A Field Book of the Stars |
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Common terms and phrases
Aldebaran Algenib Algol Altair Andromeda Antares approaching the earth Aquarius Aquila Arcturus Aries Auriga Australis Betelgeuze Boötes brightest star brilliant Cancer Canes Venatici Canis Major Canis Minor Capella Capricornus Cassiopeia Castor Cepheus Cetus cluster constellation Cor Caroli Corona Borealis Corvus culminates Aug culminates Dec culminates Feb culminates Jan culminates July culminates Nov culminates Oct culminates Sept Cygnus Delphinus Deneb Denebola diagram Diamond of Virgo Dipper Draco Draconis Dragon's head ECLIPTIC Face South Face Southeast Gemini Gemma Hercules Hydra Leonis Lepus LOCATION.-A line drawn Lyra magnitude meteors miles per second naked eye Nebula opera-glass Ophiuchus orange in color Orion Pegasus Perseus Pisces planets Pleiades Polaris Pollux principal stars Procyon Ras Alhague receding Regulus Rigel Sagittarius Scorpio Serpens shower Sirius Situated southwest Spica star culminating tail Taurus triangle Triangula Ursa Major Vega Virgo Water Jar white in color yellow in color
Popular passages
Page 74 - It varies from the second to the fourth magnitude in about three and one-half hours, and back again in the same time, after which it remains steadily brilliant for two and three-quarters days, when the same change recurs.
Page 54 - It may be easily distinguished by the position and splendor of its principle star, Arcturus, which shines with a reddish luster, Tery much resembling that of the planet Mars.
Page 124 - This zone may be traced in the heavens as follows : Beginning near the northern quarter of the heavens, at the head of Cepheus, or about 30° from the north pole, we may trace it through Cassiopeia, Perseus, Auriga, part of Orion, and the feet of Gemini. At this last point it crosses the Zodiac, and, proceeding southward across the equinoctial into the southern hemisphere, it passes through the Unicorn and the middle of the ship, Argo where it is most luminous. It then passes through Charles's Oak,...
Page 14 - ... the stars composing it. Hydra is a very long constellation, and trending southward and eastward from the head it passes underneath Leo, and, sweeping pretty close down to the horizon, winds away under Corvus, the tail reaching to the eastern horizon. The length of this skyey serpent is about 100°. Its stars are all faint, except Alphard, or the Hydra's Heart, a second-magnitude star, remarkable for its lonely situation, southwest of Regulus. A line from Gamma Leonis through Regulus points it...
Page 10 - No. 38, the bright star in the Harp, is of the first magnitude, and one of the most brilliant in the heavens ; it forms nearly a right-angled triangle with Arcturus, No.
Page 4 - Alioth is very nearly opposite Shedir in Cassiopeia, and at an equal distance from the Pole.
Page 80 - B. c., when near the winter solstice, and a Royal Star, one of the four Guardians of Heaven, sentinels watching over other stars; while about 500 B.
Page 8 - ... Uranus, on the I3th of March, 1781. The period of its variation occupies about two hundred and thirty-one and a half days, and its brightness varies between the third and fourth magnitudes. A little west of Mu is a fifth-magnitude star, which marks the location of the summer solstice — the point where the sun appears to be, when it is farthest north of the equator, on June 21st.
Page 102 - Phaet, the principal star, lies on the right and is the*highest of the two ; Beta may be known by means of a smaller star just east of it, marked Gamma. A line drawn from the easternmost star in the belt of Orion, 32o directly south, will point out Phaet; it is also 11^o S.
Page 72 - The components of $ were observed by Burnham in 1879, o".3 apart, at a position angle of 2J2°.4. NGC1 224, or 31 M.,2 the Great Nebula, the Queen of the Nebulae, just northwest of the star v, is said to have been known as far back as AD 905 ; was described by Al Sufi as the Little Cloud before 986; and appeared on a Dutch star-map of 1500.