RY. of its principal star Sirius, which is apparently the largest and brightest fixed star in the heavens, so that it is generally considered as one of the nearest of these distant orbs, though its distance from the earth is computed at not less than twenty billions of miles; and a cannon ball, moving over this immense space at the rate of nineteen miles a minute, would require more than two millions of years before it could reach this distant orb. Sirius is south by east of Betelguese in the left shoulder of Orion, at the distance of twenty-seven degrees, and southeast from the lower star in the belt, at the distance of twenty-three degrees. A line drawn through the three stars which form the belt, towards the southeast, leads the eye directly to Sirius, which, at the period and hour we have. stated, is about twelve degrees above the southeasterly point of the horizon; a line drawn from Betelguese southeast towards Sirius, and thence to the northeast, meets Procyon in Canis Minor, and, continued nearly due west, it again meets Betelguese, so that these three stars seem to form a large triangle, which is nearly equilateral. Another triangle is formed by drawing a line eastward from Betelguese to Procyon, as a base, from Procyon straight north to Pollux, and from thence again southwest to Betelguese, which forms a right-angled triangle, having the right angle at the star Procyon, and the line extending from Pollux to Betelguese forms the hypothenuse. In order to render these descriptions more definite, I have sketched in Plate I. a small map of this portion of the heavens, in which the principal stars in the constellations above described are represented. The left-hand side of this map represents the east; the right-hand side the west; the lower part the south; and the upper part the north, or higher portion of the heavens. When used so as to compare it with the real firmament, the observer is supposed to have his face directed chiefly to the south and the southeastern parts of the sky. He may then easily distinguish the principal stars laid down in it by the following directions: A line drawn from A to B, at the top of the map, passes through the star Castor in Gemini, which is near the left-hand side. A line drawn from C to D passes through Pollux, in the same sign, which is four or five degrees to the southeast of Castor; it likewise passes near Auriga, a star of the second magnitude, in the constellation of the Wagoner, which is represented near the middle of the line. Almost directly north from Auriga, at the dis tance of seventeen degrees, is the star Capella, in the same constellation, which is one of the brightest stars in the heavens next to Sirius. It is about twenty-eight degrees northeast from the Pleiades, but is beyond the northern limits of the map. A line drawn from E to F passes through Aldebaran, or the Bull's Eye, and the Hyades; northwest of which is the Pleiades, or seven stars, near the northwest part of the map. A line drawn from G to H passes through the star Betelguese, in the east shoulder of Orion; the line from I to K passes through Bellatrix, in the west shoulder, a star of the second magnitude, somewhat less brilliant than Betelguese, and likewise passes through Procyon, in Canis Minor, which appears near the left side of the map; and the line from L to M passes through the middle star of Orion's belt. The line from N to O passes through Rigel, in the left foot of Orion, a star of the first magnitude, fifteen degrees south of Bellatrix. The line PQ passes through Saiph, a star of the third magnitude, in Orion's right knee, eight and a half degrees east of Rigel. These two form the lower end of the parallelogram of Orion. The line R S passes through the star Sirius, in Canis Major, which is east by south from Saiph, at the distance of fifteen degrees. The small stars to the west, or right hand of Sirius, form a part of the constellation of Lepus, or the Hare. A line drawn from 7' to U, from the northern to the southern part of the map, will point out the position of the stars here represented with respect to the meridian, at the time these observations are supposed to be made. The stars on the right of this line are west of the meridian, and all those to the left are to the east of it. By attending to the above directions, and comparing the delineations on the map with the heavens, all the stars and constellations noted above may be readily distinguished. The triangles formed by Betelguese, Procyon, and Sirius, and by Pollux, Procyon, and Betelguese, will likewise be seen on the map, as formerly described, and may be easily traced in the heavens. Although I have fixed on the middle of January, at eight o'clock in the evening, for these observations, yet the same stars may be traced, at different hours, during the months of November, December, January, February, and March. About the middle of November, at midnight, and the middle of December, at ten o'clock P.M., this portion of the heavens will appear nearly in the same position as here |