August

The Great Bear, Ursa Major, is now in the northwest, his paws near the horizon. The Dragon, Draco, curves round from between the Pointers and the Pole, above the Little Bear toward the east, then upward to near the point overhead, its head, with the bright stars β and γ, being highest. The Herdsman, Bootes, occupies the midheavens in the west, the Crown, Corona Borealis, higher up, and due west Hercules, between the Crown and the point overhead. Low down, extending from the west to near the southwest, we find the Virgin, Virgo, the bright Spica near its setting place. In the southeast are the Scales, Libra, and, farther to the left, extending from the Scales to low down near the south, we find the Scorpion, Scorpio, one of the finest of the constellations, Antares, the rival of Mars (as the name means), marking its heart. Above the Scorpion and the Scales are the Serpent Holder, Serpentarius or Ophiuchus, and the Serpent, Serpens, extending right across him to near the Crown, after which the Serpent seems reaching. A little east of due south, low down, we find the Archer, Sagittarius: in the southeast, low down, the Sea Goat, Capricornus: and farther east, and lower down, the Water Bearer, Aquarius. Above the Sea Goat is the Eagle, Aquila, with the bright bluish-white star Altair; on its left, the pretty little Dolphin, Delphinus, and above the Dolphin, nearly overhead, the Lyre, Lyra, with the bluish-white star Vega (even brighter than Altair) nearly overhead. Below the Lyre we see the Swan, Cygnus, due east; and below the Swan the Winged Horse, Pegasus, upside down, as usual. In the northeast, Andromeda, the Chained Lady, is rising. Between the north and northeast is Cassiopeia, the Seated Lady, and above her, her husband, King Cepheus.

September

The Great Bear, Ursa Major, is low down, between northwest and north, the Pointers directed slantingly upward toward the Pole. Between the Great Bear and the Little Bear run the stars of the Dragon, Draco, round the Little Bear toward the north, thence toward the northwest, where we see the head of the Dragon high up, his two bright eyes, directed toward Hercules, which occupies the western mid-heaven. Above Hercules is the Lyre, Lyra, with the bright steel-blue star Vega high up toward the point overhead. Right overhead is the Swan, Cygnus. Near the west stands the Herdsman, rather slanting forward, however, with the Crown, Corona Borealis, on his left, almost due west. The long winding Serpent, Serpens, runs from near the Crown, where we see its head, due west to farther south than southwest, high up, on the western side of the Serpent Holder, Serpentarius or Ophiuchus, now standing upright in the southwest. Low down creeps the Scorpion, Scorpio, its heart Antares, rival of Mars, in the southwest, the end of its tail between south and southwest. Above, and south of the Scorpion's tail, we see the Archer, Sagittarius. Due south and high up is the Eagle, Aquila, the bright steel-blue Altair marking its body. On the left, or east, of the Eagle lies the neat little Dolphin, Delphinus. Midway between the Dolphin and the horizon is the tip of the tail of the Sea Goat, Capri-cornus, whose head lies nearly due south. On the southern horizon is the head of the Indian, Indus; and low down in the southeast lies Fomalhaut, the chief brilliant of the Southern Fish, Piscis Australis. Above lies the Water Bearer, Aquarius, in the southwestern midheaven. Due east, fairly high, is the "Square of Pegasus," the head of the Winged Horse, Pegasus, lying close by the Water Pitcher of Aquarius. The Fishes, Pisces, are low down in the east. On the left of Pisces we see the Ram, Aries, low down; above it, the Triangle; and above that, the Chained Lady, Andromeda. Low down in the northeast is the Rescuing Knight, Perseus; above whom is Cassiopeia; and on her left, higher up, the inconspicuous constellation Cepheus.

October

Low down between north and northwest we find the seven stars of the Dipper, the Pointers on the right nearly due north. They direct us to the Pole Star. Between the Pointers and the Pole Star we find the tip of the Dragon's tail, and sweep round the Little Bear with the Dragon's long train of third magnitude stars, till we come, after a bend, to the Dragon's head, with the' two bright eyes, β and γ These two stars are almost exactly midway between the horizon and the point overhead, and nearly northwest. King Cepheus - not a very conspicuous constellation - lies between the point overhead and the Little Bear. Low down in the northwest we find the head of the Herdsman, Bootes. The Crown, Corona Borealis, which no one can mistake, lies on his left, and close by is the setting head of the Serpent. Above these three groups we see Hercules - the Kneeler. Above the head of Hercules we find the Lyre, with the bright star Vega; and above that the Swan. Passing southward, we see the Serpent Holder, Serpentarius or Ophiuchus, beyond whom lies the Serpent's tail, a most inconvenient arrangement, as the Serpent is divided into two parts. Almost exactly southeast, and low down, are the stars of the Archer, Sagittarius; while above, in the mid-sky. we see the Eagle, Aquila, with the bright Altair. Note the neat little constellation, the Dolphin, Delphinus, close by. Due south is the Crane,Grus; above it, the Southern Fish, with the bright star Fomalhaut; above that, the Sea Goat, Capricornus, and on the left of this the Water Bearer, Aquarius;. Toward the east, high up, is the Winged Horse, Pegasus; he is upside down just now. Below lies the Whale, Cetus, or, rather, the Sea Monster. The Fishes, Pisces, may be seen between the Whale and Pegasus. Few constellations have suffered more than Pisces by the breaking up of star groups. The fishes themselves are now lost in Andromeda and Pegasus. Note how, on the left of Pisces the Ram, Aries, "bears aloft" Andromeda, the Chained Lady, as Milton set Aries doing long since. The Triangle serves only as a saddle. Between Andromeda and her father, Cepheus, we find her mother, Cassiopeia, or, rather, Cassiopeia's Chair. Perseus, the Rescuer, lies below.

November

The Dipper lies low, the Pointers a little east of north. Between the Pointers and Pole Star lies the tip of the Dragon's tail. Low down in the northwest, Hercules is setting. Above is the Lyre, with the bright steel-blue Vega; and above that the stars of the Swan, Cygnus, which has sometimes been called the Northern Cross. Nearly due west we find the Eagle, Aquila. Above the Eagle is the pretty little constellation the Dolphin, Delphinus. In the southwest, rather low, is the Sea Goat, Capricornus; above, and to the south of him, the Water Bearer, Aquarius. The head of the Winged Horse, Pegasus, now upside down (in fact, he is seldom otherwise), is just above this group. Much attention need not be directed to the lowly Phoenix, low in the southern horizon. The River, Eridanus, is coming well into view; and the great Sea Monster, Cetus, now shows finely. The Fishes, Pisces, are above; the Ram, Aries, above them, and eastward, lying toward the southeast; then the Triangle, Triangula (or the Triangles, according to modern maps), and the Chained Lady, Andromeda, too nearly overhead to be very pleasantly observed. The grand giant, Orion, is rising in the east; above him, the Bull, Taurus, with the Pleiades. Low down in the northeast the Twins, Gemini, are rising; above is the Charioteer, Auriga, and above him the Rescuing Knight, Perseus, "of fair-haired Danae born."

December

The Great Bear, Ursa Mafor, is beginning to rise above the northeast by north horizon. The end of the Dipper's handle is hidden. The stars of the Dragon wind round below the Little Bear toward the west, the head of the Dragon with the gleaming eyes ("oblique retorted that askant cast gleaming fire") being low down, a little north of northwest. Above is King Cepheus, and above him his queen, the Seated Lady, Cassiopeia, their daughter, the Chained Lady, Andromeda, being nearly overhead. Low down in the northwest we see the Lyre, Lyra, with the bright Vega, and close by toward the west the Swan, Cygnus, or Northern Cross. The Eagle is setting in the west, and the little Dolphin nears the western horizon. Toward the southwest by west we see the Water Bearer, Aquarius, with his Pitcher, close by which is the head of the Winged Horse, Pegasus. In the south, low down, is the absurd Phoenix; above, the Sea Monster, or Whale, Cetus; above him, the Fishes, Pisces; above them, the Ram, Aries; while nearly overhead lies the Triangle. The River Eridanus. occupies the southeasterly sky, the Dove and Great Dog, Columba and Canis Major, rising in the southeast. The glorious Orion has now come well into position, though not yet so upright as we could wish a knightly hunter to be. He treads on the Hare, Lepus, and faces the Bull, Taurus, above. Due east we find the Crab, Cancer, and Little Dog, Canis Minor, low down; the Twins, Gemini, higher; above them the Charioteer, Auriga, with the bright Capella, and Perseus, the Rescuer, nearing the point overhead. - R. A. Procter's Star Maps. Copyright, 1903, by Munn & Co.