PLEASURES OF THE TELESCOPE. 293 



of the light- waves in the atmosphere provokes many expressions 

 of impatience from the astronomer, but it is often a beautiful 

 phenomenon nevertheless. 



Between rj and 8 is a fifth-magnitude double star, % 725, which 

 is worth a moment's attention. The primary, of a reddish color,, 

 has a very faint star, eleventh magnitude, at a distance of 12'7'V 

 p. 88. 



Still retaining the five-inch in use, we may next turn to the 

 other end of the Belt, where, just under C, we perceive the fourth- 

 magnitude star 0-. He must be a person of indifferent mind who, 

 after looking with unassisted eyes at the modest glimmering of 

 this little star, can see it as the telescope reveals it without a 

 thrill of wonder and a cry of pleasure. The glass, as by a touch 

 of magic, changes it from one into eight or ten stars. There are 

 two quadruple sets three and a half minutes of arc apart. The 

 first set exhibits a variety of beautiful colors. The largest star, 

 of fourth magnitude, is pale gray ; the second in rank, seventh 

 magnitude, distance 42", p. 61, presents a singular red, " grape- 

 red " Webb calls it ; the third, eighth magnitude, distance 12", p. 

 84, is blue ; and the fourth, eleventh magnitude, distance 12", p. 

 236, is apparently white. Burnham has doubled the fourth- 

 magnitude star, distance 0*23". The second group of four stars 

 consists of three of the eighth to ninth magnitude, arranged in 

 a minute triangle with a much fainter star near them. Between 

 the two quadruple sets careful gazing reveals two other very 

 faint stars. While the five-inch gives a more satisfactory view 

 of this wonderful multiple star than any smaller telescope can 

 do, the four-inch and even the three-inch would have shown it 

 to us as a very beautiful object. However we look at them, 

 there is an appearance of association among these stars, shining 

 with their contrasted colors and their various degrees of bril- 

 liance, which is significant of the diversity of conditions and cir- 

 cumstances under which the suns and worlds beyond the solar 

 system exist. 



From o- let us drop down to see the wonders of Orion's Sword 

 displayed just beneath. We can use with advantage any one of 

 our three telescopes ; but since we are going to look at a nebula, 

 it is fortunate that we have a glass so large as five inches aper- 

 ture. It will reveal interesting things that escape the smaller 

 instruments, because it grasps more than one and a half times as 

 much light as the four- inch, and nearly three times as much as 

 the three-inch ; and in dealing with nebulae a plenty of light is 

 the chief thing to be desired. The middle star in the Sword is 0, 

 and it is surrounded by the celebrated Nebula of Orion. The 

 telescope shows 6 separated into four stars arranged at the cor- 

 ners of an irregular square, and shining in a black gap in the 



