Appearance of the Heavens on the 1st November, at 9 P.M. About this time the winter constellations begin again to make their appearance in our hemisphere. The centre of the Square of Pegasus is at this season and hour nearly on the meridian; the stars Scheat and Markab, of which Scheat is the uppermost, appear on the west of the meridian, and Alpheratz and Algenib on the east. Turning our eyes to the western part of the heavens, we see the Southern Fish, a little to the west of the south, and its principal star, Fomalhaut, several degrees to the west of the meridian, at a very low altitude. To the west is Capricornus, and to the northwest Aquarius. Aquila, with its principal star Altair, is in a direction west by south, at about 23° above the horizon. Deneb Cygni is at a very high elevation, about 30° west from the zenith, and a Lyra 26° northwest of it, in a direction W.N.W., at a much lower elevation. North by west of Lyra are the two stars in the head of Draco, Etanin and Rastaben, about 4° apart. Ras Algethi and Ras Alhague are nearly due west, at a very small elevation above the horizon. The centre of the Great Bear is nearly due north, and at its lowest elevation, the stars in the tail being to the west, and the two pointers a little to the east of the northern part of the meridian, pointing upward. Turning our view to the eastern quarter of the sky, we behold Aries in a southeasterly direction, next to Pegasus, and at a pretty high elevation. South by east of the first star in Aries is Menkar in the head of the Whale, in a direction S.E. by E., about 26° above the horiNorthwest of the first star in Aries is Mirach, and north by east Almaack, at a higher elevation, both of them in Andromeda. Near the north quarter is Capella, about midway between the zenith and the horizon. The Pleiades are seen nearly due east, followed by the ruddy star Aldebaran, at a lower elevation. Below Aldebaran, and to the southeast, the head and shoulders of Orion begin to make their appearance, Bellatrix being 4° or 5° above the horizon, and Betelguese a little lower. Cassiopeia is near the zenith, a little to the east of the meridian, and Castor and Pollux, in Gemini, are in a direction northeast, just a little above the horizon. At this time the equinoctial colure is only a few degrees to the east of the meridian, and the three stars Caph, in Cassiopeia, and Alpheratz and Algenib, in Pegasus, which lie in the line of its zon. curve, may now be distinctly perceived. Caph is at the highest altitude of the three, and its distance from Alpheratz is about double the distance between Alpheratz and Algenib. If a line connecting these three stars be produced northward, it will terminate in the pole. The above brief sketches may enable the young observer to trace the principal stars and constellations by a few observations at different seasons of the year. The altitudes here expressed are stated in reference to places about 52° north latitude; but, by making certain allowances, corresponding to the latitude of the observer, the relative positions of the stars will appear nearly the same as here represented, particularly if the difference of latitude does not much exceed 10 degrees. It should be carefully remarked, that the bearings of one star from another, as here given, are strictly true only when the star from which the bearings are given is on or near the meridian. (See note, p. 184.) As a farther assistance to the astronomical tyro in distinguishing the stars, I have drawn up the following list of stars, chiefly of the first and second magnitudes, stating the periods of the year when they come to the meridian, or due south, at nine o'clock in the evening. Caph, in Cassiopeia, and Alpheratz and Algenib, in Pegasus, come to the meridian on the 10th of November, at nine o'clock in the evening. Caph is near the zenith, and the other two at a considerably lower elevation. At this time Capella appears towards the northeast; the Fleiades, Aldebaran, and Orion in the east; Deneb, in Cygnus, in the northwest; Lyra, west-northwest; and Altair, in Aquila, west by south. Arietis, or the first star of Aries, comes to the meridian on the 5th of December. The same stars noticed in the preceding instance are still visible, but those on the east of the meridian have risen to a higher altitude, and those on the west have descended to a lower elevation than on Nov. 10. Castor and Pollux are at this time seen towards the northeast, and Procyon a very little above the eastern point of the horizon. Menkar, in the head of the Whale, arrives at the meridian on the 21st of December, and at the same time the variable star Algol, in Medusa's head, which is 37° due north of Menkar. Altair has now disappeared from the west, and Sirius is seen at a small elevation in the southeast. The Pleiades pass the meridian on the 1st of January, and Aldebaran on the 10th. When Aldebaran is due south, Capella is north by east of it near the zenith; Cor Caroli, at a low altitude near the northeast; Lyra, near the horizon N. by W.; Regulus, in the east; and the head of Hydra, east by south. Bellatrix, in Orion, passes the meridian on the 21st of January. Nearly at the same time, Capella and ẞ Auriga are on the meridian. These three stars are nearly equidistant in a line running north and south. Castor and Pollux, and Procyon. These stars pass the meridian nearly at the same time, on the 24th of February. Pollux and Procyon culminate nearly at the same instant, and Castor about 11 minutes before them, at which time Procyon is 23° south of Pollux. Orion is then in a southwesterly direction; Aldebaran, midway between the meridian and the western horizon; Menkar, W. by S., at a small elevation; Sirius, S. by W.; and Capella to the west of the zenith. On the east of the meridian, Regulus is S.E.; Denebola, E.; Cor Caroli, E.N.E.; immediately below which, near the horizon, is Arcturus. Præsepe, in Cancer, a small cluster of stars, just perceptible to the naked eye, like a nebula, approaches the meridian about the 3d of March, at an altitude of about 60°. They are N.E. of Procyon, and S.E. of Pollux. (See p. 162, 163.) Regulus, in Leo, passes the meridian on the 6th of April. At this time, Alphard, in Hydra, is past the meridian S. by E. from Regulus; Procyon, S. W.; Sirius, S.W., near the horizon; Orion, very low in the west; Algenib, in Perseus, Algol, Capella, &c., towards the N.W. On the east, Denebola appears E. from Regulus; Spica Virginis, S.E., at a low altitude; Cor Caroli, E., at a high altitude: Corona Borealis, E. by N.; and Lyra, at a low altitude, N.E. by N. The Great Bear, at a high altitude, approaching the zenith, and Cassiopeia, at a low altitude towards the north. Denebola, in Leo, culminates on the 3d of May, at an altitude of 43°. Regulus is 25° west of it, and Phad, in the square of the Great Bear, is 39° N. of it. It forms with these two a large right-angled triangle, the right angle being at Denebola. It is nearly on the meridian with Phad. Oth er stars then visible are, Procyon, W. by S.; Capella., N.W.; Arcturus, E.; Spica Virginis, S.S.E.; Lyra, N.E., &c. Coma Berenices, a beautiful cluster of small stars, but scarcely distinguishable by moonlight, is on the meridian on the 13th of May. (See p. 161.) Spica Virginis comes to the meridian on the 23d of May. Stars visible on the west, Capella, Castor and Pollux, and Procyon, near the western point. On the east, Lyra, Arcturus, Ras Algethi, Ras Alhague, and Altair, near the eastern horizon. Near the meridian to the west, Cor Caroli, Alioth and Mizar, in Ursa Major. Arcturus is on the meridian on the 23d of June. The principal stars in Libra culminate at a lower altitude about the beginning of July. Corona Borcalis is on the meridian about the 1st of July. Its principal star is eleven degrees east of & Bootes. Antares, in Scorpio, passes the meridian on the 10th of July, at a very low altitude. Ras Algethi, in Ophiuchus, and Ras Alhague, in Hercules, 5° apart, culminate about the 28th of July, nearly at the same time as the head of Draco. Vega, or a Lyræ, culminates on the 13th of August. To the west of it, at a great distance, is Arcturus, and to the northwest, Cor Caroli. Capella is N. by E., at a low altitude; Altair, S.S.E.; and Deneb Cygni, E., at a high altitude. Altair, in Aquila, is at the meridian about the 30th of August, at an altitude of about 46°. Arided, or Deneb Cygni, is on the meridian on the 16th of September, at an altitude of 824°. At this time Arcturus is W.S.W., near the horizon; Lyra and Etanin, in Draco, west from the meridian, but in a high elevation; Cor Caroli, N. W., at no great elevation; Hercules, S.W., midway between the meridian and the horizon; Altair, a little distance west of the S.; and the Dolphin on the meridian; the square of Pegasus in a southeastern direction, Aries in the east, and Capella towards the northeast. All the stars specified above, at the periods of the year stated, pass the meridian (or culminate) at nine o'clock in the morning. Therefore, if at any one of the periods here specified, or a few days before or after it, an observer, at nine o'clock P.M., observe the principal star or stars near the meridian, he can scarcely be at a loss to recognise them, as well as some of the other principal stars and constellations on the east and west of the meridian, which are also specified in the above descriptions. A person can never become familiar with the more prominent stars, the relative position of the different constellations, and the general aspect of the heavens, without actual observations. Even the delineations on the celestial globe will not convey an accurate and impressive conception of the scenery of the heavens, unless the study of these delineations be accompanied with frequent surveys of the heavens themselves. It is hoped the preceding descrip tions will afford some assistance to those young observers and others who wish to contemplate the sublime objects of creation with their own eyes. N.B. In the above and the following descriptions of celestial phenomena, altitude signifies the height of the star or planet above the horizon; S.S.E., south-southeast; N. by E., north by east, &c. Degrees are marked thus, minutes', seconds" : thus, 54° 27, 35", expresses fifty-four degrees, twenty-seven minutes of a degree, and thirty-five seconds, Every degree contains 60 minutes, every minute 60 seconds, &c. When a heavenly body is said to culminate, the meaning is, that it has arrived at the highest point of its course, or its passage over the meridian. The term is derived from the Latin word culmen, the top or suminit. An occultation signifies the obscuration of a star or planet by the interposition of the moon or of another planet. Conjunction is when two or more stars or planets are in the same part of the heavens; and opposition, when they are 180° asunder, or in opposite parts of the heavens. PHENOMENA OF THE PLANETS FOR THE I. POSITIONS, ETC., OF THE PLANETS FOR 1840. 1. The Planet Mercury. THIS planet can be distinctly seen by the naked eye only about the time of its greatest elongation; and to those who reside in high northern latitudes it will scarcely be visible |