B a capella leading luminary of Auriga. It is at one corner of an ir- arms. B Tauri FIG. 23.-AURIGA. ε Capella is comparatively near us. According to the measures of one of the highest authorities* its distance 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. "The charioteer." Near Tauri, on a line between it and there * Dr. W. L. Elkin, of Yale College. Capella. A cluster. Nova Auriga. Mythology. Queries. appeared in December, 1891, a new star. Professional 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 (Ursa 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 (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, 7, and ♫ are the four corners of a box-like figure resembling an end view of an upright piano. The keyboard projects from 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 7, close by a star of the fifth magnitude. Castor is one of the finest double stars in the heavens; Castor and 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 to ẞ Tauri a Castor Pollux 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 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 Andromedæ, 3° north of the line joining them, lies ɑ, 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 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 |