are seen
scattered over the field of view, and, taken all in all, there are very
few equally beautiful sights in the starry heavens. The magnitudes of
the double are three and four, distance 14.5", p. 148 deg.. The large star
is again double, although no telescope has been able to show it so, its
duplicity being revealed, like that of beta Aurigae, by the periodical
splitting of the lines in its spectrum.

Ursa Major contains several nebulae which may be glimpsed with telescopes
of moderate dimensions. An interesting pair of these objects, both of
which are included in one field of view, is formed by 1949 and 1950. The
first named is the brighter of the two, its nucleus resembling a faint
star. The nebula 2343 presents itself to us in the form of a faint, hazy
star, but with large telescopes its appearance is very singular.
According to a picture made by Lord Rosse, it bears no little
resemblance to a skull, there being two symmetrically placed holes in
it, each of which contains a star.

[Illustration: MAP NO. 26.]

The portion of Canes Venatici, represented in map No. 26, contains two
or three remarkable objects. Sigma 1606 is a close double, magnitudes
six and seven, distance 1", p. 336 deg.. It is a pretty sight with the
five-inch. The double star 2 is singular in that its larger component is
red and its smaller blue; magnitudes six and eight, distance 11.4", p.
260 deg.. Still more beautiful is 12, commonly called Cor Caroli. This
double is wide, and requires but a slight magnifying power. The
magnitudes are three and six, distance 20", colors white or light yellow
and blue. The nebula 3572, although we can see it only as a pair of
misty specks, is in reality a very wonderful object. Lord Rosse's
telescope has revealed in it a complicated spiral structure, recalling
the photographs of the Andromeda nebula, and indicating that stupendous
changes must be in process within it, although our records of
observation are necessarily too brief to bring out any perceptible
alteration of figure. It would seem that the astronomer has, of all men,
the best reasons for complaining of the brevity of human life.

Lastly, we turn to Ursa Minor and the Pole Star. The latter is a
celebrated double, not difficult, except with a telescope of less than
three inches aperture in the hands of an inexperienced observer. The
magnitudes are two and nine, distance 18.5". The small star has a dull
blue color. In 1899 it was discovered by s