Sagittarius (saj-i-tā-ri-us)—the Archer. (face South.)

Location.—A line drawn from Deneb, in Cygnus, to Altair, in Aquila, and prolonged an equal distance, terminates in Sagittarius about 10° east of its distinguishing characteristic, the Milk Dipper. Sagittarius is one of the signs of the zodiac, and lies between Capricornus, on the east, and Scorpius, on the west.

The bow is easily traced out. γ marks the arrow's tip.

Note the star μ, which serves to point out the Winter Solstice, w

ere the solstitial colure intersects the ecliptic.

On a clear night, the pretty cluster known as Corona Australis, the Southern Crown, can be seen about 10° below the bowl of the Milk Dipper. Its lucida, the fourth-magnitude star Alfecca Meridiana culminates at 9 p.m., August 13th.

Sagittarius is about due south, in a splendid position for observation, during the month of July, between the hours of nine-thirty and eleven o'clock p.m.

Observe with an opera-glass the fine clusters 20 M. and 8 M., also an almost circular black void near the stars γ and δ, and to the east of this spot another of narrow crescent form.

The stars φ and ζ in the Milk Dipper are moving in opposite directions. Future generations therefore will not have this time-honored figure to guide them in locating the Archer in their summer night skies.

---