150 



SCENERY OF THE HEAVENS. 



host for a similar period. All confusion will be avoided, by discriminating between the 

 constellations and the signs of the zodiac, though bearing the same name, understanding by 

 the former the asterisms, and by the latter certain sections of the ecliptic. In about twenty- 

 three thousand years, the zodiacal constellations and signs will again nominally agree. 

 The constellation ARIES is situated in the heavens next east of Pisces, and midway between 

 Triangulum and Musca on the north, and the head of Cetus on the south. It is readily 

 distinguished by means of two bright stars in the head of the Ram, about 4 apart, the 



brightest being the most north-easterly of the two. 

 This is the nautical star a Arietis, called Hamal by 

 the Arabs, of the second magnitude ; the other, She- 

 ratan, is of the third. Here is one instance out of 

 many, where stars of more than ordinary brightness 

 are seen together in pairs, the brightest being gene 

 rally on the east. 



TAURUS, one of the finest of the zodiacal asterisms, 

 has Perseus and Auriga on the north, Gemini on the 

 east, Orion and Eridanus on the south, and Aries on 

 the west. It includes the two remarkable clusters, the 

 Pleiades and Hyades, the former on the shoulder, and the latter in the face of the Bull, 

 about 11 apart. The Hyades consist of five stars, so placed as to form the letter V, 

 the brilliant star, Aldebaran, of the first magnitude, being on the top of the letter to the 

 left. This group is just rising in the east when Aries is about 27 high. 



The Pleiads have gone through some evil and good report Figuring conspicuously in 

 our winter sky, Statius calls them a snowy constellation ; Valerius Flaccus speaks of their 



danger to ships ; while Horace pictures the south-wind 

 lashing the deep into storm in the presence of the 

 stellar sisterhood. But as the Pleiades were more in 

 juxtaposition with the sun at the vernal equinox in 

 by-gone days than at present, the Romans sometimes 

 called them Vergilias, or the " Virgins of the Spring." 

 GEMINI is situated with the Lynx on the north, 

 Taurus on the west, Cancer on the east, Monoceros 

 and Canis Minor on the south. It is easily known 

 by the two principal stars, Castor and Pollux, the 

 former of the first, and the latter of the second mag 

 nitude, about 4^ apart. The constellation was anci 

 ently represented by two kids, which the Greeks changed into the twin-brothers after 

 whom the two stars are named, and which the Arabians altered into peacocks. A small 



star of the fifth magnitude, Propus, is memorable on 

 account of Herschel finding Uranus in its neighbour 

 hood, and as having served for many years to guide 

 astronomers to that planet. 



CANCER is inferior to most of the other constel 

 lations along the solar highway, having no conspicuous 

 stars. Two of the fourth magnitude the Romans 

 called Aselli ; and a nebulous cluster of very minute 

 stars, sufficiently luminous however to be seen by 

 the naked eye, exists at the distance of about 2 

 from the Asses. This cluster goes by the name of 

 Praesepe, or the Manger, out of accommodation to them. 



