Chapter I: Front Matter

THE MUSIC
OF THE SPHERES

_A Nature Lover's Astronomy_

BY

FLORENCE ARMSTRONG GRONDAL

NEW YORK

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

1926

_All rights reserved_

IN
GRATEFUL APPRECIATION
OF HIS KINDLY AND
HELPFUL INTEREST
THIS BOOK IS
DEDICATED TO
SAMUEL L. BOOTHROYD
PROFESSOR IN CHARGE OF
THE FUERTES OBSERVATORY
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
ITHACA, N. Y.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I BEHOLD--THE STARS!

II AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STARS

III THE ROMANCE OF THE STARS

IV THE TWO SKY DIPPERS AND DRACO, THE DRAGON

V THE STORY OF ANDROMEDA IN STARS
Cepheus, the King--Cassiopeia, the Queen--Perseus, the
Hero--Andromeda, the Princess--Pegasus, the Flying Horse--Cetus, the
Sea-monster.

VI THE PARADE OF THE ZENITH CONSTELLATIONS
Leo, the Lion--Berenice's Hair--Boötes, the Herdsman--The
Northern Crown--Hercules, the Giant--Lyra, the Harp--The
Northern Cross.

VII THE SPECTATORS OF THE ZENITH PAGEANT
Aquila, the Eagle--Delphinus, the Dolphin--Sagittarius, the
Archer--Hydra, the Watersnake--Auriga, the Charioteer.

VIII GREAT STARS OF THE SOUTH
Spica--Antares--Formalhaut--Sirius.

IX THE STORY OF ORION AND TAURUS, THE BULL
The Lion's Skin--Betelgeuse, on Orion's Shoulder--Rigel, on
Orion's Foot--Orion's Head--Orion's Belt--The Great Nebula
of Orion--Orion's Two Dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor--Taurus,
the Bull--The Hyades--The Pleiades-Castor and Pollux,
the Heavenly Twins.

X ALONG THE MILKY WAY
The Milky Way--The Two Crosses--The Magellanic Clouds.

XI OUR NEAREST STAR--THE SUN
The Surface of the Sun--An Eclipse of the Sun.

XII THE CHILDREN OF THE SUN
The Planets--The Planetoids--Comets--Meteors.

XIII VENUS AND JUPITER
The Bright Planet of Venus, the Goddess of Love--The Giant
Planet of Jupiter, the King of the Gods.

XIV MARS AND SATURN
The Red Planet of Mars, the God of War--The Ringed Planet
of Saturn, the God of Time.

XV MERCURY, URANUS AND NEPTUNE
The Tiny Planet of Mercury, the Messenger of the Gods--The
Strange Planet of Uranus, the Ancient God of the Heavens--The
Boundary Planet of Neptune, the God of the Sea.

XVI THE EARTH--A PLANET AT CLOSE RANGE

XVII THE EARTH'S MOON--A NEAR VIEW OF A SATELLITE

PRONOUNCING DICTIONARY

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE CITED

INDEX

FULL PAGE PLATES

A Treasure Trove of 50,000 Stars

An Irregular Nebula in Scutum Sobieski

The Two Sky Dippers and Draco, the Dragon

The Sky Drama of Andromeda

The Story of Andromeda in Stars

The Great Nebula of Andromeda

The Zenith Pageant

A Star Cluster in Hercules

The Ring Nebula in Lyra

A Dark Nebula in Ophiuchus

The Pageant Spectators

The Four Great Southern Stars

The Battle of Orion

The Dark Bay Nebula

Nebulosity in the Pleiades

Stages in Eclipse of Sun

Meteoric Shower of 1833

Jupiter and Four of His Moons

Saturn and His Rings

The Earth, Seen from a Distance

Columbian Lava Flow in the State of Washington

Southern Portion of Moon

Northern Portion of Moon

Lunar Crater Copernicus

ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT

Big Dipper

Earth's Crust

The Ancient World

Cygnus, the Swan

Orientation of Orion

Orientation of Orion

The Big Dipper

Arcturus

The Big Dipper Stars

The Little Dipper

Orientation of Little Dipper

The Great Bear's Feet

The Two Bears and Draco, the Dragon

The Little Bear's Tail

The Great Bear

Draco

Former Pole Star

Cepheus

Cassiopeia and Cepheus

Cepheus symbol

Perseus, Andromeda and Pegasus

Perseus and the Star Algol

The "W" of Cassiopeia

Orientation of Cassiopeia

Stars in Cassiopeia

Stars in Cassiopeia

Perseus

The Chain of Andromeda

Stars of Andromeda

The Square of Pegasus

Job's Coffin

Stars of Pegasus

The Winged Horse

Cetus

Cetus, the Whale

Myra, the Wonderful

Triangulum, Aries and Pisces

Leo

Leo, the Lion

Triangle of Leo

Constellation of Leo

Radiant Point of November Meteors

Radiant Point of Shooting Stars

Præsepe

Berenice's Hair

Ancient Position of Leo's Tail

Present Configuration of Leo

Boötes

Arcturus

Canes Venatici

Parallax Angles of Star

The Northern Crown

Ariadne's Crown

Hercules

The Head Stars of Hercules and Ophiuchus

Cluster of Hercules

Lyra

Precessional Orbit of the Pole

Stars and Ring Nebula in Lyra

Harp of Orpheus

The Great Northern Cross

The Cross in the West

Cygni

Albireo, on Cygnus, the Swan

Aquila

The Three Birds

The Shaft of Altair

Delphinus

Delphinus, the Dolphin

Sagittarius

The Bow, the Scorpion and Hydra's Tail

The Bow and Arrow

The Milk Dipper

The Southern Pointers

Hydra

Double Stars on Hydra

Constellation of Hydra

Auriga

Capella and the Kids

Perseus and Capella

The Big Dipper and Capella

Locating Vega, Capella and Arcturus

Spica

Field of nebulæ

Relative Position of Virgo

Relative Position of Arcturus and Spica

Antares

Scorpio

Formalhaut

Urn of Aquarius

The Sky Sea

Sirius

Orion and the "Dog Star"

The winter battle

Orion

The Lion's Skin

Betelgeuse

Rigel

Eridanus

Orion, the Hunter

Orion's Head

Orion's Belt

Nebula of Orion

Orion's Dogs

Taurus

Taurus with Horns

The Hyades

The Pleiades

The Stars of the Pleiades

The December Sky

Castor and Pollux

The Heavenly Twins

Gemini, Orion and Taurus

Relative Positions of Constellations

Tanabata and Hirkboshi

The Two Crosses

Alpha and Beta Centauri

Solar Prominences

Hydrogen Flames on Sun

Sun Spots

Direct Photograph of Sun

Annular Eclipse

Position of Sun, Moon and Earth During Eclipse

The Solar Corona

Orbits of Outer Planets

Plane of Earth's Orbit

Orbit of Comet

Tail of Comet

Comet 1910

Phases of Venus

Venus, showing Crescent Phase

The Planet Jupiter

Polar Caps and Surface Markings on Mars

Rings of Saturn

Aspects of Saturn's Rings

Earth's Shadow

Earth-lit New Moon

The "seas" of the Moon

Mountains of the Moon

"Seas" of the Crescent Moon

Craters of the Moon

Plato

Lunar Craters

THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES

[Figure 01: A TREASURE-TROVE OF 50,000 STARS. Photograph of the star cluster in Hercules by Mount Wilson Observatory through the 60-inch reflector.]

THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES