2 GUIDE TO THE CONSTELLATIONS. 



Majoris through the pole star, it will pass through the mid- 

 dle of Cassiopeia. This constellation consists of six or 

 seven stars, which form a Y, or, as some describe it, a 

 chair turned on its back. This description is by no means 

 distinct, but there is little danger of any mistake; because 

 several of these stars are of the second magnitude (Fig. 2). 



Ursa Minor. The little Bear is nearly of the same form as the great 



Bear, but the figures though parallel are reversed with re- 

 ■pect to one another. The pole star is of the 3d magnitude 

 at the extremity of the tail, the four next stars to it are 

 only of the 4th magnitude ; but the two last, which make 

 up the square, are of the 3d, and are called the Guards. 

 'These last are in a line drawn through the centre of the great 

 Bear, perpendicular to its longest side. 



Arcturus. Arcturus, a star of the first magnitude in Bootes, is dis- 



tant 31° from the tail of the great Bear; and if a line be 

 drawn through £ and r, the two stars at the extremity of the 

 tail, it will point to Arcturus. 



Lyra and Ca- When the great Bear is on the meridian, Lyra- and Ca- 

 pella, two stars of the first magnitude, are seen, one in the 

 east, the other in the west, in a line drawn through the pole 

 star, perpendicularly to that which joins the great Bear and 

 Cassiopeia. Capella is to the east when the great Bear is: 

 under the pole ; and then, if their altitude is the same, it is- 

 almost equal to that of the pole star. 



Draco. Draco is on the line drawn from a Ursee Majoris through 



the Guards of the little Bear, between which and Lyra 

 may be observed the four stars in the shape of a lozenge, 

 which form the head; the tail lies between the pole star and 

 the body of the great Bear. The Hue through the Guards 

 points to v) Draconis, which is north of and south of £ 

 in the line, which is directed towards the pole of the eclip-- 

 tic. 



Cepheus. This line produced a little farther towards cT and g Dra- 



conis will pass between and «. Cephei. 



Cygnus. The line drawn from the pole star to these two last men- 



tioned stars in Cepheus will pass near to the tail of the 

 Swan, which is a beautiful object, and never sinks below the 

 horizon of London. 



The constella- Having now gone through those constellations, which are 



always 



