USE OF THE CELESTIAL GLOBE. 323 



not be brought within the compass of any of them, were LECT. 

 called unformed stars. x - 



Because the moon and all the planets were observed 

 to move ij circles or orbits which cross the ecliptic (or 

 line of th3 sun's path) at email ancles, and to be on the 

 north si Je of the ecliptic for one half of their course 

 round '.he heaven of stars, and on the south side of it for 

 the other half, but never to go quite 8 degrees from it 

 on 5ither side, the ancients distinguished that space by 

 two lesser circles, parallel to the ecliptic (one on each 

 side) at 8 degrees distance from it. And the space in- 

 cl'ided between these circles, they called the zodiac, be- 

 ause most of the 12 constellations placed therein re- 

 semble some living creature. These constellations are, Its signs or 

 1. Aries nr, the ram ; 2. Taurus 8, the bull ; 3. Gemini n, * llons * 

 the twins; 4. Cancer s, the crab; 5. Leo SI, the 

 lion ; 6. Virgo nt, the virgin ; 7. Libra <, the balance ; 

 8. Scorpio n\, the scorpion ; 9. Sagittarius f , the archer ; 

 10. Capricornus V?, the goat; 11. Aquarius K:, the water 

 bearer; and 12. Pisces X, the fishes. 



It is to be observed, that in the infancy of astronomy, Remark, 

 these twelve constellations stood at or near the places 

 of the ecliptic, where the above characteristics are 

 marked upon the globe : but now, each constellation has 

 g.ot a whole sign forwarder, on account of the recession 

 of the equinoctial points from their former places. So 

 that the constellation of Aries, is now in the former 

 place of Taurus; that of Taurus, in the former place 01 

 Gemini ; and so on. 



The stars appear of different magnitudes to the eye ; 

 probably because they are at different distances from 

 us. Those which appear brightest and largest, are 

 called stars of the Jirst magnitude ; the next to them in 

 size and lustre, are called stars of the second magnitude ; 

 and so on to the sixth, which are the smallest that can 

 be discerned by the bare eye. 



Some of the most remarkable stars have names given 

 Y 2 



