THE BATTLE OF ORION, THE GIANT, AND TAURUS, THE BULL.
Not only is Antares of interest because of its great size and charming color but it also possesses a companion star of the vividest shade of green. This companion was first noted during an occultation in 1819, quite amazing its observer by sliding out from behind the moon just before the large red star emerged and dimmed its light by its powerful ruddy rays. The green-hued star is very tiny in comparison to Antares and may only be seen with the aid of a 5- or 6-inch telescope. Under good atmospheric conditions it is a very beautiful object.
The flame-red sun Antares beside its woodsy-green companion is one of the most impressive color combinations among the stars. Imagine living on a planet whose orbits encompassed such ostentatious stars! A green sunrise with a livid sky and a red sunset with a scarlet one—then a red sunrise and a green sunset—if colors affect one the way it is sometimes said that they do, the inhabitants of such a planet might live through "red hours" and "green hours" like "Dr. Jekylls" and "Mr. Hydes."
What a surprise to the eye and a delectable bit for the imagination are the blue, gold, green, rose, lilac, purple and other fires in the sun-lit sky. Here is something "as rare as a day in June." It would seem as if the whole solar system were enchanted if we might visit the planets of a white and sapphire blue sun, for instance, or those of one of topaz-yellow and heliotrope hue. On the other hand it might seem beyond the bounds of reason to an inhabitant of a planet with a dark blue sun that a ray of white light contains the whole seven primary colors and that these colors are separately and in combination absorbed by the different objects on such a planet as our earth, permitting us to observe a wonderful exhibition of tints and colors, gayety, shade and brightness. If he, in his semi-dark blueness, could possibly visualize such a marvel as this, he surely would be well-nigh overwhelmed with the wonder of it. Perhaps our sun was the only star of the millions of stars in our Universe—(or in the innumerable Universes which drift in space beyond the island of our Universe)—that was able to produce planets that could bear life; and yet again, since the spectroscope has proved that our sun is constituted like many another star in the heavens, perhaps these other stars, like our sun, also have planets. At least it is reasonable and rather exhilarating to think about it.
All the brilliant red stars are young and in the giant stage of their career but the faint red stars are dwarfs and on their decline. The dwarf red stars are believed to be cooling for they possess chemical combinations only possible in a decreasing temperature relatively low for stars. This must mean that such stars are growing old, for metallic vapors are never found in stars that are young.
In a still later stage, these metallic vapors condense and form a solid crust. About 500 red stars have already been observed but they are all at a distance vastly remote from the territory of our sun. Antares, however, is among the most youthful of the giant red stars and will gradually rise in temperature and become brilliantly blue during the next few thousands of millions of years.
Halfway between Antares and Akrab (β on the end of the upper claw), lies a very rich and condensed cluster of stars. This cluster, which is one of the finest known, may be easily seen in a small telescope. On the eastern side of the cluster is a dark nebula. Akrab is a triple star of the 2nd, 4th and 10th magnitudes. The little star 2 degrees east of Akrab is of the 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th magnitudes and is claimed by some to be the most beautiful quadruple in the heavens. Many other interesting stars may be seen around this conspicuous figure with a 2½- or 3-inch telescope, and a handy little reference book for the amateur fortunate enough to possess such a telescope is William Tyler Alcott's "In Starland with a Three-Inch Telescope."
FORMALHAUT