Mabch 1, 1900.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



63 



attractive influence upon the Zodiacal Light, probably 

 apparent oulv, but on that account the exact position 

 of the apex relative to the cluster is worthy of the 

 very strictest attention. 



Keen eyesight, patienc, and a small star-atlas are, 

 therefore, all the equipment that is required for 

 ZocTiacal Light work. The description of the work 

 may not seem inviting, yet when once it is takeu up, 

 the' looking for that str.iiige, beautiful, yet faint and 

 elusive glow will be found full of interest, and the more 

 its peculiaa-ities are followed up. the more will the souse 

 cf its mvsteriousness be realized, ••uid the greater will 

 be the desire to contribute something which may ex- 

 plain its secret. 



heavens. Facing round due west we notice low down 

 four stai-s placed at the angles of a gi'cat square in the 

 sky. The square of Pegasus. At this moment the 

 square is, as it were, balanced on one of its points, and 

 the point furthest round to the left iis we face it is 

 marked by Gamma Pegasi, the st;u', Algenib. A 

 straight line from the Pleiades to Algenib passes 

 through Alpha Arietis, Ilaiual, the brightest star in 

 the Ram. liamal is neai-ly midway between the 

 Piciades and Algenib, but a little nearer the former. 

 Two stars, ius shown in the diagram, near Ilamal, 

 make with it a characteristic little figure, a small 

 mangle with a very obtuse angle. These arc Ueta 

 pud Gamma, the other stars in the Ham's head. 



HiaON 



SOUTH 

 The HeavL'ns at 0.30 p.m. ou March G, fruiii the Latitiido of Loudon. 



The constellations through which the Zodiacal Light 

 runs at the beginning of March are those of Pisces 

 and Aries, right up to the Piciades on the borders of 

 Taurus. Neither of these two constellations are at all 

 conspicuous, and they are therefore not the best with 

 ■which to begin a study of the constellations, but they 

 may be picked out without much difficulty by noting 

 their near neighbours. 



At this season of the year the Pleiades, " glittering 

 like a swarm of fireflies tangled in a silver braid," 

 have just passed the southern meridian and are still 

 vtry high in the sky. They are known to everyone, 

 nor is there any possibilitv of mistaking them, since 

 they fonn the compactest little cluster in the whole 



If wc draw a straight 'iiic downwards from llainal 

 at right angles to that joining Haiiial and the Pleiades, 

 and equal to it in length, we come to Alpha Piscium, 

 or Okda, meaning the " knot of the two threads." 

 The reason of the name run eaJiily be recognised, for 

 two irregular lines of somewhat faint stars both meet 

 together at Okda, the one runs from Okda to the right 

 nearly parallel to the horizon at first and then bending 

 down" towards it, the other curving somewhat upwards, 

 also to the right. These two streams make up the 

 bulk of the constellation of the Fishes, and it is across 

 the two constellations of the Fishes and the Ram that 

 the evening Zodiacal Light streams upwards towards 

 the Pleiades at this season of the yeai". 



