prolonged 30° further; is also 7° west of Aquila. a Ophiuchi, which marks the man's head, can be found by drawing a line from Polaris to ẞ Draconis, and prolonging it an equal distance. It may also be located by a line from a Boötis to the head of the serpent, prolonged as far again. a Herculis is but 6° from a Ophiuchi. and y are in the right shoulder of Ophiuẞ chus, and in his left. His right knee is at 7, and his left at; his right foot is at 0, and his left stands on Scorpio, close to a Scorpii. Scorpii. While Serpens is comparatively easy to learn, Ophiuchus requires some attention; therefore we have entered into considerable detail. One third of the way from Serpentis to a Ophiuchi an opera-glass will pick up a cluster. In the same line, Clusters. not far from a, is another cluster almost bright enough to be visible to the naked eye. There are many fine double stars and clusters in these constellations, but they are chiefly for good-sized telescopes. Ophiuchus is supposed to represent Æsculapius, the god of medicine. Many temples were erected in his honor in various parts of Greece, and were used as hospitals, as well as for worship. Tame serpents were kept at Epidaurus, the principal seat of his worship, and the god himself frequently assumed the form of a serpent. Mythology. Which is the nearer to a Herculis, the head or the left shoulder of Ophiuchus? A small triangle of stars is Queries. 5° southeast of 3 Ophiuchi ; what are their magnitudes ? Two fifths of the way from a Ophiuchi to 0, the last star in the serpent's tail, is a double star 72 Ophiuchi; what is its magnitude? Sagittarius. This constellation is next to Scorpio, and east of it. In the middle of June it is on the meridian at 1 p. m. It is best therefore not to study it till 10 p. m., or else Description. The "milkdipper." Fine fields. Description. to wait till the latter part of July, when it can be seen σ FIG. 46.-SAGITTARIUS. Sagittarius is a Centaur, who is shooting at the Scorpion. The bowl of the milkdipper is in his body.,, and ε represent the bow on which y there is an arrow, whose tip is at y. In the latter part of August, when the constel lation is on the meridian, full in the south at 9 p. m., one may well explore the Milky Way in and above Sagittarius, with the help of an opera-glass or small telescope. There are several fine clusters and beautiful fields. Their whereabouts are indicated to the naked eye by bright spots in the Galaxy. Cepheus. Cepheus lies between Cassiopeia and Draco. The five brightest stars form a rude square surmounted by an isosceles triangle (Fig. 47). The entire figure is 20° long. is 12° from Polaris, nearly on a line from it to Cassiopeia. a forms an equilateral triangle with Polaris and Cassiopeia. A line from 7 to a, prolonged an equal distance, meets a Cygni. King Cepheus sits behind his wife Cassiopeia; his head is marked by and two fainter stars close by it; his foot-stool is the tail of the Little Bear; 7 is in his left knee; the rest of his figure may y δ be supplied as one pleases. FIG. 47.-CEPHEUS. α Its magnitude varies Cepheus, like some men nowadays, was best known through his family. The "Classical Dictionary" says sententiously of him, "King of Ethiopia, son of Belus, husband of Cassiopeia, and father of Andromeda, was placed among the stars after his death.” α Capricornus. A variable double. Mythology. This constellation is east of Sagittarius. The line of a Aquila (Altair) and its two immediate comrades, ex- Description. tended southward, strikes into the heart of it. We shall not try to imagine that it is a goat, but rather the crosssection of a row boat (Fig. 48). The distance across the boat from a to d is 22°. A line from Polaris to r Cygni, prolonged an equal distance, ends at a, which the naked eye shows as a double. An opera-glass shows to be double. By noticing that there is a pair Pairs of stars. of stars at each corner of the figure, one will have no difficulty in picking out the outline of the constellation in the heavens. A good view of Capricornus cannot be obtained during June until after midnight. In the latter part of Mythology. FIG. 48.-CAPRICORNUS. August it reaches the meridian before II o'clock, and is well situated for observation at 9 o'clock. The mythology of this constellation is "confusion worse confounded.” One who tries to study it up may be pardoned for wishing that Jupiter had given the goat a nice pasture in his back yard, and kept it out of sight of mortals. CHAPTER VII. THE ASTRONOMER. "Priest-ministrant within this mighty Fane, —A. V. G. An author and STUDENTS of English literature in our colleges are now encouraged, when studying the works of any his works. particular author, to study the man as well, to become familiar with his daily life, to learn his personal history, to study his habits and his environment. In this way one is the better equipped to understand and to criticise his works, for the man is pretty sure to be reflected in his writings. Learning his point of view, we can the better appreciate the conclusions which he reaches, and can make allowance for his personal bias. If he be a thoroughly lovable man and an inspiring writer, we gain a greater uplift from unconsciously associating the man's character with his productions. Why not astronomers? If this method is valuable in English literature, why should it not be in astronomy? Almost all of our analyze knowledge of astronomy comes from the writings of men who state that they have perceived this and that, that they have made such and such measurements, that they have drawn certain conclusions. Why should we not inquire into the characters of these men? If some astronomer, who is noted for his powerful fancy, announces that he has found strong evidence that |