis Austrinus (pi̇̆s-sĭs aus-tŕī-nus)
Pleiades (pĺē-ǎd-ēz or plí̄-ǎd-ēz)
Polaris (pō-lȧŕ-ĭs)
Pollux (pó̌l-lux)
Porrima (pó̆r-rĭ-mȧ)
Præsepe (prē-sé̄-pē)
Procyon (prō-sí̄-ǒn)

Ras Algethi (rȧs ǎĺ-gĕ-th́ǐ)
Rastaban (rȧs-tà-bāń)
Regulus (ré̆ḡ-ũ-lǔs)
Rigel (rí̄-ḡĕl or rí̄-jĕl)

Sagitta (sȧ-jí̌t-tȧ)
Sagittarius (sȧ-jǐt-tá̄-rǐ-ǔs)
Scheat (she-ǎt́)
Schedar (shěd́-där)
Scorpio (skór-pǐ-ō)
Scutum Sobieskii (sḱũ-tǔm sō-bǐ-ěś-kǐ-ī)
Serpens (sé̃r-pens)
Sirius (sǐŕ-ǐ-ǔs)
Spica (spí̄-kȧ)

Taurus (tāú-rǔs)
Thuban (thu-bäń)
Triangulum (trī-ǎń-ġũ-lǔm)

Ursa Major (ûŕ-sȧ má̄-jor)
Ursa Minor (ûŕ-sȧ mí̄-nor)

Vega (vé̄-ḡȧ)
Vindemiatrix (vǐn-dé̄-mǐ-á̄-trǐx)
Virgo (vėŕ-go)
Vulpecula (vǔl-pěḱ-ũ-lȧ)

Wesen (wá̄-zĕn)

Zavijava (zȧ-vǐ-já̈-vāh)
Zubenelgenubi (zũ-bé̆n-ěl-jen-ú̄-bǐ)
Zubeneschemali (zũ-bé̌n-ěs-she-ḿȧ-lǐ)

INDEX

“A,” the letter, 108.

Achernar, 107.

Adhara, 100.

Afternoon of the year, 72.

Albireo, 64.

Al Chiba, 33.

Alcor, 41.

Alcyone, 110.

Aldebaran, 107 _et seq._

Alderamin, 91.

Aleph, 108.

Alfirk, 92.

Algedi, 78.

Algenib, 86.

Algieba, 36.

Algol, 86.

Algorab, 33.

Al Hiba, 33.

Alioth, 41.

Allen, R. H., quoted, 41, 57, 64, 70, 78, 101, 102.

Almaack, 82.

Alnilam, 102.

Alnitah, 102.

Alpha Andromedæ, 12, 81.
Aquarii, 77.
Aquilæ, 65.
Arietis, 83.
Aurigæ, 111.
Boötes, 67.
Canis Majoris, 94.
Canis Minoris, 113.
Capricorni, 78.
Cassiopeiæ, 88.
Centauri, 65.
Cephei, 91.
Ceti, 114.
Corvi, 33.
Cygni, 63.
Draconis, 45, 48.
Geminorum, 113.
Herculis, 59.
Hydræ, 35.
Leonis, 35.
Libræ, 70.
Lyræ, 48, 61.
Orionis, 104.
Pegasi, 81.
Piscis Austrinus, 75.
Piscium, 115.
Scorpii, 54.
Serpentis, 57.
Tauri, 107.
Ursæ Majoris, 40.
Ursæ Minoris, 46.
Virginis, 29.

Alphard, 34.

Alpheratz, 12, 81.

Al Rischa, 115.

Altair, 65.

Aludra, 100.

American Ephemeris, 122.

Andromedæ, 12, 81.

Antares, 54.

Antinous, 66.

Aonian Dragon, 34.

Aquarius, 77 _et seq._

Aquila, 65.

Aratus, quoted, 30.

Arctophilax, 68.

Arcturus, 43, 67 _et seq._

Argonautic Expedition, 34.

Aries, 83, 84.

Auriga, 111.

Autumnal Equinox, 71.

Barnard, E. E., quoted, 59.

Beehive, the, 38.

Bell, Dr. Louis, quoted, 90.

Bellatrix, 105.

Belt of Orion, 102, 105.

Beta Andromedæ, 81.
Aquarii, 78.
Arietis, 84.
Aurigæ, 112.
Canis Majoris, 100.
Canis Minoris, 113.
Capricorni, 78.
Cassiopeiæ, 88.
Cephei, 92.
Ceti, 115.
Corvi, 33.
Cygni, 64.
Geminorum, 113.
Leonis, 37.
Libræ, 70.
Lyræ, 63.
Orionis, 104.
Pegasi, 81.
Scorpii, 55.
Tauri, 109.
Ursæ Majoris, 40.
Ursæ Minoris, 46.
Virginis, 32.

Betelgeuse, 104.

Boötes, 43, 69.

Cancer, 38.

Canes Venatici, 42, 69.

Canis Major, 100.

Canis Minor, 113.

Capella, 43, 111.

Caph, 88.

Capricornus, 78.

Carman, Bliss, quoted, 22.

Cassiopeia, 47, 88.

Castor, 113.

Cepheus, 91.

Cetus, 114.

Chair, Cassiopeia’s, 87.

Cheops, pyramid of, 45.

Christianization of sky, 12.

Clerke, Agnes M., quoted, 111.

Coma Berenices, 38.

Constellations, their uses, 12, 13.

Cor Caroli, 42.

Cor Hydræ, 34.

Corona Borealis, 66.

Corvus, 32.

Crater, 33.

Crete, discoveries in, 62.

Cupid’s Arrow, 80.

Cygnus, 63.

61 Cygni, 64.

Dabih, 78.

Dana, R. H., quoted, 77.

Delphinus, 79.

Delta Andromedæ, 81.
Canis Majoris, 100.
Cassiopeiæ, 47, 88.
Corvi, 33.
Orionis, 102.
Sagittarii, 56.
Serpentis, 57.
Ursæ Majoris, 40.
Virginis, 32.

Demon star, 86.

Deneb, 63.

Deneb Kaitos, 115.

Denebola, 37 _et seq._

Dipper in Sagittarius, 56.

Dippers, the, 29.

Discipline in the sky, 9.

Donati’s comet, 69.

Draco, 44 _et seq._

Dream of the universe, 91.

Dubhe, 41.

Durchmusterungs, 12.

Eltanin, 46.

Emerson, R. W., quoted, 22, 53, 61.

Epsilon Canis Majoris, 100.
Boötes, 69.
Lyræ, 63.
Orionis, 102.
Pegasi, 81.
Serpentis, 57.
Ursæ Majoris, 40.
Virginis, 32.

Equator, 13.

Equinoctial colure, 88.

Equinoctial storms, 71.

Equinoxes, 13.

Eridanus, 106.

Esculapius, 57.

Eta Cassiopeiæ, 89.
Canis Majoris, 100.

Eta Tauri, 107.

Expectancy of astronomers, 27.

Feet of Ursa Major, 42.

Field of the nebulæ, 32.

Flammarion, quoted, 108.

Fomalhaut, 75.

Furud, 100.

Galileo, 38.

Gamma Andromedæ, 82.
Aquarii, 78.
Arietis, 84.
Capricorni, 79.
Ceti, 114.
Corvi, 33.
Draconis, 46.
Leonis, 36.
Lyræ, 63.
Orionis, 105.
Pegasi, 80.
Virginis, 32.

Gardens of the sky, 72.

Garnet star, 92.

Gateway of souls, 39.

Gemini, 113.

Gemma, 66.

Gienah, 33.

“God’s Eye,” 108.

Gomeisa, 114.

Great Bear, 40.

Great Dipper, 40.

Great Square of Pegasus, 80.

Great Year, Plato’s, 62.

Greenwich of the sky, 14.

Halley’s comet, 65.

Hamal, 83.

Hathor, temple of, 46.

Hercules, 59.

Hesperus, 123.

Hexagon of Orion, 28.

Hole in the sky, 59.

Horus, 122.

Hyades, 108.

Hydra, 34.

Influence of the stars, 10, 18, 22, 27, 29, 35, 39, 44, 53, 68, 75,
93, 102, 110, 116.

Isis, 97.

Jason, 34.

Job’s Coffin, 79.

Job’s Star, 68.

Jupiter, 121, 123.

Kappa Cassiopeiæ, 90.
Orionis, 105.

Karnak, 46.

Kochab, 49.

Laconian Key, 87.

Lambda Ophiuchi, 57.
Orionis, 105.

Language for celestial marvels, 61.

Learning the stars, ease of, 17;
best season for, 93.

Leo, 35.

Lepus, 107.

Lewis, G. C., quoted, 25, 97.

Libra, 70.

Lockyer, Norman, quoted, 97.

Longfellow, H. W., quoted, 71.

Lucky stars, 77, 78.

Lyra, 61.

Magellan Clouds, R. H. Dana on, 77.

Marfik, 58.

Markab, 81.

Mars, 121, 124.

Mazzaroth, 98.

Medusa, head of, 86.

Megrez, 41.

Menkalina, 112.

Menkar, 114.

Merak, 41.

Mercury, 122.

Meridian, 13.

Mesarthim, 84.

Milky Way, 17, 18, 27, 56, 64, 72.

Mintaka, 102.

Mira, 114.

Mirach, 81.

Mirrors, sky views by, 19.

Mitchel, Gen. O. M., 55.

Mizar, 41, 47.

Morning of the year, 21.

Moses and the Brazen Serpent, 57.

Mukdim-al Kitaf, 31.

Murzim, 100.

Mut, temple of, 46.

Mystery in the sky, 58.

8 M., 56.

Names of stars and travellers, 76.

Nautical Almanac, 122.

Nebulæ, in Andromeda, 82.
in Canes Venatici, 69.
in Lyra, 63.
in Ophiuchus, 58.
in Orion, 103.
in Sagittarius, 56.
in Virgo, 32.

New star of 1901, 90.

Northern Cross, 63.

Northern Crown, 66.

North star, 46, 116.

November meteors, 37.

Nu Scorpii, 55.

Omicron Ceti, 114.

Ophiuchus, 57.

Orion, 101 _et seq._

Orion group of constellations, 40.

Pearl, the, 66.

Pegasus, 80.

Perseus, 85.

Phæd, 41.

Phæton, 84.

Phosphorus, 123.

Pi Orionis, 105.

Pisces, 85, 115.

Piscis Austrinus, 75.

Planets, the, 118;
apparent swallowing by sun, 125.

Plato, quoted, 39.

Pleiades, 109 _et seq._

Pointers, the, 42.

Polaris, 46, 116.

Pole-stars, succession of, 48.

Pollux, 113.

Porrima, 32.

Præsepe, 38.

Precession of equinoxes, 47, 84.

Procyon, 113 _et seq._

Pulcherrima, 69.

Ras Algethi, 59 _et seq._

Ras Alhague, 57.

Reflection, sky seen by, 19;
supposed visibility of Jupiter’s moons by, 124.

Regulus, 35 _et seq._

Revelation of the stars, 10.

Revolution of the pole, 48.

Revolutions of the heavens, 16.

Rho Ophiuchi, 58.

Richter, Jean Paul, quoted, 91.

Rigel, 104.

Right Ascension, 13.

Rising stars, attraction of, 29.

Royal family of sky, 75.

Royal stars, 35.

Ruchbah, 88.

Sadachbia, 78.

Sadalmelik, 77.

Sadalsuud, 78.

Sagitta, 79.

Sagittarius, 56.

St. Paul and the viper, 57.

Saiph, 105.

Saturn, 122, 124.

Scheat, 81.

Schedar, 88.

Scorpio, 55.

Serpens, 57.

Set, 122.

Shakespeare, quoted, 49, 80.

Sheratan, 84.

Shield of Orion, 105.

Sickle, the, 37.

Sigma Tauri, 109.

Sirius, 94 _et seq._

Smyth, Admiral, quoted, 32.

Sobieski’s Shield, 57, 65.

Solstices, 13.

Sophocles, quoted, 67.

Southern Cross, R. H. Dana on, 77.

Southern Fish, 75.

Spica, 29 _et seq._

Star colors, 44, 83, 89, 90.

Star magnitudes, 98.

Streaming of stars, 81, 106.

Struve invents star color, 106.

Summer Solstice, 50.

Sword-hand of Perseus, 86.

Sword of Orion, 103.

Tent, the, 33.

Theta Orionis, 103.

Theta Tauri, 109.

Three Guides, the, 88.

Thuban, 45, 48.

Toorus, 107.

Tropic of Capricorn, 79;
of Cancer, 40.

Tycho’s star, 90.

Ursa Major, 40.

Ursa Minor, 46.

Uru-anna, 101.

Vega, 43, 61 _et seq._

Venus, 120, 123.

Vernal Equinox, 21.

Vindemiatrix, 31.

Virgin, origin of name, 30.

Virgo, 29 _et seq._

Vulpecula et Anser, 80.

“W,” the letter, 87.

Wesen, 100.

Whirlpool nebula, 69.

Whitney, Prof., quoted, 78.

Winter heavens, glories of, 93.

Winter Solstice, 93.

“XM” class of stars, 31, 64, 104.

Xavier de Maistre, quoted, 89.

Year, various beginnings of, 25 _et seq._

Zeta Ursæ Majoris, 40.
Aquarii, 78.
Canis Majoris, 100.
Herculis, 60.
Orionis, 102, 106.

Zodiac, 84.

Zubeneschemali, 70.

Zubenelgenubi, 70.

THE END

Transcriber’s Notes

A few minor errors in punctuation have been fixed.

In the section on pronunciation of star and constellation names, combining diacritics may display following the letter they modify in certain fonts.

Page 79: “minimum visibile” changed to “minimum visible”