THE EARTH 



9 



stars on the side of the bowl farther from the handle 

 are called the " pointers " because an imaginary line 

 drawn through them and extended for five times the 

 distance between them will end almost exactly at the 

 North Star or Pole Star. The Pole Star (Polaris) is 

 so called because the imaginary 'axis of the earth, if ex- 

 tended from the north 

 pole, would pierce the 

 sky very near this 

 star (Figure 6). 



The circle of stars 

 in the northern sky 

 seems to revolve 

 about this Pole Star, 

 just as all the lands 

 of the terrestrial 

 globe seem to revolve 

 around the north pole 

 as the globe is ro- 

 tated. The stars in 

 this northern circle 



THE DIPPER 



_ , - - North Star 



complete their small 

 round once in twenty- 

 four hours, moving in 



a direction Opposite FlG - 6 - Diagram showing the Position of the 

 , , , i - North Star in the Sky. 



to the hands of a 



clock (Figure 7). As the path of the northern circle of 

 stars lies entirely above the horizon, they never rise or 

 set, but are only obscured by the light of day. They 

 are visible on any clear night in the year from all points 

 in the northern hemisphere. 



Six well-defined constellations are included in this 

 northern circle, and they are always above the horizon. 



