CHAPTER SIX 



OTHER PARTS OF THE NORTHERN SKY 



THE constellations described in the last chapter are 

 so near the north pole of the heavens that they are 

 always wholly or partly above the horizon of ob- 

 servers in Canada and the greater part of the United 

 States. The constellations mentioned in the present 

 chapter are also in the northern sky, but not so near 

 the north pole. These may pass below the horizon 

 for a time each day. Their location may be found 

 with the aid of the maps. When looking at the con- 

 stellations, think of north as the direction of Polaris, 

 the polestar, and south as away from it. The con- 

 stellations appear to move westward 15 degrees an 

 hour, owing to the eastward rotation of the earth. 

 They remain all the time at the same distance from 

 the north pole of the heavens. 



The Northern Cross. This figure lies in the constella- 

 tion Cygnus, which is nearly overhead in the early eve- 

 ning in September and October. Later in the fall it 

 is farther west and in the summer farther east. The 

 brightest star, Deneb, is at the head of the Cross. It is 

 a little brighter than Polaris and 45 degrees from it. 

 The foot of the Cross is toward the southwest, more 

 than 20 degrees from the head. An almost straight 

 line of stars connects them. The foot and the ends of 

 the arms are each marked by a star of the third magni- 

 tude. Where the arms join the main piece is a second- 

 magnitude star. The cross looks like the frame of a 

 huge kite. The ancients imagined they could see a 

 swan, Cygnus, with wings spread out in the direction 



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