constellation by the letters of the Greek and Roman Alphabets; assigning tle Greek letter a to the principal stars in each constellation, to the second in magnitude, to the third, and so on; and when the Greek alphabet was exhausted, the notation was carried on with the Roman letters, a, b, c, &c. That the memory might not be perplexed with a multitude of names, this convenient method of designating the stars has been adopted by all succeeding astronomers, who have farther enlarged it by the Arabic notation, 1, 2, 3, &c. whenever the stars in the constellations outnumbered both alphabets. INCREASE OF SIDEREAL TIME IN MEAN SOLAR HOURS, &c. THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE HEAVENS. CHAPTER I. DIRECTIONS FOR TRACING THE CONSTELLATIONS WHICH ARE ON THE MERIDIAN IN NOVEMBER. ANDROMEDA. Ir we look directly over head at 10 o'clock, on the 10th 0. November, we shall see the constellation celebrated in fable, by the name of ANDROMEDA. It is represented on the map by the figure of a woman having her arms extended, and chained by her wrists to a rock. It is bounded N. by Cassiopeia, E. by Perseus and the head of Medusa, and S. by the Triangles and the Northern Fish. It is situated between 20° and 50° of N. declination. Its mean right ascension is nearly 15°; or one hour E. of the equinoctial colure. It consists of 66 visible stars, of which three are of the 2d magnitude, and two of the 3d; most of the rest are small. The stars directly in the zenith, are too small to be seen in the presence of the moon, but the bright star Almaack, of the 2d magnitude, in the left foot, may be seen 13° due É., and Merach, of the same magnitude, in the girdle, 7° south of the zenith. This star is then nearly on the meridian, and with two others N. W. of it forms the girdle. The three stars forming the girdle are of the 2d, 3d, and 4th magnitude, situated in a row, 3° and 4° apart, and are called Merach, Mu and Nu. About 20 from Nu at the northwestern extremity of the girdle, is a remarkable nebula of very minute stars, and the only one of the kind which is ever visible to the naked eye. It resembles two cones of light, joined at their base, about 1 in length, and 40 in breadth. If we look directly over head at 10 o'clock on the 10th of November, what constella tion shall we see? How is it represented on the map? How is it bounded? What are its right ascension and declination? How many visible stars has it? Describe the girlle of Andromeda. Describe the appearance of a remarkable nebula which lies at its northwestern extremity. If a straig t line, connecting Almaack with Merach, be produced southwesterly, 8° farther, it will reach to Delta, a star of the 3d magnitude in the left breast. This star may be otherwise known by its forming a line, N. and S. with two smaller ones on either side of it; or, by its constituting. with two others, a very small triangle, S. of it. Nearly in a line with Almaack, Merach and Delta, out curving a little to the N. 7° farther, is a lone star of the 2d magnitude, in the head, called Alpheratz. This is the N. E. corner of the great Square of Pegasus," to be hereafter de scribed. It will be well to have the position of Alpheratz well fixed in the mind, because it is but one minute west of the great equinoctial colure, or first meridian of the heavens, and forms nearly a right line with Algenib in the wing of Pegasus, 14° S. of it, and with Beta in Cassiopeia, 30° N. of it. If a line, connecting these three stars, be produced, it will terminate in the pole. These three guides, in connexion with the North Polar Star point out to astronomers the position of that great circle in the heavens from which the right ascension of all the heavenly bodies is measured. HISTORY.-The story of Andromeda, from which this constellation derives its name, is as follows: She was daughter of Cepheus, king of Ethiopia, by Cassio. peia. She was promised in marriage to Phineus, her uncle, when Neptune drowned the kingdom, and sent a sea monster to ravage the country, to appease the resentment which his favourite Nymphs bore against Cassiopeia, because she had boasted herself fairer than Juno and the Nereides. The oracle of Jupiter Ammon was consulted, and nothing could pacify the anger of Neptune unless the beautiful Andromeda should be exposed to the sea monster. She was accordingly chained to a rock for this purpose, near Joppa, (now Jaffa, in Syria,) and at the moment the monster was going to devour her, Perseus, who was then returning through the air from the conquest of the Gorgons, saw her and was captivated by her beauty. "Chained to a rock she stood; young Perseus stay'd He promised to deliver her and destroy the monster if Cepheus would give her to him in marriage. Cepheus consented, and Perseus instantly changed the sea monster into a rock, by showing him Medusa's head, which was still reeking in his hand. The enraged Phineus opposed their nuptials and a violent battle ensued, in which he, also, was turned into a stone by the petrifying influence of the Gorgon's head. The morals, maxims, and historical events of the ancients, were usually communicated in fable or allegory. The fable of Andromeda and the sea monster, might mean that she was courted by some monster of a sea-captain, who at tempted to carry her away, but was prevented by another more gallant and successful rival. PISCES. THE FISHES. This constellation is now the first in order, of the 12 constellations of the Zodiac, and is usually represented by two fishes tied a considerable distance apart, at the extremities of a long undulating cord, or riband. It occupies Describe the magnitude and position of Delta. How may this star be otherwise known? Describe the position and magnitude of Alpheratz. What position does this ar occur in the great square of Pegasus? Why is it important to have the position 2. r well fixed in the mind? What is the present order of the Fishes among lations of the Zodiac? How is it represented? Describe its outline and ach ens. a large triangular space in the heavens, and its outline at first is somewhat difficult to be traced. In consequence of the annual precession of the stars, the constellation Pisces has now come to occupy the sign Aries; each constellation having advanced one whole sign in the order of the Zodiac. The sun enters the sign Pisces, while the earth enters that of Virgo, about the 19th of February, but he does not reach the constellation Pisces before the 6th of March. The Fishes, therefore, are now called the "Leaders of the Celestial Hosts."-See Aries. That loose assemblage of small stars directly south of Merach, in the constellation of Andromeda, constitutes the Northern Fish, whose mean length is about 160, and breadth, 70. Its mean right ascension is 15°, and its declination 250 N. Consequently, it is on the meridian the 24th of November; and, from its breadth, is more than a week in passing over it. The Northern Fish and its riband, beginning at Merach, may, by a train of small stars, be traced, in a S. S. easterly direction, for a distance of 33°, until we come to the star El Rischa, of the 3d magnitude, which is situated in the node, or flexure of the riband. This is the principal star in the constellation, and is situated 2o N. of the equinoctial, and 53 minutes east of the meridian. Seven degrees S. E. of El Rischa, passing by three or four very small stars we come to Mira, in the Whale, a star of about the 3d magnitude, and known as the "Wonderful Star of 1596." El Rischa may be otherwise identified by means of a remarkable cluster of five stars in the form of a pentagon, about 150 E. of it-See Cetus. From El Rischa the riband or cord makes a sudden flexure, doubling back across the ecliptic, where we meet with three stars of the 4th and 5th magnitude situated in a row 3o and 4o apart, marked on the map Zeta, Epsilon, Delta. From Delta the riband runs north and westerly along the Zodiac, and terminates at Beta, a star of the 4th magnitude, 11° S. of Markab in Pegasus. This part of the riband including the Western Fish at the end of it, has a mean declination of 5o N., and may be seen throughout the month of November, passing the meridian slowly to the W., near where the sun passes it on the 1st of April. Twelve degrees W. of this Fish, there are 4 small stars situated in the form of the letter Y. The two Fishes, and the cord between them, make two sides of a large triangle, 30° and 40° in length, the open part of which is towards the N. W. When the Northern Fish is on the What are the size and position of the Northern Fish? When, and how long is it on the meridian? How may it be traced? What is the principal star in this constellation, and where is it situated? How far, and in what direction from Alpha, is Mira, in the Whale? By what peculiar appellation is this star known? What is the direction of the riband from Alpha? What stars do we meet with, where the riband doubles back across the ecliptic? What is the direction of this part of the riband from Delta, and where does it ter minate? What are its mean declination, and the time of its passing the meridian? What striking cluster is seen about 120 W. of the Western Fish? What geometrical figure may be conceived to be formed by the two Fishes and the corl between them? Where is the Western Fish when the Northern is on the meridian? meridian, the Western is nearly 2 hours past it. This co. stellation is bounded N. by Andromeda, W. by Androme and Pegasus, S. by the Cascade, and E. by the Whale, th Ram and the Triangles. When, to enable the pupil to find any star, its direction from another is given. the latter is always understood to be on the meridian. After a little experience with the maps, even though unaccompanied by di rections, the ingenious youth will be able, of himself, to devise a great many e pedients and facilities for tracing the constellations, or selecting out particula stars. HISTORY.-The ancient Greeks, who have some fable to account for the or gin of almost every constellation, say, that as Venus and her son Cupid were on, day on the banks of the Euphrates, they were greatly alarined at the appearanc of a terrible giant, named Typhon. Throwing themselves into the river, they were changed into fishes, and by this means escaped danger. To commemorati this event, Minerva placed two fishes among the stars. According to Ovid, Homer, and Virgil, this Typhon was a famous giant. He had a hundred heads, like those of a serpent or dragon. Flames of devouring fire darted from his mouth and eyes. He was no sooner born, than he made war against heaven, and so frightened the gods, that they fled and assuined dif ferent shapes. Jupiter became a ram; Mercury, an ibis; Apollo, a crow; Juno, a cow; Bacchus, a goat; Diana, a cat; Venus, a fish, &c. The father of the gods, at least, put Typhon to flight, and crushed hin under Mount Etna. The obvious sentiment implied in the fable of this hideous monster, is evidently this: that there is in the world a description of men whose mouth is sc "full of cursing and bitterness," derision and violence, that nodest virtue is sometimes forced to disguise itself, or flee from their presence. In the Hebrew Zodiac, Pisces is allotted to the escutcheon of Simeon. No sign appears to have been considered of more malignant influence than Pisces. The astrological calendar describes the emblems of this constellation as indicative of violence and death. Both the Syrians and Egyptians abstained from eating fish, out of dread and abhorrence; and when the latter would re present any thing as odious, or express hatred by hieroglyphics, they painted a fish. In using a circumpolar map, face the pole, and hold it up in your hands in such a manner that the part which contains the name of the given month shall be uppermost, and you will have a portraiture of the heavens as seen at that time. The constellations about the Antarctic Pole are not visible in the United States; those about the Arctic or northern pole, are always visible. CASSIOPEIA. CASSIOPEIA is represented on the celestial map, in regal state seated on a throne or chair, holding in her left hand the branch of a palm tree. Her head and body are seen in the Milky Way. Her foot rests upon the Arctic Circle, upon which her chair is placed. She is surrounded by the chier personages of her royal family. The king, her husband, is on her right hand-Perseus, her son-in-law, on her left-and Andromeda, her daughter, just above her. This constellation is situated 26° N. of Andromeda, and midway between it and the North Polar Star. It may be What as he boundans of this constellation? How is the constellation Cassiopeis |