Page:The Music of the Spheres.djvu/76

 A 3-inch telescope will show two interesting double stars on the second part of the "W" of Cassiopeia, although the lower of these double stars may also be seen through a 2-inch telescope.

The lower star (α) is a lovely double, one of its components being a rose and the other a clear-hued blue; the yellow star above it has a purple companion which with the larger star whirls around a common center of gravity in a period of about 200 years. Since these stars are suns, as all stars are suns, it is often speculated what effect such combinations of colors would have on a family of planets,—but only a mathematical astronomer would be privileged to figure this out, with such complicated days and nights and seasons. Perhaps there would be no nights—only purple days and yellow days, or blue days and rose days, while peculiar combinations of life—inducing light rays and heat rays might produce strange and awesome forms and eerie vegetation!

Cassiopeia, as well as the Big Dipper, has been called a "celestial clock" for one may read the sidereal time from this configuration of stars with an error not exceeding 15 or 20 minutes. When the star Caph, or β Cassiopeiæ, is vertically above the Pole Star it is sidereal noon; 6 hours when it is on the great circle drawn from the Pole Star to the west point of the horizon; 12 hours when vertically below it; and 18 hours when due east. Caph, or β Cassiopeiæ, leads the other stars of the constellation in their journey westward.



This is the hero Perseus, easily recognized by the three bright stars which lie in a curved row. These stars hang just below the