168 
February.) As the hours pass it will be noticed that while the stars 
hold the fixed positions stated in regard to each other, the position of the 
group as a whole changes with reference to the horizon. Three hours 
after the handle was pointed eastwards it will be found directed up- 
wards, and three hours later will point westwards. If, at the times of 
noting the position of the Dipper, a more or less general observation of 
the brighter and more remarkable of the other star groups has been 
made, it will be an easy matter to convince ourself that every star in the 
sky has been describing a circle, larger or smaller westwards, the circles 
described being smaller and smaller towards the north until the eye 
is compelled to notice one particular star, which alone, of all the bright 
stars in the sky, maintains a fixed position no matter how long the vigil 
be kept up. This star will be found in the very same place night after 
night throughout the year, as well as hour after hour for any particular 
night. It marks one of the polar points of an axis, about which the 
celestial sphere revolves, and it is thepo/e star. It may be easily seen 
that a line joining the stars in ihe front of the Dipper, if produced, will 
pass nearly through the position of the pole star, and hence these stars 
are often called the pointers. 
It is necessary to any intelligent conception of the stellar move, 
ments, that the phenomena just described be fully apprehended; but it 
is to another set of star groups that I wish to-night to ask your attention. 
Thus far we are supposed to have been directing our eyes northward- 
Let us turn our backs as exactly as we can to the position of the pole 
star, and so placed, look upwards and forwards. We are looking in the 
plane of our meridian, and if we look directly up to the zenith, we 
locate in the line of vision, a point on the celestial meridian just as far 
from the pole star (in circular degrees) as our angular distance from the 
pole of the earth which for Ottawa is practically the same as our lati- 
tude, about 45 . 
Measure off as well as you can towards the South, and in the line 
of the meridian, a second distance equal to this, and you are looking at 
a point in the equinoctial or celestial equator. The stars at this point 
are seen to describe the largest circle in their movement from the east- 
ern to the western horizon. A particular interest attaches to the making 
