Ask some one to point out to you a group of seven bright stars in the north part of the sky. Some people think that this group of stars looks like a wagon and three horses; others say that it looks like a plow.
The proper name of the group containing these seven stars is the Great Bear. The group was given this name because men at first thought it looked like a bear with a long tail.
These seven stars are called the Dipper. It is a part of a larger group called the Great Bear. Find the two bright twinkling stars farthest from its handle. A line drawn through them will point to another star, not quite so bright, called the North Star. That star is always in the north; so by it, on a clear night, you can tell the other directions at once.
Write on your slates:
Sailors out on the sea at night often find direction by looking at the North Star.
LESSON IV.
HOW THE COMPASS SHOWS DIRECTION.
But there are times when it is cloudy, and neither the sun nor the stars can be seen. How can we tell direction then?
| A COMPASS. |