7+8 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



In the same way you will be able to find the constellations Cassi- 

 opeia, Cepheus, Draco, and Perseus. Don't expect to accomplish it all 

 in an hour. You may have to devote two or three evenings to obser- 

 vation, and make many trips indoors to consult the map, before you 

 have mastered the subject ; but when you have done it you will 1'ccl 

 amply repaid for your exertions, and you will have made for yourself 

 silent friends in the heavens that will beam kindly upon you, like old 

 neighbors, on whatever side of the world you may wander. 



Having fixed the general outlines and location of the constellations 

 in your mind, and learned to recognize the chief stars, take your opera- 

 glass and begin with the constellation Leo and the star Regulus. 

 Contrive to have some convenient rest for your arms in holding the 

 glass, and thus obtain not only comfort but steadiness of vision. A 

 lazy-back chair makes a capital observing-seat. 



You will at once be gratified by the increased brilliancy of the star 

 as seen by the glass. If the night is clear it will glow like a diamond. 

 Yet Regulus, although ranked as a first-magnitude star, and of great 

 repute among the ancient astrologers, is far inferior in brilliancy to 

 such stars as Capella and Arcturus, to say nothing of Sirius. 



By consulting the little map of the constellation Leo, here given, 

 you will next be able to find the celebrated star bearing the name of 

 the Greek letter Gamma (y). If you had a telescope, you would see 

 this star as a close and beautiful double, of contrasted colors. But 

 it is optically double, even with an opera-glass. You can not fail to 

 see a small star near it, looking quite close, if the magnifying power 

 of your glass is less than three times. You will be struck by the sur- 



prising change of color in turning from Regulus to Gamma — the for- 

 mer is white and the latter deep yellow. It will be well to look first 

 at one and then at the other, several times, for this is a good instance 

 <>f what you will meet with many times in your future surveys of the 

 heavens — a striking contrast of color in neighboring stars. You will 



