The Little Dog, or Procyon, is found above the Great Dog and below the Twins (Castor and Pollux), to the east of Orion. With the exception of α Procyon, no brilliant star distinguishes it.

Hydra is a long constellation, which occupies a quarter of the horizon, under Cancer, the Lion, and the Virgin. The head, formed of four stars of the fourth magnitude, is to the left of Procyon, on the prolongation of a line drawn from that star to Betelgeuse. The western side of the great trapezium of the Lion, like the line from Castor and Pollux, points to α, of the second magnitude. This is the Heart of Hydra; we remark the asterisms of the second class, Corvus the Crow, and Crater the Cup.

Eridanus, Cetus, Piscis Australis, and the Centaur are the only important constellations which remain to be described. We find them, in the order which we have indicated, to the right of Orion. Eridanus is a river composed of a train of stars winding from the left foot of Orion and losing itself below the horizon. After following long windings, it ends with a fine star of the first magnitude, α Eridani, or Achernar. This is the river into which Phaeton fell when he unskilfully directed the Chariot of the Sun. It was placed in the sky to console Apollo for the death of his son.

To find the Whale (Cetus), we may notice below the Ram a star of the second magnitude which forms an equilateral triangle with the Ram and the Pleiades; this is α of Cetus, or the Jaw; α, μ, ξ, and γ form a parallelogram which represents the head. The base, α, γ, may be produced to a star of the third magnitude, δ, and to a star of the neck marked ο. This star is one of the most curious in the heavens. It is named the Wonderful, Mira Ceti. It belongs to the class of variable stars. Sometimes it equals in brightness stars of the second magnitude, sometimes it becomes completely invisible.[11] Its variations have been followed since the end of the Sixteenth Century, and it has been found that they are reproduced periodically every 331 days on the average. The study of these singular stars presents us with curious phenomena.

Lastly, the constellation of the Centaur is situated below Spica of the Virgin. The star θ, of the second magnitude, and the star ι, of the third, mark the head and the shoulder. This is the only part of this figure which rises above our horizon. The Centaur contains the nearest star to us (α) of the first magnitude, the distance of which is about twenty-five billions of miles. The feet of the Centaur touch the Southern Cross, formed of four stars of the second magnitude, always hidden below our horizon. It reigns in silence above the icy solitudes of the Southern Pole, where ships proceed only with difficulty. Further on, at the centre of the other hemisphere, is the southern celestial pole, which is not marked by any remarkable star.

It was from this region, Dante relates, that, having visited hell, inclosed in the centre of the earth, he went to the Mountain of Purgatory, and from there to the Heights of Paradise. These beautiful dreams have disappeared in the sunshine of modern astronomy.

We will complete these descriptions by a little astronomical chronology, which is not without interest. From a careful examination of the most ancient historical sources of classical astronomy, the following is the order in which the constellations appear to have been noticed, formed, and named, beginning with the most ancient:

Most Ancient Reference
The Great BearJob (ch. xxxviii. ver. 32) (Seventeenth Century before our era), Homer (Ninth Century).
OrionJob (ch. ix. ver. 9), Homer, Hesiod.
The Pleiades (the Hyades)Job (ch. xxxviii. ver. 31), Homer, Hesiod.
Sirius and the Great DogHesiod mentions it. Homer calls Sirius the Star of Autumn.
Aldebaran (Taurus)Homer, Hesiod.
Boötes, ArcturusJob (ch. xxxviii. ver. 32), Homer, Hesiod.
The Little BearThales (Seventh Century), Eudoxus, Aratus.
Draco (the Dragon)Eudoxus (Fourth Century), Aratus (Third Century).
The Man on his Knees, or HerculesId.
The Branch and Cerberus[12]Id.
Corona BorealisId.
Ophiuchus or SerpentariusId.
The ScorpionId.
Virgo and SpicaEudoxus (Fourth Century), Aratus (Third Century)
Gemini (the Twins)Id.
ProcyonId.
Cancer (the Crab)Id.
Leo (the Lion)Id.
Auriga (the Charioteer)Id.
Capella (the Goat, the Kids)Id.
CepheusId.
CassiopeiaId.
AndromedaId.
Pegasus (the Horse)Id.
Aries (the Ram)Id.
The TriangleId.
Pisces (the Fishes)Id.
PerseusId.
LyraId.
The Bird, or Cygnus (the Swan)Id.
Aquila (the Eagle)Id.
AquariusId.
CapricornusId.
SagittariusId.
Sagitta (the Arrow)Id.
Delphinus (the Dolphin)Id.
Lepus (the Hare)Id.
Argo (the Ship)Id.
Canobus (afterward written Canopus)Id.
EridanusId.
Cetus (the Whale)Id.
Piscis Australis (the Southern Fish)Id.
Corona AustralisId.
The AltarId.
The CentaurId.
The Wolf (Lupus)Id.
HydraId.
Crater (the Cup)Id.
Corvus (the Crow)Id.
Libra (the Balance)Manetho (Third Century B. C.) Geminus (First Century) B. C.).
The Hair of Berenice[13] Callimachus, Eratosthenes (Third Century).
Feet of the CentaurHipparchus (First Century B. C.).
Propus (η of Gemini)Hipparchus.
The Manger and DonkeysId.
The Little Horse (Equuleus)Id.
The Head of MedusaId.
Antinous[13]Under the Emperor Adrian (130 A. D.).
The Peacock (Pavo)John Bayer, 1603.
ToucanId.
Grus (the Crane)Id.
PhœnixId.
DoradusId.
The Flying FishId.
HydrusId.
ChamæleonId.
The Bee (Musca)Id.
The Bird of Paradise (Apus)Id.
Triangulum AustralisId.
The Indian (Indus)Id.
The Giraffe (Camelopardus)Bartschius, 1624.
The Fly (Musca)Id.
The Unicorn (Monoceros)Id.
Noah’s Dove (Columba)Id.
The Oak of Charles IIHalley, 1679.
The Southern Cross (already seen by the ancients)Augustine Royer, 1677.
The Great and Little Cloud (Magellanic Clouds)Hevelius, 1690.
The Fleur de LysId.
The Greyhounds (Canes Venatici)Id.
The Fox and Goose (Vulpecula et Anser)Id.
The Lizard (Lacerta)Id.
The Sextant of Urania (Sextans)Id.
The Little Lion (Leo Minor)Hevelius, 1690.
The LynxId.
The Shield of SobieskiId.
The Little TriangleId.
Mount MænalusFlamsteed, 1725.
The Heart of Charles II (α Canum Venaticorum)Id.
The Sculptor’s Workshop (Sculptor)Lacaille, 1752.
The Chemical Furnace (Fornax)Id.
The Clock (Horologium)Id.
The Rhomboid Reticule (Reticulum)Id.
The Engraver’s PenId.
The Painter’s Easel (Pictor)Id.
The Compass (Circinus)Id.
The Air Pump (Antlia)Id.
The Octant (Octans)Id.
The Compass and SquareId.
The Telescope (Telescopium)Id.
The Microscope (Microscopium)Id.
The Table Mountain (Mensa)Id.
The ReindeerLemonnier, 1774.
The Solitaire (Indian Bird)Id.
Le MessierLalande, 1776.
The Bull of PoniatowskiPoczobut, 1877.
The Honors of FrederickBode, 1786.
The Harp of the GeorgesHell, 1789.
The Telescope of HerschelBode, 1787.
The Electrical MachineId, 1790.
The Printer’s WorkshopId.
The Mural QuadrantLalande, 1795.
The Air BalloonId., 1798.
The CatId., 1799.

Such are the constellations, ancient and modern, venerable or recent, into which the celestial sphere has been divided. The ancient names are respectable and respected, on account of their relations, known or unknown, with the origins of history and religion; the new ones must be ephemeral. It is useful to know them, because several stars celebrated under different titles have for their principal designation their position in these asterisms; but what we should wish would be to see them disappear.[14]

Many other substitutions have, however, been attempted. I have in my library a splendid folio of the year 1661, containing twenty-nine engraved plates, illuminated in gold and silver, among which are two which represent the sky delivered from the pagans and peopled with Christians. Instead of divinities more or less virtuous, in place of animals of forms more or less fantastic, we behold the elect—apostles, saints, popes, martyrs, sacred persons of the Old and New Testament—seated in the celestial vault, clothed in rich costumes of all colors, embroidered with gold, and carefully installed in the place of all the pagan heroes who for so many ages reigned in the sky.