FOREST AND STREAM. 



[April 2, 1891. 



THE NIGHT SKY FROM THE DECK OF A 

 YACHT AND HOW TO SEE IT. 



WopyriO^it^ 'by Forest and Stream Pub. Co., 1S91.'\ 



THROUGH the kindness o£ Mr. Olias. A. Posn of the Seawan- 

 haka Corinthian Y. O. we are enabled to publish the following 

 lecture delivered hy bim before that club on March 10. The 

 lecture was prepared by Mr, Po?t at the requfs' of tbe Lecture 

 Committee, as it was considered that from his own experience he 

 wonld be able to treat the subject; in the best possible manner to 

 interest and in.struet an audience of yacli'smen, Mr. Post was a 

 member of the navigation class of the club two years since, and 

 bis work in this direction led bim to a closer study of astronomy, 

 with a degree of success that is fully evident from his lecture. 

 Having so recently been over the same ground himself, he has 

 been able to condense into a short evening tslk just the inforpia- 

 tion which is needed by the yaclitsraan who baa not the time, and 

 probably not the disposition to eo deeply into the whole subject of 

 astronomy, and who usually remains In ignorance because he 

 does not know where to loot; for ihe desired knowledge in a com- 

 pact and accessible form. Unfortunately we are unable to repro- 

 dnce the numerous diagrams shown by means of a stTeopticon, 

 with which the lecture was very fully illustrated; but they are by 

 no means indispensaiile, and ^vith only Mr. Post's description for 

 a guide, the reader need have no trouble in locating the stars 

 easily seen but too often unknown. We must mention in particu- 

 lar among the pictures sbown the very fine views of the moon 

 taken by means of the Lick telescope, and the one taken by Mr. 

 Butherford. 



In attempting, as a yachtsman, not as an astronomer, to collate 

 and taring to notice a few facts in relation to the best method of 

 finding the principal stars I shall endeavor to steer cl^ar of the 

 intricacies of nautical astronomy, which is, at best, for the racing 

 yachtsman, only an accomplishment. 



As a rule there is so little cruising out of sight of land that a 

 few fundamental principles in regard to charts, the compass and 

 dead reckoning are about all that we really require. If, added to 

 this, we can by rule of thumb take our meridian observation of 

 the sun for latitude and work out our lorgitude from our morn- 

 ing sights, we may certainly congratulate ourselves on attain- 

 ments far beyond the average requirements. Therefore all of the 

 problems involving the use of the stars as aids to navigation may 

 well be dismissed by us as useless refinements. 



While it is true then that we do not absolutely need a knowl- 

 edge of the stars for safe navigation, we see them so constantly at 

 night from the decks of our vessels that a feeling of curiosity 

 naturally arises in our minds as to their names, relative positions 

 and peculiar characteristics. We would like to know what stars 

 we aie looking at— we ask each other questions on the subject 

 and generally get rather confused and unsatisfactory replies. I 

 once knew a yacht's company, which passed a whole sunomer 

 trying to locate Arcturus Bootis, and when he was once found, 

 "Boots," as he was familiarly called, became a very dear friend, 

 and was every night regarded with a peculiar and tender inter- 

 est. It is with the attempt to satisfy this laudable curiosity that 

 I am going to talk to you to-night. I make no pretensions to 

 originality of astronomical research, but I have had occasion to 

 picK out the principal stars and constellations myself, and re- 

 member perhaps better than some moie beamed teachers how 

 hard it is to get a start in the business, and how the difficulties 

 melt away after you have become familipr with a few of the more 

 important constellations. With this end in view 1 have not hesi- 

 tated to quote, in some instances nearly verbally, from standard 

 authorities. 



The s< ars are called fixed, as opposed to the planets or wanderers 

 through the sky. These stars for all the practical purposes of 

 this evening's talk remain permanently fixed in the celestial con- 

 cave, that is Lo say, as if they were glued fast to the inside of a 

 hollow sphere surrounding us. It may be interesting lo state 

 here that from an astronomical point of view this statement is 

 not absolutely tTue. Delicate observations extending over more 

 than a century show that they are really flying through space as 

 fast as the planets, and it is only their inconceivalile distance 

 which makes their apparent change of place, or proper motion, 

 as it is called, appear so small. These motions vary from about 

 7 seconds to 'if, of a second a year, and are due partly to their 

 own motion aud partly t" the motion of the Sun, which, like the 

 other stars, is traveling through spHce, taking the Earth and the 

 planets with him. The best; modern opinion seems to be that the 

 Sun himself is moving at the rate of about Ifi miles a second 

 toward a point in the constellation of Hercules, anH that we and 

 the other planets are on the same express train with him. This 

 last station or jumping oft place is called the "Apex of the Sun's 

 Way." During the past year a strong movement has been made 

 to place this last station in the adjoining coneiellation of Lyra; 

 which constellation will Anally win it is at present impossible to 

 say. However, all this is foreign to what I started lo talk about. 

 I will try not to yaw again, but stick to the plain course maxk* d 

 out for us on the chart when we started. We will therefore 

 assume that the stars are fixed in the celestial concave which 

 appears to revolve around us, once in twenty-four hom-s, owing 

 to the rotation of the Eiirth upon its axis. 



A fixed star can generally be distitguished from a planet visible 

 to the naked eye by its inferior size and by the fact that it twinkles, 

 while the planets, as a rule, do not. This twinklmg, as far as we 

 know, arises from the fact tiiat the star is optically a luminous 

 point, without apparent size, while all of the larger planets have 

 discs whi h can be mcHSun d; hence there is an inteiference of the 

 waves of light in the ease of a stnr which does not take place with 

 a planet. The only fixed star which, from iis size anci brilliancy, 

 is likely to be mistaken by a novice tor a planet, is Sirius; but he 

 is so easily distinguished by his close pioximity to the well-known 

 constellation of Orion, that he is not likely to give much trouble. 



In the study of the geography of the sky, or L'ranography, as it 

 is more correctly called, it is a good plan to begin with the cm um- 

 polar stars, for they arc always above the horizon, and thus form 

 a convenient point of reference m picking out the other constella- 

 tions. As you know, aclrcimapolarstar is one whose distance from 

 the pole is less than the latitude of the observer. As the elevation 

 of the pole above the horizon is equal to the latitude of the ob- 

 server, a star whose distance from the pole is less than the eleva- 

 tion, or altitude of the pole, must always remain aoove the horizon. 

 As the Earth revolves from west to east, the motion of a circum- 

 polar star around the iiole is from east to west, or eonTrar.\ to the 

 nands of a watch. This figure, known as the Wain, the Dipper, 

 the Plow, and sometimes simply as Ur-a Major, is far from com- 

 prising all the stars of the constellation of that. name. Tne re- 

 mainder are spread out to a distance of about 15° to the right of 

 the figure as shown on the screen. 



Speaking of degrees we are often told, in descriptions of the 

 location of stars, that a certain star is about so many degrees 

 from another star aud it is convenient to have some scale to be 

 guided by. 



The Dipper is often used for this purpose. From Alpha to Beta 

 is 5°, from Alpha to Delta is 10°, from Beta to Gamma is 8°. from 

 Alpha to Eta is 26°. So here is a measure or scale in the sky, 

 always ready for you. Avery good plan Is to take a walking 

 stick or 2ft. rule and Imld it at aim's length between yourself and 

 the Dipper. K'lte tlie distance on the rule between two stars, sav 

 Alpha and Delia. Torn now to the part of the sky which you 

 wish to measure and this distance on the rule will give you a 

 rough idea of how far 10° extends. Tue star Zeta, the one next to 

 the last in the handle, is known as M'zar. Persons with good eye 

 sight can general! y see near it a small star called Alcor. Proctor 

 thinks that it is clear that this star Alcor must have latterly in- 

 creased in brillianr-y, as among the Arabians it was considered an 

 evidence of remarkable vision to be able to detect it at all: now 

 almost every one can see it, even in moonlight. 



The stars Alpha and Beta point to the North Star, which is at 

 present about 1^° from the celestial pole, around which, like the 

 other circumpolar stars, it revolves once in J!i hours and toward 

 which, owing to the precession of the Equinoxes, it is slowly but 

 constantly approaching. In 200 years it will arrive at a distance 

 of only 26'. After this it will again recede and finally attain 

 such a distance that its usefulness as a pole star will cease. Four 

 thousand years ago tliis star, Alpha Draconis, situated about mid- 

 way between Mizar and the guards of the pole, as these two stars. 

 Beta and Gamma Vrew Minoris are called, was within 3}^o of 

 the pole and was used as the Pole Star of that day, a fact wuich 

 is plainly shown by shafts, in the Pyramids, which were evidently 

 intended to point at it at the moment when it was on the meridian 

 below the nole. 



Twelve tnousand years hence this star, Yega, Alpha Ljtsb, wiU 

 be within 5" of the pole, and make a pole star before which tlie 

 present Polaris will sink into insignifl -ance, and which will delight 

 the Pearls of the manners of that day. Decidedly the Seawan- 

 haka Club commenced its navisatinn too soon. It should have 

 waited for Vega. As Polaris is not exactly at the pole, it follows 

 that it each day describes a small circle around it. Of course it 

 bears due north twice, once when it is directly above the pole and 

 once when it is below it. In the familiar Pole Srar observation for 

 latitude, as you know, a correction depending upon the position of 

 the star in this circle, is applied, before we can get the true altitude 

 of the pole. This is approximately arrived at by roughly working 

 out tbe rittbt awenaion of the meridian. 



Id the absence of tables, a very fair approximation can be made 

 by a simple inspection of the stars. When Polaris is directly 

 above Mizar, it is on the meridian above the pole, when it is below, 

 it is on the meridian below the pole. When The line is horizontal, 

 the altitude of Polaris is that of the pole, without correction. 

 Early in the eenturv this star, Alioth Epsilon LTrssD Majoris, was 

 used for this purpose, and in most of the books it still given, but 

 as the time is now about 28 minutes out, while the interval of 

 Mizar is scarcely half a minute, the propriety of making the sub- 

 stitution will he apparent. 



If a line be now drawn fioin Delta, in the Gr^^at Bear, to the 

 Pole Star, and carried oui about the same distance on the other 

 side, it will strike the consteUatiou of Cassiopea, which is easily 

 recognized; forming as it does a sort of irreeular W in the sky, 

 which also revolves around the pole once in 21 hours. It will be 

 noticed that this W when above the p^le is upside dowm; wh^n 

 below the pole i t is right side up — at other times it is somewhat on 

 its ear, as you see. 



The first star Capb, or Beta Cassiopea, performs an important 

 function, for, as it very nearly coincides with the equinoctial 

 colure, it fulfils the purpose of the hand of a celestinl clock, and 

 byit the sidereal time maybe told with a fair amount of accuracy. 

 Knowing the sidereal time, the mean time foUovrs from a very 

 easy sum in mental arithmetic. 



Let us take, an example. You have the mid-watch on deck. It 

 is the 4th of July. You have forgotten to wind your watch. Your 

 crew, consisting of one Swede, has been ashore, and his watch 

 is wound too much; the bells, therefore, are not being struck with 

 any remarkable accuracy. You and your friend have divided the 

 watches. Y^ou don't want to call him too soon, but when four 

 o'clock comes you would like to turn in. The condition of your 

 crew makes it wise for yon not to leave the deck. You glance at 

 the celestial clock, bearing in mind that it is sidereal noon when 

 Caph is vertically above the pole, that is 6 hours when it bears 

 west. 13 hours when it is vertically belnw. 18 hours when it is east. 

 You can make up your mind that Caph is a little less than ^'g of 

 the way from 18 hours to "i houis. You therefore call the sidereal 

 time 23 hours 50 minutes. You know that at about noon on March 

 21 it was sidereal noon or 0 hours. As sidereal time gains on m°an 

 time 2 hours a month and 4 minutes a dav, on June 31, 3 months, 

 it had gained 6 hours. To noon of July 3 it was 13 days, at i min- 

 utes a day=48 minutes. It was half another day to the time you 

 came on deck at 13 o'clock, so that it is 2 minutes more. There is 

 therefore a correction of 6 hours, tS minutes and 2 minutes, mak- 

 ing 6 hours and 50 minutes. Caph must then indicate a time whii h 

 IS 6 hours and 50 minutes fnst of mean time. So you menially 

 make a note of the time indicated by the stars, 23 hours 50 min- 

 utes, and subtract 6 hours 50 minutes and get July 3, IS hours, or 

 4 o'clock A. M. July 4. 



You hope you are not 15 minutes out. So you give yourself the 

 benefit of the doubt, call the other man, and dropofl; to sleep 

 with that calm complacency which the possession of superior 

 science always sives. 



It may be well to explain whj sidereal time is ahead of mean 

 time; the reason is this: The interval between two successive 

 transits of a star acmss the meridian of an observer shows the 

 true period of the Earth's rotation. 



The interval between two successive transits of the mean Sun, 

 which is the standard of our time, is four minutes longer than 

 this true period of rotation. This results from the fact that the 

 Earth is revolving about the Sun, while it is not revolving around 

 the stars, A glance at the diagram will show what I mean. In 

 the figure S is the Sun; E, the Earth; E, C, D, F, the Earth's orbit: 

 A, B, the plane of the meridian produced toward the mean sun 

 which is on the meridian at noon. Let us suppose a star to b« on 

 the meridian, at the same time, but outside of the Earth's orbit 

 aud at a pructically infinite distance. Now the Earth revolves 

 around the 300° of her orbit in about 365 days, consequently it 

 moves, in one day somewhat less than a degree. In one day it 

 would go, say from E to E'. It is, therefore, obvious that when 

 the plane of the meridian A' B' is parallel with A B— that is to 

 say when it has got back where it started from— the star will 

 again be on the meridian, but the Sun will not, it having appar- 

 ently moved to the eastward about a degree or four minutes of 

 lime. The Earth must then rotate ihrough this additional angle 

 before it becomes solar noon again. As the distance of the stars 

 are so inconceivably great, the Earth's orbital motion in respect 

 to ihem i" inappreciable. A sidereal day is, therefore, about four 

 minutes shorter than a mean solar day, and as a consequence all 

 of the stars rise about four minutes earlier every night, than they 

 did the nieht before. In one month this gain amounts to about 

 120 minutes or two hours, aud in twelve months to twenty-four 

 hours or an entire day. 



Sidereal time agrees with mean solar time at about noon on 

 March 21, and as I have shown, gains on it at ihe rate of 4 minutes 

 a day. Hpuce. at any iutermeriiate date you have only to multi- 

 ply tbe number of days since March 31 by 4 minutes to get a pretty 

 close approximation of the amount by which sidereal time is fast 

 of mean solar time. 



This interval between two successive transits of a star is called 

 a sidereal riav; audit is the most Kccurate unit of time which we 

 have. La Place, as the result of very elaborate investigations, 

 thought that its length had not altered 'looPart of a stcond in 

 2.000 years, this retardation being caused oy the friction of the 



^Modern calculation make it about '„a of a second- I don't know 

 what we can do with this stariling dihcrepancy. Perhaps we had 

 better diWde it by 3 and wait for more inlormation. 



The smflll number of stars visible to the naked eye is commonly 

 a matter of surprise to those who have their attention called to it 

 for the first time. We are apt to speak of the myriad- of stars 

 and to forget that the greater part of them are only visible to us 

 through the telfscope— which by the way shows us about 100,000,- 

 000, and we are surprised to learn that in the whole heavens ihe 

 numher of stars bright enough to be seen by the aver.-ge eye, 

 without optical aid, IS only between 6.000 and 7.000. At anyone 

 time and place we can only see, under the most favorable atmos- 

 pheric conditions, perhaps 2,500 or 3 000, Clouds or moonlight cut 

 this number down indefinitely. Before the invention of the tele- 

 scope the whole number of stars bright enough lo be used for ob- 

 servation with the instruments then employed barely reached 

 1 100. The field then, which we are partially to explore to-night, 

 is not 80 vast as many imagine, especially as I shall c mfine the dis- 

 cussion to .-tars of the first magnitude and the constellations m 

 which they are found. ^ _ 



There are in all 20 stars or the first magnitude. In judging 

 magnitudes no attention is paid to 'he real size of the body. It is 

 simply the size as we see it. Judged by this standard, Vega is of 

 the fii-st, Polaris is of the second magnitude, and the smallest star 

 easily seen is about mid-way between the fourth and fifth. Of 

 these 20 first-magnitude stars, 14 are visible in the United States. 

 As they are scattered all over the sky, if I can succeed this even- 

 ing in showing you how to find and know them„I think you will 

 be surprised to see how familiar the aspect of the heavens will be 

 to you in future; how it will become buoyed out and lighted hence- 

 forth with beacons, each shining down upon you like an old 

 and familiar friend, each formmg a convenient point of departure 

 in future celestial explorations. t ^ i, ,i 



The names of the 14 stars to which I shall call your attention 

 are as follows: Sirius, A Ganis Mh joris; Arcturus. A Bootis; Rigel, 

 B Ononis; CapeUa, A Aurigte; Vega, A Lyrro; Procyon, A Canis 

 Minoris; Betelguese. A Orionis; Aldebaran, A Tauri; An tares, A 

 Scorpii; Altair. A Aquilfe; Spica, A Virginis; Formalhaut, A 

 Piscis Australia; Pollux, B Geminorum; Regulus, A Leonis, 



In order to point out. these stars we need a more extended map 

 than the one we have been using. Siar maps differ from ordinary 

 maps in one important pariicular. In terrestrial maps we look at 

 the globe from the outside. Star maps represent the globe of the 

 heavens as spen from the inside. , ^ ^ 



The north point is therefore at the top. but Che east is to the left 

 and the west to the right. The confusion arising from this fact 

 can easily be overcome by holding the map over your head and 

 looking up at it instead of down. The points of the compass can 

 then be made to actually coincide with those of the heavens. You 

 notice in the picture on the screen the familiar menagerie of 

 beasts, birds, fishes, mathematical instruments and mythological 

 heroes, all tangled into a confused mass of arms, legs, fins and 

 tails. Moat of these characters are a legacy from a very remote 

 date, and it would almo.'^t appear that they were invented by the 

 early star gazers and astrologers for the express purpose of inspir- 

 ing awe aud bewilderment in the minds of the i(/noMc im/6(i<.8. I 

 have had it put on the screen simply to impress upon your minds 

 the fact that you have no use whatever for such a map. There is 

 hardlv a constellation which T am going to shovr you this evening, 

 which the most vivid imaginat ion can torture into any likeness to 

 the figure which the stars are here supposed tn outline in the sky. 

 Auy attempt to trace out these figures is sure to end in defeat, 

 discouragement aud perhaps disgust with the whole suV ject. 



Wh'lo then, the name must be retained to designate that portion 

 of the sky which the figure covers, I shall make no effort to en- 

 cumber your minds with these obsolete pictures, but will try to 

 associate the name of each constellation with some peculiar 

 arrangement of bright stars, by which It may be remembered, 

 mentioning at the same time its popular name, when it has one, 

 which generally does convey an idea, more or less perfect, of the 

 etnflgaration actually seen in the sky, , . ^ ^ 



Modera stK ehatts giya nosa of these »aoUnt ptctureSt bst tbe 



outlines of the constellations are simply marked by doited lines. 



I think that you will agree with me that these lines (shown in 

 one of Proctor's maps) bear no striking resemblance to bulls, 

 rams, water-bearers or whales. But here we meet with another 

 difficulty. These maps are meant for telescopic work; they go 

 into too much detail and cover too small a portion of the sky for 

 our purpose. 



What we yachtsmen want is a plain map of the whole visible 

 heavens— a sort of directory— which will tell us the names of the 

 brightest stars which we see, at any given hour, at anj season of 

 the year. 



The best device which I know of for this purpose is a movable 

 planisphere, similar to the one which I hold in my hand. (Plani- 

 sphere on screen set to 9 o'clock, June 10,) The two parts revolve 

 one upon the other. You simply make the hour at which you wish 

 to observe the sky coincide with the day of the month on the outer 

 circle, and the portion of the heavens %nsible at that moment is 

 before you in a convenient and compact form. 



We will suppose our investigations to commenr e at 9 o'clock on 

 June 10, Our old friends, th-s Dipper and Cassiopea. will be at 

 once recognized. The zenith, the point directly overhead, will be 

 here. The points of the compass are as shown. Now, if you hold 

 the map overhead with the north point pointing at the North 

 Star the map Vill show the sky exactly as you wotild see it. If we 

 slnwly revolve the map it is evident that in the course of 34 hom-s 

 every star visible in this latitude wiU appear before us just as 

 they would in the actual sky, if the light of the sun did not render 

 them invisible during the day. As star time gams on mean time 

 4 minutes a day, making a star day only about 23 hours and 58 

 minutes of solar time, this 4 minutes a day would amount to 120 

 minutes, or 2 hours in a month. It follows that any star, say 

 Arcturus — our old friend "Boots" — which is on the meridian at 9 

 o'clock June 10, will be 2 hours past the meridian one month 

 hence, A star which was setting will have set for 3 houfs, and a 

 star which was 2 hours below the eastern horizon will be just 

 rising. The whole heavens will be advanced — pushed westward — 

 2 hours. Therefore at 3 hours later than 9 o'clock June 10 — say at 

 11 o'clock June 10 — we will see the sky m exactly the position in 

 which it will be at 9 o'clock on July 10. If we then revolve the 

 planisphere 3 hours at a time, each \'iew will represent the sky, 

 at the same hour, one month later than the preceding one, and I 

 shall be able to point out each star as it appears on the screen. 



As I said before, at this hour Arcturus is on the meridian, but 

 no matter where this star is, it can always be found, when above 

 the horizon, bv continuing the curve formed by the handle of the 

 Dipper, and the first bright star which meets the eye in that Une 

 will be Ar.:turus. It is of an orange color and ranks with Yega 

 and Ca pella, directly after Sirius in the order of brightness. A line 

 drawn through Alpha and Gamma in the Dipper will pass close 

 to tne well-known bluish-white star Spica, Alpha Virginis, This 

 is one of the scars of which the lunar distance is givon in the 

 Nautical Almanac. From the fact that it has no conspicuous 

 stars near it, it is easily found. In the spring it phsscs the 

 meridian before midnight. It is therefore a handy star, at that 

 season, to try for latitude. It is on the meridian at about mid- 

 night on April 11— of course before that date it transits later and 

 after that date, earlier in the evening. It will then be a conve- 

 nient star until the early part of June. 



I should like now to call your attention to two great triangles 

 which are far more easily louud in the sky than on any map, for 

 they form very noticeable landmarks, perhaps I should say, sky 

 marks, and in them both Arcturus and Spica play important 

 parts. Returning to the Dipper and carrying the line of the 

 pnintei's backward we reach the constellation of Leo, which does 

 not forcibly convey to my mind the idea of a Lion; but when we 

 apply to these sis stars the papular name of the Sickle their 

 general outline certainly is suggestive. 



In the handle of the Sickle is the White Star, Regulus, Alpha 

 Leonis, also a. lunar c istanct, star. This constellation is so plainly 

 marked that if once seen it can never be forgotten. Now Ri guius, 

 Spica, and Arcturus form this conspicuous triangle, with Spica at 

 the right angle. Following the line of Spica and Arcturus in a 

 northeasterly direction, about mid-way between tho zenith and 

 the horizon, and near the edge of the Milky Way, we come to 

 Yega, Alpha LyrjB, wh'ch is the vertex of a nearly right-angled 

 triangle of which the other two points are Arcturus and Polaris. 

 Very near Vega audio the eastward of it will be noticed two 

 small stars which, with it, form a small triangle. These are 

 Epsilon and Zeta Lyire. Wi+h an ordinary opera glass this star 

 Epstlon is easily divided into two stars. Some people see its 

 duplicity Willi tue naked eye. Sir Wm. Herschel reports that he 

 so saw It several timds double, and Bessel relates that when a 

 boy he could also separate it. It is quite as much as I can do to 

 clearly distinguish tue star itself, unlesTS the night is ex eptionally 

 clear, and I have never seen any one who could divide it without 

 optical aid. A good telescope of moderate pjwer easily shows 

 each of these componems to be itself a double star, thus revealing 

 the fact that this little spnck of light, hardly distingui.«hable with 

 the naked eye. is composed of four stars, each perhaps rivalling or 

 even surpassing our own Sun in splendor. 



Nearly due east and just rising above the horizon you will notice 

 a line of three stars, two small ones with a larere one in the center, 

 which points directly at Yega. The central star is Altair, aud 

 the constellation is that of Aquila, the Eagle. A field glass dis- 

 closes a large number of stars here, but to the naked eye these 

 tnree stand almost alone, and will therefore be readily recognized. 



Below Yega and somewhat to the north in the Milky Way are 

 three bright stars with a large one to the left (on top here, remem- 

 ber the map is supposed to be held over your head) which f ^rm the 

 Northern Cross in Cynns. The top star is Den^b, Alpha Cygni. I 

 will leave you to find the figure of the Swan for yourselves, but if 

 we take in these two stars Phi and Beta, the cross is very .striking, 

 and I am informed by those who have seen its celebrated southern 

 rival that our northern specimen is far the better of the two, as 

 far as the regularity of the figure is concerned. 



This is the celebrated 61 Cygnl, the first star whose parallax was 

 ever demonstrated aud measured. This was done by Bessel in 

 lb38, and had t;he effect of upsetting many theories as to relative 

 stellar distances, which had up to that time been generally 

 accepted. This is one of the nearest of the stars, and its light 

 traveling at the rate of 186 miles a second, reaches the Earth 

 in about eight years. Inconceivable as this distance is, it is 

 absolutely dwarfed into insignificance by that of other stars, for 

 it is stated on the highest authority ihat the greater part of those 

 which you see with the naked eye are probably distant two or 

 three hundred of these light years, and that it is almost certain 

 that many telescopic stars are seen by the light which they emitted 

 long before the creation of man, if we accept the received Biblical 

 chronology. 6,000 years. 



This light year, or distance which light will travel in a year, is 

 the ordinary astronomical unit for such measurements. It repre- 

 sents in distance about 63,000 times the space which separates the 

 Earth from the Sun, which in round numbers is about 93,0Q0,IX)0 of 

 miles. 



The light of the Sun reaches the earth in about S minutes and 10 

 seconds. Now, it we compare eight minutes with eight years, the 

 distance of this star, which is astronomically so near,^arrlves 

 at proportions which stagger the human intellect; and yet we are 

 using a measure of velocity which itself requires illustration to be 

 appreciated. 



To my mmd the old and familiar illustration, dependent upon 

 the lime which it takes a nervous shock to be felt, conveys a more 

 forcible idea than even the velocity of light. We all know when 

 we burn our hand how long it is before we feel the pain. Now, let 

 us imsgine an infant to see the bright Sun shining in the sky, and, 

 childiiKe, to reach out its band to grasp it. Let us suppose the 

 arm to be long enough to reach the Sun. As tbe hand touched It, 

 it would, of coiiise, be instantly burned to a cinder; yet, according 

 to the experiments of Helmholtz and others, ihe child wonld have 

 to livelbl) years before it. felt the slightest sensation of pain. If 

 we now reflect that light traverses this same distance in eight 

 minutes, we can form some idea of what is medut when we are 

 told that the light of a star takes 200 years to reach us. 



LXO BE CONCLUDED.! 



Secretaries of canoe clubs are requested to send to Forest and 

 Streaji their addresses, with name, membership, signal, etc., of 

 their clubs, and also notices in advance of meetings and races, and 

 report of the same. Canoeists and all interested in canoeing are 

 requested to forward to Forest and Steham t;heir addresses, with 

 logs of cruises, maps, and information concerning their local 

 waters, drawings or descriptions of boats and fittings, and all 

 items relating to the sport, 



WINTER QUARTERS.— On April 3, at No. 19 West Twenty- 

 fourth street, Mr. W. P. Stephens will speak on the subject of de- 

 signing, Capt, Nicholas wul furnish dinner to all who notify 

 him in advance. The dinner will be at 7 sharp, the talk at 8 P,M. 



CARILLON 0. C— The present ofiicers of this club are: Com,, 

 H. W. Treadway: Vice-Oom., E. A, L«et,' Sec'y, M. J. Wilcox; 

 Purser, W, G. PoRnaU. 



