The Heavens in April. 
By Professor Samuel G. Barton of the University of Pennsylvania. 
U RSA MAJOR (the big bear) now 
lies in its best position nearly 
overhead. The constellation will 
be seen to consist of quite a few stars 
other than the seven forming the fa- 
miliar big dipper by means of which 
the constellation is usually identified. 
There is a group of stars west of the 
at B is another pair in Ursa Major, 
south of which lies the faint constella- 
tion Leo Minor. Still farther east is 
another pair in Ursa Major at C. These 
three similar pairs mark three of the 
paws of the bear. 
The ancients recognized two kinds 
of stars, the fixed stars and the moving 
NORTH 
Figure 1. The constellations at 9 P. M. April 1. Hold the map so that the direction 
faced is at the bottom; that is, if facing east hold east at the bottom as south now is. 
bowl arranged roughly in the form of 
a semicircle ending in a pair of stars at 
A at the southern end. Just south of 
this pair and nearly overhead is the 
faint constellation Lynx. Farther east 
stars, called by the Greeks planets, 
which in their language meant wan- 
derers. To them it seemed that the 
fixed stars always remained in the same 
positions with respect to each other, or 
