Part 10

LOCATION.--A line drawn from Cygni, to Lyrae, and projected a little over 40, terminates in the Crown, which lies between Hercules and Bo[:o]tes, and just above the diamond-shaped group of stars in the head of the Serpent.

The characteristic semicircle resembling a crown is easily traced out. The principal stars are of the fourth magnitude excepting Gemma, which is a second-magnitude star and known as the "Pearl of the Crown."

Gemma, sometimes called Alphacca, forms with the stars Seginus and Arcturus, in Bo[:o]tes, an isosceles triangle, the vertex of which is at Arcturus.

Close to a famous temporary appeared suddenly May 12, 1866, as a second-magnitude star. It was known as the "Blaze Star" and was visible to the naked eye only eight days, fading at that time to a tenth-magnitude star, and then rising to an eighth-magnitude, where it still remains.

The native Australians called this constellation "The Boomerang." To the Hebrews it was "Ataroth" and by this name it is known in the East to-day. No two of the seven stars composing the Crown are moving in the same direction or at the same rate.

Coronae is seventy-eight light years distant and sixty times brighter than the sun.

HERCULES (her'-k[=u]-l[=e]z)--THE KNEELER.

LOCATION.--A line drawn from either Vega, in Lyra, or Altair, in Aquila, to Gemma, in Corona Borealis, passes through this constellation. The left foot of Hercules rests on the head of Draco, on the north, and his head nearly touches the head of Ophiuchus on the south.

The star in the head of Hercules, Ras Algethi, is about 25 southeast of Corona Borealis.

Ophiuchi and Herculis are only about 5 apart.

The cluster 13 M., the Halley Nebula, can be easily seen in an opera-glass. In a recent photograph of this cluster 50,000 stars are shown in an area of sky which would be entirely covered by the full moon.

Hercules occupies the part of the heavens toward which the sun is bearing the earth and planets at the rate of twelve miles a second or 373 million miles a year.

On a clear night the asterism Cerberus, the three-headed dog, which Hercules holds in his hand, can be seen.

This constellation is said to have been an object of worship in Phoenicia. There is a good deal of mystery about its origin. The ancient Greeks called it "The Phantom" and "The Man upon his Knees."

The stars , , [[^e]], and form a keystone shaped figure that serves to identify the constellation.

BO[:O]TES (b[=o]-[=o]'t[=e]z)--THE HERDSMAN, OR BEAR DRIVER. (Face West.)

LOCATION.--Bo[:o]tes lies just west of the Crown, and east of Cor Caroli. It may be easily distinguished by the position and splendor of its principal star, Arcturus, which shines with a golden yellow lustre. It is about 35 east of Denebola, in Leo, and nearly as far north of Spica, in Virgo, and forms with these two a large equilateral triangle. A line drawn from to [[^e]] Ursae Majoris and prolonged about 30 locates it, as does one from Herculis to Coronae prolonged its length.

The brightest stars in Bo[:o]tes outline a characteristic kite-shaped figure. Arcturus is mentioned in the Book of Job and is often referred to as "The Star of Job."

Three stars of the fourth magnitude are situated in the right hand. They are about 5 north of [[^e]] Ursae Majoris.

Contrast the color of Arcturus with Spica, Antares, and Vega.

The trapezium , , , and , was called "The Female Wolves," by the Arabians; , , and , "The Whelps of the Hyenas." They knew the constellation as "The Vociferator."

Arcturus is the fourth brightest star in the northern hemisphere. It is 1000 times the size of our sun and rushes through space toward Virgo at the astounding rate of ninety miles a second. It is forty light years distant.

The ancient Greeks called this constellation "Lycaon," a name which signifies a Wolf. The Hebrew name for it was "The Barking Dog."

VIRGO (ver'-g[=o])--THE VIRGIN. (Face West.)

LOCATION.--An imaginary line drawn from Antares in Scorpius through Librae and prolonged a little over 20 strikes Spica, the brightest star in Virgo, which star is about 30 southwest of Arcturus.

Arcturus, Cor Caroli, Denebola, and Spica form a figure about 50 in length, called the Diamond of Virgo.

The equator, ecliptic, and equinoctial colure intersect each other at a point close to the star [[^e]]. This is called the autumnal equinox.

The star is known as the "Grape Gatherer." It is observed to rise just before the sun at vintage time.