close to the horizon.

42. Canis Major 104 Located by a line drawn from the stars forming Orion's girdle. 43. Argo Navis 106 Located by a line drawn from Orion to Canis Major and prolonged 18°. 44. Monoceros 108 Located just east of Orion. 45. Eridanus 110 Located just west of Rigel, in Orion. Meteoric Showers, January to April 112 The Planets 115 The Milky Way 124 The Motions of the Stars 126 Meteors, or Shooting Stars 130 Names of the Stars and their Meanings 133 Index 159

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THE DIAGRAMS.

The diagrams, it will be observed, are grouped under the seasons, and they indicate the positions of the constellations as they appear at 9 o'clock p.m. in mid-season.

To facilitate finding and observing the constellations, the student should face in the direction indicated in the text. This applies to all constellations excepting those near the zenith.

The four large plates are so arranged that the observer is supposed to be looking at the southern skies. By turning the plate about from left to right, the eastern, northern, and western skies are shown successively.

On many of the diagrams the position of nebulæ is indicated. These are designated by the initial letter of the astronomer who catalogued them, preceded by his catalogue number, as for instance 8 M. signifies nebula number 8 in Messier's catalogue.

The magnitudes assigned to the stars in the diagrams are derived from the Harvard Photometry. When a star is midway between two magnitudes the numeral is underlined, thus 2, indicates a star of magnitude 2.5.

If a star's magnitude is between 1 and 1.5 it is regarded as a first-magnitude star. If it lies between 1.5 and 2 it is designated second magnitude.

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THE CONSTELLATIONS OF SPRING.

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URSA MAJOR (er´sa mā´-jor)—THE GREAT BEAR. (Face North.)

Location.—Ursa Major is probably the best known of the constellations, and in this work I presuppose that the reader is familiar with its position in the heavens. It is one of the most noted and conspicuous constellations in the northern hemisphere, and is readily and unmistakably distinguished from all others by means of a remarkable cluster of seven bright stars in the northern heavens, forming what is familiarly termed "The Dipper."

The stars α and β are called the pointers, because they always point toward the Pole Star, 28¾° distant from α.

Alioth is very nearly opposite Shedir in Cassiopeia, and at an equal distance from the Pole. The same can be said of Megres, in Ursa Major, and Caph, in Cassiopeia.

The star ο is at the tip of the Bear's nose. A clearly defined semicircle begins at ο and ends in the pair ι and κ at the extremity of the Bear's right fore paw. This group of stars resembles a sickle. Note little Alcor close to Mizar. This star was used by the Arabs as a test of good eyesight.

Mizar and Alcor are known as the horse and his rider.

This plate shows the Bear lying on his back, his feet projected up the sky; three conspicuous pairs of stars represent three of his four feet.

The Chaldean shepherds and the Iroquois Indians gave to this constellation the same name. The Egyptians called it "The Thigh."

α and η are moving through space in a contrary direction to the remaining five stars in "The Dipper."