For convenience of description, Astronomers have divided
the entire surface of the Heavens into numerous small
tracts, called constellations, to which have been given names,
resulting from some real or fancied resemblance in the arrangement
of the stars composing them, to the objects indicated.
This resemblance is seldom very striking, but
nomenclature is arbitrary, and it is perhaps quite as well to
call a collection of stars that don't look at all like a scorpion,
“The Scorpion,” as to name an insignificant village, with
two or three hundred inhabitants, a tavern, no church, and
twenty-seven grog shops, Rome, or Carthage. We once
knew a couple of honest people, who named their eldest
child (a singularly pug-nosed little girl), Madonna, Madonna
Smith—and that infant grew up and did well, and
was lately married to a highly respectable young butcher.

A zone 16° in breadth, extending quite around the
Heavens, 8° on each side of the Ecliptic, is called Zodiac.

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This zone is divided into twelve equal parts or constellations,
which are sometimes called the Signs of the Zodiac. The
following are the names of these constellations, in their regular
order, and the number of visible stars contained in each

1. Aries	The Hydraulic Ram,	66
2. Taurus	The Irish Bull,	141
3. Gemini	The Siamese Twins	85
4. Cancer	The Soft Shelled Crab,	83
5. Leo	The Dandy Lion,	95
6. Virgo	The Virago,	110
7. Libra	The Hay Scales	51
8. Scorpio	The N. Y. Herald	44
9. Sagittarius	The Sparrow,	69
10. Capricornus	The Bishop,	51
11. Aquarius	The Decanter,	108
12. Pisces	The Sardines,	73

To discover the position of these several constellations
it is merely necessary to have a starting point. On looking
at the Heavens during the month of April, and considering
the stars therein intently, the observer will at length find
six bright stars arranged exactly in the form of a sickle.
A very bright star is at the extremity of the handle. This
is the star Regulus in the constellation Leo. Then some
30° further to the east, he will observe a very brilliant
star, with no visible stars near it. This is Spica in the
Virgin.

Still further east, rises Libra, distinguished by two rather
bright stars forming a parallelogram, with two rather dim
ones, followed by Scorpio, whose stars resemble in their arrangement
a kite, with a tail to it, and in which a brilliant
red star, named Antares, forms the centre. Then

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Sagittarius and Capricornus separately span 30°; when rises
Aquarius, in which the most careless observer will notice
four stars, forming very plainly, the letter Y. Pisces, a
loose straggling succession of stars, intervenes between this
sign and that of Aries, which may be distinguished by two
bright stars, about 4° apart, the brightest, to the N. E. of
the other. Taurus cannot be mistaken—it contains two remarkable
clusters, the Pleiades and the Hyades; the latter
forming a well-marked letter V. with the bright red star
Aldebaran at the upper left-hand corner. Gemini contains
two remarkably bright stars, Castor and Pollux;—the former
much the most brilliant and the more northerly of the
pair; they are but 5° apart. Then follows 30° including
Cancer, which contains no remarkably brilliant stars, and we
return to our starting point. In the month of September,
we would select as a starting point the star Antares, giving
us the position of the Scorpion. Antares is of a remarkably
red appearance, situated between, and equi-distant from, two
other less brilliant stars with which it forms a curved line,
which, extended by other stars, curve around at its extremity
like the tail of a flying kite, or if you please, like
the tail of a scorpion.

The fixed stars are classed according to their magnitude,
first, second, third, fourth, fifth, etc.; the stars of the fifth
magnitude being the smallest that can be seen by the unassisted
eye. It is by no means our intention, in this course
of lectures, to convey a complete, and thorough knowledge
of Uranography (we assure you, madam, that this word is

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in the Dictionary); however great our ability or inclination,
the limits prescribed us will not permit of it we shall, therefore,
confine ourselves to a brief description of the principal
constellations, trusting that the interest awakened in the
minds of our numerous readers on the subject, by our remarks,
may lead them to make it a study hereafter. For
this purpose we would recommend as a suitable preparation
a light course of reading, such, for instance, as “Church's
Deferential and Integral Calculus,” to be followed by
“Bartlett's Optics,' and Gummer's Elements of Astronomy.”
After this, by close and unremitting study of La
Place, and other eminent writers, for twenty or thirty years,
the reader, if of good natural ability, may acquire a superficial
knowledge of the science.

“The Great Bear” (which is spelled—Bear—and has
no reference whatever to Powers' Greek Slave) is one of the
most remarkable constellations in the Heavens. We cannot
imagine why it received its name, unless indeed, because it
has not the slightest resemblance to a great Bear, or any
other animal. It may be distinguished by means of a cluster
of seven brilliant stars, arranged in the form of a dipper
(not a duck, but a tin dipper). Of these, the two, forming
the side of the dipper, furthest from the handle, are named,
the lower Merak, the upper Dubhe, and are called the
Pointers, from the fact, that in whatever position the constellation
is observed, a line passing through these two stars
and continued in the direction of Dubhe for 28° passes
through Cynosura, the North or pole star. To this

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remarkable star—it was discovered some years since—a magnetic
needle will constantly point, a discovery which has
done more for commerce, made more sailors and caused
more fatigue to the legs of the author, than any other under
heaven, Colt's pistols not excepted. It must not be understood
that the needle points to the pole star, because the
star possesses any particular attraction for it. Currents of
electricity passing constantly from W. to E. about the earth,
cause the needle to point N. and S., and it is merely in consequence
of the star Cynosura lying exactly in the N., that
it appears directed toward it. Immediately opposite to the
Great Bear, beyond Cynosura, we observe the constellation
Cassiopeia, which, instead of representing as it should, a respectable
looking old woman sitting on a throne, takes the
appearance of a chair, which, constantly revolving about the
North star, is thrown into as many different positions as the
chair used by the celebrated “India-rubber man,” in his
wonderful feats of dexterity.

Near Cassiopeia, but further to the E., we find Andromeda,
which constellation, representing a young lady, chained
to a rock, without a particle of clothing, we shall not attempt
to point out more definitely. Perseus, near Andromeda,
holds in his hand the head of Medusa, a glance from whose
eyes turned the gazer into stone, which accounts for the origin
of the Stones, a numerous and highly respectable family
in the United States. If we prolong the handle of the dipper
some 25°, we observe a brilliant star of the first magnitude,
of a ruddy appearance, called Arcturus; which many

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years since, a person named Job, was asked if he could guide,
and he acknowledged he couldn't do it. The star is in the
knee of the Boötes (which is pronounced Bootees; he was
the inventor and wearer of those articles), who, with two
greyhounds, Asterion and Chara, is apparently driving the
Bear forever around the pole. A beautiful star 30° E. of
Arcturus, named Lyra, distinguished by two small stars with
which it makes an equilateral triangle, points out the position
of the Harp; immediately beneath which is seen the Swan,
distinguished by five stars forming a large and regular cross,
the foot of which being turned up, prevents its being noticed,
unless closely examined. The bright star in the head of the
cross is Deneb Cygni. Twenty degrees S. E. of Lyra, we
observe the brilliant star Altair in the Eagle, equidistant
from two other small stars, making with it a slight curve.

The beautiful constellation Orion (which takes its name
from the founder of the celebrated Irish family of O'Ryan)
may be easily distinguished by its belt, three bright stars,
forming a right line about 3° in length; with three smaller
stars immediately below (forming an angle with it), which
distinguish the handle of the sword. The brilliant star of
the first magnitude, in the left shoulder of Orion, is called
Betelguese, that in the right shoulder, Bellatrix; the star in
the right knee, is Saiph, that in the left foot, Rigel. Some
20° N. E. of the seven stars, the brilliant star Capella, in
the Wagoner, may be recognized by three small stars, forming
an acute-angled triangle, immediately below it. A very
beautiful star, of peculiarly whitish lustre, named

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Formalhaut, forms the eye of the Southern Fish; it is about 30° S.
E. of the Y in Aquarius and cannot be mistaken, as it is the
only brilliant star in that part of the Heavens. We have
now mentioned most of the principal constellations, but we
suspect that the ardent curiosity and love of research of our
readers will hardly allow them to rest contented with the
meagre information thus conveyed, but that they will hasten
to seek in the writings of standard authors, such a knowledge
of this interesting subject, as the scope of these lectures will
not permit us to attempt imparting. They will thus find the
truth of Hamlet's statement, “that more things exist in
Heaven and Earth, than are dreamed of” in their philosophy.
Dragons, Hydras, Serpents and Centaurs, Big Dogs and Little
Dogs, Doves, Coons and Ladies' Hair, will be exhibited
to their admiring gaze, and they will also have their attention
directed to the remarkable constellation Phœnix (named
for an ancestor of the present Johannes, but not in the least
resembling him, or the family portraits), to which the modesty
of the author has merely permitted him to make this brief
allusion. On the subject of Comets, we should have desired
to make a lengthy dissertation; but Professor Silliman in his
late efforts to throw light upon it, has decided that these
bodies are nothing but Gas; which sets the matter at rest
forever, and renders discussion useless.

The lecture now closes, with an exhibition of the “Phantasmagoria”
(which is the scientific name of a tin Magic
Lantern), showing the various Heavenly Bodies tranquilly
revolving round the Sun, perfectly undisturbed by the

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extravagant motions of these rampant comets, continually crossing
their paths in orbits of impossible eccentricity, while the
organ, slowly turned by the Professor with one hand (the
other imparting motion to the planets), emits in plaintive
tones that touching melody the “Low Backed Car,” giving
an excruciating and probably correct idea of the “Music of
the Spheres,” which nobody ever heard, and, therefore, the
correctness of the imitation cannot be disputed. This portion
of the entertainment should be continued as long as possible,
as the author has observed, it never fails to give great
satisfaction to the audience; any exhibition requiring a
darkened room, being a “sure card” of attraction in a community
where there are many young people, which accounts
for the wonderful success of Banvard's Panorama. Should
the Professor's arm become wearied before the audience are
entirely satisfied, it is easy to disperse them, by the simple
process of shutting down the slide, stopping the organ, and
inducing a small boy, by a trifling pecuniary compensation, to
holla Fire! in the vicinity of the lecture room.

The author acknowledges the receipt of “An Astronomical
Poem” from a “Young Observer,” commencing

“Oh, if I had a telescope with fourteen slides,”

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the introduction. The manuscript will be returned to the
author, on making known his real name, and engaging to
destroy it immediately.

p547-263

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