William Tyler Olcott

Name: Star Lore Of All Ages — Ursa Minor, the Lesser Bear
Author: William Tyler Olcott

Star Lore Of All Ages — Ursa Minor… (1911)

Summary

“Star Lore Of All Ages — Ursa Minor, the Lesser Bear”, published in 1911, is a work by William Tyler Olcott. It explores elements such as Polaris, the Pole Star and constellation.

Quotes from Star Lore Of All Ages — Ursa Minor… (William Tyler Olcott)

William Tyler Olcott, Star Lore Of All Ages — Ursa Minor… (1911)

“ The mariners of the ancient and modern worlds have placed an equal faith in the guiding beams of this steadfast star. Phœnician barks and Roman triremes, the ships of the Spanish Armada, and those that bore the early adventurers and explorers over the unknown seas, as well as the canoes and rude dugouts of the savages of many lands, have all turned their prows alike in answer to its beckoning light. ”

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Source: Wikisource

William Tyler Olcott, Star Lore Of All Ages — Ursa Minor… (1911)

“ A hunting party of Indians lost their way, and being in doubt which way to proceed they prayed to the gods to direct them homeward. During their deliberations a little child appeared in their midst and proclaimed herself to be the spirit of the Pole Star and their guide. Following her they reached home safely, and thereafter called the Pole Star 'the star which never moves.' When the hunters died they were carried up into the heavens, and we can see them in the stars of the Little Dipper following the Pole Star faithfully every clear night. ”

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Source: Wikisource

William Tyler Olcott, Star Lore Of All Ages — Ursa Minor… (1911)

“ Our word "cynosure" gets its meaning from Polaris, which has always been the most observed of all stars.
The Arabic name for Polaris was "the Kid," and their astronomers called it "the star of the north." It was also known in Arabia as "the hole in which the axle of the earth was borne." There was a belief among the common people of Arabia that a fixed contemplation of this star would cure itching of the eyelids.
Poets of all nations in all periods of the world's history have sung the praises of the North Star.
Marvell writes of it:
By night the northern star their way directs. ”

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Source: Wikisource

William Tyler Olcott, Star Lore Of All Ages — Ursa Minor… (1911)

“ It is generally supposed that the North Star marks the true Pole of the earth, but in reality it is 1° 14′ distant from the true Pole. Its mean right ascension, as given by the Harvard Observatory List of Bright Stars, is 1 h 22.6 m., consequently when the right ascension of the meridian of any place is the same, Polaris will be exactly on the meridian at that time and place, but above or below the true Pole. The approximate location of the true Pole may be found by drawing an imaginary line from Polaris to ζ Ursæ Majoris. ”

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Source: Wikisource

William Tyler Olcott, Star Lore Of All Ages — Ursa Minor… (1911)

“ Polaris is presumably about the size of the sun, and at the distance of the nearest fixed star our sun would shine as a star no brighter than Polaris. It is of interest to note in passing that the North Star is elevated as many degrees above the horizon as the observer is north of the Equator, so that if a person were to stand at the North Pole, Polaris would be directly overhead. ”

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Source: Wikisource

William Tyler Olcott, Star Lore Of All Ages — Ursa Minor… (1911)

“ The Eskimos thought that this constellation represented four men carrying a sick baby.
Ursa Minor's chief claim to recognition lies in the universal observation of its lucida, the standard second magnitude star Alpha, known as "the Pole Star" or "Polaris," and to the Greeks as "Phœnice."
This famous star, which has been called "the lovely northern light," is the "most practically useful star in the heavens." It is the best known and most celebrated of all the stars. ”

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Source: Wikisource

William Tyler Olcott, Star Lore Of All Ages — Ursa Minor… (1911)

“ The stars in the vicinity of the North Pole represented to the Arabs a shepherd, who, with his dog, is supposed to be pasturing a herd of sheep. To this group belong two calves, three goats, four camels, and a foal. These animals are all in the neighbourhood of Cepheus. A single camel (represented by a star in Draco) has strayed away to pasture alone. ”

William Tyler Olcott

Summary

Quotes from Star Lore Of All Ages — Ursa Minor… (William Tyler Olcott)

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