GUIDE TO THE CONSTELLATIONS, § 



eonvex side turned towards the great Bear. It might be 

 sufficient to mention, that they lie in the line drawn from 

 the pole star to the Pleiades ; but they may also be found 

 by producing a line through Gemini and Capella. The 

 line drawn from the belt of Orion through Aldebaran passes 

 through /?, the head of Medusa, which Perseus holds in 

 his hand : this star, which is also called Algol, is change- 

 able. 



The Swan is a very remarkable constellation : it forms a Cygnus. 

 large cross, and contains a star of the second magnitude. A 

 line drawn from Gemini through the polar star will meet 

 the Swan at about an equal distance on the opposite side: 

 at some seasons of the year they are both at the same time 

 above the horizon. But we shall have another means of 

 distinguishing this constellation, when we are acquainted 

 with that of Pegasus. 



The square of Pegasus is formed by four stars -of the se- Pegasus. 

 cond magnitude: the most northern is the head of Andro- 

 meda. The line drawn from « and of the great Bear 

 through the pole star will pass across the middle of these 

 four stars. A line drawn from the belt of Orion through 

 Aries will lead to the head of Andromeda : one drawn from 

 the Pleiades through Aries will lead to y iu the wing of Pe- 

 gasus : the other two stars are to the west ; the northern is 

 /3 and the southern a. 



The diagonal drawn through y and passes on north- 

 west towards a. in the tail of the Swan : the other diagonal, 

 drawn through « and the head of Andromeda, points uo.th- 

 east to the belt of Perseus, having tirst parsed (3 iu the gir- 

 dle, and y near the foot of Andromeda: these two stats (/2 

 and y) are of the second magnitude, and divide the space 

 between the head of Andromeda and the beit ot Perseus 

 into three equal parts. The line which connects them is 

 at right angles to that which would join Aries aud Cassio- 

 peia. 



The constellations visible in a summer's evening do not The constella- 

 possess such strongly distinguishing characters as those, tio & s visible in 

 which we have just been describing : but a person who has tveni „ E , 

 made himself acquainted with those, which may be seen in 



winter, 



