Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Monday, December 6th.  The sun will rise at 8:04.  It’ll be up for 8 hours and 57 minutes, setting at 5:02.   The moon, 1 day past new, will set at 5:55 this evening.

Visible in the east in the evening sky can be spotted a small group of stars.  It’s called the Pleiades or Seven Sisters.  The Pleiades are really spectacular when seen in binoculars.  It is remarkable that both the Greeks and the American Plains Indians saw this group as female stars fleeing from danger.  In the former case they were fleeing the constellation Orion the giant hunter of the winter sky who is nearer the eastern horizon, and in the latter case a giant bear.  Legend has it that the maidens fled to the top of Devils Tower in Wyoming.  It’s said that the claw marks of this bear are seen in the walls of the tower.  The maidens were then spirited from the top of the tower to the heavens, where we see them today.  Whichever story you like the Pleiades is worth searching for.

* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.