Home > Constellations, Ephemeris Program, Mythology > 04/13/2012 – Ephemeris – The story of Boötes and Ursa Major

04/13/2012 – Ephemeris – The story of Boötes and Ursa Major

April 13, 2012

Ephemeris for Friday, April 13th.  The sun will rise at 7:01.  It’ll be up for 13 hours and 24 minutes, setting at 8:25.   The moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 3:37 tomorrow morning.

Rising higher in the eastern sky at 10 p.m. tonight is the kite shaped constellation of Boötes the herdsman.  The bright star Arcturus is at the bottom of the kite, pointed to by the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper, much higher in the east north east.  In one story Boötes represents a young hunter named Arcas, son of Callisto, a beautiful young lady who had the misfortune of being loved by Zeus the chief Greek god.  Zeus’ wife Hera, found out about it, and since she couldn’t punish Zeus, turned Callisto into an ugly bear.  Arcas, unaware of why his mother disappeared in his youth was about to kill the bear when Zeus intervened and placed them both in the sky.  Now Arcas as Boötes chases the Great Bear (Ursa Major) forever around the pole of the sky each night.

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

Addendum

Bootes & Ursa Major at 10 p.m. on April 13, 2012. Created using Stellarium.

Boötes & Ursa Major at 10 p.m. on April 13, 2012. Created using Stellarium.

The constellation artist for Stellarium has Boötes facing the wrong way for my story to work.  Officially Boötes is the herdsman.

Categories: Constellations, Ephemeris Program, Mythology Tags: , ,