THE STARS FOR FEBRUARY. 5S9 



It has been shown in our own time, however, that even this estimate, which was 

 by many thought too daring, falls far short of the truth. It has been calculated 

 that Sirius gives out two hundred times as much light (and doubtless two hundred 

 times as much heat) as our Sun. So that it would make us rather uncomfortable 

 if our Sun were removed and Sirius set in its place. Sir W. Herschel says that 

 when he turned his large four-foot mirror on this star, the light was like that of 

 the rising Sun, and it was impossible to look at the star without pain to the eye. 

 Sirius is in reality in rapid motion, though owing to his enormous distance he 

 seems at rest. He is rushing through space at the rate of about thirty miles in 

 every second of time ! In a year he traverses nearly six times the distance which 

 separates our Earth from the Sun. This enormous annual journey is only about 

 iTo^o Tyo-^ P^^*^ °^ '^'^^ distance which separates him from our Earth ; and as he is 

 traveling away from us, we need not be greatly troubled on account of him. 

 He is so far from us that his light has been no less than twenty years on its v/ay 

 to us, so that in reality, instead of saying we see Sirius, we ought to say we see 

 where Sirius was some twenty years ago. Most of the stars are even farther 

 away, so that if every one of them were in a single instant destroyed, we should 

 still see them — that is, their light — for many years, and probably the greater 

 number of them would still seem to be shining in the heavens long after the 

 youngest of us were dead ; perhaps even after our great grandchildren had passed 

 away. 



Canis Minor (the Lesser Dog) is a much less important star group than Canis 

 Major, but still it is one of the ancient constellations. Its chief star is call Pro- 

 cyon, or "the Fore-dog," because his star is seen as a morning star earlier than 

 Sirius. The Arabian astronomers gave it a name of similar meaning, to-wit, Al- 

 kelb-al-mutckaddem ; but I think Procyon sounds almost as well, and as it is the 

 name by which the star is usually called, it may, perhaps be better to use it in- 

 stead of the Arabian name, though this is very pretty. Procyon, like Sirius, was 

 supposed to be a star of evil omen, especially as bringing bad weather, "What 

 meteoroscoper," said Leonard Digges, the astrologer, "yea, who that is learned 

 in matters astronomical, noteth not the great effects at the rising of the star called 

 the Litel Dogge ? " 



The constellation Gemini, or the Twins, is now approaching the south, but 

 will be more fully within the range of next our monthly map. The sign marked 

 55 is that of Cancer, or the Crab which the Sun enters at mid-summer. You will 

 observe that we have now reached the part of the ecliptic highest above the 

 equator, which is, of course, the part reached by the Sun at midsummer. The 

 point marked 25 is at its highest in the south at noon on or about June 21st, and 

 is then occupied by the Sun ; it is at its highest in the south at midnight on or 

 about December 20th, and the Sun is then exactly opposite to this point, or at 

 his lowest below the northern horizon. 



Those who live as far south as New Orleans, see, well raised above the hori- 

 zon, the star Canopus, in the stern of the good ship Argo. There is presented 

 to them, at this season, a view of more first magnitude stars than can be seen at 



