Page:Star Lore Of All Ages, 1911.pdf/93

Rh for the crossing, the meeting fails to occur. For this reason rain on the Tanabata night is called the rain of tears.

Dr. Seiss regards Aquila as symbolical of the Wounded Prince or Christ suffering for mankind.

Aquila contains a star of the first magnitude called "Altair," α Aquilæ, to which Mrs. Martin in her delightful book, The Friendly Stars, thus charmingly refers: "Then there comes a soft June evening with its lovely twilight that begins with the last song of the woodthrush and ends with the first strenuous admonitions of the whippoorwill, and almost as if it were an impulse of nature one walks to the eastern end of the porch and looks for Altair. It is sure to be there, smiling at one just over the tree-tops with a bright companion on either side, the three gently advancing in a straight line as if they were walking the Milky Way hand in hand and three abreast."

Allen tells us that the name of this beautiful star is from a part of the Arabic name for the constellation, and means the flying vulture.

Ovid thus alludes to the rising of Altair:

This star was ill omened in astrology, and supposed to portend danger from reptiles. It is an important star for the mariner, however, as the moon's distance is taken from it for computing longitude at sea.

According to Dr. Elkin, Altair is fifteen light years distant from the earth. It is said to be approaching the earth at the rate of twenty-seven miles per second, and culminates at 9 on the 1st of September.

The radiant point of the meteors known as the Aquilids, visible from June 7th to August 12th, is located about five degrees east of Altair. Strangely enough in the year 389, a famous temporary star, or comet, appeared in this vicinity. Cuspinianus stated that it equalled 4