- ALNITAK (Zeta Orionis). With brilliant Betelgeuse and Rigel dominating great Orion, we pay little heed to the individual stars of the Hunter’s belt except as a group, the trio the Arabs called the “string of pearls.” All second magnitude, Johannes Bayer seems to have named the stars Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta from right to left.
- Also, amid many opinions held in equal repute, I chose always the most moderate, as much for the reason that these are always the most convenient for practice, and probably the best, (for all excess is generally vicious,) as that, in the event of my falling into error, I might be at less distance from the truth than if, having chosen one of the extremes, it should turn out to be the other which I ought to have adopted.