The Heavens in April. 



BY PROFe:SSOR eric DOOLITTLE), OF THE 

 UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



In the early evenings of April we see 

 the striking star groups of the Great 

 Bear and the Lion, both lying exactly 

 on the meridian and both high in the 

 heavens very near the zenith. In the 



may also be seen in its entirety, while 

 below this the great Water Snake 

 stretches its great length from the 

 southeastern horizon to well past the 

 mieridian in the west. The extreme 

 western sky is still crowded with the 

 brilliant groups of winter, but these are 

 very evidently disappearing; both Tau- 



Fig 1— The Constellation at 9 P. M., April 1. (If facing south, hold the map upright. If facing west, 

 hold West below. If facing cast, hold East below. If facing north, hold map inverted.) 



east is the wonderful Bootes with its 

 great reddish-yellow sun, Arcturus, 

 while the beautiful and delicate North- 

 ern Crown and even the greatly ex- 

 tended and interesting Hercules have 

 now completely emerged from below 

 the ground. 



The very large constellation Virgo 



rus and Orion have partly sunk below 

 the ground, and though Gemini is still 

 high in the heavens, the most brilliant 

 midwinter star, Sirius, is now very 

 close to the southwestern horizon. 



To one who studies and observes the 

 wonderful heavens throughout the en- 

 tire year, the various brigher stars can- 



