The Starry Heavens in May. 



\:y I'ROFESSOR ERIC DOOLITTLE, OF THE 

 UMVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



During this month we note the prac- 

 tically complete withdrawal of Taurus 

 and Orion ; Leo is well past the meri- 

 dian. Virgo is high in the south and 

 the remarkable and striking group. 

 Scorpio, is just entering our evening 

 sky. The entire length of the great 

 Water Snake is above the horizon in 



high in the heavens, almost in the zen- 

 ith. Almost exactly overhead, too, are 

 the delicate little groups of the Maiden's 

 Hair and the Hunting Dogs, while 

 lower down are the many brighter con- 

 stellations, which, from the great 

 Bootes to the beautiful Northern Cross, 

 now fill the whole northwestern part of 

 the evening heavens. 



At this time but little of the Milky 

 Wav is visible, for the winter branch 



3ooTH 



Figure 1. — The constellations at 9 P. M., May 1. {If facing south, hold map upright If facing 

 west, hold v\ est below. If facing east, hold East below. If facing north, hold map inverted.) 



the south, so that the present time af- 

 fords the most favorable opportunity 

 of the entire year for tracing out this 

 interesting constellation. 



The bright Cassiopeia is now at its 

 greatest distance below the Pole, while 

 opposite to it the Great Dipper rides 



is setting in the ^^'est, while the sum- 

 mer branch is rising in the east, so that 

 the whole extends completely along 

 the ground through the north, inclosing 

 two-thirds of the horizon. 



The only planet which shines con- 

 spicuously in our evening heavens is 



