a capella

leading luminary of Auriga. It is at one corner of an ir-
regular five-sided figure, the other corners being at ß, ß
Tauri, 0, and (Fig. 23). The distance from Capella
to Tauri is 20°. The remainder of the constellation
consists chiefly of inconspicuous stars, lying on the
north and east sides of the five-sided polygon. Auriga
signifies "the charioteer."
A line from 0 to ẞ, pro-
longed northward an equal distance, meets the fourth
magnitude star 8, which is
B
in the man's head. His
feet are at and ẞ Tauri.
Near Capella is a little tri-
angle of fourth magnitude
stars; two sides of it are
3° long, and the third side.
only 1°. One vertex of
the triangle is in a line from
Capella to. The triangle
represents a kid, which the
charioteer carries in his

arms.

Capella is comparatively

near us. According to the

B Tauri

FIG. 23.-AURIGA.

ε

"The

charioteer."

measures of one of the highest authorities* its distance Capella. is 170 millions of millions of miles. Light occupies twenty-nine years in traversing this abyss. Were it as close as our sun, it would be sixty times as bright as he is.

About half way from 0 to ẞ Tauri lies a fine compact cluster of small stars, which may be picked up with an opera-glass, in which it looks like a star enveloped in a cloud mantle.

Near ẞ Tauri, on a line between it and there

* Dr. W. L. Elkin, of Yale College.

A cluster.

Nova Aurigæ.

Mythology.

Queries.

appeared in December, 1891, a new star. Professional
astronomers, who usually have their eyes glued to the
eyepieces of their telescopes, when observing, failed to
see it.
It was discovered late in January, 1892, by
Dr. T. D. Anderson, a Scotch amateur. Its image
was afterward found on photographic plates taken in
December at the Harvard College Observatory. At the
end of April it could scarcely be seen with the Lick
36-inch glass. But in the following August it was
bright enough for a three-inch telescope, and had ap-
parently turned into a nebula. A fuller history of the
wonderful object and the theories of astronomers about
it will be given later.

The mythological history of this constellation is very obscure. Perhaps the charioteer may be best regarded as Phaeton, the ambitious youth who requested his father Helios (the sun) to let him drive his chariot across the sky for one day. The horses ran away and came so near the earth that it was nearly set on fire. A thunderbolt from Jupiter, who occasionally did a sensible thing, ended the young man's career.

What is the color of Capella? Is Capella brighter than Betelgeuse?

A LINE from Mizar (Ursæ Majoris) carried down the handle of the Dipper and diagonally across the bowl to the two stars which lie in the front foot of the Bear, when prolonged 25°, ends near Castor and Pollux. They are the brightest stars in Gemini, and are respectively designated by the letters a and B (Fig. 24). Half way between Castor and the head of Orion is μ. Somewhat more than half way from Pollux to Betelgeuse is 7. a, ẞ, r, and are the four corners of a box-like figure resembling an end view of an upright piano. The keyboard projects from 5 to λ, and the pedals lie between y and .7, which is 21⁄2° west of ", is a variable, ranging from the third to the fourth magnitude. It is on a line from to Tauri, at the top of one horn of the Bull. The heads of the twins contain Castor and Pollux respectively. 7 and mark their feet.

Description.

The summer

The summer solstice, which is the point where the sun appears to be, when it is farthest north of the solstice. equator on June 21, is 2° west and a little north of ŋ, close by a star of the fifth magnitude.

Castor is one of the finest double stars in the heavens ;

Castor and
Pollux.

so bright are its two components that both can be readily seen in daytime with a ten-inch telescope. Nearly one thousand years are consumed by one revolution of this majestic pair. Castor is approaching us at the rate of eighteen miles a second, while Pollux keeps almost at the same distance from us.

A little over one fourth of the way from μ to ẞ Tauri

Mythology.

FIG. 24.-GEMINI.

is a splendid cluster, just visible to the naked eye. It is composed of hundreds of faint stars, and is roughly circular in form. The apparent diameter of the circle is two thirds that of the full moon.

The brothers Castor and Pollux were two mythological knights, whose chief deeds were the redressing of various wrongs. They were thought to be mighty helpers of men, and divine honors were paid to them both in Sparta and at Rome. The Romans believed that they received assistance from them, while fighting the

Latins at Lake Regillus. In Macaulay's "Lays of
Ancient Rome" is the following reference to their

appearance !

"So like were they, no mortal

Might one from other know;

White as snow their armor was ;

Their steeds were white as snow."

According to one version of the story Castor was mortal, while Pollux was immortal. When Castor was dying Pollux prayed to be permitted to die with him. Jupiter did not wish to grant this request, but rewarded their attachment by allowing them both to spend alternate days on Mount Olympus and in Pluto's realm. Which is the brighter, Castor or Pollux? What is the color of Castor? Is Capella whiter than Castor?

Perseus.

This constellation should be hunted up early in the month, as soon as it is dark; at that time it is low in the northwest.

Queries.

Description.

Star.

A little more than half way from Capella toy Androm edæ, 3° north of the line joining them, lies a, which is at one corner of a small quadrilateral, the other stars of which are 7,, and 7. A line from Polaris through the center of this quadrilateral, when prolonged 11° further, meets ẞ, which is commonly called Algol, the Demon The Demon Star. Its magnitude varies from the second to the fourth in less than three days. The rest of the constellation is best learned by a study of Fig. 25. The entire length of the figure from. 7 to is 27°. The head of Medusa, which Perseus carries in his hand, is formed of Algol and the stars near it. The constellation bears no special resemblance to a man, much less to a bear. It might be a fair model for a baboon.

Near the middle point of a line from 7 to ↑ Cassiopeia