An introduction to astronomy: designed as a text-book for the use of students in college. By Denison Olmsted ...

281 FIXE1) STARl'S.
semt.liing the tllrce stars of thle eagle, compose thle girdle; ianld
three sntaller sStars, in a line inclined to the giirdle, form tho
swordl'. l]ytdl, of the first nmagnitude, makes tile w\est foot, but
tile corresponding star, 9~ southeast of this, whlich is sometimcs
taken tb1v tho other foot, is above the knee, ttis foot )eing collncealecd behind tlhe Ill:are. Oriol's club is marked by thllree stars
of thte fifth magnitude, close toetlhcei, in the il a Vy, julst;
below tle southern lhorn11 of the ull11. Or1io"n is a favorite const llation writ h the pra"ctical astrononmer, abounding, as it does,
il aldditionl to tite splendor of its components, witll fine n11bu)le,
doublte stars, anl othler oljeets of )ecunliar interest when x:ic\ed
withl tlhe telescope. It emtbraces 70 stars, l)laifliy visible to tle
naked eye, inclulding t.\wo of the first, fouri of tlle scon(i, and
tlirce of the third magnlitude.
]',:!'Jus (the lImU1). lIelow'Rig el, the rwestern foot of Orion,
is a small trapezium of stars, wlich frllms th e ars of the Il'fare;
anltd anl acssctnblllag of nine stalrs of the thlird and(l fourtll omaognitudes, south'and cast of these, make u1) thte remlainilng parts
of ttlce figure.
C(,xss A NTiaJoII (the (1-1:Almtrm i. Doo) 1ies directly east of the
I[are, an1ldl is ]ighlly dditinllguished 1by containing,Xir's, tilhe
mlost splenddl of all the fixed stars, whtich lies in the mouth of
thle tfinlrc. IT the fore p)aw, 6~ \west of Sirils, is a starl of the
se.onl(l 11)agnliitlnde (13 Gcais I/}'~ori.s'), andl froml:1.00 to 1.5~ soutih
of Si1imris, is at collection of stars of tle scconll and third lagtllitudces, wlhichl naktl e u1) tile hinder portions of the fig'ure. The
wIh')tiats1, wilo anticipatcdt tlce visinin' of thle:Nile by tie appel'iarane of Sirius in the mlorning sky, represented tChe constellation lby tile figure of a (low, thle ssynllol of a.'aithllftl watchnt an.
(>ANs MAlxoR (thOe;lEss$ti D])O),. About 251 northi of Sirius,
is thle l.r ighlt sta 1 Prlocyon, also0 of tlhe first lagnitude, whtich
mlarks the side of tle.cLesser ])og. A. star of t}he thlird 1magnitude (03), 4 northwest of this, il tie letf of tle figure, forms
with l1roceyo n the lower silde of an elongated parallelogram, of
whicit.l Castor anld Pollux, 25~ north, forml tile upper side.
A:1(ooc(:mo:s is a large constellation, occupying tle space betwcctl the Glreater amd thle Lesser.D)og, but has 1lo consplicuouS
IIv.~n)m, occupies a long sl)ace south of Leo, Virgo, anld Libra.
Its lhead, wlich is south of the fore paws of the L1,ion, consists