AurtrsT, 1901.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



17U 



as rich in star clusters as the nebulous region in Virgo 

 is in nebulie. A wonderful object, number 8 in Messier "s 

 catalogue, foi-nis a rhomboid with Mu, Lambda and 

 Delta. North of Mu lies number 24 of the same cata- 

 logue, a st.ar cluster quite unlike Messier 8, but almost 

 as attractive. Passing upwards in the same straight 

 line, we come to Messier IS, then ^Icssier 17, the famous 

 ■ horse-shoe " nebula, and a little further off, Messier 

 16. These dustei-s are the principal objects in the little 

 modern constellation. Scutum Soljieski, a little asterism 

 which Heveliiis devised to celebrate the valiant John 

 Sobieski, king of Poland, and deliverer of Europe from 

 the Turk. Proctor and Some other modern map makers 

 omit the const^^llation entirclv, and for the sake- of sim- 

 plicity it is well that it should be so. As designed, 

 it filled a small triangular space between Serpens, Aquila 

 and S.igittarius. It was practically entirely enclosed 



The constellation lies below our English horizon, with 

 very little to mark it from any point.. 



The next zodiacal constellation to Sagittarius is 

 Capricornus, small and easily found. Just as Sagittarius 

 is a centaur or man-horse, so Capricornus is almost 

 invariably a goat-fish. The goat has usually been ex- 

 plained as signifying the sun at the winter solstice, 

 seeing that after that season has passed, the sun begins 

 again to move upward in the sky; the rock-haunting 

 goat or ibex being adopted as the symbol of the climbing 

 motion of the sun, whilst the fishtail pointed to the 

 rains and floods of midwinter. We know, however, that 

 tho consternations were mapped out many centuries 

 before the winter solstice fell in Capricorn, and that 

 the explanation, howevei- iiinenious, was but a. Inte 

 guess, made when ail actual recollection of the iiieaiiing 

 of the sign had been lost. 



XXIV 



XXlll 



XXII 



XXI 



XX 



XIX 



I XXIV XXlll XXII XXI XX XIX XVIII 



.Star Map \o. 8; Tho Region of the An-lu-r ;ind the Water-liearer. 



XVII 



within the borders of the Galaxy, and contains but a 

 single notable star, the variable R. Scuti ; but its wealth 

 of telescopic stars, clusters and nebula' is most remark- 

 able. Sir William Herschel estimated that in live square 

 degi'ees of space it contained one-third of a million of 

 stars. Of its clusters the most wonderful is just visible 

 to the naked eye, and is Messier 11, the " Flight of W ild 

 Ducks," on the north-east«rn border of the constellation. 

 The fore-feet of Sagittarius are oft«n not shown in the 

 designs of this constellation, the place where they 

 should come being occupied by the Southern Crown. 



" Other few, 

 Below the Archer, under his fore-feet, 

 Letl round in circle, roll without a name." 



(Prown'^^ Araftis.) 



Capricorn may bo found by diawing a straight line 

 from Vega through Altair. Omega Capricorn! lies just 

 as far below Altair as Vega lies above it, and marks 

 one knee of the kneeling goat. Psi, immediately above, 

 lies almost on the straight line from Altair, and Alpha 

 and Beta, wliich mark the root of the horns and the 

 eye of the animal, are but little in advance of the line, 

 only considerably higher up. Alpha is Algedi, which 

 simply means "the goat"; Beta is Dabih, "the 

 slaughterer." The first of these stars is a visual double, 

 and it is interesting to note that it has become so com- 

 paratively recently. The two stars have no real con- 

 nection with each other, and their proper motion is 

 carrying them apart by something more than a minute 



