The Heavens in April. 



By Professor Eric Doolittle o f the University of Pennsylvania, 



FOR the first time during the pre- 

 sent year our star map shows the 

 bright winter constellations begin- 

 ning to disappear. The first to go is 

 the brilliant Taurus, though Orion is 

 now very near the ground in the west 

 and the bright Dog Star, Sirius, is so 

 low down that in a few weeks more it 



feet outline of the Sickle forms a strik- 

 ing figure in the evening heavens. 



Meanwhile the whole eastern half of 

 the heavens is becoming covered with 

 the fainter constellations of summer. 

 The whole of the very long group, Vir- 

 go, has now emerged from below the 

 ground, the Balances have appeared. 



NORTH 



■South 



Figure 1. The Constellations at 9 P. M., April 1. (If facing south, hold the map upright. If facing 

 west, hold West below. If facing': east, hold East below. If facing north, hold the map inverted.) 



will no longer be seen in our evening and the head of the Serpent is seen, 



sky. Gemini is now some hours past though it will not be until June that 



the meridian, while Leo, the last of the this very long, winding constellation 



bright winter train, is exactly on the will have completely risen. In the 



meridian in the south, where the per- south the extended Hydra now reaches 



