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MAP SHOWING THE LOCATIONS OF NORTHERN CONSTELLATIONS

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Between Leo and Gemini is the constellation Cancer, or the Crab. It contains no bright stars, but a remarkable cluster of small stars called Præsepe, or the Beehive.

Below Regulus (Plate 14) is a bright red star of the second magnitude, called Cor Hydræ, or the Hydra’s Heart. The head of Hydra is marked by five small stars. The coils of the monster can be traced by the map. A portion of the constellation is on Plate 16.

Constellations Visible in March. At the middle of March, the heavens will have shifted round somewhat towards the west; but all the conspicuous constellations of the preceding month are still visible, while no new ones at all brilliant have come into view.

If we draw a line from the end of the Great Bear’s tail to Denebola, it will pass through two constellations—Canes Venatici, described above; and Coma Berenices, or Berenice’s Hair, a large cluster of faint stars. (Plate 15).


MAP SHOWING THE LOCATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN CONSTELLATIONS AND ALSO MANY REMARKABLE NEBULAR FORMS

1. Double nebula in Gemini. 2. Double nebula of great brilliancy in Coma Berenicis. 3. Small double nebula. 4. Curiously shaped nebula in Ophiuchus. 5. Two nebulous spots in Canes Venatici. 6. Remarkable veil-like nebula in Lyra. 7. Elliptical nebula in Perseus. 8. Nebulous spot in Sagittarius, split into three pieces; a double star in center. 9. Large curiously-shaped nebula in Rober Caroli, filled with minute stars. 10. Great nebula in Andromeda, visible to the eye. 11. Nebula in Cetus. 12. Elongated nebula in Cygnus. 13. Brilliant round spots in Sagittarius. 14. Round spots in Andromeda. 15–16. Spots in Orion and Ursa Major. 17. Most remarkable of all nebula, in Orion. 18. Great oval nebula in Vulpes, containing two darker nebulae. 19. Nebulous figure in Canis Venaticus. 20. Nebular clouds in the Southern hemisphere.

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Constellations Visible in April. At the middle of April, Aries and Andromeda have set; Taurus, Orion and Canis Major are sinking towards the west; the Great Bear and the Lion are overhead; Arcturus has risen in the northeast (Plate 16); and some way to the south of this is seen a star of the first magnitude, which forms a large triangle with Arcturus and Denebola. It is called Spica [30] Virginis, and is the chief star in the constellation Virgo, or the Virgin. The stars on the breast and wings can be found with the aid of the map.

South of Virgo is a trapezium of four stars, which are in the constellation of Corvus, or the Crow.

Constellations Visible in May. At the middle of May, Taurus, Orion, and Canis Major have set; Vega has just come up in the northeast; and between Vega and Arcturus we again see Hercules and Corona. Below Spica are two stars of the second magnitude, belonging to the constellation Libra, or the Balance. Another star of the fourth magnitude forms a triangle with these, and marks one pan of the balance. (Plate 7).

Constellations Visible in June. In June we shall find that Canis Minor, Perseus, Auriga, and Gemini have either set, or are on the point of setting; Arcturus is overhead; Cygnus and Aquila are just rising. Ophiuchus is well up; and low in the southeast we see again the red star Antares, in the constellation Scorpio, or the Scorpion (Plate 6). There is a star of the third magnitude on each side of Antares, and several stars of the third and fourth magnitudes in the head and claws. The configuration of these stars is much like a boy’s kite with a long tail. Scorpio is a very brilliant constellation, and is seen to better advantage in July and August.

Constellations Visible in July and August. We have now described all the important constellations visible in our latitude. Those which are seen in July and August are mainly those described under the last two or three months, and under September.

Southern Circumpolar Constellations. There are a number of constellations near the South Pole of the heavens which never rise in our latitude, just as there are certain ones near the North Pole which never set. These are called the southern circumpolar constellations.

CONSTELLATIONS VISIBLE EACH MONTH

The following table gives the constellations visible at eight o’clock in the evening about the middle of each month. The stars opposite the names of the constellations indicate those visible in the month designated at the top.

NAME OF CONSTELLATION Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. April May June July Aug.
Ursa Major (er´sa mā´jor). The Greater Bear.
Ursa Minor (er´sa mī´nor). The Lesser Bear.
Draco (drak´ō). Dragon.
Cassiopeia (kas-si-o-pē´a). Lady’s Chair.
Cepheus (sē´fe-us).
Bootes (bo-ō´tēz). The Oxdriver or Plowman.
Corona Borealis (kō-rō´na bō-rē-ā´lis). The Northern Crown.
Ophiuchus (of-i-u´kus). The Serpent Bearer.
Sagittarius (saj-i-tā´ri-us). The Archer.
Hercules (her´ku-lēz).
Lyra (lī´ra). The Lyre.
Aquila (ak´wil-a).
Delphinus (del´fin-us). Dolphin.
Capricornus (kap-ri-kor´nus). The Goat.
Cygnus (sig´nus). The Swan.
Sagitta (saj´it-ta). The Arrow.
Aquarius (a-kwā´ri-us). The Water-bearer.
Piscis Australis (pis´sis aw-strā´lis). The Southern Fish.
Pegasus (peg´a-sus). The Winged Horse.
Andromeda (an-drom´e-da).
Perseus (per´sus).
Aries (a´ri-ēz). Ram.
Pisces (pis´sēz). Fishes.
Cetus (sē´tus). The Whale.
Triangulum (trī-ang´u-lum). The Triangle.
Auriga (aw-ri´ga). The Waggoner or The Charioteer.
Taurus (tau´rus). The Bull.
Lepus (lep´us). The Hare.
Orion (ō-ri´on). Giant and Hunter.
Gemini (jem´i-ni). The Twins.
Canis Major (kā´nis mā´jor). The Great Dog.
Canis Minor (kā´nis mī´nor). The Little Dog.
Cancer (kan´ser). The Crab.
Hydra (hī´dra). The Snake.
Leo (lē´ō). The Lion.
Coma Berenices (kō´ma ber-e-nī´sēz). Hair of Berenice.
Canes Venatici (ka´nēz vē-nā´ti-si). The Hunter’s Dogs.
Virgo (ver´gō). The Virgin.
Corvus (kor´vus). The crow.
Libra (li´bra). Balance.
Scorpio (skor´pi-ō). The Scorpion.
The Circle of Knowledge: A Classified, Simplified, Visualized Book of Answers

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