the water-jar of Aquarius; from it flows a stream, which winds its way southward and eastward into the mouth of the Southern Fish, where lies the first magnitude star Fomalhaut (Fo-ma-lo). The stars, 7, 7, and form the Y or water-jar. The stream flowing down to Fomalhaut Fomalhaut. follows the dotted line in the diagram through,, etc. The line is marked by several groups of faint stars, near 4', q, etc. Pegasi lies nearly midway between Polaris and Fomalhaut. At the right of the Y lies a rude short-handled dipper, which the observer will fail to find unless he looks very early in the evening, and as near the first of the month as practicable. Most of the stars which stand guard between the dipper and the stream, that the fish be not defrauded of the water, belong to the constellation. Lines joining the brighter ones of them form a configuration not unlike the outline of South America; c2 is at Cape Horn, the continent touching the stream at this point. in the center of the Y lies close to the celestial equator, and therefore sets very near the west point of the horizon. O It appears to be a world Saturn-like There is a remarkable nebula situated 1' from toward e, which, in a large telescope, exhibits a resem- nebula. blance to the planet Saturn. or system of worlds in formation. Should it, in the ages to come, become a gigantic Saturn-like form, having a central globe, surrounded by a thin flat ring composed of a myriad of smaller worlds, how magnificent and aweinspiring a spectacle ! Aquarius is thought by some to represent the youth Mythology. Ganymede, the most beautiful of mortals, whom Jupiter snatched to Mount Olympus to be his cup-bearer. With a fine appreciation of the distress of the bereaved parents he endeavored to assuage their grief by a present of a team of fine horses ! Queries. Description. How many faint stars can be seen close to ? Are there five groups of faint stars (from two to four stars in a group) lying in the stream, between and Fomalhaut? When the water-jar is nearly setting in the west, what two stars in it lie most nearly in a horizontal line? Pisces. Like Aquarius, this constellation is largely composed of faint stars, the brightest one being of only the third magnitude. But the group lies in a dull region of the FIG. 17.-PISCES. The circlet. sky, so that the ribbon joining the two fishes can be readily traced (Fig. 17). The southernmost fish is composed of a circlet of seven stars, 5° or 6° in diameter. Three of these stars, y, ‹, and λ, are of the fourth magnitude; the distance from to λ is 4°. 7 is 6° from each of the other stars. The center of the circlet lies 12° south of the southern side of the square of Pegasus; is equidistant from a Pegasi and Pegasi. From in the circlet a row of stars runs eastward to a, a distance of ८ 35°, and is a portion of the ribbon joining the two fish. a is called El Rischa, the Knot, and lies 10° west of the western side of a well-marked, five-sided polygon, the average length of one side of which is 5°. The polygon, as we shall learn hereafter, is the head of Cetus, the seamonster. At the Knot the ribbon turns at a sharp angle, and runs northwesterly a distance of 30°, terminating in a coarse group of faint stars, which may be found by prolonging a line from ẞ Pegasi to a Andromedæ eastward 15°, a little more than its own length. The vernal equinox, which is the point in the sky at The vernal which the sun's center appears to lie, when it crosses the celestial equator in March, and ushers in the spring, lies in a barren spot of sky just east of the circlet of stars forming one fish. A line from 7 to λ, extended as far again, ends at the equinox. equinox. This constellation is found early in the evening in the northwest. a has already been mentioned as one corner of the square of Pegasus; it is located by drawing a line from Polaris to ẞ Cassiopeia, and prolonging it an equal distance. A line from Polaris to the middle point between & Cassiopeia and of the same constellation, prolonged an equal distance, ends at 7 (Fig. 18). The bright stars and lie nearly in line between a and y ; these four form one side of the maiden's form, ɑ being is in her waist and › in the head and y in one foot. at one shoulder. Her outstretched arms run from to λ, and from to ŋ. Description. nebula. A line from across her waist to , when prolonged The great an equal distance, ends at the great nebula, which is plain to the naked eye. Here is a storehouse of un A double star. Queries. Description. created worlds, which is vast beyond all human comprehension. The entire solar system, if flung into this mighty abyss of chaotic matter, would be as a few γ FIG. 18.-ANDROMEDA. λ a grains of sand in a wagon-load. y is a fine double star, as seen with a small telescope, the components being of widely different hues, the smaller one being of the fifth magnitude; a large telescope splits the small star in two, showing that it is composed of two revolving suns. The mythological story of Andromeda has been told at length already, and is therefore omitted here. What is the color of y? Which is the brighter, ẞory? Is the great nebula round or oval to the naked eye? Aries. γ Aries lies in the northwest early in the evening in February. A line from Polaris to y Andromeda, when prolonged nearly 20°, terminates at a, the brightest star in the small triangle composed of a, B, and 7 (Fig. 19). The distance from a toy is only 5°. The entire triangle is located in the head of the Ram. East of this triangle, between it and the Pleiades, are scattered a number of faint stars, which are sprinkled quite at random over the Ram's body. According to Grecian mythology a ram with a golden Mythology. FIG. 19.-ARIES. fleece, the gift of Mercury, Helle flew with two children, Helle Cetus. Cetus should be studied early in February, and as soon as it is dark, for the constellation is then in the southwest, and sets early. The monster resembles a walrus; his head alone is above the celestial equator. The body of the leviathan is marked by a kiteshaped figure formed of the stars B, n, 0, 5, and 7 (Fig. 20). Blies on a line from Polaris is in one of the lady's arms), and is nearly 45° beyond Description. the latter. The kite is 20° long from to . The tip ẞ 5. of the tail of Cetus lies at‹, 11° northwest of B. The position of the pentagon forming the head (a, y, etc.) is shown in the diagram, being equi-distant from ß and y, |