6 



GUIDE TO THE CONSTELLATIONS. 



winter, will find that the knowledge of them will assist him 

 very much in ascertaining the rest. 



Spica Virginia. The m \^\ e star (f) m tne tail of the great Bear is on 

 the meridian over the pole star, about 9 o'clock in the latter 

 end of May. Spica Virginis, a star of the first magnitude, 

 will then appear on the meridian in the south at the alti- 

 tude of about 28° 30'. The diagonal drawn through a and 

 y in the great Bear will nearly pass through this star, al- 

 though at the distance of 68°. Moreover Spica Virginia 

 makes nearly an equilateral triangle with Arcturus and the 

 Lion's tail, from which it is distant about 35°. 



Comi>. At this time also the four principal stars in the Crow are 



a little to the right, below Spica Virginis. They form a 

 trapezium, and are situated in the same line with Lyra 

 and Spica Virginis. 



Hydra. If from £ and y, the last stars in the square of the great 



Bear, a line be drawn through Regulus, it will meet, at the 

 distance of 22° to the south, the star called Cor Hydra?. 

 The head of the Hydra is to the south of Cancer, between 

 Procyon and Regulus ; but it is a little south of the line 

 which joins them. This constellation extends from Canis 

 Minor to the part of the heavens, which is situated below 

 Spica Virginis and part of Libra. Between it and the Crow 

 is the Cup. 



Lyra, a star of the first magnitude, is one of the most 

 brilliant in the whole heavens. The situation with respect 

 to Arcturus and the pole star is such, as to make nearly a 

 right angle to the east in Lyra. 



The Northern Crown is a small constellation, situated 

 between Arcturus and Lyra: it is near Arcturus, and may 

 be easily distinguished by the seven stars, of which it is 

 composed; they are arranged in a semicircular form, and 

 one of them (a) is of the second magnitude, f and *?, t)ie 

 two last stars in the tail of the great Bear, are in a line with 

 the Crown. 

 Aquila. The Eagle contains a very bright star of the second mag- 



nitude, which is in the south of the Lyre and the Swan. It 

 is easily distinguished, because it is situated between # and 

 y, two stars of the third magnitude, which are very close 

 and form a straight line with it. 



The 



Crater. 

 Lyra. 



Corona Bo- 

 red is. 



