Archive
09/30/2013 – Ephemeris – The constellation of Cassiopeia the queen
Ephemeris for Monday, September 30th. The sun will rise at 7:39. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 44 minutes, setting at 7:24. The moon, half way from last quarter to new, will rise at 4:07 tomorrow morning.
The stars of the autumn skies slowly are replacing the summer stars from the east. Look in the northeastern sky by 9 p.m. and you can find the W shaped constellation of Cassiopeia the queen. Cassiopeia is so far north that it never sets for us in Michigan. It is opposite the pole star Polaris from the Big Dipper. There’s a dim star that appears above the middle star of the W which turns the W into a very crooked backed chair. Cassiopeia, in Greek mythology, represents a queen of ancient Ethiopia, the W represents the profile of her throne. She enters in to the great autumn story whose other characters are also seen in the stars as the constellations Andromeda, Pegasus, Perseus, Cetus and her husband Cepheus.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Cassiopeis, in the northeast is opposite Polaris from the Big Dipper. For 9 p.m. on September 30th. Created using Stellarium. Artistic credit: Johan Meuris. Click to enlarge.
09/26/2013 – Ephemeris – The Milky Way is crossing overhead
Ephemeris for Thursday, September 26th. The sun will rise at 7:34. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 57 minutes, setting at 7:31. The moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 12:17 tomorrow morning. | At 10 this evening the Milky Way will pass directly overhead. The bright star Deneb of the Summer Triangle and at the head of the Northern Cross is directly overhead at that time. Deneb is incidentally the tail of Cygnus the swan. The Milky Way stretches from the northeast to the southwest where the Teapot of Sagittarius is tipping, pouring out its tea on the horizon. The Milky Way can be enjoyed with the naked eye, binoculars or telescope. With the naked eye, we see it as the pre-scientific cultures did. The Milky way was a pathway of milk, the path that the American Indian warriors journeyed to the hereafter, the stars their camp fires shining in the night. In reality it is what we can see of our galaxy.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Milky Way crosses the sky overhead at 10 p.m., September 26, 2013. Horizon to horizon view. Created using Stellarium.
09/03/2013 – Ephemeris – The constellation of Pegasus the flying horse
Ephemeris for Tuesday, September 3rd. The sun will rise at 7:07. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 7 minutes, setting at 8:14. The moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 6:20 tomorrow morning.
A reminder that the end of summer is approaching is located in the east around 10 p.m. It’s one of the great autumn constellations: Pegasus the flying horse of Greek myth. Its most visible feature is a large square of four stars, now standing on one corner. This feature, called the Great Square of Pegasus, represents the front part of the horse’s body. The horse is quite aerobatic, because it is seen flying upside down. Remembering that fact, the neck and head is a bent line of stars emanating from the right corner star of the square. Its front legs can be seen in a gallop extending to the upper right from the top star of the square. In Mythology Pegasus was born of the blood of Medusa, decapitated by the hero Perseus, seen as a constellation rising in the northeast.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Pegasus image in the stars at 10 p.m. September 3, 2013. Created using Stellarium. Drawing by Johan Meuris.
08/06/2013 – Ephemeris – The constellation of Sagittarius: centaur or teapot?
Ephemeris for Tuesday, August 6th. The sun rises at 6:34. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 26 minutes, setting at 9:00. The moon is new today, and won’t be visible.
The Milky Way runs from north to south through the heavens at 11 p.m. You’ll notice that the Milky Way is brighter and broader just above the horizon in the south. In that glow in the south is a star pattern that looks like a stout little teapot, with a bright stream of the Milky Way rising from the spout, which faces the west. This pattern of stars is the major part of the constellation called Sagittarius. According to Greek mythology Sagittarius is a centaur with a bow and arrow poised to shoot Scorpius the scorpion to the right. This centaur is named Chiron, the most learned of the breed, centaurs usually being a rowdy bunch. The center of the pin wheel of our galaxy lies hidden beyond the stars near the spout of the teapot.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Location of the center of the Milky Way behind gas and dust clouds and the Teapot of Sagittarius.
Sagittarius and Scorpius at 11 p.m. on August 6, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
07/11/2013 – Ephemeris – Ophiuchus the serpent bearer
Ephemeris for Thursday, July 11th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 19 minutes, setting at 9:27. The moon, 3 days past new, will set at 10:56 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:09.
The crescent moon will appear to the right of the planet Venus before 10:45 p.m. Tonight. The red star Antares shines in the south at 11 p.m. In the area of sky above it lies a large constellation of faint stars called Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer. Ophiuchus represent the legendary physician Aesculapius. The constellation shape is like a large bell, which reminds me of the head, shoulders and arms of a fellow that’s holding the snake like a weight lifter struggling to pull up a heavy barbell. Serpens, the constellation of the serpent is in the sky in two sections. The front end lies to the right as Serpens Caput, and wends its way up the right side of Ophiuchus. Serpens Cauda, the tail rises to the left of Ophiuchus. It’s a rewarding sight, and not that hard to spot.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Ophiuchus and Serpens at 11 p.m.. Created using Stellarium.
07/09/2013 – Ephemeris – Thank goodness this is as close as scorpions get to northern Michigan
Ephemeris for Tuesday, July 9th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 21 minutes, setting at 9:28. The moon, 1 day past new, will set at 9:58 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:07.
Crawling just above the southern horizon at 11 p.m. is the zodiacal constellation of Scorpius the scorpion. His heart is the red giant star Antares. Its facing the west or right with a short arc of three stars as its head. His body and tail drop to the left and scrape the horizon before curving up to the critter’s poisonous stinger of two stars. It really makes a great scorpion. One story of the scorpion concerns Orion the hunter the great winter constellation. In that story Orion was killed by the sting of a scorpion. Therefore Orion and Scorpius are never seen in the sky at the same time. That is certainly true around here and for the Greeks, whose legend it is. However if one travels far enough south that is no longer true.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Scorpius at 11 p.m. on July 9, 2013. Credit Stellarium. I don’t agree with the artist’s drawing of the scorpion. To me it’s larger. The arc of three stars in the drawing’s right claw to me is its head and start of the claw appendages. I’ve added two star names from the constellation of Libra to the right. The Arabic translation of Zubeneschamali and Zubenelgenubi is North Claw and South Claw respectively. At one time Scorpius was larger than it is depicted today. Click on the image to enlarge.
07/02/2013 – Ephemeris – Lyra the harp in Greek mythology
Ephemeris for Tuesday, July 2nd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 29 minutes, setting at 9:31. The moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 2:45 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:02.
High in the east at 11 p.m. can be found a bright star just above a small, narrow, but very distinctive parallelogram of stars. They are the stars of the constellation Lyra the harp. The bright star is Vega the 5th brightest night-time star. To the Romans the star Vega represented a falling eagle or vulture. Apparently they never made the distinction between the two. It is a pure white star and serves as a calibration star for color and brightness. The harp, according to Greek mythology, was invented by the god Hermes. The form of the harp in the sky, is as he had invented it: by stretching strings across a tortoise-shell. Hermes gave it to his half-brother Apollo, who in turn gave it to the great musician Orpheus.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Lyra as a tortoise-shell harp. Created using Stellarium and free clip art.
Annotated Lyra:
Magnified view of Lyra. Created using Stellarium.
06/03/2013 – Ariadne’s crown is our Corona Borealis
Ephemeris for Monday, June 3rd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 23 minutes, setting at 9:22. The moon, 3 days past last quarter, will rise at 3:36 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:58.
Here we go, starting Ephemeris’ 39th trip around the sun with the constellation of Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. In the east at 11 this evening it can be seen as small nearly circular constellation. It is just below and left of Boötes, the kite shaped constellation off the handle of the Big Dipper. According to Greek myth the crown was given by the god Dionysus to the princess Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete. The crown is more like a tiara with the bright star Gemma also known as Alphecca at the front. While stars suggest that the crown is diamond studded, the meaning of Gemma, a blossom suggests to me that Corona Borealis is a floral crown. It is known in many lands as many different things.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Corona Borealis with Boötes. Created with Stellarium.
05/30/2013 – Ephemeris – The constellation of the harvest, Virgo
Ephemeris for Thursday, May 30th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 17 minutes, setting at 9:19. The moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 1:42 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:00.
Tonight in the sky: to the south, with the bright Saturn to the left of the bright star Spica is the constellation and member of the of the zodiac: Virgo the virgin. Virgo is a large constellation of a reclining woman holding a stalk of wheat. The bright star in the center of the constellation, Spica, is the head of that spike of wheat; and as such it ruled over the harvest in two of Virgo’s guises as the goddesses Persephone and Ceres. Virgo is also identified as Astraea the goddess of justice. The constellation of Libra, the scales, which she is associated with, is found just east of her low in the southeast. Early Christians saw Virgo as the Virgin Mary. Virgo is the host to a grand cluster of galaxies.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Virgo, Saturn and Libra at 11 p.m. on May 30, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
05/28/2013 – Ephemeris – Boötes the bear chaser
Ephemeris for Tuesday, May 28th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 9:17. The moon, half way from full to last quarter, will rise at 12:34 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:02.
Appearing high in the southeastern sky at 10:30 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, overhead. 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 forever around the pole of the sky each day and night.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Bootes and Ursa Major high overhead on late spring evenings at 11 p.m. Created using Stellarium.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 