THE STARRY HEAVENS FOR MAY 



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tronomy in high school teaching, 1 

 have observed somewhat the more 

 prominent constellations of the north. 

 On the trip southward and northward 

 the thought kept recurring to my 

 mind, "Why the statement so often 

 read and heard concerning the bril- 

 liancy of the southern skies?" 



Facilities for observation seemed to 

 be all that could be desired. The 

 nights were clear, sea was smooth and 

 nearby lights did not dim the view ; 

 yet to my mind the southern skies 

 lacked much in brilliancy in compari- 

 son with the stars of the north. Some 

 of the officers of the ship I found to 

 be men of considerable education. 

 Those with whom I talked on the sub- 

 ject expressed the opinion that the 

 claims for surpassing brilliancy of 

 southern skies were somewhat imagin- 

 ary. 



I concluded that many of the writers 

 and speakers on the subject had never 

 seen southern skies and that possibly 

 some that had observed the stars from 

 seas south of the equator, had never 

 given the subject any attention while 

 at home in the northern hemisphere. 

 Most people living in our modern city 

 never see the stars. During the even- 

 ings on shipboard there is not much 

 else to look at. Possibly some writers 

 bubbling over with brilliancy of the 

 southern stars, received the first and 

 only impressions while traveling in 

 southern climes. A lady who had re- 

 cently made a trip to California strenu- 

 ously defended the preeminence of the 

 wild flora of that state. I asked if she 

 reallv thought that the wild flowers in 

 California were superior in any way to 

 those of New York state. She said 

 that she had never looked at them 

 much here. If any of the readers have 

 personal knowledge of the appearance 

 of the skies south of the equator, an ex- 

 pression of honest opinion would be of 

 much interest. 



Sirius, for example, is below the celestial 

 equator, it will be higher in the sky as 

 seen from below the earth's equator. 



Most of our bright northern groups 

 are also to be seen from the south. Thus 

 Leo, Taurus, Gemini, Aquila, etc., etc., 

 in fact all not too near the Pole, are seen 

 from both. Astronomically a star below 

 the equator of the sky is called a south- 

 ern star though it may shine out brightly 

 in our northern skies for many months 

 of the year. 



What would actually happen is this. 

 Were you to go from forty degrees 

 north latitude on the earth to the same 

 distance south, you would lose sight of 

 the bright northern groups, Cassiopeia, 

 Ursa Major, and Cyngus, and also of 

 part or all of the faint groups, Draco, 

 Perseus, Cepheus, etc. In place of these 

 you would see Crux, Triangulum, Ara, 

 and the brighter stars of Argo, Erida- 

 nus, and other faint constellations never 

 seen in the north. All of the great mass 

 of bright groups which were not nearer 

 the poles than forty degrees would be 

 visible from both places. 



The exchange would, in fact, be a very 

 nearly even one. 



Prof. Eric DoolittlE. 



One of the Sights of the South! 



Highbrow Guest (on porch of south- 

 ern hotel in evening) — Yonder is 

 Saturn. 



Lowbrow Guest — Point it out to me. 

 Not that I care a rap, only just so I 

 can tell the fellows back North that I 

 saw it. — Ex. 



("Answer by Prof. Doolittle.) 



"The truth of the matter is that there 

 is actually but little difference between 

 the brightnesses of the stars actually 

 to be seen in the two hemispheres. Our 

 bright Orion, Scorpio. Canis Major, 

 etc A_those grouos which he along the 

 equator— are visible from either hemi- 

 sphere but it is to be noticed that as 



She Was Puzzled to Classify It. 



A teacher in one of the private 

 schools in Larchmont tells of a lady who 

 is much interested in the study of nature 

 and who takes her children to walk in 

 forest and field and brings in many speci- 

 mens. She is also a careful housekeeper 

 and insists that everything in the home 

 shall be kept in perfect order and neat- 

 ness. This state of affairs puzzles some 

 of the servants because the specimens 

 brought in at times seem to be objec- 

 tionable litter that the household workers 

 are at a loss to classify. Recently a maid 

 rushed to her mistress and in excited 

 tones said: "Please, ma'am, there is a 

 worm crawling up the piano. Is it a 

 worm or is it a natural history?" mean- 

 ing by this, "Is it to be let alone or shall 

 I throw it out?" 



