Occultations of bright stars may be well seen with the naked eye, especially when they pass behind the moon’s dark limb, and as the disappearance of a star is practically instantaneous, really valuable observations may be made without a telescope, by merely noting the exact time at which the star vanishes.
Most of the comets discovered by astronomers are small and faint, and only visible in good telescopes. At intervals, however, a brilliant visitor appears on the scene, and its path among the stars may be watched from night to night with the naked eye. Before the invention of the telescope, bright comets were watched in this way, and their course recorded so carefully that it has been found possible to calculate their orbits with some approach to accuracy. In these days of large telescopes and instruments of almost mathematical precision, such a method of observation is, of course, superseded; but we may still watch the movements of a bright comet with interest, and note its apparent path across the sky with pleasure and profit. Shooting stars and fire-balls may be best observed with the naked eye, and the excellent work done in this way by Mr. W. F. Denning, F.R.A.S., should encourage others to take up this interesting branch of astronomy.
Another object which may be well seen with the naked eye—indeed, it may best be observed in this way—is the Zodiacal Light. This is a lenticular or cone-shaped beam of light, which makes its appearance at certain times of the year, above the eastern horizon before the dawn, and above the western horizon after sunset, when the sky is clear and the moon absent. In the tropics it is much more easily seen, the twilight being shorter, and I have often observed it in India shining with great brilliancy.
From the above sketch my readers will see how much may be learned of astronomy without optical assistance of any kind, and I hope that those who do not possess a telescope will use their eyes instead, and thus gain some knowledge of the wonders and beauties of the starry heavens. The knowledge thus gained will stimulate their curiosity and will give them keener interest in reading books which describe the still greater wonders revealed by the telescope.
FOOTNOTES:
[16] Also known as the Dipper and Charles’s Wain.—E. S.
[17] The Arabian names Dubhe (Alpha), Merak (Beta), Phecda (Gamma), Megrez (Delta), Alioth (Epsilon), Mizar (Zeta), and Alkaid (Eta).—E. S.
[18] Bellatrix.
[19] This is the nearest star to the earth.—E. S.