MAY 



A May Night's Star Pageant 



WHAT a change has come upon the face of 

 the spring night sky within these last few 



weeks ! You have some favourite window, 

 porch, or other coign of vantage from which just 

 before the evening meal, or at bedtime, you look 

 round and up and take measure of the night and 

 its promise. The house that stands high, open to 

 the south and south-west above its woods or park 

 lands, is the best observatory for this purpose. 

 Nobody would choose to look north or north-east 

 for long in early spring when after dusk the star 

 host is well on the march. Through March and 

 the early days of April, eve after eve, night after 

 night, we looked on sky scenes of immense lustre. 

 Orion, with that glittering Sirius at his heels, 

 bestrode the heavens to the south-west just before 

 dark, absolutely dominating all ; whilst, a little 

 earlier, there were those marvellous fiord depths 

 and heights and breadths of blue gemmed by Venus 

 and Jupiter ; and, one evening at least, shy Mercury 

 in the saffron of sundown. 



One looks up now to find all this eve and night 

 phase past. Venus's torch is out before dark, and 



100 



