Page:Star Lore Of All Ages, 1911.pdf/216

152 leaped into the basket which was instantly carried up into the sky. The next day White Hawk revisited the spot disguised as a rabbit, and tried in vain to seize one of the dancers. The day following in the guise of a mouse he was more successful, and succeeded in catching the most bewitching maiden, and took her home as his bride. She soon became homesick, however, and one day when White Hawk was absent she made a silver basket, and singing her magic chant was carried to the heavens, where she appears now as one of the bright stars near the Crown, the star Arcturus in the constellation Boötes."

The Indians also imagined that this star-traced circle represented a council of Chiefs, and the star in the centre of the circle was the servant, cooking over the fire, preparing the feast.

Manilius in the first book of his Astronomicon thus speaks of the Crown:

Corona Borealis was known to the Hebrews by the name of "Ataroth," and by this name the constellation is called in the East to this day.

Cæsius said that this Crown represented the one that Ahasuerus placed upon Esther's head, or the golden crown of the Ammonite King, of a talent's weight. He also likened it to the Crown of Thorns worn by the Christ.

This constellation is especially interesting as marking the region of the sky where the most celebrated temporary star of recent years appeared. It was observed 58′ south of the star Epsilon,on the 12th of May, 1866, as a second magnitude star, and was visible for eight days. The star then slowly declined to the tenth magnitude and rose later to the eighth. Now it appears a pale yellow, and is known as T Coronæ. It is slightly variable. This was the first temporary star to be studied by the spectroscope.

The brightest star in the constellation is Alpha, a