Stránka:roll 1917.djvu/349

Things to Know and Do 317 Other ConstelUitions Orion Orion (0-ri-on), with its striking array of brilliant stars, Betelgeuze, Rigel, the Three Kings, etc., is generally admitted to be the finest constellation in the heavens. Orion was the hunter giant who went to Heaven when he died, and now marches aroimd the great dome, but is seen only in the winter, because, during the sunmier, he passes over during daytime. Thus he is still the hunter's constellation. The three stars of his belt are called the "Three Kings." Sirius, the Great Dog-star, is in the head of Orion's Hoimd, the constellation Cams Major, and following farther back is the Little Dog star, Procyon, the chief star of the constellation Canis Minor. In old charts of the stars, Orion is shown with his hounds, hunting the bull, Taurus. This constellation is recognizable by this diagram; the red star, Aldebaran, being the angry right eye of the Bull. His face is covered with a cluster of little stars called the HyadeSy and on his shoulder are the seven stars, called Pleiades, Pleiades Pleiades (Ply-a-des) can be seen in winter as a cluster of small stars between Aldebaran and Algol, or, a line drawn from the back bottom, through the front rim of the Big Dipper, about two Dipper lengths, touches this little group. They are not far from Aldebaran, being in the right shoulder of the Bull. They may be considered the seven arrow woimds made by Orion. Serviss tells us that the Pleiades have a supposed connection with the Great Pyramid, because "about 2170 b. c, when the beginning of spring coincided with the culmination of the Plei- ades at midnight, that wonderful group of stars was visible just at midnight, through the m3^terious southward-pointing passage of the Pyramid. Cassiopeia On the opposite side of the Pole-star from the Big Dipper, and nearly as far from it, is a W of five bright stars. This is called Cassiopeia's Chair, It is easily found and visible the year round on clear nights. Thus we have described ten constellations from which the Woodcraf ter may select the number needed to qualify, namely.