three conspicuous pairs of stars represent three of his four
feet.

The Chaldean shepherds and the Iroquois Indians gave to this
constellation the same name. The Egyptians called it "The Thigh."

[a] and [[^e]] are moving through space in a contrary direction to the
remaining five stars in "The Dipper."

[Illustration: URSA MAJOR]

URSA MINOR (er'-sa mi'-nor)--THE LITTLE BEAR. (Face North.)

LOCATION.--The two pointer stars in Ursa Major indicate the position
of Polaris, the North Star, which represents the tip of the tail of
the Little Bear, and the end of the handle of the "Little Dipper." In
all ages of the world, Ursa Minor has been more universally observed
and more carefully noticed than any other constellation, on account of
the importance of the North Star.

Polaris is a little more than 1-1/4[deg] from the true pole. Its light
takes fifty years to reach us.

A line joining [b] Cassiopeiae, and Megres, in Ursa Major, will pass
through Polaris.

At the distance of the nearest fixed star our sun would shine as a
star no brighter than Polaris which is presumably about the sun's
size.

Polaris revolves around the true pole once in twenty-four hours in a
little circle 2-1/2[deg] in diameter. Within this circle two hundred stars
have been photographed.

The North Star is always elevated as many degrees above the horizon as
the observer is north of the equator.

Compare the light of the four stars forming the bowl of the "Little
Dipper," as they are each of a different magnitude. A standard
first-magnitude star is 2-1/2 times brighter than a standard second
magnitude star, etc.

[Illustration: URSA MINOR]

GEMINI (jem'-i-ni)--THE TWINS. (Face West.)

LOCATION.--A line drawn from [b] to [k] Ursae Majoris and prolonged an
equal distance ends near Castor, in Gemini. Gemini is characterized by
two nearly parallel rows of stars. The northern row if extended would
reach Taurus, the southern one Orion. Note the fine cluster 35 M.
Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781 a short distance southwest of it.
Two wonderful streams of little stars run parallel northwest on each
side of the cluster. Where the ecliptic crosses the solstitial colure
is the spot where the sun appears to be when it is farthest north of
the equator, June 21st. Castor is a fine double for a telescope, and
Pollux has three little attendant stars. An isoceles triangle is
formed by Castor, Aldebaran in Taurus, and Capella in Auri