Watts - BX5200 .W3 1813 v.8

SECTION XVII. 263 The Northern Constellations were thus framed by the an- cients, Ursa Minor or the little bear, in whose tail is the pole star, Ursa Major orthe great bear, Draco or the dragon, Cepheus whose feet are just at the north pole. Cassiopeia and her chair, Andromeda, the northern triangle, Perseus with Medusa's head, Auriga or the charioteer, Bootes or the hunter, who is some. times called Arcturus or the bear-keeper, Corona Borealis or the northern crown, Egonasi or hercules kneeling, Lyra or the harp, Cygnus or the swan, Pegasus or the great flying horse, Equu- leus or Equiculus the little horse's head, Delphinus or the dolphin, Sagitta or the arrow, Aquila or the eagle, which some call the vulture, Serpens or the serpent, and Serpentarius the man who holds it. To these 21 northern constellationswere after- wards added, Antinous at the equator next to the eagle, Cor Caroli or king Charles' heart, a single star south of the great bear's tail, and Bernice's hair, a few small stars south of Charles' heart, &c. The Southern Constellations known to the ancients are Ce- tus the whale, and the river Eridanus, Lepus the hare, the glorious constellation ofOrion with his girdle, sword, and shield, Sirius or the great dog, Canicula or the little dog, Hydra or a large serpent, the ship Argo, Crater or the two handed cup, Corvus the crow, or the raven, Centaurus or the half man half horse, Lupus or the wolf, Ara or the altar, Corona Australis or southern crown, Piscis Notius or'the southern fish. To these 15 there have been added 12 other constellations made up of the fixed stars toward the south pole which are never visible to us in Britain, and therefore 1 shall not mention them. Astronomers have framed some lesser Constellations which are contained in the greater, as the Pleiades or the seven stars, and the Hyades in Taurus or the bull ; Capella or the goat, in which is a very bright star so called, in the arms of Auriga or the charioteer ; the Manger and Asses in the Crab, which indeed is nothing but a bright spot composed of a multitude of small stare ; Charles Wain which are seven bright stars in the rump and tail of the Great Bear, three of which in the tail resemble the Horses, and the other four, e, d, b, r, a square cart ; see figurexxx. The two hindmost stars in the cart, viz. b and r are called the pointers, because they point to the north pole. Be- sides these there are several other smaller stars scattered up and down in the heavens, which are not reduced to any of the Con- stellations ; though of late years Hevelius a great astronomer has made Constellations of them which are described upon some mo- dern globes. The fixed Stars are of different sizes, and are divided into those of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth magni- tudes. There are but a fewstars ofthe firstand secondmagnitude,

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