The Great Bear (_Ursa Major_), with its Dipper and Pointers, is
now high up in the northeastern sky. The Pointers direct us to the
Pole Star, (a of the Little Bear _Ursa Minor_). A line from the
Pole Star to the Guardians of the Pole (b and g) lies in the position
of the minute hand of a clock 18 minutes after an hour. The Dragon
(_Draco_) extends from between the Bears to the horizon--east of
north--where its head with its two bright eyes can be seen.
_Cepheus_ is low down, somewhat to the west of north; his Queen
(_Cassiopeia_) the Seated Lady, beside him (a and b mark the top rail
of her chair's back); while above her lies the poor constellation
_Camelopardus_, the Giraffe.
_Andromeda_, the Chained Lady, is in the northwest, low down--in
fact, partly set; the Triangles and the Ram (_Aries_) beside her,
toward the west. Above them is _Perseus_, the Rescuing Knight; and
above him, somewhat to the west, the Charioteer (_Auriga_). The
Bull (_Taurus_), with the _Pleiades_ and the bright _Aldebaran_,
is in the mid-heaven, due west; _Gemini_, the Twins, higher, and
toward the southwest. _Orion_, below them, is already slanting
toward "his grave, low down in the west"; beneath him the Hare,
and in the southwest a part of the River (_Eridanus_).
Due south is a part of the Star Ship (_Argo_), beside which, low
down, is the foolish Dove (_Columba_), while above leaps the Great
Dog (_Canis Major_), with the splendid _Sirius_, chief of all the
stars in the sky, marking his mouth.
High up, a little west of north, is the Little Dog (_Canis Minor_);
and higher, a little east of north, the Crab (_Cancer_), the "dark
constellation," as it was called of old, with the pretty cluster
_Proesepe_, or the Beehive.
The Sea Serpent (_Hydra_) is rearing his long neck high above the
horizon, bearing on his back, absurdly enough, Noah's Cup (_Crater_)
and Noah's Raven or Crow (_Corvus_).
Nearly due east, the Virgin (_Virgo_) has risen, Spica shining
brightly just above the horizon. The Lion (_Leo_) occupies the
mid-space above; the "Sickle in the Lion"--its handle marked by ae
and a, its curved blade by g, m, and e--will at once be recognized.
The Hair of Queen Berenice (_Coma Berenices_) is nearly due east,
and fairly high. Between this small but remarkable group and the
Great Bear, lies Hevelius's foolish constellation, the Hunting
Dogs (_Canes Venatici_). Lastly, in the northeast, the Herdsman
(_Boötes_), with the orange-yellow brilliant, Arcturus, is rising,
though at present, paradoxical as it may seem, he lies on his back.