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THE FIXED STARS

equator at a small angle, and then, passing to the west, reach the western horizon twenty-three degrees south of west. At the time we suppose, Sagittarius, the Archer, is mostly below the western horizon. Capricornus, the Goat; Aquarius, the Water Bearer, and Pisces, the Fishes, fill up the space to the meridian. The stars of these constellations are mostly faint, few or none exceeding the third magnitude.

Reaching the meridian, we see the square of Pegasus above the Zodiac, not far south of the zenith. East of it is the constellation Aries, the Ram. Three of its principal stars, of the second, third, and fourth magnitudes, form an obtuse triangle. The brightest is Alpha Arietis.

Two thousand years ago this constellation marked the first sign of the zodiac, and the equinox was just below Alpha Arietis, as explained in speaking of the precession of the equinoxes.

Southeast from the square of Pegasus is a widely extended constellation, Cetus, the Whale. Its two brightest stars. Alpha and Beta, are of the second magnitude. The latter lies nearly below the southeast star of the square of Pegasus and is quite by itself. Alpha is some distance farther east. West of Alpha, and a little south, is a remarkable star, Mira Ceti, the wonderful star of Cetus, which is invisible to the naked eye except for a month or two in each year, when it attains the fourth, third, and often the second magnitude.

A little west of south, quite low down, is Fomalhaut, nearly of the first magnitude, in the constellation Pisces Australis, the Southern Fish.