COMA BERENICES - Berenice's Hair

So what is the deal with the Mop of Hair that was in the picture next to Bootes (see post from May 7)??? That's Berenice's Hair, a small, faint constellation visible in the spring and summer from really dark skies.

In Greek mythology Berenice was the beautiful Queen of Egypt known for her flowing tresses. When her husband went off to war, Berenice asked Aphrodite to protect her beloved in battle. In return, if he returned to her safely, she would cut off her long hair as a gift to the goddess. When the king returned unharmed to her side, Berenice stayed true to her word and lopped it all off. The hair was placed in the temple where it mysteriously disappeared. What cur took the Queen's beautiful hair? Who dared?

Heads were going to roll (not to mention hair), if the culprit was found. Luckily a court astronomer came to the rescue - he found the missing locks. The hair was such a pleasing sacrifice to Aphrodite that SHE took it and placed it in the sky for all to see. So now the glory a Berenice's hair has reached new heights and lives on in the stars.

You can best find this constellation in a very dark sky.  If you're far from city lights you can't miss the tangles of stars just to the right of Bootes and above Virgo.  Binoculars help too.  Scan the sky to the right of the bright star Arcturus and you should see a mass of stars.  Lots of locks!

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Orion Myth Part I

Orion the Mighty Hunter is one of the most beloved and easiest to recognize constellations in the night sky. Cold, crisp winter nights are the best time to observe the "belted one" in the southern sky. Over the course of the next few weeks I'll share some Greek myths that show Orion does not stand alone in the winter sky.  If you use your ancient Greek imagination when looking at the stars, you may see him surrounded by a bull with seven women on its back, while two hunting dogs chase unicorn and a bunny rabbit down by the river... SAY WHAT!

Let's start with Orion. According to Greek myths he was a big, strong, tough guy. One day he was out hunting. When he took a break on this hilltop, he beheld a sight that took his breath away. There were seven women dancing in a clearing while a huge crowd cheered them on. These were the Seven Sisters, or the Pleiades. Orion fell in love... with all of them.

Now, Orion was very brave in battle but not very courageous when it came to talking to women. So he needed to work up all his courage just to even speak to the sisters. One day he finally met them and asked for their 14 hands in marriage. The sisters were so outraged that they rejected him and strode away. Orion didn't know much about dating, but he heard somewhere that women respond well to a man who is persistent. So he kept meeting the sisters at awkward times and asking them again and again to marry him. After a week of this, the sisters couldn't take it anymore. They asked for divine intervention. The gods listened and promptly turned the Pleiades into doves. They immediately flew away from Orion - as fast as they could - and headed higher and higher into the sky. Eventually they decided to stay in the heavens and became stars.

You can find the Pleiades high in the south after sunset. We'll learn more the rest of the story in Part II. So tune in!

 

CORVUS THE CROW

Although Corvus is a small constellation, it’s relatively easy to find in the sky. Look for his distinctive square/trapezoid shape low in the southern sky riding on the back of Hydra the water snake. In an area of few bright stars Corvus stands out in the late spring and early summer evenings.

The Greeks associated this constellation with a story about the god Apollo. Apollo often used a crow as a messenger - to pick up his lunch, dry cleaning, etc. One day, Apollo sent Corvus out with a golden cup to gather some water for him. The crow took the cup in his beak and flew off toward the river. But along the way, Corvus became distracted by a grove of fig trees. He decided to stop of and eat some of these delicious fruits.

 Well, Corvus completely lost track of time while chowing down, and began to panic. “Oh no. Oh no. Apollo is going to kill me for returning so late,” he cried. “I must find an excuse.” So Corvus flew around and spotted a humongous water snake swimming in the river. Corvus swooped down and grabbed the snake in his claws to carry back to Apollo as an excuse.

 

"What? Don't you believe me?"

When he returned, Apollo was furious. “Where have you been!” he screamed. “You see, your most worshipness,” Corvus whimpered, “I was delayed in bringing you your water to quench your divine thirst. But it wasn’t my fault. It was this accursed water snake. He wouldn’t let me get you any water. So I picked him up and brought him here for you to see.”

“Oh, I see,” said Apollo softly. Because Apollo could sense this tale for what it was. It was a lie – and not even a very good lie. In a fit of rage, Apollo banished the crow, the cup, and the water snake to the sky forever. And as a final punishment to Corvus, he must ride on the snake’s back for eternity with the cup of water just out of his beak’s grasp - forever thirsty. And to this day crows are cursed with such rough, raspy voices.

"So thirsty..." Click on it for a larger picture of Corvus, Crater (the cup) and Hydra

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