Pegasus was a winged horse, sprung from the blood of Medusa, after Perseus had cut off her head. Pegasus fixed his residence, according to Ovid, on Mount Helicon in Bætia, where, by striking the earth with his foot, he produced a fountain, called Hippocrane. He became the favourite of the Muses, and being afterwards tamed by Neptune or Minerva, he was given to Bellerophon to conquer the Chimæra, a hideous monster that continually vomited flames, which had three heads, that of a lion, a goat, and a dragon. This fabulous tradition is explained by the recollection that there was a burning mountain in Lycia, called Chimæra, whose top was the resort of lions, on account of its desolate wilderness; the middle, which was fruitful, was covered with goats; and at the bottom, the marshy ground, abounded with serpents; and that Bellerophon was the first who made his habitation on it. Pegasus was placed among the constellations by Jupiter. ! 15. CYGNUS: Deneb Adige of the first, Alberio of the second, and two stars that sometimes are invisible, at other times of the third magnitude, are the most remarkable stars in this constellation. Cygnus is fabled by the Greeks to be the swan, under the form of which Jupiter deceived Leda, or Nemesis, the wife of Tyndarus, king of Laconia. Leda was the mother of Pollux and Helena, the most beautiful woman of the age, and who was the cause of the Trojan war, and also of Castor and Clytemnestra. The formertwo were deemed the offspring of Jupiter, and the others claimed Tyndarus as their father. 16. CORONA BOREALIS: Alphacca of the second magnitude, is the principal star in this constellation. Corona Borealis is said to be the crown of seven beautiful stars given by Bacchus, the son of Jupiter, to Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, second king of Crete. Bacchus is said to have married Ariadne, after she was basely deserted by Theseus, king of Athens, and after her death, the crown that Bacchus had given her, was made a constellation. 17. TRIANGULUM: This constellation is formed by three stars of the fourth magnitude, situated between the feet of Andromeda and Aries. Triangulum, or the northern triangle, was placed in the heavens in honour of the most fertile part of Egypt, being called the delta of the Nile, from its resemblance to the Greek letter of that name A. The Nile, anciently called Ægyptus, flows through the middle of Egypt, in a northerly direction, and when it comes to the town of Cercassorum, it divides itself into several streams, and falls into the Mediterranean by seven channels or mouths; and the island which these several streams form, is called delta. The invention of geometry is usually ascribed to the Egyptians, and it is asserted that the annual inundations of the Nile, which swept away the bounds and landmarks of estates, gave occasion to it, by obliging the Egyptians to consider the figure and quantity belonging to the several proprietors. Triangulum Minus was made by Hevelius, out of the unformed stars between the Triangulum Borealis and the Head of Aries. 18. AQUILA, with ANTINOUS: Altair or Atair, of the first magnitude, is the principal star in this constellation. Aquila is supposed to be Merops, a king of the island of Cos, one of the Cyclades; who, according to Ovid, was changed into an eagle and placed among the constellations. Antinous was a youth of Bythinia, in Asia Minor, a great favourite of the emperor Adrian, who erected a temple to his memory, and placed him among the constellations. Antinous is generally reckoned a part of the constellation Aquila. 19. ASTERION ET CHARA: Cor Caroli a double star of the third magnitude, is the principal star in this constellation. Asterion et Chara are the two greyhounds held in a string by Bootes; they were composed by Hevelius out of the unformed stars of the ancient catalogues. Cor Caroli, Charles's Heart, is considered by some astronomers to be an extra-constellated star of the second magnitude, between Coma Berenices and Ursa Major; and others make it a constellation consisting of three stars. Cor Caroli was so called in honour of Charles the First, by Sir Charles Scarborough, physician to king Charles the Second.. 20. COMA BERENICES: This constellation was composed by Hevelius, out of the unformed stars between the Lion's tail and Bootes. Berenice was the wife of Evergetes, a surname signifying benefactor; when he went on a dangerous expedition, she vowed to dedicate her hair to the goddess Venus if he returned in safety. Sometime after the victorious return of Evergetes, the locks, which were in the temple of Venus, disappeared; and Conon, an astronomer, publicly reported that Jupiter had carried them away and made them a constellation. 21. SERPENTARIUS: Ras Alhagus of the second magnitude, is the most remarkable star in this constellation. Serpentarius, also called Ophiuchus, and anciently Esculapius, was represented with a large beard, and holding in his hand a staff, round which was wreathed a serpent; his other hand was supported on the head of a serpent. Esculapius was physician to the Argonauts, and considered so skilled in the medicinal power of plants, that he was called the inventor as well as the god of medicine. Serpents were more particularly sàered to him, not nly as the ancient physicians used them in their prescriptions, but because they were the symbols of prudence and foresight, so necessary in the medical profession. ( Serpens is also called serpens Ophiuchi, being grasped by the hands of Ophiuchus. 1 22. DELPHINUS: In this constellation there are five stars of the third magnitude, but none of the first or second. The Dolphin was placed among the constellations by Neptune, because, by means of a dolphin, Amphitrite became his wife, though she had made a vow of perpetual celibacy. 23. CAPUT MEDUSE: MONS MENALUS: EQUULUS: SAGITTA': There are no remarkable stars in these constellations, except Algol in the Head of Medusa, which has already been observed in Perseus, (Art. 3.) The Mountain Mænalus in Arcadia was sacred to the god Pan, and frequented by shepherds: it received its name from Mænalus, a son of Lycaon, king of Arcadia. It was made a constellation and placed by Hevelius under the feet of Bootes. The Little Horse, sometimes called equisectia, the horse's head, is supposed to be the brother of Pegasus. The Arrow is supposed, by the Greeks, to be one of the arrows of, Hercules, with which he killed the eagle or vul ture that perpetually gnawed the liver of Promotheus, who was tied to a rock on Mount Caucasus, by order of Jupiter. 24. Camelopardalus, Lacerta, Leo Minor, Lynx, Musca, Scutum Sobieski, Taurus, Poniatowski, Vulpelcula et Anser, and Tarandus, are all new constellations, made out of the unformed stars of the ancient catalogues. The Camelopard was formed by Hevelius out of the unformed stars, between Auriga and the north pole. The Lizard was formed by Hevelius out of the unformed stars, between the Flying Horse and the Head of Cepheus. The Lesser Lion was composed by Hevelius out of the unformed stars between the Great Bear and Leo. The Fly has been formed out of the stars between Aries and the head of Medusa. Sobieski's Shield was made out of the unformed stars between the Archer and the tail of Serpentarius. This constellation was called Sobieski's Shield by Hevelius, in honour of John Sobieski, king of Poland. The Bull of Poniatowski was so called in honour of Count Poniatowski, a Polish officer of great merit, who saved the life of Charles XII. king of Sweden, at the battle of Pul towa, a town in Russia, and capital of the government of the same. The Fox and Goose was made by Hevelius out of the unformed stars between the Eagle and the Swan. John Hevelius, a celebrated astronomer, and burgomaster at Dantzick, was born in that city, in 1611. His wife was also well skilled in astronomy, and made a part of the observations that were published by her husband. The Rein Deer was made out of the unformed stars be tween Cassiopeia and the north pole. QUESTIONS. In the thirty-seven northern constellations, name the most remarkable stars of the first three magnitudes. Of what magnitude are the most remarkable stars in Andromeda, and what are they called ? Name the principal stars in Perseus. Name the most remarkable star in Auriga, the Charioteer. How many conspicuous stars are there in the Great Bear? How many in the Lesser Bear, and what is the principal star called ? Which are the, principal stars in Bootes? Of what magnitude are the most remarkable stars in the Dragon, and what is the principal star called? What is the principal star in Cepheus called? Which is the principal star in Cassiopeia?.. Of what magnitude is the principal star in Hercules? Are there any remarkable stars in Cerberus? Name the most remarkable star in the Harp. Name the principal star in the Northern Crown. Of what magnitude are those three stars which form the Triangle? Name the principal star in the Eagle. Name the principal stars in the Greyhounds. Name the principal star in Serpentarius. Of what magnitude are the principal stars in the Dolphin? Are there any remarkable stars in the Head of Medusa, the Mountain Mænalus, &c.? |