The Great Bear (_Ursa Major_) is now at its highest and nearly
overhead, the pointers aiming downward from high up, slightly west
of due north. A line from the Pole Star, (a of the Little Bear,
_Ursa Minor_) to the Guardians of the Pole, (b and g) is now in
the position of the minute hand of a clock 8 minutes after an hour.
Below the Little Bear we find _Cepheus_ low down to the east of
north, and _Cassiopeia_ low down to the west of north. _Perseus_,
the Rescuer, is setting in the northwest; the Camelopard is above,
trying to get on his feet.
The Charioteer (_Auriga_), with the bright _Capella_, is nearing
the northwestern horizon, followed by the Twins (_Gemini_), in the
west. Further west and higher we find the Crab (_Cancer_), below
which is the Little Dog (_Canis Minor_).
The southwestern sky is very barren of bright stars. _Alfard_, the
heart of the Sea Serpent, _Hydra_, shines here alone in a great
blank space. Above the Sea Serpent's head we see the Sickle in the
Lion, _Leo_ himself stretching his tail to due south, very high
up. _Coma Berenices_ is close by, and the Hunting Dogs (_Canes
Venatici_) between _Coma_ and the Great Bear.
In the south, lower down, we find the Crow (_Corvus_), and the Cup
(_Crater_), on the Serpent's back; the Virgin (_Virgo_), extending
in the mid-heavens from southeast to south, between the Lion's
tail and the Crow. In the same direction, but low down, we find
the head and body of the Centaur (_Centaurus_), supposed to have
typified the patriarchal Noah.
In the southeast the Scorpion's heart has just risen, and between
the head of _Scorpio_ and the Virgin's robes we see the stars of
the Scales (_Libra_).
Due east, low down, is the Serpent-Holder (_Ophiuchus_), on his
back--it is the customary attitude of heavenly bodies when rising.
The Serpent (_Serpens_) held by him is seen curving upward toward
the Crown (_Corona Borealis_). The Serpent's head is due west,
and above it we see the bright Arcturus, chief brilliant of the
Herdsman (_Boötes_).
In the northeast is _Hercules_, his head close to the head of the
Serpent-Holder. Beneath his feet is the Lyre (_Lyra_) with the
brilliant _Vega_; and the Swan (_Cygnus_) has already half risen
above the northeastern horizon.
Lastly, the Dragon (_Draco_) curves from between the Pointers and
the Pole, round the Guardians toward _Cepheus_, and then retorts its
head, with gleaming eyes (b and g), toward the heel of _Hercules_.