A good way to find any one of the constellations is by knowing the time when it will be on your meridian, that is the line over your head due north and south, during a given month. Any constellation of the zodiac will be on your meridian at 9 o’clock P. M., during the month given opposite its name in the following table:
| Astronomical Names | How Pronounced | Common Names | Time Constellation will Appear on Your Meridian at 9 p. m. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | A´-ri-es | The Ram | December |
| Taurus | Tau´-rus | The Bull | January |
| Gemini | Gem´-i-ni | The Twins | February |
| Cancer | Can´-cer | The Crab | March |
| Leo | Le´-o | The Lion | April |
| Virgo | Vir´-go | The Virgin | May |
| Libra | Li´-bra | The Balance | June |
| Scorpio | Scor´-pi-o | The Scorpion | July |
| Sagittarius | Sag´-it-ta´-ri-us | The Archer | August |
| Capricornus | Cap´-ri-cor´-nus | The Goat | September |
| Aquarius | A-qua´-ri-us | The Water Bearer | October |
| Pisces | Pis´-ces | The Fishes | November |
To find any constellation during any other month than that given in the last column above subtract two hours for each following month. Suppose you want to find Aries, the Ram, in January instead of December, look for it on your meridian at 7 P. M.; in February look for it at 5 P. M., and so on.
You will of course come to a month where the constellation will run into daylight and then you won’t be able to see it again until the Earth has traveled round the Sun to a point where the Earth is again between the Sun and the constellation.
The constellations of the zodiac are shown in [Fig. 172]; also the symbol for each sign and the month in which the sun enters the sign. As we shall later explain, the constellation is no longer in the sign of the same name.
If you look southward at the sky some night for any particular constellation you need not expect the stars which form it to stand out separate and distinct, as shown in [Figs. 172] and [174]; if you do you will be sadly disappointed, for many of the constellations of the zodiac are hard to recognize compared with the Big Dipper, or Orion, or Pegasus.
Fig. 172.—Constellations and Signs of the Zodiac.
Nor are the constellations of the zodiac as equally spaced in the sky as in [Figs. 172] and [174]. Some of the stars are very scattered and stretch over part of two signs of the zodiac, while others do not take up nearly all the space allowed them; [Figs. 172-174] are but rough sketches. To recognize these constellations you will have to use a good star map.
The heavy black line drawn lengthwise through the middle of the strip in [Fig. 172] represents the line of the ecliptic which is the yearly path the Sun seems to take. The planets also take the same course, though they may be on one side or the other of the Sun’s path by 8 degrees, thus making the zodiac 16 degrees wide; hence, the lighter parallel lines on either side of the black line, or path of the Sun, is the farthest away that the planets ever get.