ECLIPSE CHASING ON APRIL 15

April 15, 2014...

The forecast was not good.  We were having a total lunar eclipse and there were clouds everywhere!  In fact, 200 miles in all directions from Cincinnati, there were clouds clouds and more clouds.  Columbus - cloudy.  Louisville and Lexington - cloudy.  Indianapolis - cloudy.  Pittsburgh - cloudy.  Nashville - cloudy.

I was about to give up when I expanded my search and tried St. Louis - clear.  Clear? Really!

So I threw my telescope, camera, lawn chair and warm clothes into the car and headed West.  Since the eclipse was happening from 2-5:30am I didn't want to drive too far (I had to work later that day).  I settled on Effingham, Illinois, a 250 mile drive, as the closest place that I could maybe see the eclipse.  The chase was on!

I wanted a few hours of sleep so I got a hotel room and had a nap.  I woke up with the hope that I would not have to drive any further west but it was still cloudy.  I went back inside, frustrated, and slept another 30 minutes.  Then I packed up everything, fully expecting to have to drive more, and went outside.  Much to my surprise and utter joy, there was the Moon already in eclipse!  The clouds had lifted just in time and when I saw the eclipse I just gasped.  I've seen a lot of eclipses but the first sight of one always takes my breath away.

I set up the telescope in the nearby Cracker Barrel parking lot and began taking pictures.  The Moon's color shifted every few minutes.  It started gray, then got rosier, and finally turned a ruby red when in totality.  It was breathtaking!

I stayed out until the eclipse was almost over, but it was so cold and windy for an April 15.  I went back into my hotel room and got a few more hours of sleep, woke up, ate breakfast, and made it back to Cincinnati in time to go to work.

I'm always happy to complete a successful eclipse chase.  But hopefully I won't have to drive anywhere to see the next one on October 8, 2014.  Here's some pics:

MARSAPALOOZA AND THE LUNAR ECLIPSE

Mars by Etienne Trouvelot 1877

Naked eye astronomers – get ready. In April the Red Planet returns to prime time and the Moon shows us a darker side.

In 2003 Mars was closer to us that it had been for over 60,000 years. For our public viewing we opened at dusk and lines formed at the two telescopes - out the door and down the block. The final person viewed Mars at 4:30 AM. 

Every 26 months Mars reaches its closest point to the Earth and the Martian-loving public whips into a frenzy to take a closer look through our telescopes.  We lovingly call this Marsapalooza. 

Check with your local observatory, planetarium, science center, or astronomy club to see what events they have scheduled.  At the beginning of the April Mars will appear bright and orange in the eastern sky a little after sunset.  In the middle of the month, Mars is technically closest to us, but you’ll continue to see it every night until the end of the year.  Each day, the Earth will pull a little farther away from it until the next closest approach in May 2016.

Tax Day Lunar Eclipse

Total Lunar Eclipse

During a Total Lunar Eclipse the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in perfect alignment.  The full moon orbits into the shadow of the Earth and turns the lunar surface an eerie shade of orange.  The will occur again on April 15.

You will have to get up early or stay up late to watch this eclipse.  The show begins at about 2 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) when you will start to see the rounded shadow of the Earth appear on the disc of the full moon.  Then over the course of an hour, the shadow will cover more and more of the Moon’s surface until the moment when the Moon will be completely in the shadow of the Earth.  This is called totality and it will occur on April 15 from 3:06-4:25 AM EDT. 

During totality the Moon will not disappear but instead turn a different shade.  Astronomers cannot predict what color it will be – pale gray, bright orange, or blood red.  Only the shadow knows!  Some sunlight will still reach the surface of the Moon.  It bends through the Earth’s atmosphere and still dimly gives the Moon some unique mood lighting.  Whatever the color, when you see the total lunar eclipse you are actually seeing all of the sunsets and sunrises of Earth projected onto the Moon. 

After totality ends, you can watch the Earth’s shadow slowly wipe away from the Moon.  The full moon will appear to be its normal bright self again at around 5:30 AM.

Ursa Major - The Big Bear

The ancient Greeks and some Native American groups both called these stars a big bear. The Big Dipper is only the rear end and tail of the bear. But have you ever seen a bear with a tail like that? It looks more like a raccoon or an angry cat to me. Well, imagine you're sitting around the campfire thousands of years ago and an old shaman begins to tell you the tale of the Big Bear...

"Once upon a time, a long long time ago there was a young hunter. It had been a cold and dark winter and the village was on the brink of starvation. So they sent their best hunter out in search of food. He collected his bow and arrows and hiked off down the path. He hiked and hiked and hiked and hiked until he came to a dangerous section of the path along the ridge of a mountain - cliffs on each side. As he looked ahead there was a humongous momma bear laying in his path taking a nap (insert snoring noises please). The hunter couldn't go around the bear, over the bear, or under the bear. And he couldn't turn back home foodless as he was. What to do?

The hunter decided that action needed to be taken. Since desperate times call for desperate measures he snuck up on that momma bear and grabbed her by her short, stubby tail and began swinging him around over his head (he was a strong guy!). And as the bear was twirling around and around a funny thing began to happen. The bear's tail started stretching and stretching until finally the hunter let go - whoosh! The bear flew up, up, up so high that she stuck - splat! - into the sky where she slowly turned into the stars we see today. And that is how the Big Bear got her long tail."

People loved this story so much that they wanted to hear more - a sequel. Stay tuned for Part II, the Bear Strikes Back!

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AURIGA THE CHARIOTEER

One Greek legend refers to the constellation Auriga as Erichthonius, the son of Vulcan and Minerva. Erich (for short), was born deformed and could not walk well. To remedy his situation, Erich invented the four-horse chariot to get him around the kingdom. He was so respected for his invention that he became the fourth king of Athens. Also Erich had a soft spot for crippled or injured animals, his favorite being a little she-goat (Capella). In the sky we are supposed to see Erich holding little Capella and two other goats as they race around the heavens.

Capella is one of the brightest stars in the sky and easy way to find Auriga. When low in the sky it twinkles red, white, and blue. The Arabs called it, "The Driver," "The Singer," and "The Guardian of the Pleiades." It was, "The Heart of Brahma" in India. And in South America this star was one of the favorites among shepherds who called it "Colca." Astronomers have figured out that Capella is actually a four-star system with two big yellow suns and two little red ones. 

Look for Auriga almost straight overhead in the February evenings.  Its stars form a squished-pentagon shape. Capella will be your guide and you can use it to find  "the kids" on the next clear night.

GEMINI TWINS - Greek Version

Have you found the stars Pollux and Castor yet? The ancient Greek myth about these twin brothers might motivate you to discover the twins.

Pollux and Castor shared the same mother, but one was mortal (Castor) and the other was the son of Zeus (Pollux) - talk about confusing genealogy!  They grew up and developed the greatest bond of friendship - one as a master pugilist the other master horseman. 

Twins Day

One evening the brothers attended the double wedding of their twin, male cousins who were marrying, you guessed it, twin girls! So many twins.  Before the ceremony began, Pollux and Castor accidentally went into the wrong tent – where the twin girls were readying themselves. Well, their eight eyes met and the twins fell helplessly in love with the twin brides-to-be. The foursome were about to make a quick and romantic getaway from the wedding when the two grooms discovered their plans and stopped them. A terrible fight ensued in which Castor was killed. In Pollux’s rage, he killed the two cousins in revenge. Question: why pick a fight with an immortal anyway?

That's Gemini on the cover

Pollux was so saddened that he wished he were dead (no need for a wife now, I guess). He pleaded with the gods to kill him so that he could be with his brother forever in the afterlife. The gods were so moved by Pollux’s feelings that they granted his request and immortalized the twins together in the sky to be a sign of fraternal love.  You can find them high in the east after sunset - two bright, twin stars.

BULL'S EYE!

Taurus the Bull is easy to identify even in light polluted skies. Orion's belt stars make good pointers. Connect the three dots and continue the line of sight up and to the right and you will arrive at a small "V" shape of stars. That is Taurus' face. The brightest star in the "V" is the Bull's Eye, a red giant called Aldebaran. Aldebaran means "the follower," but what is it following? If you continue the line from Orion's belt through the "V" you will see. The Seven Sisters (or Pleiades) is just to the west. As the night goes on Aldebaran follows the Sisters through the sky.
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Inside the "V" are a lot of stars. This is called the Hyades star cluster (in Greek mythology five of these were the half-sisters to the Pleiades) ((wait a second... seven plus five... that's a lot of kids for the god Atlas to raise!). The Hyades are the closest open cluster to Earth at only 150 light years distant. You can observe dozens to hundreds of these stars with a good pair of binoculars. Aldebaran is not a Hyade, though. It is much closer to the Earth and just appears in the same neighborhood.
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Off the top of the "V", the horns of the bull radiate out to the stars Elnath and Zeta Tauri. Next to Zeta Tauri is one of the most interesting objects in space. Named M1 or the Crab Nebula, this is the remnant of one of the brightest stellar explosions ever witnessed by humans. M1 is the leftover of a supernova explosion that erupted in 1054 AD. The blast was so bright that it was visible during the daytime along with the Sun. Since then we've had two other bright supernovas (1572 and 1604). I think we're due. And maybe, fingers crossed, we'll see Betelgeuse go "KABLOOEY!"

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TAURUS THE BULL

Taurus is arguably the oldest constellation invented. Most astronomers and historians agree that the constellation of the Bull is depicted in one of the oldest works of human art - found deep down in a French cave.

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Four teenagers and their dog discovered the Lascaux Cave paintings in 1940. There are some 2,000 images (animals, humans, and symbols) painted on the walls of this underground cavern 17,000 years ago. One room called, "The Great Hall of the Bulls," is the one that fascinates astronomers the most. Several large bulls are painted in great detail along with horses and stags. One bull has an interesting orientation. There are spots on the face with the long horns pointing to the left. Just above the bull's shoulder are seven dots... Soooooo?

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This picture looks suspiciously like the stars in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Taurus has long horns pointing to the left. The spots in the face correspond to the Hyades star cluster (in the face of Taurus - easily seen with the naked eye). And the seven dots are in the right place and even shaped similar to the Seven Sisters star cluster.

Now I realize that this is just a theory. The artist did not sign his work, "My name is Ug. I paint bull on cave. Bull supposed be Taurus Bull in sky..." But is is an interesting coincidence. Plus there are stars looking like Orion's belt in the proper place too. Our ancient ancestors were definitely into stargazing and Taurus would've made a great place to observe.

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PISCIS AUSTRALIS - The Southern Fish

For me, fall means the reappearance of the lonely star in the southern sky with a funny name: FOMALHAUT.  Some people pronounce it, "Foam-a-lot," and others say, "Foam-a-low" but any way you cut it, it's a fascinating star.  Look south after sunset about 1/4 of the way up in the sky and you'll see Fomalhaut.  It's the only bright star in this area.  Check out this star's color very closely.  Most astronomers will say that stars cannot be green in color, but I swear Fomalhaut flickers blue, white, and GREEN. Check it out and see if you agree.

Recently astronomers discovered a planet in orbit around Fomalhaut.  At least we think it is.  Check out the picture to see if you can find it (I know it looks like the Eye of Sauron, but that's the way the instruments have to mask the star to detect very faint objects). 

Fomalhaut means, "The Fish's Mouth," and it is part of a cute, little fall constellation swimming in the southern sky. Piscis Australis (or Piscis Austrinus) is the southern fish, big daddy to the two fish tied together in the zodiacal constellation Pisces. The mythology on these stars is sketchy at best. One account says that a goddess fell into a lake near the Euphrates River and was saved by this fish. In most drawings of Piscis Australis the waters dumped by the constellation Aquarius flow right into his big mouth. Does a fish really need to drink?

Ancient Arabic astronomers called Fomalhaut, "The First Frog," (more evidence in my mind that it is green :).  The Second Frog is a star 25 degrees up and to the left called Deneb Kaitos (the tail of the whale) which rises after Fomalhaut - thus it's second. 

Check out the fish and frogs and star colors tonight.  There's a lot to see!



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CEPHEUS THE KING

Whereas the stars for Queen Cassiopeia are bright and beautiful, her husband’s constellation is dim and dull. Cepheus the King is a tough constellation to find if you live in a city, but if you look carefully you just may discover these royal stars.

You can find Cepheus tonight high in the northern sky just to the left of Cassiopeia. His dimmer stars look like an upside-down house.

Once upon a time in ancient Ethiopia… Cepheus the King was enjoying a quiet afternoon nap when the great god of the sea, Poseidon strode in to the castle. In a rage Poseidon said, "King Cepheus! Your wife's vanity has gone too far. She has offended the gods and must be punished."

The King, waking up quickly, stammered, “Wha… what did she do?”

“What did she do?” great Poseidon exclaimed. “Get this. Queen Cassiopeia said, in front of everyone, that she was more beautiful than all the mermaids in the ocean. My mermaids! Hah, don’t make me laugh.” Cepheus laughed nervously. “That old hag can’t hold a candle to my mermaids,” Poseidon continued. “She must be punished.”

Cepheus begged for mercy and even declared that he wouldn’t know what to do with himself if anything happened to Cassiopeia. “I would miss her sweet voice,” the King said. This was a total lie since the Queen, although beautiful, had a voice like a ban-saw.

"Being a fair and angry god," Poseidon considered, "I will have you share in her misery. I banish you both to the skies where you will endlessly circle the pole star. And there you will forever hear her, um, sweet voice. Ha ha ha ha! (menacing god-like laugh).”

And there the couple spins. High in the sky the King is not far from his Queen and he forever hears her sweet voice say, “Oh no, I’m going upside down again. Aaaaah, Cepheus, you stupid, little stickin’…!”

CASSIOPEIA THE QUEEN

(This is the short version of the Greek legend.  For the longer version, see Get Ready for the Huge, Fall Sky Saga posted 10/13/11 on this blog)

Cassiopeia was thought to be the Queen of Ethiopia (or the kingdom around Northeast Africa). She had a bad habit of bragging about her beauty. She believed that she was the most beautiful woman in the whole world - the most beautiful woman who ever lived - and the most beautiful woman that would ever live. And she told people these views about every twenty seconds. Like if you visited the palace and rung the doorbell, Cassiopeia would answer and sing-song, “Come on in, I’m so beautiful. Come in, I’m beautiful…” And if you’re with her at the dinner table she’d ask politely, “Can you please pass the salt? I’m beautiful over here.” Her subjects grew weary of this but what could they do? After all, she was the Queen.

One day, the Queen went too far. She proclaimed that she was more beautiful than all the mermaids in the sea, put together... Now this is no big deal to you and me, but to the god of the seas, Poseidon, this was the ultimate outrage. "My mermaids are more beautiful than that ugly old hag," his trident cleaner overheard him say. So Poseidon punished this boastful Queen by placing her up in the sky to sit on her throne. 

Wait a second, that sounds like a great honor! 

The trick Poseidon played was that he placed her near the Pole Star.  As the night rolls on, the stars move slowly around Polaris.  Poor Cassiopeia makes this circle too and spends half the night upside-down, clinging to that throne for dear life.  And so here is the punishment - her ultimate hell - can you be upside-down and beautiful at the same time? 

Cassiopeia is one of the easiest constellations to recognize in the sky.  You can find her 5 moderately-bright stars making an "M" shape in the northern sky after sunset.  I know this looks nothing like a Queen sitting on her throne, but I usually think of these 5 stars as her crown.  Since one of the stars is a little off line, I always think her crown must be bent from when she hits her head on the ground every time she circles Polaris.   
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SAGITTARIUS THE ARCHER

August evenings are the best time to find part of this constellation low in the southern skies.  Sagittarius represents Chiron the Centaur, who is half man, half horse. Chiron was a great teacher of just about everyone in ancient Greece including Hercules.

Just after sunset you should see medium-bright stars that resemble a tea pot or coffee pot.  That's his body, out-stretched arm, bow and arrow.  Let you imagination figure that one out!

The constellation can be broken up into two smaller sections. The four stars that make up the very tiny dipper are also called the Milk Dipper because they lie in a thick patch of the Milky Way. Unfortunately, we have to go way out in the country to see this dipper scooping up milk. When you peer at Sagittarius, you are looking at the center of our galaxy. Imagine being in the center of the Milky Way - there would be so many stars nearby that night might be as bright as day.  And you might have to watch out for black holes!

The other part of Sagittarius is his bow and arrow. Three stars curve to form the bow and one sticks out to the right forming the arrow. Look at what he’s aiming that arrow at! It is aimed directly at the Scorpion’s heart, the red star Antares. But I still think the whole thing looks more like a coffee pot than a Centaur.

Try to find Sagittarius’ second brightest star. It was named Nunki about 5000 years ago by the Sumerians, but today we have no idea what Nunki means. Since the translation is lost to history you should invent your own for this blue-white, mystery star.

Hercules Part II

The ancient Sumerians who began studying and charting the heavens thousands of years ago thought this kneeling figure represented Gilgamesh, their version of Superman. The epic of Gilgamesh the warrior is one of the oldest surviving texts.

The Greeks had a Superman of their own named Hercules. Hercules started early. At only eight months of age, he strangled two serpents that tried to mess with his teddy bear. He was taught by the greatest teacher in Greece, Chiron the centaur. Chiron can be seen in the constellation Sagittarius low in the southern sky during the summer.

Hercules (or Heracles in Greek) was the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, Alcmene. His name was a slap in the face to Zeus' wife Hera (Heracles means, "Glory of Hera"... ouch), and she did everything she could to make young Herc pay. Hera drove him stark raving mad - mad enough to kill his wife and kids. As punishment Hercules was forced to do twelve labors for king Eurystheus. At the completion of these labors, Hercules would achieve immortality. But these labors were not like taking out the garbage and mowing the lawn. Hera made sure they were the most impossible things imaginable.

Hercules’ first job was to slay the terrible Neamean Lion represented by the constellation Leo (see Leo). Another labor involved the slaying of the fierce and deadly Hydra. Hercules was rewarded for his valor and obedience by the god Zeus and was taken up to heaven where he lived happily ever after shining down on us.

Adding to his legend, Hercules was also married four times (once after death).
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Hercules Isn't Too Bright

This month is all about the guys in the sky. First we'll talk about Hercules and later in the month we'll explore Ophiuchus the Serpent Wrestler.
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As strong as Hercules was, he sure has some dim stars in the sky. Hercules is not an easy guy to find up there - his brightest stars being only of third magnitude. The best way to find Hercules is to look for the keystone, or four sided figure that makes up his body. Hercules is said to be kneeling. Unfortunately for him (and our imagination), he is kneeling upside-down. Look for the brighter constellations around Hercules - Draco is above, Lyra to the left, Corona Borealis to the right, and Ophiuchus the Serpent Charmer below him.

The brightest star in Hercules is Ras Algethi which means, in ancient Arabic, "Head of the Kneeler." This must be some acrobatic kneeler standing on his head! The star is a red supergiant 600 times the diameter of our sun. that varies in brightness. Aim a small telescope at Ras Algethi and you will discover that it is really two stars in one.

The most interesting feature in the figure of Hercules is fuzzy area in the sky called M 13. M 13 is a globular cluster - a cluster of around 300,000 stars - the brightest of its kind in the northern skies. M stands for Messier object, and these are nebulae and galaxies charted by the French astronomer Charles Messier. This cluster is number 13. You can see M 13 with the naked eye but try viewing it through some binoculars to achieve a sparkling effect.
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A Korean Star Myth with Aquila and Lyra

Once upon a time a cowherd fell deeply in love with a woman weaver. They would see each other so often that the cows were neglected and the spinning wheel scarcely turned. The father of the weaver became so enraged by this slacking off (even in the name of love) that he banished the couple into the sky.

Their love was so strong that they fell into the sky hand in hand as if gravitationally attracted. It looked as if they would finally be together until a flock of magpies flew in between the two. Their hands separated and their bodies glided slowly but surely away from each other.  The lovers struggled to reconnect but it was no use. When they stuck to the heavens, the weaver was on one side of the great river in the sky (The Milky Way) and the cowherd fell on the opposite shore. The cowherd turned into the stars Altair, Tarazed, and Alshain in the constellation Aquila - the weaver turned into Vega and stars in Lyra.

According to this Korean legend, the couple could meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month. Only then could they cross the river because of the magpies. Magpies in Korea flocked like crazy in July - and to atone for their role in separating the lovers, flew up to the stars to build a bridge across the river.  Only then could the couple meet on the backs of the magpies.  In Korea, children were taught to stone any magpies they saw not helping build that bridge.

When the meeting occurs on the seventh day of the seventh month, Altair and Vega shine in 5 colors to symbolize their happiness. Unfortunately, if it rains on July 7th, the couple fails to meet at all. 

Look for Vega high in the east and Altair lower in the southeast after dark.  And check out the lovers on July 7th to see them shine happily.  

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SUPERMOON 2013

Not all moons are created equal.  The full moon on Saturday June 22, 2013 will appear bigger and brighter than any other moon this year.  But the question is, “Can you tell the difference?”

As the Moon orbits the Earth, it slowly changes its distance from us.  It varies from about 252,000 miles at its farthest, to around 220,500 miles at its closest.  When you combine the night when the full moon is also closest to us, that is called a SUPERMOON.

The Moon’s distance changes very slowly.  You can’t tell the difference from night to night.  But if you compare Saturday’s Supermoon to the farthest full moon, the so-called Wimpy Moon of January 15, 2014, the difference is dramatic.  The Supermoon is over 31,000 miles closer, appears 14% larger in diameter and 30% larger in surface area than the Wimpy Moon.  Open the picture above in a new window to see more details.

The best time to see the Supermoon is just as it rises.  In the Cincinnati area, the Moon will rise over the eastern horizon at 8:20pm.  You may have trouble seeing it right away since the sky won’t be completely dark.  Keep looking because as the Sun sets, the full Moon will rise.  The Moon always looks larger near the horizon but it’s merely an illusion.  Technically, the Moon will be over one thousand miles closer around 1:30am on Sunday morning when it will be higher in the south.  That would be the Super-est Moon.       

Since the changing Moon distance is a slow process, Sunday night will provide an encore.  The full moon rising at 9:20pm on June 23 will be less than 1% farther than that of June 22. 

Look for the Supermoon(s) this weekend and see if you can spot the difference.

CHANGING PLANETARY TRIANGLE

The planetary conjunction isn't over yet.  Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury will be hanging around in the west-northwestern sky for a few more days.  Last night I saw them less than 10 degrees above the horizon but could follow them all the way to sunset.  On the night of May 26th they made a perfect equilateral triangle as shown by the picture below.

Over the next few days, Venus and Mercury will appear higher at the same time of night while Jupiter sinks lower.  Venus is the brightest of the three, followed by Jupiter, and then Mercury.  Over the next few days Venus will slide between the other two turning the former triangle into a planetary lineup.  May 31 and June 1 they will be best aligned.  Jupiter will be at the bottom, Venus in the middle, and Mercury at the top.  Both Mercury and Venus and Venus and Jupiter will be separated by only 4 degrees.  On June 1, Mercury will be the closest of the three at about 95 million miles away, Venus is on the other side of the Sun from us still so it's about 151 million miles distant, while Jupiter is way out as usual - 567 million miles away.

Jupiter will be heading off into the sunset soon so don't miss it.  Mercury will hang around for a few more weeks and make a close conjunction with Venus on the night on June 18 and 19.  But Venus will be low in the evening skies for the next several months.  In fact, she'll be there even as you ring in the New Year 2014.

To see the planets you will need an extremely clear view to the west-northwest horizon.  No trees, buildings or anything can be in your way.  And you have to be there right after sunset.  Once the Sun sets you only have 30 minutes to catch the planets pop out from the sky glow before they set.

Happy Planet Hunting!
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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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BOOTES and the PLOW

You may have noticed a lone bright star in the east after sunset. This is Arcturus, the brightest star in the constellation Boötes. This kite-shaped constellation first appears in the spring sky looking like a wide tie hanging from the invisible neck of an invisible businessman. Boötes is no yuppie bustling through traffic but a Herdsman, Bear-Driver, or Inventor of the Plow.

First let's talk about how to pronounce this constellation. It is a 3-syllable name; "Bo-oh-teez," not "Boots," and please never call him, "Booties."

One myth portrays Boötes as an inventive man who overcomes adversity. Once upon a time Bootes was walking through the woods - on his way to grandma’s house - when he was robbed by his brother. Not only that, when he returned home, he discovered that his good-for-nothing, thief-brother had taken possession of everything he owned. House. Land. Wife. Everything. Undaunted, Bootes finds a new place to live but is dead broke. He can’t rub one nickel together. As a poor farmer, he invents a plow that can be pulled by oxen. His invention spreads around the globe, and after patenting it, Bootes can afford anything. This story fits in extremely well with the old English view of the Big Dipper as a Big Plow. Boötes can be seen right behind the plow pushing it around the pole.

The easiest way to find Boötes is to find his brightest star, Arcturus. Nothing could be easier. First, find the handle of the Big Dipper and use it as a pointer. Follow the arc of the handle and continue this arc until you run into Arcturus. Remember the catchy saying, "Follow the arc to Arcturus," and you'll find Boötes.



This is Boötes as a Herdsman with his dogs. Next time I may tell you about the mop of hair under the dogs in this picture.
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Ursa Minor - The Baby Bear

Part II: The Bear Strikes Back!

(See the April 10th blog below for Part I)

"What happened next? What happened next?" the kids asked the ancient shaman.

The storyteller stared up from the fire, stroked his beard, sat up straight, and said, "After the hunter threw the momma bear up into the sky (becoming the constellation Ursa Major), he continued on down the path. Soon he passed some bushes on the edge of a great forest. The hunter heard a strange noise coming from the bushes that caused him to stop. The bushes were making a pathetic whimpering noise (insert whimpering here). Now normally bushes don't make whimpering noises so his curiosity made him part the branches to see... the saddest, most pathetic-looking Baby Bear.

"The Baby Bear had lost his mommy. 'Oh boy,' thought the hunter. 'I think I know where mommy might be...' After all, he just threw her up in the sky 10 minutes ago and there she was shining down on everyone. The hunter could not climb up to the sky to bring momma back so he decided the only thing to do was to... Throw the Baby Bear up in the Sky!

"So the hunter grabbed the Baby Bear by his short stubby tail and swung him around over his head. And soon the Baby Bear's tail began stretching and stretching until the hunter let go ----- whoosh! The baby bear flew up and stuck - SPLAT! - to the sky not far from his momma."

And that is how the Big and Little Bear got into the sky.
 

Look for the Big and Little Bear in the northern sky tonight.  The Big Bear is easy to see since it's very high in the northern sky during spring and summer and full of pretty bright stars.  The Little Bear is fainter so you might only be able to see a few its stars.  But one of these is the most important star in the sky...

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The Big Dipper - Rutila Major (my bad Latin translation)

For the next few weeks we will be focusing on the northern sky and the stars that are up most of the year. This is a great time to find the Big Dipper. The seven unmistakable stars hang high in the northwest after sunset (upside-down). If you locate a dipper which one is it? Big or Little? If you live in or near a city - no need to fear. You can only see the Big Dipper. Four of the seven stars of the Little Dipper are too faint to see in a light polluted sky.

Different cultures imagined quite different pictures in these stars. In medieval Europe it was a death cart or wagon. Some Native American groups called it the "Thigh of an Ox" while others used it as a eye test (see if you can see an extra star hovering just above one of the seven). Egyptians called it a coffin. African Americans called it the "Drinking Gourd". In England they still call it The Plow.

Here is a very famous painting by Vincent van Gogh called "Starry Night over the Rhone". It's pretty obvious where the Big Dipper is. Van Gogh included stars in several of his paintings including Starry Night and Cafe Terrace at Night.
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If you have trouble seeing any of those things in the Big Dipper, try to modernize it. Maybe to you it will look like a lawn mower, shopping cart, or question mark. Don't ask me why that shopping cart is in a jacuzzi...

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