Canis Major and Canis Minor, Orion's Sky Dogs

Sirius A and B

The winter southern sky is ablaze with the brightest stars in the sky.  8 of the top 20 brightest stars can be found there awaiting your wishes.  The brightest of them all is Sirius, the nose of Orion's bigger hunting dog, Canis Major.  Sirius is about 23 times brighter than the North Star and scorches the winter sky with a stark white light.  Sirius definitely isn't the biggest star up there - it's just one of the closest.  At about 8.6 light years away, it's really two stars - a faint white dwarf star called Sirius B orbits the main star every 50 years.


Creepy Lookin' Dogs

Up higher and not quite as bright is the little dog star, Procyon.  Procyon weighs in as the eighth brightest star in the sky becuase it's a close one too.  In fact Procyon bears a lot of similarities with Sirius.  At about 11 light years away, this white sub-giant star has a white dwarf star orbiting it as well.




Canis Major, is easy to find.  Use Orion’s belt as a guide.  Connect the dots of the three belt stars and continue the line down and to the left and you will run smack into Sirius.  With a little imagination you can use the semi-bright stars around Sirius to picture the big dog, but with the little dog… it only has two stars in it.  That’s right, it’s a real hot dog! 
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Orion Myth Part II...

We left off our myth as the Pleiades, now doves, flew into the sky to escape Orion and turned into stars. Orion's love was scorned but he was not humbled. Orion was a great boaster which angered some of the gods. They thought it would be ironic for a tiny creature to slay the great hunter so they sent a scorpion, Scorpius, which dealt Orion a fatal bite on his heel.

For his greatness, Orion was allowed a place in the sky. He asked the gods to placed as far away as possible from the Scorpion that killed him. So the Scorpion is best seen in the summer while Orion reigns over the winter near the Pleiades. This way, Orion never sees Scorpius and at the same time he can try more pick-up lines on the Sisters.

The Sisters hated this so much that the gods placed a protector in between the two. That's where you can find Taurus the Bull. Now the Seven Sisters are riding safely on the bull's back while Taurus tramples poor Orion every night. That's what you get for asking seven sisters to marry you!

To find these stars, use Orion's belt stars.  Connect the dots and continue the line to the right.  When you do, you'll pass through a "V" shape of stars (that's Taurus' face).  If you keep going you'll run into the Seven Sisters.

But wait, there's more!  Not only is there a giant hunter being trampled by a bull with 7 women on its back... Orion asked the gods if he could have some help with the Bull.  The gods agreed and allowed him to bring his two best hunting dogs up to become stars. 

Next week, I'll show you where to find the dogs AND the Unicorn, AND the bunny rabbit, AND the river.

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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!

 

Seven Sisters in Other Cultures

Most myths relate the Seven Sisters star cluster to young maidens or boys playing, dancing, and just being young and wild. "Like a swarm of fireflies tangled in a sliver braid."

In Chinese mythology they were the "Seven Sisters of Industry"

Australians considered them to be young girls playing music for the dancing young men (the stars in Orion's belt).

Various Native American legend equate them with seven young men guarding the holy seed of agriculture and seven young children told to stop all their dancing.

In Borneo they were a mother hen and six chicks

And in early Christian lore they were the six daughters and wife of the baker who gave Christ bread when he was hungry.

This association with youth is very interesting in that astronomers now consider them young, hot stars. They are large, fiery blue stars burning through their fuel very rapidly and have a quick, bad end - burning the candle at both ends so to speak. What is it about these stars that make them appear so youthful to the ancients?
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More about Orion

Orion is the constellation that conjures the deepest imagination and wonder with just one glance. Something about the placement of the stars ties the entire picture together. Not to mention his 3-star-studded belt. Almost every culture in the ancient world associated these stars with a hunter, giant, or all-around he-man.

He was called by the Irish, Caomai, the armed king.
The Hebrews pictured Orion as Jacob wrestling the angel or the general Joshua.

HINDU LEGEND:
Orion was called Praja-pati who took the form of a stag in pursuit of his own daughter (represented by the star Aldebaran in Taurus). The chase was slowed by the arrow stuck in Praja-pati’s midsection (Orion’s belt). This arrow was shot by the avenging hunter (the star Sirius).

Orion's Belt had its own myths:

• In Greenland it was Three Seal Hunters Lost at Sea
• Eskimos called it Three Steps Cut in a Snow Bank
• To Australians these stars were Three Men Dancing
• In Africa it was Three Pigs
• And in the picture to the right, this is a picture of Orion as a blanket that I got in South America.  Notice it's upside down!

And there are sometimes where I look at the stars above and picture a particular rock n' roll icon with a snazzy belt and sparkly rhinestones. Instead of a club, he's holding a microphone. Yes, to me Orion is the Great Elvis in the Sky!  Look at that belt...

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Orion's Stars

I was always fascinated by the names of the stars. Who named them and what were they thinking about? The most famous star in Orion is, of course, Betelgeuse. People pronounce it in many ways, but I prefer "Beetle-juice." The name is Arabic in origin and means the "Armpit of the Great Central One." Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star nearing the end of its lifetime. When it goes, it will make a huge blast. And it probably will be stinky.

Orion's other armpit (actually his left shoulder) is marked by the deep-blue star Bellatrix. From Greek and Roman origins, Bellatrix means, "Female Warrior" or "Amazon Star." Legends say that women born under this star will be strong and have a gift for language.  Not quite like Bellatrix Lestrange...

Bellatrix Lestrange



Bellatrix "Le Star"

But why does Orion, the meanest, macho-est, man in the sky have a girlie star? He must be in touch with his feminine side...

The brightest star in Orion is actually his left foot, Rigel. Rigel is another Arab-named star meaning, you guessed it, left foot. One of the brightest blue giants, Rigel is a nice contrast to ruddy Betelgeuse.

The three stars in the belt also have Arabic names. From left to right they are Alnitak (the girdle), Alnilam (the string of pearls), and Mintaka (the belt).  "Belt...belt...belt."

Click on the map/picture at the top right for a close up and try to find these stars in Orion this month.
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BOXHENGE AT THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY

 A enigmatic structure appeared suddenly yesterday at the Cincinnati Observatory.  It appears to be a recreation of the famous Stonehenge monument except made entirely out of... boxes.  Was it made by a race of Celtic giants?  Is it Alien in origin?  What civilization could've produced such a thing?  And for what purpose? 

Experts believe that the structure is ceremonial in nature and would draw crowds to witness celestial events.  A "Heel-box" was also erected at the precise place where the Sun would rise from the site on the summer solstice.  This display of astronomical knowledge demonstrates an advanced understanding of the heavens, but beyond a calendar what other mysterious uses does Boxhenge serve?  Cincinnati Observatory staff will continue to examine the site for more clues... 

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Leo the Lion

Spring has sprung in Cincinnati and we can finally focus on the constellations of spring.

The first of the major spring constellations, Leo is recognizable by the six stars which form his head shaped like a backwards question mark - also called the sickle or fishhook. The bright star Regulus is the dot in the question mark and designates this King of the Beasts. The back end of Leo is marked by a triangle of stars - the farthest east being his tail, Denebola.

In Greek mythology, Leo may represent the Nemean Lion which ravaged the Mediterranean countryside long ago. The boldest, bravest hunters were sent out to kill Leo but faced a nearly immortal enemy. Leo had an impenetrable hide. When the hunters shot arrows at the lion, they just bounced off. When they tried stabbing him with the sharpest swords, no cuts could be made.

Hercules comes on the scene to kill the lion as the first of his twelve labors. This is where he shows that he has some brains (unlike the dimmer Orion). Hercules stalks after the killer beast and, at the most opportune moment, leaps onto Leo’s back wrestling him about the neck. Using his mighty muscles, Hercules squeezes and squeezes until Leo the Lion is strangled to death.

But Hercules isn’t all muscles. If you ever see pictures drawn of Hercules, you may notice his un-stylish clothing. After killing the lion, Hercules decided to keep Leo’s hide as a bullet proof jacket. Now he could walk down the street - and people would be shooting arrows at him or throwing knives - without fear. It was grrrrrr-reat.

Question from a smart second grader in the planetarium: “If Leo’s hide could not be cut, how did Hercules make it into a suit?”

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Canis Major, the Big Dog

Orion's hunting companion in the sky, Canis Major or the Big Dog, follows along to the left of the great hunter. Canis Major's brightest star, Sirius, is also the brightest star we can see from Earth. The constellation is extremely easy to find. If you connect the dots of the three stars in Orion's belt and continue that line to the left, you will run into Sirius, the Dog Star.

When Orion was placed up in the sky only to be trampled by the Bull each night (with Seven Sister's on its back), he asked the gods if he could bring his favorite hunting dogs with him to fend off the bull. Unfortunately for him, the dogs don't seem to be helping. The Little Dog (Canis Minor) is chasing after a Unicorn (the constellation Monoceros), while the Big Dog is barking after a little bunny rabbit (the constellation Lepus the Hare) at Orion's feet.

Canis Major's others stars include Mirzam, Wezen, Aludra, Adhara, and Furud - all Arabic names. Mirzam is "The Announcer" since it rises before Sirius crests the evening horizon. But I like Wezen which means "Weight". An old Arab legend says that this star seems heavy in that it rises from the horizon with great difficulty.

Lepus the Hare and Columba the Dove

Below Orion's Feet

This week I'll focus on two fainter constellations that creep low across the southern sky in winter.  The easier one to see is Lepus the Hare who scampers from southeast to southwest below Orion's feet.  Although there is almost no mythology behind this constellation, it dates back to the original 48 star shapes documented by Ptolemy in 150A.D.  It's easy to make out the body of the rabbit - four fairly bright stars mark his body - and with a little imagination you might be able to visualize his front paws jutting out to the right with his ears streaming back to the left. 



The Bunny Rabbit

Lepus' position (below the much brighter Orion) led the Arabs to call this the "Throne of the Central One" (meaning Orion's platform.  Another legend calls the four brightest stars four camels drinking from the nearby river (the constellation Eridanus).  And to the Egyptians it was the boat of their main god/dude Osiris.


Moses' Dove

Below Lepus is a fainter constellation: Columba the Dove.  From Cincinnati, you really can only see Columba in the winter evenings since it barely clears the southern horizon.  If you live farther south (like in Florida), you'll have a better view.  Legend has it that Columba is the starry representation of the dove Moses sent out in search of land during the great flood.  It came back to the ark bearing an olive branch - a sure sign that dry land wasn't far.  Columba first appeared on star charts around 1600 to fill in the space below Orion and below the Hare.

Try to find these small constellations low in the southern sky before they move out for Spring.

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Another Week, Another Crazy Astronomy Story

No, we're not going to have a Second Sun in 2012.



Sorry Luke...

 Last week it was the new zodiac, this week it's about Betelgeuse.  Have you heard about this?  A Senior Lecturer of Physics at the University of Southern Queensland, Dr. Brad Carter unleashed another media frenzy when he talked to a reporter about this star's impending destruction.  The article, picked up by everyone across the globe claims wrongly that the supernova of Betelgeuse (Orion's red-giant armpit star) will give us two Suns, a la the fictional planet from Star Wars, Tatooine.  My reaction, "Balderdash... pure balderdash".

What they got wrong:

1) Betelgeuse is the second largest known star in the universe.  Wrong -  it ranks around 10th in our galaxy.

2) It could go supernova as early as 2012.  Wrong - it go go any day, but there is no new evidence saying it will go by 2012.  This infamous date was added for effect (bravo reporter, sarcastic clap clap).  We will have no warning about it.  It could go today or 1,000 years from now.

3) When Betelgeuse explodes it will be as bright as the Sun and there will be no night for days.  Wrong - astronomers estimate that it will be no brighter than a full moon and won't appear that large.  From past accounts of supernovas, it should be bright enough to be visible in the day time - like a really, really bright star, and not bright enough to vanquish nighttime.

4) This will affect the Earth.  Wrong - Betelgeuse is so far away (over 600 light years) that the radiation, gamma rays, and other nasty stuff won't reach the Earth. 

Tycho's Supernova

The eventual exploding of Betelgeuse is not news.  I'm hopeful that it will explode in my lifetime, but I'm not holding my breath.  We're definitely due for a bright supernova.  The last two bright enough to be visible day and night were in 1572 and 1604.  (Those guys in the Renaissance had all the luck!).  The Supernova of 1572 was described in great detail by Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer and loser of a nose in a mathematics-themed sword fight.  It shows up on old stars charts in the constellation Cassiopeia.  The Supernova of 1604 is often called Kepler's Supernova from the German astronomer Johannes Kepler, who came out of Brahe's shadow to become the leading astronomer of the 1600s.  Both of these supernovas blazed for weeks.  I can't wait to see one... any day now ;)

"Two Suns?" what poppycock!
Signed,
The Crabby Astronomer
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Scorpius the Scorpion

Orion the mighty hunter was quite a braggart. He boasted that he could conquer any man, woman or beast on Earth and even tested the power of the gods. His vanity was so great that the goddess Hera created a vicious scorpion to humble Orion. Scorpius bit Orion on the foot and killed him with poison. Thus the mightiest warrior was slain by one of the tiniest creatures. O! how the gods laughed at that one! Orion still looms large in the winter sky - but hides from the Scorpion in the summer. Legend has it that Orion never wanted to see that awful scorpion again so they are never in the sky at the same time.

Scorpius lies low in the southern sky on summer evenings. He has three stars almost in a line just like Orion has in his belt. These three stars mark Scorpio’s head and two claws. A little down and to the left is Scorpio’s brightest star, ANTARES. Antares is a red supergiant star. In fact, it is one of the largest known stars in the galaxy. If Antares was our sun, it would fill up the entire orbit of Mars. We would be burned up inside it! But luckily Antares is 330 light years away.

Antares marks Scorpio’s heart and may even appear to be beating in the sky. It is a Greek word meaning “Rival of Mars,” because it is so red just like Mars. The Chinese called it the “Fire Star” for the same reason.

Follow Scorpio’s body down to the left and then the stars will start to curve upward. This is the scorpion’s tail and stinger that killed mighty Orion. The last star on the tail is a bright one called SHAULA, which means “The Sting” in Arabic.

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