210 GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE STARS 



2. The value of Galileo's telescope. 



3. Ideas of ancient peoples about the heavens. 



4. Kinds of telescopes. 



5. Famous observatories. 



SCIENCE RECREATION 



1. WHAT PROGRESS HAS SCIENCE MADE ON THE EARTH SINCE THE 

 BEAM OF LIGHT BY WHICH You MAY SEE ARCTURUS LEFT IT? 



Ask your grandparents about the wonders of science 40 years 

 ago. Write up the story of scientific progress that has been made 

 on the earth during the time that beam of light traveled through 

 space. 



2. MAKE A LUMINOUS STAR CHART. 



Fit a box approximately four inches on a side over the end of a 

 hand flash lamp. The side of the box opposite the lamp bulb is 

 open to hold the star charts. These are cut out of black paper 

 a trifle larger than the opening in the box. The center of the 

 box cover is cut out nearly to the edge. When this is put on the 

 box over the star chart, it will hold it securely in place. Consult 

 a good star map. Mark on the black paper the relative positions 

 of the principal stars in a constellation. Prick holes through. 

 When in place on the box, the light shines through and shows 

 you just what to look for in the sky. Make as many constellation 

 charts on separate sheets of paper as you desire to locate. The 

 following constellations are suggested as interesting groups to 

 locate : The two dippers, Cassiopeia, Orion, the Northern Cross, 

 Pegasus, Sickle, Lyra, and the Pleiades (Seven Sisters). 



SCIENCE CLUB ACTIVITIES 



1. MAKING STAR TRAILS 



Have the club meet in the evening. If in the city, get permis- 

 sion to use the roof of some tall building, but it is better to go out 

 into the country where no artificial lights will cast a haze, and so 

 dim the light of the stars. Have at least two cameras loaded with 

 very fast film, such as supersensitive phenachrome. Open the 

 diaphragms wide, and set the lever for time exposures. Point 

 one camera directly at Polaris and the other at the brightest star 

 nearly overhead. Fix the cameras so that they cannot move. 

 Open the shutters and allow them to stay open one and one-half 

 to two hours. You can go away and have an indoor meeting and 



