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Y OU have learned how to tell north, south, east, and west by the sun; but how can we tell these directions at night?
Ask some one to point out to you a group of seven bright stars in the north part of the sky. Some people think that this group of stars looks like a wagon and three horses; others say that it looks like a plow.
The proper name of the group containing these seven stars is the Great Bear. The group was given this name because men at first thought it looked like a bear with a long tail.
![[Illustration]](http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/gold/books/longcc/geography/longcc_geography_zpage014.gif)
The Great Bear |
These seven stars are called the Dipper. It is a part of a larger group called the Great Bear. Find the two bright twinkling stars farthest from its handle. A line drawn through them will point to another star, not quite so bright, called the North Star. That star is always in the north; so by it, on a clear night, you can tell the other directions at once.
Write on your slates:
Sailors out on the sea at night often find direction by looking at the North Star.