16 FIRST YEAR COURSE IN GENERAL SCIENCE 



The "belt of Orion" consists of three stars in a straight 

 line, nearly perpendicular to the eastern horizon as the con- 

 stellation rises. Below and nearly at right angles to the 

 belt are three fainter stars called his sword. In northern 

 countries Orion and Taurus are seen in the east early in the 

 evening in November and December. 



Orion is followed by two dogs. In Canis Major, the 

 larger dog, is the star Sirius, which is also called the Dog Star. 

 It is the brightest star in the whole sky and is visible nearly 

 all winter. In summer it is in the same part of the sky as 

 the sun, and is shining on us during the day, but is invisible 

 because of the brighter light of the sun. The period known 

 as "dog days" gets its name from the fact that the Dog 

 Star is then shining upon the earth in the daytime. 



Late in the spring in northern latitudes, Leo, the lion, 

 is almost directly overhead. It can be recognized by a part 

 of the constellation shaped like a sickle or grass hook. The 

 star in the end of the handle is the brightest in the group 

 and is called Regulus. The northern crown, Corona, is an- 

 other summer constellation. It lies east of Leo and may be 

 identified by its shape that of a wreath or crown. 



Scorpio, the scorpion, is the most brilliant summer con- 

 stellation and may be identified by its kite-shaped figure. 

 Antares, a reddish star, is located where the tail joins the 

 body of the kite. Scorpio is seen in the south in August 

 and is never high above the horizon in the latitude of the 

 northern states. 



4. To Find the North Star. Look in the northern part 

 of the sky for a group of seven stars which outline the form 

 of a long-handled dipper. This group is called the Big Dip- 

 per. The two stars on the side of the bowl farther from the 

 handle are called the pointers, because a line drawn through 

 them points to the North Star. This imaginary line, 

 extended northward for about five times the distance be- 

 tween the pointers, passes very near the North Star. This 



