zeta, the lower,
or left-hand, star in the Belt. This is a triple, the magnitudes being
second, sixth, and tenth. The sixth-magnitude star is about 2.5" from
the primary, p. 149 deg., and has a very peculiar color, hard to describe.
It requires careful focusing to get a satisfactory view of this star
with a three-inch telescope. Use magnifying powers up to two hundred and
fifty diameters. With our four-inch the star is much easier, and the
five-inch shows it readily with a power of one hundred. The
tenth-magnitude companion is distant 56", p. 8 deg., and may be glimpsed
with the three-inch. Upon the whole, we shall find that we get more
pleasing views of zeta Orionis with the four-inch glass.

Just to the left of zeta, and in the same field of view with a very low
power, is a remarkable nebula bearing the catalogue number 1227. We must
use our five-inch on this with a low power, but with zeta out of the
field in order to avoid its glare. The nebula is exceedingly faint, and
we can be satisfied if we see it simply as a hazy spot, although with
much larger telescopes it has appeared at least half a degree broad.
Tempel saw several centers of condensation in it, and traced three or
four broad nebulous streams, one of which decidedly suggested spiral
motion.

The upper star in the Belt, delta, is double; distance, 53", p. 360 deg.;
magnitudes, second and seventh very nearly; colors, white and green or
blue. This, of course, is an easy object for the three-inch with a low
magnifying power. It would be useless to look for the two fainter
companions of delta, discovered by Burnham, even with our five-inch
glass. But we shall probably need the five-inch for our next attempt,
and it will be well to put on a high power, say three hundred diameters.
The star to be examined is the little brilliant dangling below the
right-hand end of the Belt, toward Rigel. It appears on the map as eta.
Spare no pains in getting an accurate focus, for here is something worth
looking at, and unless you have a trained eye you will not easily see
it. The star is double, magnitudes third and sixth, and the distance
from center to center barely exceeds 1", p. 87 deg.. A little tremulousness
of the atmosphere for a moment conceals the smaller star, although its
presence is manifest from the peculiar jutting of light on one side of
the image of the primary. But in an instant the disturbing undulations
pass, the air steadies, the image shrinks and sharpe