We look first for the Great Bear towards the north-east, as already described, and thence find the Pole-star; turning towards which we see, towards the right and downwards, the two guardians of the pole ([beta] and [gamma] Ursae Minoris).  Immediately under the Pole-star is the Dragon’s Head, a conspicuous diamond of stars.  Just on the horizon is Vega, scintillating brilliantly.  Overhead is the brilliant Capella, near which the Milky Way is seen passing down to the horizon on either side towards the quarters S.S.E. and N.N.W.

For the present our business is with the southern heavens, however.

Facing the south, we see a brilliant array of stars, Sirius unmistakeably overshining the rest.  Orion is shining in full glory, his leading brilliant, Betelgeuse[2] being almost exactly on the meridian, and also almost exactly half way between the horizon and the zenith.  In Plate 2 is given a map of this constellation and its neighbourhood.

Let us first turn the tube on Sirius.  It is easy to get him in the field without the aid of a finder.  The search will serve to illustrate a method often useful when a telescope has no finder.  Having taking out the eye-piece—­a low-power one, suppose—­direct the tube nearly towards Sirius.  On looking through it, a glare of light will be seen within the tube.  Now, if the tube be slightly moved about, the light will be seen to wax and wane, according as the tube is more or less accurately directed.  Following these indications, it will be found easy to direct the tube, so that the object-glass shall appear full of light.  When this is done, insert the eye-piece, and the star will be seen in the field.

But the telescope is out of focus, therefore we must turn the small focussing screw.  Observe the charming chromatic changes—­green, and red, and blue light, purer than the hues of the rainbow, scintillating and coruscating with wonderful brilliancy.  As we get the focus, the excursions of these light flashes diminish until—­if the weather is favourable—­the star is seen, still scintillating, and much brighter than to the naked eye, but reduced to a small disc of light, surrounded (in the case of so bright a star as Sirius) with a slight glare.  If after obtaining the focus the focussing rack work be still turned, we see a coruscating image as before.  In the case of a very brilliant star these coruscations are so charming that we may be excused for calling the observer’s attention to them.  The subject is not without interest and difficulty as an optical one.  But the astronomer’s object is to get rid of all these flames and sprays of coloured light, so that he has very little sympathy with the admiration which Wordsworth is said to have expressed for out-of-focus views of the stars.

We pass to more legitimate observations, noticing in passing that Sirius is a double star, the companion being of the tenth magnitude, and distant about ten seconds from the primary.  But our beginner is not likely to see the companion, which is a very difficult object, vowing to the overpowering brilliancy of the primary.