Page:Astronomy for Everybody.djvu/342

Cassiopeia is in the northeast, and the most splendid portion of the Milky Way is near the meridian. We have
Fig. 59.—Aquila. described all the constellations that lie near its course north of Lyra; let us now trace it to the south.

One of the noticeable features of the Milky Way now to be seen is the great bifurcation, or separation into two branches. The split can be traced from Cygnus, where it begins, past Lyra and halfway to the southern horizon. Here we see Aquila, the Eagle, in the cleft, marked by Altair, of the first magnitude. It is in a line between two other stars of the third and fourth magnitudes.

At this point the westernmost branch of the Milky Way
Fig. 60.—Delphinus, the Dolphin. diverges yet farther and seems to terminate, but if the air is clear we shall see that it recommences near the horizon.

East of Aquila is a small but very pretty constellation of which the scientific name is Delphinus, the Dolphin, but which is popularly known as Job's Coffin.

Between Lyra and the beautiful Corona, now some distance west of the zenith, lies the widely extended