74 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



a not very bright group, almost on the 

 ground in the exact north, while above 

 this are the bright stars of the W-shap- 

 ed Cassiopeia, and it is here that the 

 Milky Way is narrower and brighter 

 than in any other part. Two especially 

 bright regions are at the points E and 

 F, Figure I, the former being the beau- 



The long stream of stars which, be- 

 ginning at H, extends down almost to 

 the exact center of the Milky Way, be- 

 longs to the tail of the Serpent, the 

 head of this very long constellation 

 now lying almost due south at the point 

 B. The fainter stars in the great, com- 

 paratively vacant region between this 



<? 



• • 



V 



'<V 



o 



t 4 



Figure 2. A remarkable spiral nebula which we view nearly edgewise and whose 

 appearance strongly suggests that it is a solar system in process of formation. This 

 nebula is situated at the point W of Figure 1. The appearance of the nebula observed 

 in Virgo is very similar. 



tiful Double Cluster in Perseus, the 

 most satisfactory of all star clusters 

 for examination with a small telescope. 

 Then follows Cepheus, while the high- 

 est part of the arch is occupied by the 

 beautiful Northern Cross and the very 

 brilliant Vega with the other stars of 

 the Lyre. 



Descending the arch toward the 

 south, we come next to the faint Arrow, 

 the curious group of the Dolphin, or 

 Job's Coffin, the Eagle, and finally, but 

 little above the ground in the south, 

 there is found the long group, Sagit- 

 tarius, the most noticeable feature of 

 which is the little Milk Dipper which 

 lies in an inverted position, the end of 

 its handle being at C and the front 



edge of the bowl at D. 



winding stream and Hercules form 

 Ophiuchus, the Serpent Holder, who 

 is holding the Serpent in his two hands. 

 The position of his right hand is mark- 

 ed by the pair of faint stars at K, and 

 that of his left hand by the similar pair 

 of stars at L. 



Finally, in the extreme south, we 

 have the magnificent group of Scorpio, 

 with its striking stream of bright stars 

 extending from N to R, and its fiery 

 red Antares, at T. The tail of the 

 Scorpion extends downward and below 

 the horizon in the south, but, again 

 curving upward, stretches along the 

 center of the Milky Way, and finally 

 terminates in the Sting at the Star M. 



This last star is seen as a pretty lit- 

 tle pair of stars in a pair of opera 



