Teacher's Leaflet, 851 



us from Deneb. It and the cross are a part of the constellation known to the 

 ancients as Cygnus or the Swan. A line drawn from Deneb to the Pole Star and 

 a line drawn from Deneb to Vega form a right angle at Deneb. (See chart C, D.) 



Altair. — This beautiful star is easily distinguished because of its small compan- 

 ions, one on each side, all three in a line. The three belong to a constellation called 

 the Eagle and may be seen in early evening from June to December. Altair, 

 Deneb and Vega form a triangle with the most acute angle at Altair. (See chart 

 L, K.) Just northeast of Altair is a little diamond-shaped cluster of stars called 

 the Dolphin, which is a good name for it, since it looks like a Dolphin, the fifth 

 star forming the tail. It is also called Job's coffin, but the reason for this is uncer- 

 tain, tmless Job's trials extended to a coffin which could not possibly fit him. If 

 the line C on the chart drawn from the Pole Star to Deneb be extended it will 

 touch the Dolphin. Altair is always low in the sky; it is a great sun giving off 

 nearly ten times as much light as our own sun and it is comparatively near to us 

 as light reaches us from it in fifteen years. Altair is coming toward us now at a 

 rate of eight hundred million miles per year, but even at that rate it will not reach 

 the place we are now within one hundred thousand years. 



Arcturus (Ark'-tu-rus). — Extend the handle of the Big Dipper following its 

 own curve for about twice its length and it will end in a beautiful, yellow star, 

 the only very bright one in that region. It is a thousand times brighter than our 

 own sun, but its light does not reach us for a hundred years after it is given off. 

 Arcturus is supposed to be one of the largest of all the suns, having a diameter 

 of several millions of miles. During the latter part of June and July it is almost 

 overhead in the early evening. 



Spica (Spi'-ka). — To find Spica draw a line through the star on the outer edge 

 of the top of the bowl of the Big Dipper through the star at the bottom of the bowl 

 next the handle and extend this line far over to the southwest during the evenings 

 of June and July. (See chart F.) In August this star sets at ten o'clock. Spica 

 is a white star and is the only bright one in that part of the sky. It is so far away 

 from us that the distance has never been measured. Spica is in the constellation 

 called the Virgin. 



Antares (An-ta'-rees). — To find this star draw a line half way between Arcturus 

 and Vega from the Pole Star straight across the sky to the south and just above 

 the southern horizon. It will point to a very red and glowing star in the con- 

 stellation of the Scorpion. Also a line drawn at right angles to the line con- 

 necting Altair with its companions and extending toward the south will reach 

 Antares. Late June and July about ten o'clock in the evening is the best for 

 viewing this beautiful star. An interesting thing about Antares is that although 

 it is red it has whirling around it a companion star which is bright green. 



The Crown. — Between Arcturus and Vega, but much nearer. the former, is a 

 circle of smaller stars that is called the Northern Crown, and which, because of 

 its form is quite noticeable. 



Regulus (Reg'-u-lus.) — Extend the line that passes through the pointers of the 

 Big Dipper to the North Star backward into the western skies and just west of 

 this line lies a constellation called the Sickle, and the stars that form it outline 

 this implement. The Sickle has a jewel at the end of the handle which is a white 

 and diamond-like star called Regulus. It is a great sun giving out one thousand 

 times as much light as our own sun and this light reaches us in about one hundred 

 and sixty years. The Sickle is part of a constellation called the Lion, and from 

 the Sickle comes the shower of meteors which we see on the evening of November i sth. 



