The Pleiades are so called from the Greek word, whee pleein, to sail, because, at this season of the year, they were considered "the star of the ocean" to the benighted mariner.* Alcyone, of the 3d magnitude, being the brightest star in this cluster, is sometimes called the light of the Pleiades. The other five are principally of the 4th and 5th magnitudes. The Pleiades, or as they are more familiarly termed, the seven stars, come to the meridian 10 minutes before 9 o'clock, on the evening of the 1st of January, and may serve, in place of the sun, to indicate the time, and as a guide to the surrounding stars. According to Hesiod, who wrote about 900 years before the birth of our Sa viour, the heliacal rising of the Pleiades took place on the 11th of May, about the time of harvest. "When, Atlas-born, the Pleiad stars arise Before the sun above the dawning skies, Thus, in all ages, have the stars been observed by the husbandman. for signs and for seasons." Pliny says that Thales, the Miletan astronomer, determined the cosmical setting of the Pleiades to be 25 days after the autumnal equinox. This would make a difference between the setting at that time and the present, of 35 days, and as a day answers to about 59' of the ecliptic, these days will make 34° 25'. This divided by the annual precision (504), will give 2465 years since the time of Thales. Thus does astronomy become the parent of chronology. If it be borne in mind that the stars uniformly rise, come to the meridian, and set about four minutes earlier every succeeding night, it will be very easy to determine at what time the seven stars pass the meridian on any night subsequent or antecedent to the 1st of January. For example: at what time will the * Virgil, who flourished 1200 years before the invention of the magnetic needle, says that the stars were relied upon, in the first ages of nautical enterprise, to guide the rude bark over the seas. "Tunc ainos primum fluvii sensere cavatas; Navita tum stellis numeros, et nomina fecit, Then sailors quarter'd heaven, and found a name The Pleiads, Hyads, and the Northern Car.' The same poet also describes Palinurus, the renowned pilot of the Trojan fleet, as watching the face of the nocturnal heavens." "Sidera cuncta notat tacito labentia cœ10, Arcturum, pluviasque Hyadas, geminosque Triones, "Observe the stars, and notes their sliding course, And bright Orion, arm'd with ournish'd gold.' Indeed, this sagacious pilot was once so intent in gazing upon the stars while at the helm, that he fell overboard, and was lost to his companions. "Headlong he fell, and, struggling in the main, From what circumstance do the Pleiades derive their name? What is the brightest of the Pleiades called? What is the size of the rest? When are the Pleiades on the meridian? How much earlier do the stars rise, come to the meridian, and set, every succeeding night? seven stars culminate on the 5th January? Multiply the 5 days by 4 and take the result from the time they culminate on the 1st, and it will give 30 minutes after 8 o'clock in the evening. The Pleiades are also sometimes called Vergiliæ, or the "Virgins of spring;" because the sun enters this cluster in the " season of blossoms," about the 18th of May. He who made them alludes to this circumstance when he demands of Job: "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the Ple iades," &c.-[Job 38: 31.] The Syrian name of the Pleiades is Succoth, or Succoth-Benoth, derived from a Chaldaic word, which signifies "to speculate, to observe," and the "Men of Succoth," (2 Kings 17: 30.) have been thence considered observers of the stars. The Hyades are situated 11° S. E. of the Pleiades, in the face of the Bull, and may be readily distinguished by means of five stars* so placed as to form the letter V. The most brilliant star is on the left, in the top of the letter, and called Aldebaran; from which the moon's distance is computed. "A star of the first magnitude illumes His radiant head; and of the second rank. Aldebaran is of Arabic origin, and takes its name from two words which signify, "He went before, or led the way"alluding to that period in the history of astronomy when this star led up the starry host from the vernal equinox. It comes to the meridian at 9 o'clock on the 10th of January, or 48 minutes after Alcyone, on the 1st. When Aries is about 270 high, Aldebaran is just rising in the east. So MANILIUS:"Thus when the Ram hath doubled ten degrees, And join'd seven more, then rise the Hyades."" A line 150 E. N. E. of Aldebaran will point out a bright star of the 2d magnitude in the extremity of the northern horn, marked Beta or El Nath; (this star is also in the foot of Auriga, and is common to both constellations.) From Beta in the northern horn, to Zeta, in the tip of the southern horn, it is 8°, in a southerly direction. This star forms a right angle with Aldebaran and Beta. Beta and Zeta, then, in the button of the horns, are in a line nearly north and south, 8° apart, with the brightest on the north. That very bright star 1710 N. of Beta, is Capella, in the constellation Auriga. * The ancient Greeks counted seven in this cluster: "The Bull's head shines with seven refulgent flames, At what time will the seven stars culminate on the 5th January? By what other names are they sometimes called, and why? What allusion is made to this cluster in the ancient Scriptures? Describe the situation and appearance of the Hyades. What is the brightest of them called? What is the origin of the word Aldebaran, and to what does it allude? When does Aldebaran culminate? Describe the position of Beta? What are the name and direction of the star in the southern horn? What is the relative position of these stars? What very bright star is seen 17° 30′ N. of Beta? HISTORY --According to the Grecian mythology, this is the animal which bore Europa over the seas to that country, which derived from her its name. She was the daughter of Agenor, and princess of Phoenicia. She was so beautiful that upiter became enamoured of her; and assuming the shape of a snow-white bull, he mingled with the herds of Agenor, while Europa, with her female at tendants, were gathering flowers in the meadows. Europa caressed the beau tiful animal, and at last had the courage to sit upon his back. The god now took advantage of her situation, and with precipitate steps retired towards the shore, and crossed the sea with Europa upon his back, and arrived safe in Crete. Some suppose she lived about 1552 years before the Christian era. It is probaole, however, that this constellation had a place in the Zodiac before the Greeks began to cultivate a knowledge of the stars; and that it was rather an invention of the Egyptians or Chaldeans. Both the Egyptians and Persians worshipped a deity under this figure, by the name of Apis; and Belzoni is said to have found an embalmed bull in one of the notable sepulchres near Thebes. In the Hebrew Zodiac, Taurus is ascribed to Joseph. ORION Whoever looks up to this constellation and learns its name, will never forget it. It is too beautifully splendid to need a description. When it is on the meridian, there is then above the horizon the most magnificent view of the celestial bodies that the starry firmament affords; and it is visible to all the nabitable world, because the equinoctial passes through the middle of the constellation. It is represented on celestial maps by the figure of a man in the attitude of assaulting the Bull, with a sword in his belt, a huge club in his right hand, and the skin of a lion in his left, to serve for a shield. Manilius, a Latin poet, who composed five books on astronomy a short time before the birth of our Saviour thus describes its appearance: "First next the Twins, see great Orio rise, Thus grac'd and arm'd he leads the starry host." The centre of the constellation is midway between the poles of the heavens and directly over the equator. It is alsc about 80 W. of the solstitial colure, and comes to the me ridian about the 23d of January. The whole number of visible stars in this constellation is 78; of which, two are of the first magnitude, four of the 2d, three of the 3d, and fifteen of the 4th. Those four brilliant stars in the form of a long square or What is the general appearance of the constellation Orion? When this constellation. is on the meridian, what is the appearance of the starry firmament? To whom is it visible, and why? How is Orion represented on celestial maps? Describe its position. "How is it situated with respect to the solstitial colure, and when is 't on the meridian at remarkable stars form the outline of the constellation? parallelogram, intersected in the middle by the "Three Stars," or "Ell and Yard," about 25° S. of the Bull's horns, form the outlines of Orion. The two upper stars in the par allelogram are about 15° N. of the two lower ones; and, being placed on each shoulder, may be called the epaulets of Orion. The brightest of the two lower ones is in the left foot, on the W., and the other, which is the least brilliant of the four, in the right knee. To be more particular: Bellatrix is a star of the 2d magnitude on the W. shoulder; Betelguese is a star of the 1st magnitude, 74° E. of Bellatrix, on the E. shoulder. It is brighter than Bellatrix, and lies a little farther towards the north; and comes to the meridian 30 minutes after it, on the 21st of January. These two form the upper end of the parallelogram. Rigel is a splendid star of the 1st magnitude, in the left foot, on the W. and 150 S. of Bellatrix. Saiph, is a star of the 3d magnitude, in the right knee, 840 E. of Rigel. These two form the lower end of the parallelogram. "First in rank The martial star upon his shoulder flames: A rival star illuminates his foot; And on his girdle beams a luminary Might claim the proudest honours." There is a little triangle of three small stars in the head of Orion, which forms a larger triangle with the two in his shoulders. In the middle of the parallelogram are three stars of the 2d magnitude, in the belt of Orion, that form a straight line about 30 in length from N. W. to S. E. They are usually distinguished by the name of the Three Stars, because there are no other stars in the heavens that exactly resemble them in position and brightness. They are sometimes denominated, the Three Kings, because they point out the Hyades and Pleiades on one side, and Sirius, or the Dog-star on the other. In Job they are called the Bands of Orion; while the ancient husbandmen called them Jacob's rod, and sometimes the Rake. The University of Leipsic, in 1807, gave them the name of Napoleon. But the more common appellation for them, including those in the sword, is the Ell and Yard. They derive the latter name from the circum stance that the line which unites the " three stars" in the belt measures just 30 in length, and is divided by the central star Describe the two upper ones in the group. Describe the two lower ones. Give a more particular description of the stars in the shoulder. How do you distinguish Betelguese from Bellatrix? When does Betelguese come to the meridian? Describe the stars which form the lower end of the parallelogram. What stars do you observe in the head of Orion? Describe the situation and appearance of the "Three Stars?" Why are they called the three stars? What else are they denominated, and way? What names were given to them by the ancients? What by the University of Leipsic What is the more familiar term for them. and whence is it derived? into two equal parts, like a yard-stick; thus serving as a graduated standard for measuring the distances of stars from each other. When therefore any star is described as being so many degrees from another, in order to determine the distance, it is recommended to apply this rule. It is necessary that the scholar should task his ingenuity only a few evenings in applying such a standard to the stars, before he will learn to judge of their relative distances with an accuracy that will seldom vary a degree from the truth. The northernmost star in the belt, called Mintika, is less than S. of the equinoctial, and when on the meridian, is almost exactly over the equator. It is on the meridian, the 24th of January.* The "three stars" are situated about 80 W. of the solstitial colure, and uniformly pass the meridian one hour and fifty minutes after the seven stars. There is a row of stars of the 4th and 5th magnitudes, S. of the belt, running down obliquely towards Saiph, which forms the sword. This row is also called the Ell because it is once and a quarter the length of the Yard or belt. A very little way below Thabit, in the sword, there is a nebulous appearance, the most remarkable one in the heavens. With a good telescope an apparent opening is discovered, through which, as through a window, we seem to get a glimpse of other heavens, and brighter regions beyond. As the telescope extends our knowledge of the stars and greatly increases their visible nuniber, we behold hundreds and thousands, which, but for this almost divine improvement of our vision, had forever remained, unseen by us, in an unfathomable void. A star in Orion's sword, which appears single to the unassisted vision, is multiplied into six by the telescope; and another, into twelve. Galileo found 80 in the belt, 21 in a nebulous star in the head, and about 500 in another part of Orion, within the compass of one or two degrees. Dr. Hook saw 78 stars in the Pleiades, and Rheita with a better telescope, saw about 200 in the same cluster and more than 2000 in Orion. About 90 W. of Bellatrix are eight stars, chiefly of the 4th magnitude, in a curved line running N. and S. with the con cavity towards Orion; these point out the skin of the lion in his left hand. Of Orion, on the whole, we may remark with Eudosia : "He who admires not, to the stars is blind." HISTORY.-According to some authorities, Orion was the son of Neptune and queen Euryale, a famous Amazonian huntress, and possessing the disposition of *Though the position of this star, with respect to the equator, is the same at all times, whether it be on the meridian or in the horizon; yet it appears to occupy this position, only when it is on the meridian. How may the distances of the stars from each other be measured by reference to the yard? How are the three stars situated with respect to the solstitial colure, and how with respect to the seven stars? Describe the stars which form the sword of Orion. What else is this row called? Describe the nebulous appearance which is visible in this cluster. What other discoveries has the telescope made in this constellation? That stars about 90 W. of Bellatrix} |