A Few Words from our Former President

The Great Bear (Ursa Major) is now in the northwest, his paws near the horizon. The Pointers (α and ß) direct us to the Pole Star, (α of the Little Bear, Ursa Minor). A line from the Pole Star to the Guardians of the Pole is in the posi- tion of the minute hand of a clock about 7 minutes before an hour. Below the Little Bear we see the Camelopard, a little to the east of due north. 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 ß and γ, being high- est. Low down in the west we see Berenice's Hair (Coma Berenices), and one star of the Hunting Dogs (Canes Ve- natici) is seen in the chart between Coma and the Great Bear. The Herdsman {Boötes) occupies the mid-heaven 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 set- ting place. In the southwest 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 Bearer (Serpentarius or Ophiu- chus) and the Serpent (Serpens), extending right across him to near the Crown, after which the Serpent seems reach- ing. A little east 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, her head marked by the star α (which was also called δ of Pegasus). (The "Square of Pegasus" is formed by α of Andromeda and α, ß, and γ of Pegasus.) Between the north and northeast is Cassiopeia, the Seated Lady, and above her, her husband, King Cepheus. And lastly Perseus is just rising, between the north and northeast.