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Aquarius (A-kwer-e-us) – The Water Carrier
Õ This is one of the 13
constellations of the Zodiac.
Õ Aquarius is a rather faint
constellation which would not
be famous if it weren't part of
the Zodiac.
Õ Aquarius, as its name suggests
is universally associated with
water. In most cultures, it is
drawn as a man pouring water
from a bucket. This may arise
from the fact that the Sun enters Aquarius in early winter when the rainy season
begins in many parts of the world.
Õ Alpha Aquarii ("Sadalmelik") and beta Aquarii ("Sadalsuud") are twin supergiants
with nearly identical names. The names mean, respectively, "The Lucky One of the
King" and "The Luckiest of the Lucky". Gamma Aquarii shares in the good fortune:
"Sadachbia": "The Lucky Star of Hidden Things".
Õ "Why is so much luck found in Aquarius", you may ask. When the sun entered
Aquarius the new year was about to begin, Spring was on the horizon, and the
watery season would assure abundant crops. One can therefore appreciate the
importance of the Water Bearer.
Õ Incidentally, if the "Age of Aquarius" was celebrated in the 1960s, the real event
is still some 600 years off: at that time, Aquarius will contain the vernal equinox,
marking the return of the Sun into the northern celestial hemisphere.
Õ Best seen in October.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M2 (NGC 7089) is a globular cluster, compact and bright, about 50,000 light
years away.
Õ M72 (NGC 6981 is also a globular cluster, about 3º WSW of the Saturn Nebula
(see below). It is one of Messier's least attractive objects.
Õ NGC 7009, "Saturn Nebula" is a planetary nebula quite spectacular in large
instruments. It has ‘rays’ which extend from both sides of the main disc.
Õ NGC 7293, "Helix Nebula" (or the "Helical Nebula"), is another planetary nebula,
given its name apparently because it is said to resemble the DNA double helix. It
really is a ring nebula, only much larger and fainter than the more notable Ring
Nebula in Lyra.
Myth
The Water Carrier is the cupbearer to the gods living atop Mount Olympus. His name is
Ganymede. Ganymede was the son of King Tros, after whom the city of Troy was named.
Ganymede was abducted one day while he was keeping watch over a herd of his father's
sheep. In one story, it was Eos, the Goddess of the Dawn, who abducted the boy. In the
more common version of the story it was Zeus himself that was taken with the beauty
of the shepherd boy and sent his eagle down to steal away the boy in its claws. The boy
was carried off to the top of Mount Olympus to become the serving boy to the gods,
pouring out from his jar the mixture of water and nectar quaffed by the gods in their
revels.
Pisces (Pie-seas) – The Fish
Õ This is one of the 13
constellations of the Zodiac.
Õ The sun passes through the
southeast corner of Pisces; in
fact, the vernal equinox now lies
in Pisces.
Õ Pisces is depicted as two fish
connected by their tails at the
star alpha Piscium.
Õ Best seen in November.
Deep Sky Objects
The best deep sky object in Pisces is M74, the only Messier in the constellation.
M74 (NGC 628) is a spiral galaxy seen face on. It's about 22 million light years away,
and one of the faintest Messiers. The larger the scope, the better. Long exposure
photographs show two or three loosely-wound spirals `spinning' out from a small bright
nucleus.
Myth
The Fish represent Aphrodite and her son Eros (to the Romans, Venus, and Cupid).
Aphrodite was the Goddess of Love and Eros was her son with Ares, the God of War,
known as Mars to the Romans.
Pisces refers to the battle with the monstrous Typhon in the ten-year war where the
younger gods overthrew the elder Titans. One day the gods were surprised by the
approach of the monster. The goat god Pan shouted a warning and tried to change
himself into a fish. Aphrodite took her little boy Eros and attempted to hide among the
reeds on the banks of the Euphrates River. In one version of the story, two fish swam
up to carry Aphrodite and her child to safety.
In another version of the story, Aphrodite and Eros were changed into fish themselves
and swam away to safety. As they appear in the sky, a cord ties the two fish together.
Some say that Aphrodite tied the little boy to her body so that he would not get lost as
they swam away to safety.
Aries (Air-ez) – The Ram
Õ Aries' stars are rather faint
except for alpha and beta,
which are only second magnitude
stars.
Õ This is one of the 13
constellations of the Zodiac.
Õ The Babylonians, the Egyptians,
the Greeks, and the Persians all
agreed on this constellation’s
name of the Ram.
Õ "The Ram", is an ancient
constellation which was of
considerable importance since the sun passed through it at the vernal equinox.
Õ There is some reason to believe that the Greeks just took over a much older
horned animal at this time of the year; the horn being a symbol for fecundity,
renewal, and so on. As the Sun came into this constellation, at the vernal equinox,
the year itself was being renewed.
Õ This point has now moved into Pisces, but the vernal equinox is still known as the
First Point of Aries. (As a matter of possible interest, in the year 2000 the point
will be at zero degrees and zero hours; about 6.5º south of omega Psc.) In
another six hundred years, the point will have moved into Aquarius.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ NGC 772 is a strangely shaped diffuse galaxy with a spiral arm on the northwest.
Myth
The story of Aries begins with the unhappy children of a broken family.
Queen Ino couldn't stand the children of King Athamas. She developed a complex plot to
get rid of them. The first thing that she did was to spread disease among the crops so
that the crops would fail and there would be no harvest.
When the king sent to the great oracle at Delphi to ask of the gods the reason for the
failure, Ino bribed the messengers to bring back the answer that the children should be
sacrificed to save the crops. Thanks to Ino's bribery, when the king hesitated to make
the sacrifice, the local priests insisted that the children must be sacrificed.
Athamas took the children to the top of a nearby mountain to make the sacrifice, but
their mother, Nephele, was watching from heaven. She bade the gods to send down a
golden ram from heaven to carry the children to safety. This is the ram of Aries. At
last moment before the sacrifice, the ram arrived and carried the children off towards
Asia.
Aries also represents the Golden Fleece Jason and the Argonauts returned to Greece.
Gemini – The Twins
Õ This is one of the 13 constellations of the Zodiac.
Õ The stars of Gemini include two of the most
recognizable in the heavens: the twins Castor and
Pollux.
à Castor (alpha Geminorum) is the slightly dimmer
star. It has a visual magnitude of 1.93 and is 52
light years distant. It isn't a particularly large
star, at about twice the Sun's diameter.
à Pollux is the brighter of the two stars with a visual magnitude of 1.16 and a
distance of 33.7 light years. It is also considerably larger, with an
estimated diameter of about ten Suns.
à Castor and Pollux are 4.5 degrees apart, which helps observers estimate
separation distances between other stars.
Õ Best seen in February.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ The only Messier object in Gemini is M35 (NGC 2168). This is an open cluster
easily enjoyed in small scopes. This cluster is extremely attractive, with gently
curving rows of glittering stars. Several hundred stars make up the group, which
is perhaps 2500 light years away.
Õ The Eskimo Nebula (NGC 2392) is one of the more distant nebulae at an
estimated distance of 10,000 light years. There is a tenth-magnitude central
star. If you do have a large enough scope, be prepared for anything: Burnham
thought the Eskimo Nebula suggested "the classic and unforgettable features of
W. C. Fields." While you can locate this blue-green object in small scopes, it takes
a very large telescope to see the "face" of this nebula, the eyes, nose, and mouth
and the "fur collar" that gave it its name.
Myth
The Twins represents the two brothers, Castor and Pollux.
Their mother was Queen Leda of Sparta. Castor was the mortal Twin and the son of
King Tyndareus. Pollux was immortal. Castor and Pollux were identical twins, in spite of
the fact that they had different fathers. They were inseparable and devoted to each
other.
Both twins excelled at the hunt and at the arts of war. Pollux was a champion boxer and
Castor was a famous horseman. He was skilled with the sword as well and taught the art
of sword fighting to the young Hercules.
The Twins sailed with Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece. They had
many adventures together on the voyage.
Castor's life ended as the result of an encounter with another pair of twins. Some say
that the quarrel was over women, others, over cattle, but in the ensuing battle, Lynceus
ran Castor through with the sword, whereupon Pollux killed Lynceus. Idas attacked
Pollux, but Zeus killed him with a thunderbolt. Pollux was inconsolable at the loss of his
twin. He prayed to Zeus that he might share his immortality with his brother. Zeus took
mercy upon the twins and set them together eternally among the stars as the
constellation of the Gemini.
Cancer – The Crab
Õ This is one of the 13 constellations of the Zodiac.
Õ Cancer is famous despite itself due to its Zodiacal origins.
In fact, it is very faint with no stars brighter than 4th
magnitude.
Õ The name comes from the Latin; cancer means crab.
Õ Best seen in March.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M44 (NGC 2632) is better known by the name the Beehive Cluster, or the Latin
equivalent: Praesepe, which not only means a hive but also a crib, or manger. This
is a bright open cluster clearly visible to the naked eye on a dark enough night,
and best appreciated with binoculars or small scope. One of the largest clusters,
its 1.5 degree size is equivalent to three full moons end-to-end. Its distance is
calculated at between 520-590 light years.
Õ M67 (NGC 2682) sits about two degrees west of alpha Cancri and south of the
Beehive about nine degrees. Visually unremarkable, yet this deep sky object is
renowned for its venerable age: it is now believed that the cluster is
approximately 10 billion years old. Its estimated distance is 2500 light years and
there are about five hundred stars in the cluster, tightly packed.
Myth
The Crab plays a minor role in the Labors of Hercules (Heracles in Greek). The second
task that Hercules had to accomplish was to slay the Hydra. The Hydra was a multiheaded snakelike monster. Hercules grappled with it and slashed at it with his sword,
but as soon as Hercules cut off one head of the monster, two more grew back. Hercules
was able to defeat the Hydra only with the help of his charioteer. The Crab was sent by
Hera to distract Hercules in the midst of the struggle with the Hydra. The Crab
scuttled out from the swamp to bite at Hercules feet with its claws, but Hercules
crushed the Crab with his heel. The goddess Hera rewarded the Crab by placing it
among the stars.
Leo – The Lion
Õ This is one of the 13 constellations of
the Zodiac.
Õ The Chaldeans associated Leo with
the sun since it is in the sky during
the summer solstice (although this is
no longer true, due to the precession
of the Earth's axis). Since Nile floods
around this time, the ancient Egyptians worshipped the celestial lion.
Õ Leo is a fairly compact constellation and, unlike so many other constellations, it is
readily recognizable. You can find Leo in the sky by looking for the "sickle"
starting at Regulus (Alpha Leonis) and following the backwards question mark.
Õ Alpha Leonis is named "Regulus" because it was seen as the Heaven's Guardian,
one who regulated all things in the heavens. While the name Regulus was given us
by Copernicus, the star was better known in antiquity as Cor Leonis, the Lion's
Heart.
Õ Best seen in April.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M65 (NGC 3623) and M66 (NGC 3627) make a splendid pair of spiral galaxies in
the same field. Both galaxies are elongated north-south; M65 has a tighter spiral
and is perhaps the more noticeable.
Õ NGC 3628, a galaxy seen edge-on. Actually, this is larger than either Messier
object, but much dimmer because it is seen edge-on.
Õ M95 (NGC 3351) and M96 (NGC 3368) form another nice pair, although farther
apart. The two are found is a group of galaxies midway between alpha Leonis and
theta Leonis, and just slightly to the south. M95 is to the west. This is a curious
round object, with a very faint circular bar. M96 is a tight spiral galaxy, much
brighter than its neighbor. Both this pair and M65/M66 are considered to be
about 30 million light years away.
Õ M105 (NGC 3379) is a much dimmer galaxy to the north-north-east of M96. Along
with NGC 3384 and NGC 3389, which lie just to the east, this object forms a
small triangle of galaxies.
Õ NGC 2903, which somehow escaped Messier's telescope. This deep sky object is
judged to be a visual magnitude of 8.9, which makes it brighter than any of the
above Messier objects, and covering a larger area as well. It is an elongated
multiple-armed spiral located directly south of lambda Leonis, one and a half
degrees.
Õ Indeed, there are many more galaxies in Leo to explore. Most of them lie between
alpha and beta Leonis, with a smaller group scattered around gamma Leonis. Most
of them are 10-12m, so the larger the telescope the more favorable the viewing.
Õ If you wish a real deep sky challenge, try Wolf 359. This is an extremely faint
red dwarf, and the third closest star, at 7.65 light years. It has a visual
magnitude of only 13.53, which renders it all but lost among the millions of other
stars. Only as large as Jupiter, it has a luminosity about 1/65,000 of the Sun's;
its absolute magnitude is calculated at 16.7m.
Myth
Leo is the Nemean Lion slain by Hercules as the first of his Labors. The Lion lived in a
cave near the town of Nemea southwest of Corinth.
This was no ordinary Lion. The Lion was a monstrous animal with a hide like armor. It
could be pierced by neither sword nor spear. Not even the strongest warrior of Nemea
could defend himself against the Lion. The countryside was in terror. This was the
animal that Hercules had to kill.
Hercules battled the Lion for a full month. Eventually he was able to grab the animal and
strangle it to death. Using the Lion's own sharp claws, Hercules was able to cut off the
animals tough hid, which he wore as a cloak, with the Lion's head serving as his helmet.
The gaping mouth of the terrible Lion made Hercules look formidable indeed. The Lion's
hide became Hercules' armor. He could not be injured by either spear, sword, or arrow.
Libra (Lee-bra) – The Scales
Õ This is one of the 13 constellations of the
Zodiac.
Õ Libra means "The Scales" or "Balance", so
named because when the zodiac was still in its
infancy, some four thousand years ago, the sun
passed through this constellation at the
autumnal equinox (21 September). At the two
equinoxes (Spring and Autumn), the hours of
daylight and darkness are equal.
Õ Best seen in June.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ The only notable deep sky object is a rather loose globular cluster of faint stars:
NGC 5897, thought to be about 50,000 light years away. The larger the
telescope, the better the impression.
Myth
Libra lies between Scorpius and Virgo. Once long ago the area occupied by Libra was
seen as comprising the claws of the scorpion Scorpius.
After about the first century B.C. this constellation has become associated with the
Balance Scales. The constellation of Libra is sometimes seen as the Scales of Justice.
This leads to an association with the constellation of Virgo, who has been identified with
the Goddess of Justice. It is the Goddess who judges the souls of men after their
death by weighing them in her balance.
Scorpius (score-pea-us) – The Scorpion
Õ This is one of the 13
constellations of the Zodiac.
Õ Scorpius is one of the oldest
constellations known possibly even one of the
original six signs of the
zodiac. While the sun still
traverses Scorpius, it only
takes nine days to do so; most
of the time is spent in
neighboring Ophiuchus (which is the only constellation that the sun enters but
which is not a part of the zodiac).
Õ The asterism of a gigantic skewed "S" was seen in many ancient cultures as a
scorpion, possibly handed down by cultural conquest or influence. The two stars
lambda and upsilon, both called "The Sting" in Arabic, traditionally form the
stinger, although some star maps currently show the nearby "G Scorpii" as one of
the stingers. We have recently changed our graphic to reflect the original
stingers.
Õ The constellation was once much larger, but the western portion representing the
claws of the scorpion was given to Libra.
Õ Alpha Scorpii is better known as Antares ("Rival of Mars"). This is one of the four
Royal Stars of the ancients, along with Aldebaran, Regulus, and Fomalhaut. It
glitters with an unusual metallic red while the entire region is bathed in a pale red
nebula, lit from the same star. This red supergiant has a visual binary that just
might be visible, depending on local conditions and the size of one's scope (see
below). The star is estimated to be between 285 sun diameters to about 700
suns.
Õ Best seen in July.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ There are four Messier objects in Scorpius (some authorities put a fifth in the
constellation as well: M62, but usually it is listed in Ophiuchus).
Õ M4 (NGC 6121) is a rather near globular cluster (6000-10,000 light years) but
without a large telescope it will not appear very spectacular. There may be as
many as fifty RR Lyrae variables in the cluster.
Õ M6 (NGC 6405) is the second-best cluster of the constellation (after M7). This is
an open cluster which sometimes bears the name "The Butterfly Cluster". Its
brightest star is BM Scorpii, a sixth-magnitude yellow giant. The cluster is about
1500-2000 light years away.
Õ M7 (NGC 6475) has no name, but is clearly the best deep sky object of the
constellation. This magnificent open cluster is extremely large (two full-moon
diameters) and quite bright, being visible even to the naked eye under the right
conditions.
Õ M7 is an open cluster. It's about 800 light years away.
Õ M80 (NGC 6093) is a rather faint, very compact, globular cluster in the vicinity
of Antares, between this star and beta Scorpii, and more narrowly speaking,
nearly midpoint between two 8th-magnitude stars (which are the brightest stars
of the region). The cluster is quite distant, some 36,000 light years away, and it
takes a very large telescope to study it in detail.
Õ NGC 6231 is a naked-eye open cluster one half degree north of zeta Scorpii
(which is in fact a member of the group). It's about 5500-6000 light years from
us. The cluster is only part of a much larger, very scattered, cluster called H 12,
which is found one degree north. In fact, the stars seen as joining NGC 6231 and
H 12 actually form one of the spiral arms of our own galaxy.
Myth
Scorpius is almost exactly halfway around the Zodiac from the constellation of Orion, so
that Scorpius rises around the time Orion sets and vice versa. Scorpius was put in the
sky, it is said, for the following reason: Orion, since he used to hunt, and felt confident
that he was most skilled of all in that pursuit, said even to Diana [Artemis] and Latona
[Leto] that he was able to kill anything the earth produced. Tellus [Gaia the Earth],
angered at this, sent the Scorpion which is said to have killed him. Jove [Zeus], however,
admiring the courage of both, put the Scorpion among the stars, as a lesson to men not
to be too self-confident. Diana [Artemis], then, because of her affection for Orion,
asked Jove to show to her request the same favor he had given of his own accord to
Tellus [Gaia]. And so the constellation was established in such a way that when Scorpion
rises, Orion sets."
Sagittarius (Saj-i-tear-e-us) – The Archer
Õ This is one of the 13 constellations of the
Zodiac.
Õ The center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, lies in
the direction of Sagittarius. It is believed to be
about 29,000 light years away from us. The Sun
orbits around the Milky Way once every 200
million years at a speed of 220 kilometers per
second! What is at the center of the galaxy? No
one really knows yet, but it
appears that there might be a
giant black hole there with a mass
about a million times greater that
the Sun.
Õ An asterism called the “Teapot” can be found in Sagittarius.
Õ Best seen in August.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M8 (NGC 6523) is a marvelous diffuse nebula known as the "Lagoon Nebula". This
naked eye object is considered to be from 3500 to 5100 light years away. A dark
band divides the nebula in two.
Õ The open cluster NGC 6530 is contained in the eastern part of M8. The young
cluster (only several million years old) is nicely contrasted against the nebula.
Õ M20 (NGC 6514), the "Trifid Nebula", is another delight, but only with larger
scopes, which will bring out the three dark lanes familiar on photographs. In the
same field is M21, an open cluster of about fifty stars.
Õ M21 (NGC 6531) is a rather unspectacular open cluster 0.7 degrees NW of M20.
Õ M22 (NGC 6656) is a fine globular cluster, a highly concentrated group of
perhaps five hundred thousand stars in total, about 20,000 light years away. It
lies two degrees NE of lambda Sgr.
Õ M23 (NGC 6494) is a pleasantly scattered open cluster of about 120 stars
located four degrees northwest of mu Sgr and one degree north.
Õ M24 (no NGC) is a bright "star cloud", which contains the open cluster NGC 6603.
Õ M28 (NGC 6626) is a bright condensed globular cluster, much less spectacular
than M 22 but a fine object none the less. It is one degree NW of lambda Sgr.
Õ M55 (NGC 6809) is another globular cluster, less concentrated than those
previously mentioned. It is about 20,000 light years away, and lies between zeta
Sgr and theta Sgr: seven degrees east of zeta and one degree south.
Õ Since Sagittarius sits at the very heart of the Milky Way, there are many more
deep sky objects to study: planetary nebulae abound, as well as both bright and
dark nebulae and of course star clusters, especially of the globular variety.
Myth
Sagittarius is a centaur. The Archer is half-man, half-horse. The Archer represents the
upper body of a man growing out of the body of a horse. The man's body replaces the
neck and head of the horse.
The figure of the centaur may be a residue of the terror inspired by the sight of the
first armed horsemen. People who had not yet domesticated the horse and did not
imagine riding on the back of a beast, may have had difficulty separating the animal
from its rider. So the warriors sweeping down on them firing arrows may have been seen
as a strange kind of half-human creature, combining upper body of a warrior with the
four legs of an animal. Sagittarius is associated with Crotus, the son of the god Pan.
Crotus was both skilled at the hunt and sensitive to the arts. According to one story,
Crotus begged Zeus to transport him into the stars upon his death.
Taurus (tar-us) – the Bull
Õ This is one of the 13 constellations of the Zodiac.
Õ The constellation shows mainly the horns, and exceedingly
long horns they are. The left (southern) horn starts from
the group of stars known as The Hyades, of which
Aldebaran seems (erroneously) to be a member. It
extends from Aldebaran to zeta Tauri, near the eastern
edge of the constellation.
Õ Taurus' eye is bright and piercing. This is Aldebaran
(alpha Tauri), an orange giant about 40 times the size of
the Sun. Aldebaran is an old star. For billions of years it
has burned its supply of hydrogen until there is little left.
Its future won't be as a spectacular explosion of a
supernova but rather a gradual dimming into a white
dwarf.
Õ Best seen in January.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M1, the Crab Nebula. Early observers thought the object to be a star cluster,
something like a dimmer version of the Great Orion Nebula. Messier was so
intrigued by it, on the night of 12 September, 1758, that he began his catalogue the purpose of which was to keep observers from mistaking such objects for
comets. The Crab Nebula is a remnant of a supernova, whose explosion occurred
(or rather, was visibly recorded) in July of 1054. Chinese and Japanese
astronomers witnessed the event. In fact, it would have been difficult not to
notice, for the night sky would have been lit up by a star with the visual
magnitude of about -5, bright enough to be seen even in the daytime for nearly a
month.
Õ M45, The Pleiades. This open cluster contains as many as three thousand stars.
The brightest seven go under the name The Seven Sisters.”
Õ The Hyades . This open cluster of about two hundred stars is only 150 light years
away, and considered to be about 600 million years old. It is shaped like a "V",
just to the west of Aldebaran. The cluster is estimated to be 415 light years
away. Even a small telescope brings this famous star cluster alive.
Myth
Taurus is one of the many animals hunted by Orion, the Hunter.
The Greeks saw Taurus as Zeus in disguise. The story went that Zeus fell in love with
Europa, the daughter of Agenor who was King of Phoenica. On one day while she was
playing by the water’s edge, she caught sight of a majestic white bull grazing amongst
her father’s heard. When she approached the bull, it knelt down and let get on its back.
Once she was on, it sprang to its feet and took off to the sea in Crete where Zeus made
her his mistress.
It also represents the white bull that sired the famous Minotaur with the wife of King
Minos of Crete. This bull was sent to Minos as a sign that he was the rightful heir to the
throne. However, Minos did not sacrifice the bull to Poseidon like he was supposed to, so
the ever-vengeful sea god caused his queen, Pasiphaë, to fall in love with it. Later, in
another myth, Theseus of Athens goes to Crete and slays the dreadful Minotaur, which
was reported to be a man with a bull's head that could breathe fire.
The Egyptians saw the constellation instead as their god Osiris while the Chinese called
it alternatively the "White Tiger" or the "Great Bridge."
Orion – The Hunter
Õ Perhaps second only to the Big Dipper in Ursa Major,
the constellation of Orion is one of the most
recognizable patterns of stars in the northern sky.
Õ From the northern hemisphere, the three bright stars
in a straight line that form Orion's Belt are easily
visible on the southern horizon in winter evenings.
Õ The bright star that forms Orion's left shoulder is
Betelgeuse. The name of this star means "The Armpit
of the Central One" in Arabic, which shows that like
many other constellations, Orion was recognized across many cultures.
Õ Hanging down from Orion's belt is his sword that is made up of three fainter
stars. The central "star" of the sword is actually not a star at all, but the Great
Orion Nebula, one of the region’s most studied by astronomers in the whole sky.
Õ Nearby is the Horsehead Nebula (IC 434), which is a swirl of dark dust in front
of a bright nebula.
Õ Best seen in January.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M42, The Orion Nebula is perhaps the most photographed deep sky object in the
heavens, a vast nebula of gas and dust exquisitely lit by surrounding stars. This is
a celestial nursery; soon (that's to say, in several hundred million years) young
stars will appear from this wealth of cosmic matter.
Õ M43 (NGC 1982) is a detached part of the Orion Nebula, with a ninth magnitude
central star. A dark lane of gas separates M43 from M42, although the two are
actually part of the same vast cloud.
Õ The Horsehead Nebula is an intriguing and devilishly difficult dark nebula found
just between zeta Orionis and sigma Orionis, visible in medium to large telescopes
given the right sky conditions.
Myth
According to myth, Orion was the son of the God of the Sea Poseidon. It was said of
Orion that he was so tall that he could stride across the bottom of the sea with his
head sticking out above the waves, but his father Poseidon gave him the ability to walk
on the surface of the water. In the sky, Orion carries an unbreakable bronze club. In
his other hand, he bears the pelt of a lion.
Myth has it that the sting of a Scorpion killed Orion. The Scorpion is identified with the
constellation of Scorpius, halfway around the sky from Orion. Some say that the
Scorpion was sent by the Gaia the Goddess of the Earth; others say it was Artemis, the
Goddess of the Hunt, who sent the Scorpion to kill Orion, because Orion had dared to
hunt down all the animals of the earth. As the Scorpion rises in the east, Orion sets,
indicating the victory of the Scorpion over the Hunter.
There is another very different story of the death of Orion holds that Orion was in
fact betrothed to Artemis, but Apollo, the brother of Artemis was opposed to the
wedding. Artemis was very proud of her skill as an archer. So one day Apollo challenged
Artemis to put an arrow through a small dark object that could be seen far off in the
distance bobbing above the waves of the sea. Artemis easily pierced the object with a
single shot and was horrified that she had killed her husband-to-be Orion. Filled with
grief, she placed him among the stars.
Orion – The Constellation of the Hand (Lakota Tribe)
Õ Perhaps second only to the Big Dipper in Ursa Major, the
constellation of Orion is one of the most recognizable
patterns of stars in the northern sky.
Õ From the northern hemisphere, the three bright stars in
a straight line that form Orion's Belt are easily visible
on the southern horizon in winter evenings.
Õ The bright star that forms Orion's left shoulder is
Betelgeuse. The name of this star means "The Armpit of
the Central One" in Arabic, which shows that like many
other constellations, Orion was recognized across many
cultures.
Õ Hanging down from Orion's belt is his sword that is
made up of three fainter stars. The central "star" of
the sword is actually not a star at all, but the Great Orion Nebula, one of the
region’s most studied by astronomers in the whole sky.
Õ Nearby is the Horsehead Nebula (IC 434), which is a swirl of dark dust in front
of a bright nebula.
Õ Best seen in January.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M42, The Orion Nebula is perhaps the most photographed deep sky object in the
heavens, a vast nebula of gas and dust exquisitely lit by surrounding stars. This is
a celestial nursery; soon (that's to say, in several hundred million years) young
stars will appear from this wealth of cosmic matter.
Õ M43 (NGC 1982) is a detached part of the Orion Nebula, with a ninth magnitude
central star. A dark lane of gas separates M43 from M42, although the two are
actually part of the same vast cloud.
Õ The Horsehead Nebula is an intriguing and devilishly difficult dark nebula found
just between zeta Orionis and sigma Orionis, visible in medium to large telescopes
given the right sky conditions.
Myth
The Constellation of the Hand, namely the bottom half of Orion, represents the arm of
a great Lakota chief. The Orion's Belt represents the Chief's wrist and the thumb is
formed by his sword. Rigel is the tip of the index finger, and Beta Eridani that of the
little finger.
The tale related to this constellation tells us how the gods wanted to punish the Lakota
chief for his selfishness and made the Thunder People rip out his arm. To help her
father, the chief's daughter offered to marry whomever would recover her father's
arm. One man made a long and perilous journey through the sky and the Earth.
Fallen Star, a young warrior born of a mortal mother and a celestial father, returned
the lost arm to the chief and married his beautiful daughter. The return of the arm to
the chief symbolizes the harmony between the gods and the people with the help of the
younger generation.
Orion – The Wolf and the Crane (Tachi Yokuts Tribe)
Õ Perhaps second only to the Big Dipper in Ursa Major, the
constellation of Orion is one of the most recognizable
patterns of stars in the northern sky.
Õ From the northern hemisphere, the three bright stars in
a straight line that form Orion's Belt are easily visible
on the southern horizon in winter evenings.
Õ The bright star that forms Orion's left shoulder is
Betelgeuse. The name of this star means "The Armpit of
the Central One" in Arabic, which shows that like many
other constellations, Orion was recognized across many
cultures.
Õ Hanging down from Orion's belt is his sword that is
made up of three fainter stars. The central "star" of the sword is actually not a
star at all, but the Great Orion Nebula, one of the region’s most studied by
astronomers in the whole sky.
Õ Nearby is the Horsehead Nebula (IC 434), which is a swirl of dark dust in front
of a bright nebula.
Õ Best seen in January.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M42, The Orion Nebula is perhaps the most photographed deep sky object in the
heavens, a vast nebula of gas and dust exquisitely lit by surrounding stars. This is
a celestial nursery; soon (that's to say, in several hundred million years) young
stars will appear from this wealth of cosmic matter.
Õ M43 (NGC 1982) is a detached part of the Orion Nebula, with a ninth magnitude
central star. A dark lane of gas separates M43 from M42, although the two are
actually part of the same vast cloud.
Õ The Horsehead Nebula is an intriguing and devilishly difficult dark nebula found
just between zeta Orionis and sigma Orionis, visible in medium to large telescopes
given the right sky conditions.
Myth
Wolf was a good hunter, be he was also selfish. He went out hunting every day, but he
brought nothing back for his wife, Crane, and their two boys. Wolf’s family had a hard
time finding enough to eat without his help.
One day when Wolf was hunting, Crane ran off with her two boys, hoping to find a
better place to live. When Wolf returned home and discovered that Crane and his sons
were gone, he became enraged. He decided to follow them and kill them. Because he had
a good nose for tracking game, he soon picked up their scent and was on their trail.
Wolf was a fast runner, and soon he could see Crane and the boys before him. He tried
to shoot her with his bow and arrow, but she was flying too high. He followed his wife
until she had to come down to rest. Then he shot her. When he walked over to where
she lay and pushed her with his paw to see if she was still alive, she revived enough to
impale him with her long, sharp bill. Though he fended her off and tried to pierce her
with an arrow, she was able to knock him down and stab him until he was dead.
With only a quick look back at Wolf, Crane and her boys flew off. They flew high into
the sky until they turned into stars. Crane is in front and the boys are following here –
they are the three stars of Orion’s belt.
Canis Major – The Large Dog
Õ Orion's hunting dogs, Canis Major and
Canis Minor have no relation to Boötes'
Hounds, Canes Venatici. The sky is just
filled with dogs... Notice that there are no
constellations for the domesticated cat.
Therefore, dogs are better than cats! (ha,
ha)
Õ Some facts about Sirius:
à Although the brightest star, Sirius
is rather Sun-like in size and
brightness; certainly it is no giant at an estimated 1.5 Sun diameters.
à Its brightness comes from the fact that it is very close to us: at 8.56 light
years away; it ranks as the sixth closest star.
à The star is a notable binary, but with a companion which is very dim and
very close. The companion is a white dwarf, and its presence wasn't really
discovered at first; it was just a hypothesis.
à This white dwarf has since been the subject of much study. Named Sirius B
or The Pup, it is an eighth-magnitude star with an estimated radius of only
10,000 km (about twice the size of the earth). Yet its mass is nearly equal
to that of our Sun's, which creates a density so high that a tablespoon full
of its matter would weight over a ton.
à Such a small dense object is the first phase of the collapse of the so-called
main-sequence stars. First white dwarfs, as they continue to cool they
become yellow dwarfs then red dwarfs. Finally, they die completely and are
known as black dwarfs.
Õ Best seen in February.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M41 is a globular cluster easily located four degrees south of Sirius. Perhaps a
hundred or so stars make up this bright group, fifty of them bright enough to be
easily seen in binoculars. At the centre of the group is a red giant. The group is
thought to be about 2500 light years away.
Myth
Canis Major is usually seen as one of the two hunting dogs of the great hunter Orion.
Some say that the Dog is the fabulous canine known as Laelaps. Laelaps was known for
its speed. It ran so fast that not even the fastest deer could escape it. Thebes was
being plagued by a fox at the time. The fox was a very special animal that ran so fast
that it could never be caught. Laelaps was set on the trail of the fox. The Dog that
could catch any prey running after the fox that could never be caught. The two speedy
animals were caught in a race that could never end until Zeus intervened by turning the
animals into stone. Then he set the Dog into the stars, but without the fox.
Auriga (Ah-reeg-a) – The Charioteer
Õ It is an ancient Northern Hemisphere
constellation featuring one of the brightest stars
in the heavens: Capella. Auriga is usually pictured
as a charioteer; the youth Auriga wields a whip in
one hand and holds a goat (Capella) and her two
kids in the other.
Õ Capella means "small goat". A previous name of
this star was Amalthea, which was the goat that
suckled the baby Zeus. There are many ancient
stories relating to the star, as every culture in
antiquity found a place for this bright companion
to Taurus, its closest neighbor.
Õ Best seen in February
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M36 is a rather faint cluster of about 50 to 60 stars, in a very compact area. A
large scope is necessary to resolve the individual stars.
Õ M37 is the most spectacular of the three Messiers, and also the most easily
found. M37 is a rich star cluster of perhaps 150 stars
Õ M38 is in the same field, just to the NW of M36. Some observers have described
this cluster of about a hundred stars as having a cross-shape.
Myth
The Charioteer may be the legendary King Erichthonius of Athens. Athena, the patron
goddess of Athens, raised him and from her acquired the skill of taming horses. It was
he who first harnessed four horses to a chariot, in imitation of the Chariot of the Sun.
For this, Zeus honored him by being placed among the stars as the constellation of
Auriga.
Auriga was portrayed as a charioteer who was seen carrying two to three children on his
arm. He was also known as Erechtheus, son of Hephaestus (Called Vulcan by the Romans).
Hephaestus, who was crippled as a child, was believed to have invented the chariot for
his who created it so that his son could move him about more easily.
Lyra (Lie-ruh) – The Lyre
Õ About 4000 years ago, the star
Thuban was the North Star. Since
then, precession of the Earth's axis
has changed where the North Pole
points, so the North Star is now
Polaris. In another 10,000 years or so,
the North Star will be Vega.
Õ Vega, along with Deneb and Altair
form the well-known Summer Triangle.
Õ Best seen in August.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M56 (NGC 6729) is a globular cluster, very condensed. It is found eight degrees
due south of theta Lyrae.
Õ M57 (NGC 6720) known as the Ring Nebula, is the finest planetary nebula in the
skies. The ring itself should be clearly visible in medium scopes, while the
fourteen magnitude central star may take a little longer. It is about 4000 light
years distant.
Myth
Hermes, the Messenger God, invented the Lyre. Hermes happened upon an empty
tortoise shell, and turning the shell around in his hands, he idly thumped it. The resonant
echoes of the shell gave him the idea of tying strings across the shell. He found the
strings made beautiful sounds, and so the Lyre was created.
Hermes gave the Lyre to the god Apollo. Apollo passed the Lyre on to his son, Orpheus,
who sailed with Jason and the Argonauts. He was the most accomplished musician of
the age. The music of Orpheus could charm people, even angry people, and wild beasts.
Orpheus with his Lyre could charm even rocks and streams. After a mob killed Orpheus,
they took his Lyre and threw it in a river. Zeus sent a vulture to retrieve the Lyre,
which he set into the stars.
Aquila (uh-kwil-uh) – The Eagle
Õ Best seen in September.
Õ Altair, along with Deneb and Vega form the well-known
Summer Triangle.
Deep Sky Objects
NGC 6709 is a loose cluster comprised of about forty stars. It's approximately 2500
light years away and is located five degrees SW of zeta Aquilae.
Myth
The Eagle has always been a bird of kings, and is found frequently on heraldic signs,
shields of warriors, banners, and flags. Aquila was Jupiter's bird, the one that can rise
highest of all and has carried out many a difficult task for Jupiter. It was the Eagle who
swooped down upon Ophiuchus and killed him with one of Jupiter's arrows. It was the
Eagle who had assisted Zeus in his battles with the Titans. On another occasion, when
one day Hebe (daughter of Zeus and Hera, goddess of youth, and cup-bearer to the
gods. She had the power of restoring youth and vigour to gods and men) twisted her
ankle and could not be hostess at the table of the gods, Jupiter ordered Aquila to fly
down to Earth and select the most handsome youth he could find to serve as cup-bearer
and wine-pourer. Aquila sailed down from the Olympus and noticed Ganymedes
(Ganymedes is associated with Aquarius), the son of the King of Troy, who was
peacefully tending his father's herds. Aquila hovered overhead and then with great skill
dived down, lifted Ganymedes in his talons, and flew back to Olympus. So Ganymede was
promoted from a royal shepherd to a celestial waiter of the gods of Olympus, where he
was accepted as their equal and pleased the eye of all by his manly beauty [NPS
p.179]. Under Aquarius, the Water Carrier, is the story of how Jupiter eternalized
Ganymedes in the stars of Aquarius, which are located just below the stars of the
Eagle.
It is also said that Zeus (Jupiter), desiring Ganymedes (Ganymede), as his bedfellow,
disguised himself in Eagle's feathers and abducted him from the Trojan plain. The
seduction of Ganymedes is symbolized by these two constellations in the sky, Aquila and
Aquarius.
Aquila also was ordered to carry out the terrible punishment inflicted on
Prometheus. Prometheus taught humankind the arts and sciences, which Zeus considered
too great a gift to bestow on the inferior human race. Still Prometheus persisted,
supplying them with the gift of fire, which he took from the Sun, secretly smuggling it
to the earth in a hollow fennel stem. This act and its consequences displeased Jupiter
very much. As punishment, he chained Prometheus, naked to pillar, in the Caucasus
Mountains and from dawn to dusk the eagle of Zeus tore through his flesh to his liver.
But because Prometheus was immortal, his liver healed every night, only to be pecked
out again when the eagle reappeared again at dawn the following day. In this way, his
suffering was destined to go on forever. However, Zeus accepted an appeal from
Heracles Hercules to show Prometheus mercy. The wise centaur, Chiron, agreed to
relinquish his immortality in exchange for Prometheus' freedom. Once Zeus had
relented, Heracles shot the eagle through the heart. Jupiter placed the Eagle among
the stars in commemoration of his devoted service. [NPS p.180, SHC p.43].
Delphinus (Del-feen-us) – The
Slingshot Stars (Pueblo)
Õ The asterism is rather curious, for its
four main stars form a rectangle called
"Job's Coffin". This is probably a hangover from the time Delphinus was
interpreted as a whale, as in Chapter 41 of
Job where God challenged Job: "Canst
thou draw out leviathan with an hook?"
However, there is no reference to Job
being swallowed by a whale, as happened with Jonah, so the name Job's Coffin
remains a bit of a mystery.
Job’s Coffin
Õ Best seen in September.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ NGC 7006 is a very remote globular cluster, perhaps as far as 200,000 light
years away. Because of its distance, it is extremely difficult to resolve.
Myth
Long ago, in the days after the great flood when all things began to come alive again, the
people emerged from the underworld. They began moving slowly to the south as they
were instructed by Our Mother, the mother of the Pueblo Indians. She also told the
people that they were all brothers and sisters and were to live as one large family.
As they began traveling, one little girl, Kotcimanyako (kot-see-man-yak-o), was left
behind in all the hustle and bustle of packing and moving out. She stood looking up at
Our Mother.
“Come closer, Kotcimanyako,” said Our Mother.
The little girl came closer, and Our Mother gave her a little bag of tightly wrapped
white cotton.
“Carry this little bag on your back,” she told Kotcimanyako. “Do not unwrap the bag for
any reason.”
The little girl promised not to open the bag.
Again, Our Mother said, “Be very careful, little one, and remember not to pen the bag,
no matter what happens.”
Again, Kotcimanyako promised, though she had no idea what was in it and did not know
why she was forbidden to open the bundle.
And so Kotcimanyako began o her journey to the south, hoping to overtake the others
before too many days passed. As she walked, she wondered about many things, but most
of all about the bag on her back. “Why can I not open the bag? Would it hurt to take
just a little look?” And so she thought until her head was spinning and her curiosity
began to get the better of her.
At lunchtime, she took the bundle off her back so she could rest by a little stream. She
asked herself, “One little peek couldn’t hurt anything, could it?”
The bundle was tied with many knots. It seemed to be growing in her hands as she
struggled with the first know. Before long, she came to the last one and began working
it loose. Just then, something popped out. As the know fell apart, more things flowed
from the bag and scattered all over the sky. She had no idea what they were, but they
were coming out so fast that she grew very frightened.
Quickly, she tried to grab the ones that had not flown away and stuff them back into
the bag. Her fingers worked fast to gather as many as possible. Then she put them in
her bundle and tied it tightly.
When Kotcimanyako came to the south and the end of her journey, she discovered that
the things she had let out were stars. She unwrapped the few stars she had been able
to keep and the elders placed them in their proper patterns. This is the reason why
most of the patterns are unnamed – those are the ones that scattered when
Kotcimanyako opened her bundle. The few we have names for are the ones that
remained in her bag. They are the Slingshot Stars, the Pot Rest Stars, and the Shield
Stars (Big Dipper).
Maui’s Hook – (Boötes (Boot-ez) – The Herdsman)
(Hawaiian and Maori)
Õ To find the major star, Arcturus, follow the sweep of the Big
Dipper's handle. These stars lead to the brightest star in the
northern hemisphere, and the fourth brightest in all of the
heavens: alpha Boötis, better known as Arcturus.
Õ Arcturus means "Guardian of the Bear" . This orange-red giant is about 20-25
times the size of the Sun, with about the same mass. In fact, the Sun will
probably take the same path, eventually ballooning to the same size in another
five billion years.
Õ Some say that Boötes is the most ancient constellation in the sky. Indeed, it has
been recognized by numerous cultures in slightly different forms. Even the
Greeks were not clear on its history. The first reference to the name Boötes
comes from "The Odyssey" by Homer almost three millennia ago.
Õ Best seen in June.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ NGC 5248 is a very compact spiral galaxy in the southwestern corner of the
constellation.
Õ NGC 5466 is a large but quite dim globular cluster.
Myth
Maui's brothers, weary of seeing their younger brother catch fish by the kit full when
they could barely hook enough to feed their families, usually tried to leave him behind
when they went fishing. But their wives complained to Maui of a lack of fish, so he
promised them a catch so large they would be unable to finish it before it went bad.
To make good his boast Maui carefully prepared a special fishhook which he pointed with
a chip from the magic jawbone, and then hid under the flooring mats of his brothers'
fishing canoe.
At dawn, the brothers silently set sail, thinking they had managed to leave their brother
behind, and only when they were well out to sea did Maui emerge. The brothers were
furious, but it was too late to turn back. After they had fished in vain, Maui suggested
that they sail until well out of sight of land, where they would catch as many fish as the
canoe could carry. The dispirited brothers were easily persuaded, and Maui's prediction
came true. But even when the canoe was so overladen with fish that it was taking on
water and the brothers were ready to set sail for home, Maui produced his own hook
and line and against their protests insisted on throwing it out. For bait, he struck his
nose until it bled and smeared the hook with his own blood. As Maui began to chant a
spell 'for the drawing up of the world' the line went taut. Though the canoe lurched
over and was close to sinking, Maui grimly hauled all the harder and his terrified
brothers bailed the more furiously.
At last, Maui's catch was dragged to the surface and they all gazed in wonder. For
Maui's hook had caught the Hawaiian Islands (Hawaii) or the Islands of New Zealand
(Maori).
Maui’s Hook
Hercules (Heracles)
Õ Hercules is a sprawling constellation just to the
west of Lyra.
Õ The constellation was originally represented as a
kneeling man, with a foot on the neighboring
dragon (Draco). Some star names reflect this
earlier association.
Õ Best seen in July.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M13 (NGC 6205) is a spectacular globular cluster sometimes known as "The
Hercules Cluster". It is universally acclaimed as the best globular in the northern
hemisphere. This is a very compact cluster of over a million stars. It is also very
old - at an estimated age of ten billion years. It's around 25,000-30,000 light
years away.
Õ M92 (NGC 6341) is also a globular cluster. M92 is also very striking and worthy
of consideration, even if considerably overshadowed by M13.
Myth
Hercules was one of the sons of Zeus. Hercules became immortal, but ever after, he
was dogged by the enmity of the goddess Hera. Hera worked to make the life of
Hercules a living hell. Since he had become one of the immortals, she could not kill him,
but she could make his life miserable.
At one point, Hera cast a spell on Hercules, such that he fell into a fit of madness and
uncontrollable rage. Hercules was immensely tall and strong and skilled with weapons, so
that in his madness no one could oppose or control him. Blithering in madness, he
slaughtered his children. Upon coming to himself, Hercules was stricken by grief and
remorse at what he had done and appealed to the Oracle at Delphi as to what he could
do to atone for the tragedy. The answer he received was that he must serve the King of
Mycenae for twelve years. It was in fact from the Oracle at this time that Hercules
received his name, which is written as "Heracles" in Greek, meaning 'glory of Hera'. The
tasks that the King set for Hercules, became known as the Twelve Labors of Hercules.
Ursa Minor – The Little Bear (Little Dipper)
Õ The most famous star in Ursa Minor is
Polaris, the North Star. This is the star
that is nearest to the North Celestial
Pole. If you stood at the north pole,
Polaris would be almost directly overhead.
If you can spot Polaris in the sky, you can
always tell which way is north. In
addition, the angle of Polaris above the
horizon tells you your latitude on the Earth. Because of this, Polaris was the most
important star for navigating at sea.
Õ To find Polaris, first find the Big Dipper. If you follow the two stars at the end
of the cup upwards (out of the cup of the Big Dipper), the next bright star you
will run into is Polaris. The distance to Polaris on the sky is about five times the
angle between the two stars at the end of the cup of the Big Dipper. Because
they are so useful for finding the all-important North Star, these two stars are
known as the Pointer Stars.
Õ Traditionally amateur astronomers have used the constellation as a rough guide on
the clarity of the evening's sky. The stars range from second magnitude down to
fifth (and even sixth); if these latter stars are clearly seen, it's a good night for
viewing.
Õ Best seen in June (can be seen all year).
Deep Sky Objects
Õ None
Myth
The Small Bear has to do with the birth of Zeus.
Zeus was an immortal god, but he was born, nevertheless. His mother was Rhea, whom
the Romans knew as Ops or Cybele. His father was Cronus, who was Saturn to the
Romans. Cronus was the youngest of the elder gods known as the Titans. Because of a
prophecy that one of his children would dethrone him, Cronus disposed of his children as
they were born. He swallowed them! Cronus had already disposed of several children this
way by the time that Zeus was born.
Rhea fooled Cronus by wrapping a stone in the swaddling clothes of the baby Zeus. So
Cronus swallowed the stone, thinking that he had disposed of the baby. Rhea had Zeus
smuggled to the island of Crete. The baby Zeus remained in the cave for a year.
Eventually he overthrew Cronus and forced him to regurgitate the children that he had
swallowed. These children became the leaders of the younger gods, who in a ten-year
war overturned the rule of the Titans to take command of the cosmos.
Ursa Minor – The Little Bear – How Rattlesnake Had
His Revenge (Luiseno Tribe)
Õ The most famous star in Ursa Minor is
Polaris, the North Star. This is the star
that is nearest to the North Celestial Pole.
If you stood at the north pole, Polaris
would be almost directly overhead. If you can spot Polaris in the sky, you can
always tell which way is north. In addition, the angle of Polaris above the horizon
tells you your latitude on the Earth. Because of this, Polaris was the most
important star for navigating at sea.
Õ To find Polaris, first find the Big Dipper. If you follow the two stars at the end
of the cup upwards (out of the cup of the Big Dipper), the next bright star you
will run into is Polaris. The distance to Polaris on the sky is about five times the
angle between the two stars at the end of the cup of the Big Dipper. Because
they are so useful for finding the all-important North Star, these two stars are
known as the Pointer Stars.
Õ Traditionally amateur astronomers have used the constellation as a rough guide on
the clarity of the evening's sky. The stars range from second magnitude down to
fifth (and even sixth); if these latter stars are clearly seen, it's a good night for
viewing.
Õ Best seen in June (can be seen all year).
Deep Sky Objects
Õ None
When all the First People lived at Temecula in southern California, Rattlesnake lived
there, too. Everyone made fun of him because he was the only one with no arms or legs.
North Star especially abused the poor fellow by throwing dirt at him and pulling him
here and there by his hair. That made Rattlesnake very sad and angry.
One day Rattlesnake became particularly angry with North Star. He resolved to get
even and took his case to Mother Earth.
Mother Earth considered the problem carefully before taking any action. Rattlesnake
was angry and wanted revenge. That was not right, but he did have a right to protect
himself. Mother Earth gave Rattlesnake two sharp-pointed sticks for sticks for
protection. She also gave him the gift of poison. Rattlesnake was skeptical but decided
to try his gift.
The next day North Star tormented Rattlesnake cruelly. Rattlesnake warned him but
North Star just laughed. Then, using his now fangs, Rattlesnake bit off one of North
Star’s fingers.
Mother Earth decided to strengthen Rattlesnake’s poison by providing three scorching
days to hasten its action. When three very hot days come in a row, remember this
story. Someone has just been bitten by Rattlesnake, and Mother Earth is making the
bite more effective. If you doubt this story, look carefully at the hand of North Star
on the next very clear night. You will see that one of his fingers is missing – bitten off
by Rattlesnake.
Draco – The Dragon
Õ Did you see the movie
Dragonheart? The constellation
pictured to the right was
shown many times during the
movie. Did you know that as
the year goes on, Draco turns
upside down? During winter
evenings, it appears like the
picture below (if you are
looking north) while in the
summer, it flipped over. This is
because from our point of view here on Earth, it has rotated around the North
Star.
Õ As it wraps itself around the northern hemisphere, Draco is circumpolar, not far
from the North Pole.
Õ A very old and big constellation, Draco once held even more stars. Quite fittingly,
Hercules is just to the east of Draco. In fact, some cartographers draw the
figure of Hercules with one foot resting on the head of Draco.
Õ Thuban is the Arabic name for Dragon. To find Thuban sweep down the length of
the Little Dipper and jump over to the end of the handle of the Big Dipper.
Midway is found a much fainter star, which is Thuban. It is believed that the star
was considerably brighter several thousand years ago. This star was the pole star
at about 2700 BC. The fact that Thuban was the Pole Star at just the time the
Egyptians were building pyramids hasn't escaped the archaeologists. Best seen in
July (can be seen all year).
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M102 (NGC 5866) is an edge-on galaxy with dust lane and brightly glowing centre.
Õ NGC 5907 is in the same region one degree east of M102. This is another edge-on
(nearly flat) galaxy with dust lane.
Õ NGC 5985 is an inclined spiral, quite faint unless under ideal conditions.
Õ NGC 5985 is midway between iota and theta Draconis; (NGC 5982 is in the same
field to the west. This elliptical galaxy is considerably smaller but about the same
magnitude, around 12).
Õ NGC 6543: a planetary nebula that appears as a miniscule blue-green disk.
Because of its blue-green coloring, it is sometimes called the Cat's Eye Nebula.
It's exact distance isn't known; estimates vary from 1500 to 3500
Myth
There are at least two stories about the Dragon. According to one the Dragon was one
of the monsters fighting with the Titans, the elder gods, in the cosmic war in which the
younger Olympian gods overturned their elders to take command of the universe.
Towards the end of that war, the Dragon confronted the goddess Athena. She grabbed
it by the tail and with a mighty hurled it into the sky. The Dragon was spinning in chaotic
flight. It struck the dome of heaven and became twisted up in knots by the rotation of
the sky. Because the Dragon struck the sky in the cold regions near the north celestial
pole, it froze in place before it untwisted the knots in body. And so we see it twisted up
in the sky to this day.
In another story, the Dragon is the dragon Ladon which guarded the legendary tree on
which grew the beautiful apples of gold. The tree belonged to the goddess Hera, the
spouse of Zeus. It was the hero Hercules who killed the Dragon. The Eleventh Labor of
Hercules was to steal the apples from the golden tree. Hercules killed the Dragon with
arrows poisoned with the blood of the Hydra, and with the aid of Atlas, made off with
the apples from the tree. After the loss of the apples, Hera placed the Dragon into the
sky as the constellation of Draco.
Lepus – The Hare
Õ Lepus, "The Hare", is an ancient
constellation found under the feet of
Orion, the Hunter. No one seems to
know just which culture first saw the
constellation as an animal; the Arabs
saw it as the "throne of the central
one" (i.e. Orion).
Õ Best seen in February.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M79 (NGC 1904) is a small globular cluster. In the same field, half a degree to
the SSW of this cluster, is h3752.
Õ NGC 2017 is a group of a half dozen stars, all gravitationally bound (h3780, see
above). The "cluster" is found seven arc minutes due east of alpha Leporis.
Myth
The Hare was set into the sky by the Messenger God, Hermes, to honor the hare's
swiftness. In the winter sky, the hare is seen right by the feet of the Great Hunter
Orion. The rabbit is quite and prone, but ready to flee.
The legend of the Easter Bunny may also be connected with this constellation. According
to the story, there was at one time a bird, which was changed into the hare by the
Goddess of Spring. The creature lost its power to fly, but the hare was given great
speed.
Once a year the hare is allowed to lay eggs again, which is why in the springtime, we hunt
for the eggs of the Easter Bunny.
Corvus – The Crow
Õ Best seen in May.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ NGC 4038 (the Ringtale Galaxy) is a rare
type of galaxy classified as "peculiar". It
resembles a foetus more than anything else.
Speculation has suggested it may show two
galaxies in collision, or one galaxy that has
broken up, split in two. However, longexposure photography to required to bring out any detail. It's about 90 million
light years away
Myth
The Crow was the god Apollo's sacred bird. When the monster Typhon set upon the
Olympian gods, the god Pan shouted a warning, and the gods changed themselves into
animals to escape. Aphrodite and Eros changed themselves into fish. Pan too tried to
become a fish, but ended up as only half a fish. Apollo changed himself into a Crow.
One day Apollo was about to offer sacrifice to Zeus. He sent the Crow off with the Cup
to fetch water from a nearby spring. The Crow was distracted by a fig tree bearing
fruit that was almost ripe. The fruit tempted the Crow, but he didn't want to eat the
unripe figs; so he waited for two or three days for the fruit to ripen.
Eventually the god tired of waiting for the Crow to return and fetched the water
himself. The Crow, having eaten his fill of the ripe figs, flew back to Apollo with his long
delayed Cup of water. Apollo was furious!
The Crow offered the excuse that a water snake had been blocking the spring, but the
wise Apollo saw through the excuse and punished the Crow. Apollo changed the
melodious voice of the bird into a raucous squawk. Some say that it was at this point
that the white feathers of the crow were turned into black. But the worst punishment
of all is that Apollo set the crow Corvus into the stars right beside the Cup. The water
snake was commanded never to let the Crow get near enough to the Cup to drink.
Hydra – The Watersnake
Õ Hydra is a very weird constellation.
It is the largest constellation on the
sky (with Virgo close behind), but is
strung out from Libra to Canis Minor
along the southern horizon over about 90 degrees. Believe it or not, it used to be
even bigger, but like the old Argo Navis constellation, it was split into four parts.
Various stellar cartographers, including Flamsteed and Hevelius, broke the old
Hydra into Sextans (the sextant), Crater (the cup), Corvus (the crow), and a new,
reduced Hydra.
Õ Best seen in April.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M48 (NGC 2548). Messier actually gave the wrong location for this star cluster,
putting it four degrees north of the current position. But by his description, this
seems to be the right object. This is a group of fifty stars, the brightest of
which is about 8.8 visual magnitude. The cluster is thought to be about 1700 light
years away, and is easily seen in binoculars or small telescope.
Õ M68 (NGC 4590) is a much richer globular cluster of over a hundred thousand
stars, resolved in medium-sized telescopes. The cluster lies in a desolate part of
the sky.
Õ M83 (NGC 5236) is a spiral galaxy sitting on the Hydra-Centaurus border.
Õ NGC 5694 is an extremely compact globular star cluster, thought to be in the
region of 100,000 light years away.
Õ NGC 3242 clearly deserves to be a Messier object. Small but bright, at a visual
magnitude of 8.6, this planetary nebula is often called The Ghost of Jupiter
because of its slight resemblance (?) to that planet. Also at times called The Eye
Nebula, perhaps a closer description.
Myth
The monstrous Hydra figures in the second Labor of Hercules.
The Hydra was a multi-headed snakelike monster. The Hydra was difficult to kill,
because when one head was cut off, two more heads grew back out of the stump of the
old one.
Hercules was able to slay the monster with the aid of his charioteer, who burned the
stumps with a torch as Hercules cut off the heads of the monster. It was said that one
of the heads of the monster was immortal. So after cutting off that head, Hercules
buried it under a large rock.
After slaying the monster, Hercules cut open its body and soaked the heads of this
arrows in the poisonous blood of the monster's body.
Andromeda – The Chained Lady
Õ Best seen in November.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ
Õ
Õ
Õ
Õ One of Andromeda's greatest
attractions is the spiral galaxy known
as M31, "The Andromeda Galaxy". It
is the finest spiral galaxy in the
heavens, and probably the most well
known. Its distance is approximately
2.3 million light years. Dust lanes
become visible in medium-sized
telescopes.
Õ M32 (NGC 221) is the brightest
elliptical satellite of M31, although
rather faint compared to the latter.
This galaxy is located almost half a
degree to the south of M31 and is best seen in large telescopes.
M110 (NGC 205) is another elliptical galaxy, and a larger companion to M31 but
much dimmer.
NGC 752 is an open cluster of perhaps a hundred rather scattered stars.
NGC 891 is rather faint, but quite a nice edge-on spiral with clearly distinguished
dust-lane in large telescopes.
NGC 7662, sometimes called "Blue Snowball", this is a blue-green planetary nebula
with a very faint central star which is apparently variable (estimated to range
from 12 to 16 visual magnitude).
Myth
In Greek mythology, Andromeda was the daughter of King Cepheus and Queen
Cassiopeia. Her mother offended Poseidon, the god of the sea, by boasting that she and
Andromeda were far more beautiful than any sea nymph. Cepheus, anxious to placate
Poseidon, chained the unfortunate Andromeda to a rock by the seashore, to await her
death at the hands of a sea monster, Cetus. However, the hero Perseus rescued
Andromeda in the nick of time, and later married her. Ptolemy recognized the pattern
of stars that make up the constellation in the 2nd century AD.
Pegasus – the Winged Horse
Õ Pegasus is a conspicuous
constellation which includes the
so-called "Great Square of
Pegasus". However, it must now
share the northeast corner of
the square with Andromeda:
delta Pegasus was given to
Andromeda, to provide the lady
with a head!
Õ Best seen in October.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M15 (NGC 7078) is one of the finest globular clusters in the heavens, very bright
and compact, at 35,000 to 40,000 light years away.
Õ NGC 7331 is a spiral galaxy resembling the Milky Way Galaxy; it's as if we were
looking at ourselves from fifty million light years away.
Õ NGC 7479 is a barred spiral galaxy.
Õ Stephan's Quintet is a noted cluster of galaxies half a degree SSW of NGC 7331.
See how many of the five you can spot (three is average, four is good).
Myth
Pegasus, the Flying Horse, is apparently a very Old group, since the winged horse was a
favorite motif of Assyrian art. The winged horse was also a favorite in Greece Greek
myth has Pegasus born of the slain Medusa as Perseus sped off with the head. The hero
Bellerophon tamed and rode him to slay the monster Chimaera. Later, Pegasus entered
heaven and became Zeus' packhorse, carrying lightning to where it was needed.
Perseus
Õ Perseus isn't a very clear constellation; some
forms of the constellation have a straight
line from alpha to theta, perhaps indicating
Perseus' sword or sickle that he used to kill
the Medusa.
Õ As far back as Ptolemy's time (100 A.D.),
Perseus was seen as holding the head of
Medusa, with Algol being the "evil eye" of the
Gorgon.
Õ Best seen in December.
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M34 (NGC 1039) is a fine open cluster containing about eighty stars. The cluster
is considered about 100 million years old.
Õ NGC 869 and NGC 884 form the well known "Double Cluster", two open star
clusters side by side, easily seen by naked eye or binoculars. The clusters are
both considered babies, 869 only being about 6.5 million years old, and 884 about
11-12 million years old.
Õ NGC 1499, The California Nebula, is a gaseous nebula one degree north of zeta
Persei, and stretching itself in an east-west direction.
Myth
Perseus is the son of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, and a mortal woman. When
Perseus grew up, he was sent on an impossible quest. The king sent his stepson out to kill
Medusa; one of three sisters called the Gorgons who were so ugly, anyone who looked at
them would turn to stone.
He appealed to the gods for help and was given a mirrored shield by Athena, the
goddess of wisdom, and a pair of winged sandals by Hermes (also known as Mercury), the
messenger of the gods. Perseus flew using the sandals to find Medusa. When he found
her, he did not look at her. Instead, he used the reflection in the shield to guide his
sword so he could behead her as she slept. As she died, the white, winged horse Pegasus
sprang from her neck.
On his way back from his victory against the Gorgons, Perseus came across a woman
chained to a rock, waiting to be sacrificed to a sea monster. This woman was Andromeda,
the Princess. Her mother, Cassiopeia boasted that she and her daughter were more
beautiful than the Nereids (or sea nymphs), which were the daughters of Poseidon (or
Neptune), the god of the sea. Angered by the insult to his daughters, Poseidon sent
floods to the lands ruled by Cassiopeia and her husband, King Cepheus. Cepheus
consulted an oracle who told him that the only way to quell Poseidon's anger was to
sacrifice his daughter.
Luckily, Perseus came on the scene just in the nick of time and killed the sea monster
and saved the princess.
Ursa Major - The Great Bear (Navajo Tribe)
Õ The constellation Ursa Major contains the group of stars
commonly called the Big Dipper. The handle of the Dipper
is the Great Bear's tail and the Dipper's cup is the
Bear's flank. The Big Dipper is not a constellation itself,
but an asterism, which is a distinctive group of stars.
Õ If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you can use the
Big Dipper to find all sorts of important stars: If you
draw an imaginary line from Cup of the dipper (see the
picture below) and continue. you will arrive at Polaris, the
North Star.
Õ Although the whole of Ursa Major is difficult to see without very dark skies, the
Big Dipper is one of the most recognizable patterns in the northern sky. In other
cultures it was identified as a wagon or cart, a plow, a bull's thigh, and (to the
Chinese) the government.
Õ The Big Dipper was also a very important part of the Underground Railroad which
helped slaves escape from the South before the Civil War. There were songs
spread among the slave population which included references to the "Drinking
Gourd." The songs said to follow it to get to a better life. This veiled message for
the slaves to flee northward was passed along in the form of songs since a large
fraction of the slave population was illiterate.
Õ Best seen in April (can be seen all year).
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M81 (NGC 3031) is a superb spiral galaxy, and with M82 in the same field, half a
degree to the north, forms a splendid pair. The distance is approximately seven to
nine million light years and, as Burnham reports, the galaxy is considered one of
the most dense galaxies known, with a total mass of 250 billion suns. A large
scope is needed to catch the fine detail in the spiral's arms.
Õ M82 (NGC 3034) floats above M81 like an ethereal UFO; any minute you think it's
going to zip away in the night sky. The galaxy isn't, as one might think, a spiral on
edge, but is usually described as spindle shaped. The galaxy is rather mysterious;
it's thought that an explosion at its centre one and a half million years ago
created the odd shape, which is still expanding at a rate of 950 km/second.
Õ M97 (NGC 3587) often called the "Owl Nebula" for its two dark central areas
(revealed only in the largest telescopes) resemble an owl's eyes. The nebula is
formed by the still expanding shell of its central star, which is very small and
compact.
Õ M101 (NGC 5457) is a vast galaxy, one of the largest known, with open spirals.
Although seen face on, it's fairly dim; it takes a large scope and an exceptionally
good night to see this nebula at its best.
Myth
In Navajo myth, Ursa Major, the Great Bear, originated from the story of the Changing
Bear Maiden. In the story, a girl accepts a bear as her husband. Her younger sister tells
the father, who in turn kills the bear. The older sister changes into a bear to get
revenge.
The younger sister and seven brothers tried to flee their sister. The bear turns back
into a girl and chases after her siblings. She eventually killed six of the brothers.
The seven brothers flew up into the sky and became Ursa Major.
According to some Native American legends, the bowl of the Big Dipper is a giant bear
and the stars of the handle are three warriors chasing it. The constellation is low in the
sky in autumn evening sky, so it was said that the hunters had injured the bear and its
blood caused the trees to change color to red.
Ursa Major- The Great Bear (Wasco Tribe)
Õ The constellation Ursa Major contains the group of stars
commonly called the Big Dipper. The handle of the Dipper
is the Great Bear's tail and the Dipper's cup is the
Bear's flank. The Big Dipper is not a constellation itself,
but an asterism, which is a distinctive group of stars.
Õ If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you can use the
Big Dipper to find all sorts of important stars: If you
draw an imaginary line from Cup of the dipper (see the
picture below) and continue. you will arrive at Polaris, the
North Star.
Õ Although the whole of Ursa Major is difficult to see without very dark skies, the
Big Dipper is one of the most recognizable patterns in the northern sky. In other
cultures it was identified as a wagon or cart, a plow, a bull's thigh, and (to the
Chinese) the government.
Õ The Big Dipper was also a very important part of the Underground Railroad which
helped slaves escape from the South before the Civil War. There were songs
spread among the slave population which included references to the "Drinking
Gourd." The songs said to follow it to get to a better life. This veiled message for
the slaves to flee northward was passed along in the form of songs since a large
fraction of the slave population was illiterate.
Õ Best seen in April (can be seen all year).
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M81 (NGC 3031) is a superb spiral galaxy, and with M82 in the same field, half a
degree to the north, forms a splendid pair. The distance is approximately seven to
nine million light years and, as Burnham reports, the galaxy is considered one of
the most dense galaxies known, with a total mass of 250 billion suns. A large
scope is needed to catch the fine detail in the spiral's arms.
Õ M82 (NGC 3034) floats above M81 like an ethereal UFO; any minute you think it's
going to zip away in the night sky. The galaxy isn't, as one might think, a spiral on
edge, but is usually described as spindle shaped. The galaxy is rather mysterious;
it's thought that an explosion at its centre one and a half million years ago
created the odd shape, which is still expanding at a rate of 950 km/second.
Õ M97 (NGC 3587) often called the "Owl Nebula" for its two dark central areas
(revealed only in the largest telescopes) resemble an owl's eyes. The nebula is
formed by the still expanding shell of its central star, which is very small and
compact.
Õ M101 (NGC 5457) is a vast galaxy, one of the largest known, with open spirals.
Although seen face on, it's fairly dim; it takes a large scope and an exceptionally
good night to see this nebula at its best.
Myth
Once there were five wolves who would share meat with Coyote. One night the wolves
were staring at the sky. "What are you looking at?" asked Coyote. "There are two
animals up there,” they told him. "But we can't get to them." "That is easy,” said Coyote.
He took his bow and shot an arrow into the sky where it stuck. He shot another arrow
which stuck into the first. Then he shot another and another until the chain of arrow
reached the ground. The five wolves and Coyote climbed the arrows and the oldest wolf
took along his dog. When they reached the sky, they could see that the animals were
grizzly bears. The wolves went near the bears and sat there looking at them and the
bears looked back. Coyote thought they looked good sitting there so he left them and
removed his arrow ladder. The three stars of the handle of the Big Dipper and the two
stars of the bowl near the handle are the wolves. The two stars on the front of the bowl
that point to the North Star are the bears. Alcor, the little star by the wolf in the
middle of the handle is the dog.
Ursa Major- The Great Bear (Anishinabe Tribe)
Õ The constellation Ursa Major contains the group of stars
commonly called the Big Dipper. The handle of the Dipper
is the Great Bear's tail and the Dipper's cup is the
Bear's flank. The Big Dipper is not a constellation itself,
but an asterism, which is a distinctive group of stars.
Õ If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you can use the
Big Dipper to find all sorts of important stars: If you
draw an imaginary line from Cup of the dipper (see the
picture below) and continue. you will arrive at Polaris, the
North Star.
Õ Although the whole of Ursa Major is difficult to see without very dark skies, the
Big Dipper is one of the most recognizable patterns in the northern sky. In other
cultures it was identified as a wagon or cart, a plow, a bull's thigh, and (to the
Chinese) the government.
Õ The Big Dipper was also a very important part of the Underground Railroad which
helped slaves escape from the South before the Civil War. There were songs
spread among the slave population which included references to the "Drinking
Gourd." The songs said to follow it to get to a better life. This veiled message for
the slaves to flee northward was passed along in the form of songs since a large
fraction of the slave population was illiterate.
Õ Best seen in April (can be seen all year).
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M81 (NGC 3031) is a superb spiral galaxy, and with M82 in the same field, half a
degree to the north, forms a splendid pair. The distance is approximately seven to
nine million light years and, as Burnham reports, the galaxy is considered one of
the most dense galaxies known, with a total mass of 250 billion suns. A large
scope is needed to catch the fine detail in the spiral's arms.
Õ M82 (NGC 3034) floats above M81 like an ethereal UFO; any minute you think it's
going to zip away in the night sky. The galaxy isn't, as one might think, a spiral on
edge, but is usually described as spindle shaped. The galaxy is rather mysterious;
it's thought that an explosion at its centre one and a half million years ago
created the odd shape, which is still expanding at a rate of 950 km/second.
Õ M97 (NGC 3587) often called the "Owl Nebula" for its two dark central areas
(revealed only in the largest telescopes) resemble an owl's eyes. The nebula is
formed by the still expanding shell of its central star, which is very small and
compact.
Õ M101 (NGC 5457) is a vast galaxy, one of the largest known, with open spirals.
Although seen face on, it's fairly dim; it takes a large scope and an exceptionally
good night to see this nebula at its best.
Myth
Fisher was a small animal but a great hunter. Hunting was difficult in those days because
it was always winter. "Come with me." he told his friends, "We will go where the Earth is
closest to Skyland. The Skyland is always warm and we will bring some of the warmth
down to Earth." The Otter, Lynx, and Wolverine traveled with Fisher up the mountains,
closer and closer to Skyland.
When they were very close Fisher said, "We must jump up and break through to the land
above the sky." The Otter jumped up and bumped his head on the sky. He fell on his
back and slid all the way down the mountain. Lynx jumped up and bumped so hard it
knocked him unconscious. Wolverine jumped up and bumped hard against the sky. He
jumped again and again until the sky cracked a little. He jumped again and broke
through. Fisher jumped through after him. They found Skyland to be a beautiful place,
full of warmth and plants and flowers. They found cages full of birds which they
released. The birds flew through the crack in the sky to the world below. The warmth
of Skyland began to flow to the Earth and melt the snow. The Sky-People came out of
the lodges and said "Thieves! They are taking our warm weather!" Wolverine escaped
back through the crack but Fisher started working to make the crack bigger. He knew
that if it were too small the Sky-People might be able to patch it. The Sky-People began
chasing him and shooting arrows. Although he was powerful, they eventually hit a fatal
spot. The great Gitchee Manitou took pity on poor Fisher because he had tried to help
his friends. He healed him and placed him in the sky (Big Dipper). Each autumn as Fisher
is falling towards Earth the Sky-People try to patch the crack and Winter comes. Then
in spring, Fisher climbs back high in the sky and reopens the crack and Summer comes.
Ursa Major – The Seven Rishis (Hindu)
Õ The constellation Ursa Major contains the group of stars
commonly called the Big Dipper. The handle of the Dipper
is the Great Bear's tail and the Dipper's cup is the
Bear's flank. The Big Dipper is not a constellation itself,
but an asterism, which is a distinctive group of stars.
Õ If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you can use the
Big Dipper to find all sorts of important stars: If you
draw an imaginary line from Cup of the dipper (see the
picture below) and continue. you will arrive at Polaris, the
North Star.
Õ Although the whole of Ursa Major is difficult to see without very dark skies, the
Big Dipper is one of the most recognizable patterns in the northern sky. In other
cultures it was identified as a wagon or cart, a plow, a bull's thigh, and (to the
Chinese) the government.
Õ The Big Dipper was also a very important part of the Underground Railroad which
helped slaves escape from the South before the Civil War. There were songs
spread among the slave population which included references to the "Drinking
Gourd." The songs said to follow it to get to a better life. This veiled message for
the slaves to flee northward was passed along in the form of songs since a large
fraction of the slave population was illiterate.
Õ Best seen in April (can be seen all year).
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M81 (NGC 3031) is a superb spiral galaxy, and with M82 in the same field, half a
degree to the north, forms a splendid pair. The distance is approximately seven to
nine million light years and, as Burnham reports, the galaxy is considered one of
the most dense galaxies known, with a total mass of 250 billion suns. A large
scope is needed to catch the fine detail in the spiral's arms.
Õ M82 (NGC 3034) floats above M81 like an ethereal UFO; any minute you think it's
going to zip away in the night sky. The galaxy isn't, as one might think, a spiral on
edge, but is usually described as spindle shaped. The galaxy is rather mysterious;
it's thought that an explosion at its centre one and a half million years ago
created the odd shape, which is still expanding at a rate of 950 km/second.
Õ M97 (NGC 3587) often called the "Owl Nebula" for its two dark central areas
(revealed only in the largest telescopes) resemble an owl's eyes. The nebula is
formed by the still expanding shell of its central star, which is very small and
compact.
Õ M101 (NGC 5457) is a vast galaxy, one of the largest known, with open spirals.
Although seen face on, it's fairly dim; it takes a large scope and an exceptionally
good night to see this nebula at its best.
Myth
The stars of the Big Dipper were the seven sages called Rishis. These seven sages are
said to be those who made the Sun rise and shine. They were happily married to seven
sisters named Krttika. They originally all lived together in the northern sky.
But one day, the god of fire, Agni, emerged from the flames of a sacrificial offering
performed by the seven Rishis and immediately fell in love with the seven Krttika.
Trying to forget his hopeless love for the Krttika, Agni wandered in the forest where he
met Svaha, the star Zeta Tauri. Svaha was at once infatuated with Agni.
To conquer Agni's love, Svaha disguised herself as six of the seven Krttika. For six
times, Svaha made love to Agni who believed that he had conquered the attractive wives
of the seven Rishis. Svaha could mimic only six of the Krttika because the seventh
sister, Arundhati, was too devoted to her husband to be imitated. After a while, Svaha
gave birth to a child that she named Skanda. With his birth, rumors began to spread
that six of the Rishis' wives were his mother.
Six of the Rishis divorced their wives. Arundhati was the only one that remained with
her husband as the star Alcor. The other six Krttika went away to become the Pleiades.
Cassiopeia (kass-e-o-pe-uh) – The Elkskin (Quileute
Tribe)
Õ Best seen in November (can be seen all year).
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M52 (NGC 7654) is an open cluster of about 120 stars.
Õ M103 (NGC 581) is another open cluster, with about forty stars.
Õ NGC 457 is an open cluster. The star phi Cas is considered a
part of this cluster. This star is one of the most luminous known, with at least
200,000 times the light of the sun.
Õ NGC 7789 is a rich open cluster of perhaps a thousand stars.
Myth
One bright autumn day, four brothers went elk hunting upriver I their canoe. The fifth
and youngest brother did not go hunting that day but stayed home.
After they had gone a long way upriver, the eldest brother said, “This should be far
enough.”
“We should be able to find elk here!” said another.
Packing what they would need for lunch and for their hunting, the brothers set off on
foot in search of elk.
Before they had traveled very far on the prairie, they saw a big man walking toward
them. He greeted them and asked, “Where are you going?”
“We are elk hunting, Man of the Prairie,” they replied.
“I know how you can find all the elk you want,” he told them. “If you hide, I will drive
elk down this ravine and you can kill them.”
Now, this man was a very clever trickster. As he began to walk away, he looked back and
told the brothers that he would trade their poor arrows for the good ones he had been
saving. Since they were already in his power, they readily agreed. Soon they gave up
their arrows for fine-looking but weak ones. The Man of the Prairie told them he was
going off to find the elk for the brothers.
Soon, a big elk with huge antlers charged down the ravine toward the four brothers.
Because their arrows were worthless, the elk was able to kill all four brothers. Ten he
turned himself back into the Man of the Prairie.
When his four older brothers did not return, the youngest brother went out looking for
them. Before long, he found their empty canoe near the prairie. Like a good hunter, he
followed his brothers’ footsteps. Just as he came to the place where his brothers had
met the big man, the Man of the Prairie came walking toward him.
The Man of the Prairie tried to trick the fifth brother just as he had the four others.
The youngest brother, however, was a medicine man and had powerful magic of his own.
The Man of the Prairie could not persuade the fifth brother to trade away his arrows;
he was ready for such a trick. He could see how worthless the arrows were. “This must
be how he fooled my brothers,” he thought.
“I will not trade with you!” he shouted to the big man.
The Man of the Prairie turned to go away and the youngest brother hid behind a tree.
Soon the man changed himself into a huge elk and came charging after the fifth brother
just as he had charged the four brothers. He shot four arrows – one for each of his
brothers – into the huge elk. Then he wrestled him to the ground and killed him. When
he had skinned the elk, he stretched the skin and found it was even bigger than the
prairie. He quickly threw the elkskin up into the sky.
And so it is still there, where you can see it on any clear night. Stars make the holes
where the fifth brother had driven in stakes while stretching the skin. Other stars are
the elk’s tail.
Cassiopeia (kass-e-o-pe-uh)
Õ Best seen in November (can be seen all year).
Deep Sky Objects
Õ M52 (NGC 7654) is an open cluster of about 120 stars.
Õ M103 (NGC 581) is another open cluster, with about forty
stars.
Õ NGC 457 is an open cluster. The star phi Cas is considered a part of this cluster.
This star is one of the most luminous known, with at least 200,000 times the light
of the sun.
Õ NGC 7789 is a rich open cluster of perhaps a thousand stars.
Myth
Cassiopeia, the wife of King Cepheus, ruler of Ethiopia, was beautiful, arrogant, and vain,
and it was these latter two characteristics which were to lead to her downfall. Her
continual boast that both she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than
the sea nymphs, daughters of Nereus, the sea god, brought the wrath of Poseidon,
ruling god of the sea, upon the kingdom of Ethiopia. (Differing accounts state that
either Cetus, the sea monster, on Poseidon's instructions, was to destroy the land, or
that the whole country was to be flooded.) Trying to avert such a fate, Cepheus and
Cassiopeia consulted a wise oracle, who told them that the only way to appease the sea
gods was to sacrifice their daughter. Accordingly, Andromeda was chained to a rock at
the sea's edge, and left there to helplessly await her fate at the mercy of the sea
monster. But Perseus arrived in time and saved Andromeda. Poseidon considered that
Cassiopeia should not escape punishment entirely, and placed her in the heavens in such
a position that she circles the celestial pole in an upside-down position for half the time.