the Star Clock

Here is a verse to memorise
Some stars in the Northern Skies

it works just like a clock or pie
and maps the way around the sky
no matter time or day or year
if in the Northern hemisphere

First thing to do is Find the Bear
two stars point up - the Pole Star's there

Not very bright but all alone
About it all the others turn
Call it the centre of the face
then all the rest fall into place

12
the pointer stars , call them Mid-day
then follow round the clockwise way

1
at 1 o'clock , some more of Bear
and on to Berenice's Hair

and Virgo springs from Lions mane
she carries Spica , Ear of Grain

2
at 2 is Ursa Minor
Polaris on his tail
beyond him is Arcturus
and further still , the Scales

3
the Dragon coils around all these
at 3 , his head bites Hercules

4
at 4 , Vega in Lyra shines

5
at 5 the great Swan spreads her wings
flies like an arrow from a bow
from Cassiopeia to Scorpio

6
at 6 , nothing to make much fuss ,
the pointy head of Cepheus

7
at 7 , shining much more clear
the W of Cassiopeia

8
at eight , Perseus to Aries leaps
then Cetus , famed for eating sheeps
and here ,just like a shuck of peas
upon the bull , the Pleiades

9
at 9 . Capella in Auriga shines

10
at 10 o'clock , the Heavenly Twins
and if Orion's in the sky
he's over here and ten feet high

11
11 is the bears face , its mostly just an empty space
but if the night is dark as well
you may see Cancer in her shell

12
midday brings us back to base
so all the stars fall into place

and over here , behind the bear ,
the lion crouches in his lair
and from the darkness of his den
he twitches tail and roars and then
to Virgo , spins the wheel again



copyright marcellavee ( Anita Greg ) 2010