Near the point where the "roof-tree" crosses the Zodiac Ring
Is a warm, red star in Scorpio.
This is Antares; while, in the North,
Etanin marks the Dragon's head.
Mu Sagitarii—closer still to the Solstice and Ecliptic—
Marks the northern part of the heavenly Archer's bow.
On summer evenings, high above our heads,
Vega shines with cool and brilliant light;
While, to the South and East, is Altair of the Eagle.
Nearby is the Northern Cross, or Cygnus,
Whom we call "the Swan,"
With Deneb Adige marking her outspread tail.
The nose of Pegasus, the soaring horse,
Shines out in the star Enif, or Epsilon of Pegasus—a triple star—
While Fomalhaut gleams in the South,
Guarding the Fish's Mouth.
Now Scheat and Markab, hand in hand, watch for the stragglers—
Bringing up the rear of all the Fifty Stars that have passed by.
The Sun Clock
When you have been able to find the North Star it will be very easy to set up a sun-dial. This device is not so valuable now as standard time is universally used. If you know the difference between "sun time" and standard time, the sun-dial can be referred to with a fair amount of accuracy and many people regard it as a curiosity.
Select a place where the sun shines all day and the ground is level. Set up a post or stake perpendicular and firm. At night go and "sight" a straight stick at the North Star and fasten it securely. This stick will now be parallel to the axis of the earth and its shadow will fall at the same line on any given hour no matter what season of the year it may be. At noon by the sun the shadows of the slanting stick and the upright one will coincide. This gives you the "sun noon" and the time by a standard watch or clock will tell you what correction to apply to your dial to convert its time into standard. Having once established the noon, or "no hour" mark the I, II, III, IV, V, and VI with stakes. Then calculate the correct sun time of VI A.M. by your standard watch and stake out the morning hours. Halves and even quarters can be marked between if you wish.
A flower dial can be made by having your upright post a pretty tall one, say ten or even twenty feet, and planting rows of flowers like spokes of a wheel along the hour lines. It may be possible even to select such as are likely to open at or near the indicated hour. The entire semicircle of pegs will also make a pretty finish with tall ornamental foliage plants or shrubs.