A Field Book of the Stars Part 2

[Ill.u.s.tration: LEO

THE SICKLE]

COMA BERENICES (ko-ma ber-e-ni-sez)--BERENICE'S HAIR.

LOCATION.--A line drawn from Regulus to Zosma, in Leo, and prolonged an equal distance, strikes this fine cl.u.s.ter, which is 18 northeast of Zosma, d Leonis.

The group lies well within a triangle formed by Denebola, Arcturus, in Botes, and Cor Caroli, in Canes Venatici, which triangle is the upper half of the Diamond of Virgo.

Twenty or thirty stars in this group can be counted with an opera-gla.s.s, and the group can be easily distinguished with the naked eye, when the moon is not visible.

The first half of the month of April can be called the most brilliant sidereal period of the year. At this time eleven first-magnitude stars are visible in this lat.i.tude at 9 P.M. From east to west they are: Vega, Arcturus, Spica, Regulus, Pollux, Procyon, Sirius, Capella, Aldebaran, Betelgeuze, and Rigel, truly a glorious company, an incomparable sight.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COMA BERENICES]

CANIS MINOR (ka-nis mi-nor)--THE LESSER DOG. (Face West.)

LOCATION.--Procyon, the Little Dog Star, lies about 23 south of Pollux, in Gemini. A line drawn from Nath, in Auriga, to Alhena, in Gemini, and prolonged about 18, reaches Procyon.

Procyon is equidistant from Betelgeuze in Orion, and Sirius in Canis Major, and forms with them an equilateral triangle. It forms a large right-angled triangle with Pollux and Betelgeuze.

The light from Procyon is golden yellow. Four degrees northwest of it is the third-magnitude star Gomeisa. The gla.s.s shows two small stars forming a right-angled triangle with it.

Procyon was distinctly mentioned by Ptolemy. It rises in this lat.i.tude a little north of east about half an hour before Sirius, the Dog Star, hence it was called Procyon from two Greek words which signify "before the dog."

Procyon is one of our nearest neighbors in s.p.a.ce, at a distance of ten light years, and is attended by a very faint companion which is only visible in the largest telescopes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CANIS MINOR]

CORVUS (kr-vus)--THE CROW. (Face South.)

LOCATION.--A line drawn from the Bee Hive, in Cancer, through Regulus, in Leo, and prolonged about 40, ends near the conspicuous quadrilateral which distinguishes Corvus. The brightest star in this region of the sky is Spica, in Virgo. It lies about 10 northeast of Algorab.

? is a double star for an opera-gla.s.s. A faint pair of stars lie close below and to the west of . The Crow is represented as standing on, and pecking at, the coils of Hydra. The star Al Chiba is in the Crow's bill.

Corvus was known as the Raven in Chaucer's time.

d is an interesting telescopic double.

A line drawn from ? to Corvi and prolonged twice its length locates the third-magnitude star ? Centauri in the right shoulder of the Centaur. The brightest stars in this constellation are not visible in this lat.i.tude.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CORVUS]

CRATER (kra-ter)--THE CUP. (Face South.)

LOCATION.--Crater is situated 15 west of Corvus, and due south of ?

Leonis. It is easily distinguished by reason of a beautiful and very striking semicircle of six stars of the fourth magnitude, forming the bowl of the cup.

The constellation resembles a goblet with its base resting on the coils of Hydra.

The star Alkes is common to Hydra and Crater, and may be seen 24 southeast of Alphard in the heart of Hydra. It is distinguished by its forming an equilateral triangle with a and ?, stars of the same magnitude 6 south and east of it.

Corvus and Crater are to be seen half-way up the southern sky during the early evenings in spring.

d is now the lucida.

Crater is situated at about the centre of Hydra and is on the meridian, April 26th. Owing to its many faint stars it is best seen on a clear moonless night.

The zodiacal light is well worth observing at this season of the year.

It is to be seen in the western sky shortly after sundown, and is most intense during the evenings of March.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CRATER]

METEORIC SHOWERS.

APRIL TO JULY.

+--------------------+---------+--------------------+---------------+-------------+--------+ | | | | | Other Dates | | | Name of Shower | Date | Radiant Point |Characteristics| of |Location| | | | | | Observation | | +--------------------+---------+--------------------+---------------+-------------+--------+ | Beta or Mu |Apr. 9-16| The Dragon's head | | | N.E. | | Draconids | Apr. 18 | | Sw. F. | Apr. 17-25 | | | Beta Serpentids | | The Serpent's head | | | S.E. | +--------------------+---------+--------------------+---------------+-------------+--------+ | Lyrids, | | About 10 from | | | | | rich shower | Apr. 20 | Vega toward | V. Sw. | | N.E. | | | | Hercules | | | | +--------------------+---------+--------------------+---------------+-------------+--------+ | Eta Aquarids, | May 6 | Near the Water | Sw. Sk. | After 2 A.M.| E. | | fine annual shower | | Jar | | | | +--------------------+---------+--------------------+---------------+-------------+--------+ | Alpha Coronids, | May 11 | Near Gemma | Sl. F. | May 7-18 | N. | |well defined in 1885| | (a) Coron B. | | | | +--------------------+---------+--------------------+---------------+-------------+--------+ | Iota Pegasids, | | Between Cygnus | | May 29- | | |well defined shower | May 30 | and the Great | Sw. Sk. |June 4 after | N.E. | | | | Square | | 10 P.M. | | +--------------------+---------+--------------------+---------------+-------------+--------+ | Beta Herculids | June 7 | Near the Crown | Sl. B. | A fire ball | S.E. | | | | About 8S. of Ras | | radiant | | | Beta Ophiuchids | June 10 | Alhague | Sl. | June 10, 13 | S.E. | +--------------------+---------+--------------------+---------------+-------------+--------+ | Delta Cepheids | June 20 | About 13 from | | June 10-28, | | | | | () Ca.s.siopei | Sw. |July 19, Aug.| N. | | | | | | 25, etc. | | +--------------------+---------+--------------------+---------------+-------------+--------+

The Abbreviations under _Characteristics_ are as follows:

V.--very.

M.--moderately.

Sw.--swift.

Sl.--slow.

Sh.--short.

B.--bright.

F.--faint.