APPENDIX. GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE STARRY HEAVENS AT THE following descriptions are intended to point out to the young observer the principal stars and constellations in the beginning of every alternate month throughout the year, and the particular quarter of the heavens where they may be perceived. The time of observation is supposed to be nine o'clock in the evening, except on the 1st of July; but the general aspect of the heavens, and the relative positions of the different stars and constellations, will not be materially different when viewed an hour before or after the time now specified. Aspect of the Heavens on the 1st of January, at nine o'clock in the evening. About At this time the Pleiades, or Seven Stars, are nearly on the meridian, at an elevation of more than 60 degrees above the southern horizon. The bright star Aldebaran, or the Bull's Eye, which is of a ruddy hue, appears to the left, in a direction nearly east by south, at the distance of 14°. 15° east-northeast of Aldebaran is a bright star of the second magnitude, marked Beta, or El-Nath; from this star to Zeta, in the tip of the southern horn of the Bull, is about 8° in a southern direction. This star forms a right angle with Aldebaran and Beta. North of Beta, at the distance of 17°, is the bright star Capella, in the constellation of Auriga, a star of the first magnitude, which appears at a high elevation a few degrees southeast of the zenith. In a direction southeast of Aldebaran and the Pleiades is the splendid constellation of Orion. Bellatrix, on the west shoulder of Orion, is about 16o southeast of Aldebaran, which is placed in the middle of the line which connects the Pleiades with Bellatrix; these three objects appearing nearly equidistant in a line N.W. and S.E. of each other. Nearly due east from Bellatrix, at the distance of 74°, is Betelguese, a star of the first magnitude in the east shoulder of Orion. About 15° south by west of Bellatrix is Rigel, a star of the first magnitude in the left foot, and 80 to the east is Saiph, a star of the third magnitude in the right knee of Orion. These four stars in the form of a parallelogram, with the three bright equidistant stars called the Belt, form the outlines of this constellation. There is a small triangle of three small stars in the head of Orion which forms a larger triangle with Bellatrix and Betelguese, the two in his shoulders. (See fig. of Orion, p. 50, and Plate I.) Northeast of Betelguese, at the distance of 14°, is the star Alhena, or y Geminorum, the principal star in the feet of the Twins; and about 20° N.E., nearly in the same right line from Betelguese, are Castor and Pollux, Castor being the uppermost and the brightest, at the distance of only 44° from Pollux. These and the other stars which lie adjacent to them form the constellation Gemini, one of the signs of the Zodiac. The small stars immediately to the east of Gemini are in the constellation Cancer, another zodiacal constellation through which the sun passes in July and August. In this constellation is a nebulous cluster of very small stars, called Presepi, which may be distinguished as a faint cloudy speck by the naked eye. (See page 162.) zon. Immediately below Orion are the constellations of Lepus, or the Hare, and Noah's Dove, which are very near the horiSouth by east of Orion is Canis Major, or the Greater Dog, which is distinguished by its principal star Sirius, the brightest fixed star in the heavens. It is nearly straight south of Alhena, in the feet of the Twins, at 35° distant, and south by east of Betelguese at the distance of 27°. A line drawn through the three stars in the belt of Orion, and prolonged, meets Sirius at the distance of 23°. About 5° west of Sirius is Mirzam, of the second magnitude, in the foot of the Dog. Nearly due east from Orion, but less elevated above the horizon, is Canis Minor, or the Lesser Dog. The centre of this small constellation is situated about 50 north of the equinoctial, and midway between Gemini and Canis Major. It is distinguished by the bright star named Procyon, which signifies "before the Dog." About 4° to the northwest is Gomelza, a star of the third magnitude. Procyon, at the time supposed, appears nearly due east from Betelguese, at the distance of about 26°. The head of Hydra lies immediately to the east of Procyon; but Alphard, or Cor Hydra, the principal star of this constellation, is not risen at the time supposed. A little to the north of the eastern point of the compass, and at a very small elevation above the horizon, is Regulus, a star of the first magnitude, in the constellation Leo, which is the fifth sign, and the sixth constellation of the zodiac. Turning our faces towards the northeast, Ursa Major, or the Great Bear, is the most striking constellation that meets the eye. The two pointers, Dubbe and Merak, appear uppermost, and point westward to the Pole-star; while the stars forming the tail seem to hang downward from the square of this constellation. As the night advances, this group of stars rises higher in the heavens, till, about three in the morning, they approach near the zenith. Ursa Minor, or the Lesser Bear, is seen below the pole, the square of which being a little to the eastward of the meridian. Directly below the Great Bear, at a very small elevation above the horizon, and in a direction N.E. by N., is Cor Caroli, a star of the second magnitude, in Chara, one of the Greyhounds. North by east of Aldebaran, at the distance of 30°, is the bright star Capella, in Auriga. Directing our view a little to the west of the meridian, we perceive the constellation Aries, which is immediately to the westward of the Pleiades, and nearly at the same altitude. Above 2000 years ago, in the days of Hipparchus, this constellation occupied the first sign in the zodiac, into which the sun entered about the 21st of March; but as, in consequence of the precession of the equinoxes, the constellations gain about 50" on the equinox every year, they have now advanced in the ecliptic nearly 31° beyond it, or somewhat more than a whole sign; so that the constellation Pisces now occupies the same place in the zodiac that Aries did 2000 years ago, while the constellation Aries is now in the sign Taurus, Taurus in Gemini, &c., so that Aries, though the first sign, is the second constellation of the zodiac. It is situated next east of Pisces, and midway between the Triangles and Musca on the north, and Cetus, or the Whale, on the south. It is distinguished by two bright stars in the head, distant from each other about 4°, the brightest being a little to the east or northeast of the other, being about 25° west of the Pleiades, and 19° south of Almaack, in the foot of Andromeda. North by east from Aries is Musca, or the Fly, which consists of four or five stars, chiefly of the third and fourth magnitudes, very near to each other. It is situated between the first star of Aries and the Pleiades, but a little higher than either. North by east from the Fly, at the distance of about 15°, and at 20° north by west of the Pleiades, and at a higher elevation, is the head of Medusa, the principal star of which is Algol, which regularly varies in its lustre. (See p. 96.) West by north from Medusa is Andromeda, one of the principal stars of which is Almaack, at the distance of 12° west by north of Algol. West of Almaack, at the distance of 120, is Merach, both of them stars of the second magnitude. If the line connecting Almaack and Merach be prolonged 8° farther west or southwest, it will reach Delta, a star of the third magnitude in the left breast. Scheat West from Andromeda, and a little to the south, is Pegasus, or the Flying Horse, which is distinguished from the other constellations by four bright stars of the second magnitude, forming a square, which is generally termed the Square of Pegasus. The northernmost star, which is the brightest of three that form a kind of triangle, is Scheat, whose N. declination is 260. Markab is situated 13° south of Scheat, and at the time supposed is nearly due west, and about 22° above the western point of the horizon. These two stars form the western side of the square. East from Markab, at the distance of 1640, is Algenib, and 14° north of Algenib is Alpheratz; which two stars form the eastern side of the square. and Alpheratz form the northern, and Markab and Algenib the southern sides of the square. Alpheratz constitutes a part of the head of Andromeda, but it is also considered as connected with Pegasus. About 26° north of Andromeda is Cassiopeia, midway between it and the Pole-star. It passes the meridian nearly in the zenith about the 22d of November. At this time it is between 20° and 30° west of the meridian. (See p. 26 and 84.) The star Caph, in this constellation, along with Alpheratz and Algenib, are situated on the prime meridian which passes through the first point of Aries, from which the right ascensions of all the heavenly bodies are meas ured. The line connecting these stars forms an arc of the equinoctial colure, which passes through the vernal equinox, and across which the sun passes on the 21st of March. When we say that the sun, or a star, or a planet is in so many degrees of right ascension, we mean that it is situated, or has moved eastward so many degrees from this great circle. Northwest of Cassiopeia is Cepheus, at the distance of about 25°, the head of which is in the Milky Way, and may be known by three stars of the fourth magnitude in the crown, forming a small acute triangle about 9° from Alderamin, a star of the third magnitude in the left shoulder. Next to Cepheus, on the west, is Cgynus, or the Swan; the principal stars of which are distinguished as forming the figure of a large cross, the upright piece of which lies along the Milky Way. The most brilliant star in this constellation is Deneb Cygni, of the first magnitude, which is at this time in a direction nearly northwest, and 25° above the horizon. West from Deneb, at the distance of 10° or 11°, is Delta; and the line prolonged about 15 degrees farther leads to the bright star Vega, the principal star in Lyra, which is then about 6 above the horizon in a direction northwest by north. North by east of Lyra is the head of Draco, distinguished by four stars separate from each other by intervals of 30, 40, and 5°. The one to the south, or nearest Lyra, is Etanim, or y Draconis, which Dr. Bradley fixed upon in his attempt to determine the annual parallax. At this time it is 160 above the horizon, in a direction N.N.W. About 4° to the north of it is Rastaben, both of them stars of the second magnitude. Turning our eyes again towards the southern part of the meridian, we behold the head of Cetus, or the Whale, about 20° S. E. of Aries, and about 24° S. by W. of the Pleiades. It is distinguished by five stars, 4° or 5° asunder, which form a figure resembling a regular pentagon. The brightest of these stars, which is the easternmost, and of the second magnitude, is Menkar, which makes an equilateral triangle with Arictis and the Pleiades, being distant from each about 234°. About 14° southwest of Menkar is Mira, or the Wonderful Star, which is found to vary its apparent size from a star of the second or third, to one of the sixth or seventh magnitude. (See page 94.) Northwest of the head of Cetus and west of Aries is the constellation Pisces, or the Fishes, one of the signs of the Zodiac, in which there are no remarkable stars, KK |