Presenteb to the Library of the University of Uoronto

Presenteb to the Library of the University of Uoronto

’ R A C T I C A L S T R O N O M W ITH TH E U NAID ED EYE ' B Y 6 O T R M A T m ; REV . HEC O CPH ERSON A . R . M . , F. A S E ER F H E SOC I ETE ASTRO NO I U E D E F RA N E B O T C ETC . M M M Q , ! ! ! A T H OR OF T H E RO A NC E O F O D ER N ASTRO NO Y ASTRO NO ERS U M M M , M ! ! ’ ! F TO-D A Y A C E NT U RY S P ROG RESS I AST O O Y O , R M N l N R EV ISED ED ITIO N fio n bo n a n h Qfibi n hnrgh T . c. E. c. A C K LTD T NELSON SONS LTD J , . , . CONTENTS . INTROD U CTORY TH E NORTHERN STARS THE STARS OF WINTER TH E STARS OF SP RING THE STARS OF SU M M ER TH E STARS OF AU TU M N . TTHE S OU THERN STARS N ND L SU , M O O N , A P ANETS ASTRONOM ICAL PHENOM ENA B IB LI OGRAP HY IND E! P R ACTICAL A STR ONOM Y . C A T H P ER I . I N T R O D T O R U C Y . WH EN we cast our eyes to the heavens on any clear and , by preference , moonless night , o ur attention is attracted by apparently i n o f o f numerable points light , all degrees of T brightness . hese are the stars , which in all ages have drawn to themselves the atten tion f o nk n . ma i d Mr E W . Maunder , in a previ ’ o us o f hi m volume t s series , has Shown how an s attention was first directed to the heavenly i o f bod es , and how the mere recognition the n th e phases of the Moon , the varyi g positions of plan ets a n d the season al changes Of the stars has developed stage by stag e into the science f o astronomy a s we know it at the present day . Perhaps o f all the sciences modern as tr o n o m i s - t y the most awe inspiring , the mos wonderful , the most instructive . The aver age man reads o f the marvels which th e o f telescope and spectroscope reveal , the L 6 PRACTICA ASTRONOMY . a n d great depths spaces , the rapid velocities , n the eter al working of evolution , and he H e o r n o f wonders . has little no k owledge the methods used by the astronomers in ! ascertaini ng the a cts of the science ; and he is not familiar with the stars or conste lla tions . Let us suppose that there is something unusual in the astronomical world . The news ! papers are full o f the Opposition o f Mars . The average man has read about Mars and he s is anxious to e e the planet for himself . The almanacs tell hi m that it is in a certain con n sa stellatio , y , Virgo , and the newspapers repeat the statements of the almanacs . The would- b e Observer o f Mars is as puzzled as H e hi f ever . knows not ng o the constellation H e Vir go . does not know where to look for di d it , and even if he , he would probably be H e unable to recognise it . is paying the penalty for not having made himself a o qua i n t e d with what we may call the topog r a h f p y o the heavens . A gain , let us suppose that a bright comet is to be seen o r that a meteoric shower is expected from a certain constellation , say , Le - b e o . The would Observer is in the same position as in the case previously mentioned . Hi s ignorance o f the topography of the sky i s at the root Of his inability to see the comet or to witness the meteoric shower . INTRODUCTORY . 7 S O much fo r the utility of knowing the names o f the various stars and con stella tions ; but a knowledge of this kind is more N0 o n e than merely useful . can really enter in to what may be called the spirit o f astron o m h a n n h o w y without aving acquai tance , i n ever slight , with the planets and stars As di vidually . a contemporary astronomer has well remarked ' H OW great an interest is given to any Object by the fact that we know its name . Take some town children o ut into the country and se t them to gather wild flowers : h o w instantly they a sk their ! o f names . It is the same in the case the n stars . When in a clear i ght we consider the heavens and behold apparently co unt s o f le s points light , we are confused and over whelmed by the number o f the stars and n by the complexity o f their di stribution . O e star appears to be almost the same as a n di ff other , except for the erences in bright o ness , and we l ok away from the sky again with neither interest n o r curiosity . But if we learn that such and such a star is Al de b a r a n , and such and such is Sirius , and a n d such such a constellation is Orion , then o ur interest in the stars is aroused and as a result we are desirous of tracing out the star groups and o f identifying the stars themselves . ! -b e But , the would astronomer asks at 8 L PRACTICA ASTRONOMY . this time how is it possible for me to lea rn the names o f the stars and trace the outlines Of the constellations without bein g taught 7 Carlyle in his Old age lamented Why did not somebody tea ch me the constellations and make me at home in the starry heavens ? ! But in reality it is not necessary for anyone ta u h t to be g the constellations . It is best n lea r n for everyo e to them for himself . When the would- b e astronomer begins hi s task it may seem almost impossible of attain o f i n ment , and some the h ts which are given in astronomical books on ly make the task ffi n n di . more cult For i sta ce , when we are told to draw imaginary li nes through such and such stars in the Plough , and that these will lead us to such and such stars in Bootes and will form triangles a n d quadrilaterals with such and such stars in Draco , we feel A f o f . ba fled with the magnitude the task gain , o n some maps and guides to the heaven s there are represented what are known as the ! n O constellatio figures . n such maps we find the Plough represented by the figure of a bear covered with stars , Cygnus by a star O spangled swan , rion by a human figure o f dotted with stars . The stars all mag n i tude s are inserted and named , but they are confused and indi vidually lost thr ough the i n tro ducti o n o f the constellation figures . These INTRODUCTORY . 9 figures Of course are o f extreme interest to the o f s a n d historian a tronomy to the antiquarian . ' They throw a flood of light o n importan t questions connected with the beginn i ngs Of o n i n astronomical science , but star maps ten ded for the beginner who desires to obtain a knowledge of the topography of the heavens , u they are utterly o t Of place . The best method of acquiring a knowledge o f a n d the stars is to study them as they are , to obtain a kn owledge o f the most important constellations in the heavens whi ch it is ! i impossible to mistake . From th s it is com pa r a ti v e ly easy to trace out the other co n st e lla ti o n s ; to simplify thi s task by ex planation and direction is the aim o f the following pages . Once the observer has become famili ar with the various constellations and their seas onal changes a new charm is added to As hi s interest in the stars . an able astron o f n omer has remarked , the task learni g the i i stars has a charm Of ts o wn . The s lent watchers from heaven soon become each a ili fam ar friend , and to any imaginative mind the sense that he is treadi ng the same path a s that traversed by the first students Of ! n Nature will have a stra ge charm . — Our Pla ce in th e U ni v erse Before enter ing o n the task o f describing the topog 10 T AL ! PRAC IC ASTRONOMY . r a h o f n p y the heavens , it is ecessary to consider briefly o ur position in th e Universe and the bearing Of the position a n d motions o n of our planet the appearance of the heavens , o n o f and the apparent motions Sun , Moon , n pla ets and stars .

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