Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Thursday, September 27th.  The sun will rise at 7:36.  It’ll be up for 11 hours and 53 minutes, setting at 7:29.   The moon, 2 days before full, will set at 6:06 tomorrow morning.

The Big Dipper is swooping low in the northwestern sky in the evening now.  The Big Dipper is not a constellation but part of the Great Bear for most peoples, and is enshrined by the International Astronomical Union as Ursa Major.  To some of the Anishinabek peoples native to our region the stars of the Big Dipper belonged to a small weasel like animal call the Fisher.  In a story I can’t relate here Fisher brought summer to the earth, and for his trouble was killed by an arrow to his only vulnerable spot, his tail.  The Great Spirit would not let Fisher fall to earth, but placed him in the sky.  His rising in the northeast signals the coming of spring, and when his bloody tail brushes the horizon in autumn his blood paints the maple trees red.

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

Addendum

The Fisher heads towards the northern horizon. Created using Stellarium and an unknown artist which I took liberties with.

The Fisher is also known as the Fisher Star  (Ojiig’anung).  I’ll have my version of the story posted soon.

The Fisher heads towards the northern horizon.  Created using Stellarium and an unknown artist which I took liberties with.