Archive
06/02/2014 – Ephemeris – The Big Dipper points to other stars and constellations
Ephemeris for Monday, June 2nd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 21 minutes, setting at 9:21. The moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 12:41 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:59.
The Big Dipper points to other stars and constellations. Right now the Big Dipper is nearly overhead. The front bowl stars point to Polaris, the North Star which never seems to move in the sky. The handle can be used to find two stars. First follow the arc of the handle away from the bowl to find the fourth brightest night time star Arcturus in the base of the kite shaped constellation of Boötes. Straighten the arc to a spike and continue to the south and you will come to the bright blue-white star Spica in Virgo the virgin. Don’t confuse it with reddish Mars to the right of it now. You can remember these stars with the phrase “Follow the arc of the handle to Arcturus and then spike to Spica”
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Big Dipper can be used to point to other stars and constellations in the spring sky. Credit: My LookingUp program.
05/29/2014 – Ephemeris – Boötes the Herdsman
Ephemeris for Thursday, May 29th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 15 minutes, setting at 9:18. The moon, 1 day past new, will set at 10:04 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:01.
High in the south southeastern sky at 10:30 tonight can be found the kite shaped constellation of Boötes the herdsman, chasing or herding the Great Bear Ursa Major of which the Big Dipper is the hind end, across the sky. The bright star at the base of the kite is the 4th brightest night-time star Arcturus. It can be found and name remembered by first locating the Big Dipper and by following the arc or curve of the handle to Arcturus. This star is an orange-colored giant star, 37 light years away. Its light was used open the 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair believing its light left the star in 1893 the year of the previous Chicago Worlds Fair. It turns out that Arcturus is 3 light years closer than what they thought.
Addendum
Bootes and Ursa Major high overhead on late spring evenings at 11 p.m. Created using Stellarium.
11/07/2013 – Ephemeris – The Big Dipper’s lowest appearance in the north
Ephemeris for Thursday, November 7th. The sun will rise at 7:28. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 54 minutes, setting at 5:23. The moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 9:32 this evening.
The entire Big Dipper is at its lowest in the sky at 9 p.m. with the Dipper’s bowl centered due north under the pole star Polaris. The southernmost star of the Big Dipper is the star at the tip of the handle, named Alkaid. Alkaid will be at its lowest at 11:20 this evening, 4 degrees above the horizon for Traverse City, so is circumpolar, meaning it doesn’t set in the IPR (Interlochen Public Radio) listening area. The star name is Arabic and means something like the Chief of the daughters mourning at the Bier. The bier is the bowl of the dipper supporting, I suppose, the body of their father or mother. To the Anishinabek native peoples around here the Big Dipper was the Fisher or Fisher Star, a weasel like creature, whose bloody tail swept over the maple trees, turning their leaves red.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Big Dipper low in the north at 9 p.m. November 7, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
Fisher Star paints the autumn trees red at 11:20 p.m. November 7, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
For the story of the Fisher Star click here.
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.
09-24-2013 – Ephemeris – The dragon in the sky
Ephemeris for Tuesday, September 24th. The sun will rise at 7:32. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 3 minutes, setting at 7:35. The moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 10:40 this evening.
High in the northern sky at 9 p.m. lies a twisted constellation, that of Draco the dragon. This dragon is more like the snakelike Chinese dragon than the dinosaur like dragon of European legend. At least that’s how I see it. I find it better to start at the tail of Draco, to trace him out in the stars. Draco’s tail starts between the bowl of the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. The Dragon is seen in a line of stars that extends parallel to the handle of the Big Dipper before curving around the bowl of the Little Dipper to the east then bends back toward the west. The head of Draco is an odd box of stars near the bright star Vega, nearly overhead. Though not made up of very bright stars, Draco has an easy shape to trace.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Draco and neighboring constellations at 9 .m. September 24, 2013. Created using Stellarium. Constellation art by Johan Meuris.
05/14/2013 – Ephemeris – How to find two bright spring stars.
Ephemeris for Tuesday, May 14th. Today the sun will be up for 14 hours and 47 minutes, setting at 9:02. The moon, 4 days before first quarter, will set at 12:48 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:14.
The Big Dipper, now pretty much overhead points to several stars and constellations. It’s handle points to two bright stars. First we follow the arc of the handle to the bright orange star Arcturus, the 4th brightest night time star. The reason I say night time is that the sun is a star also but by definition is not out at night. The arc to Arcturus is a how to find Arcturus and a clue to its name. Arcturus, high in the east southeast, lies at the base point of the kite shaped constellation of Boötes the herdsman. From Arcturus, straighten out the arc to a spike and one soon arrives at Spica a blue-white star in Virgo the virgin, now low in the southeast. Saturn is to its left this year. Spica is also sometimes pronounced “Speeka”.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
My program that shows the arc to Arcturus and spike to Spica.
A more realistic view of the same part of the sky. Created using Stellarium.
04/11/2013 – Ephemeris – The Big Dipper and Ursa Major the Great Bear
Ephemeris for Thursday, April 11th. The sun will rise at 7:04. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 17 minutes, setting at 8:22. The moon, 1 day past new, will set at 10:01 this evening.
The Big Dipper is now nearly overhead in the northeast at 10 p.m. The seven bright stars are second to Orion in the west as the seven brightest stars in a constellation. If you looked up a list of constellations, you’d find that the Big Dipper isn’t there. Ursa Major or the Great Bear is the constellation of which the Big Dipper is a part. The seven bright stars of the dipper is the rump and long tail of this constellation. The rest of the bear, including his head and legs are delineated by dimmer stars. An anatomical problem is its long tail, which was drawn in by the ancients of the old world. Many Native Americans, also saw a bear in the stars here, but the handle of the dipper became three hunters following the bear.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Big Dipper part of Ursa Major with Leo right below in spill range. This is for 10 p.m. on April 11, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
01/21/2013 – Ephemeris – MLK Day, Jupiter above the Moon tonight
Ephemeris for Martin Luther King Day and Inauguration Day, Monday, January 21st. The sun will rise at 8:11. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 24 minutes, setting at 5:36. The moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 4:33 tomorrow morning.
Today is the holiday commemorating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his struggle for civil rights. Today we will have the second inauguration of the first African American President. Another chapter in the struggle for the equality of all people. Back before the Civil War, runaway slaves used the stars to steer their flight northward. The prominent pattern of northern stars that aided their journey was the Drinking Gourd. We know it as the Big Dipper. which is starting to rise higher in the northeast. Also in the sky tonight the planet Jupiter will appear above the moon, their closest approach will be at 10:30 p.m. For us closest approach will be at 2 moon diameters. A couple of thousand miles south of here the moon will cover the planet.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Jupiter and the moon at 10:30 p.m. January 21, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
The story of the Fisher Star
The Anishinaabe peoples have lived in the Great Lakes area since way before the coming of the Europeans. They are comprised of the Ojibwe, Ottawa, Chippewa and even Algonquin tribes. While some did see a bear in the stars and around the Big Dipper sans tail. Most of the stories concern the Fisher or Fisher Star.
The Fisher Star in Autumn painting the leaves with his tail. Created using Stellarium and other sources.
By the way, the thee stars of the handle of the Big Dipper were hunters that were following the bear. The hunter denoted by the star Mizar at the bend in the handle of the dipper had a dog with him, the star we call Alcor, that make it an intriguing double for folks with good eyesight.
Fisher is supposed to be a weasel-like animal, intelligent, and a great hunter. He lived in a world that was snow covered and cold year round, where food was scarce. Perhaps this story is a cultural remembrance of the last glaciation period. Contrary to his name Fisher didn’t fish.
One day his son came to him with a request to bring summer, for he was cold and hungry. Fisher decided to somehow get to Skyland and tap into its warmth. He brought together his three bravest friends for the journey: Otter, Lynx, and Wolverine. They set out to seek the tallest mountains so they could reach Skyland.
When they had climbed the tallest mountain they found that Skyland was just out of reach. If they could only crack through. Otter tried first. He jumped first and bounced off. He fell back and slid completely down the mountain on his belly. It was so much fun that this is what otters do to this day. The lynx tried. He jumped up and hit his head and was knocked unconscious.
The wolverine was persistent. He jumped time after time and was finally able to chew a hole in the base of Skyland. When it was large enough he scampered through. Fisher was sure the hole wasn’t large enough, and that the inhabitants of Skyland would soon cover it up. So he chewed and chewed, enlarging the hole so the Skyland people couldn’t cover it for more than half the year.
As he was finishing up the hole the Skyland people discovered him. He boasted to them; “I am Fisher, the great hunter, you cannot catch me.” he jumped to the nearest tree and climbed to the top. The sky people shot arrows at him, but he had a special power making him impervious to arrows except for a particular spot on his tail. Kind of an Achilles tail, to mix my legends. Well, after some time the sky people got wise to Fisher’s protections and an arrow found the vulnerable spot in his tail and he fell out of the tree. Before Fisher’s body could fall to the ground the Great Spirit, Gitchee Manitou, caught him and placed him in the night sky to herald the seasons Fisher had created for the earth. In the sky Fisher’s tail is the handle of the Big Dipper. Tiny Alcor signifies the spot where the arrow hit. Every fall as Fisher’s tail passes over the northern horizon the blood in his wound paints the autumn leaves red. In late winter as he rises again in the northeast it is time to begin tapping the maple trees.
Sources: Keepers of the Earth, by Michael Caduto and Joseph Bruchac, and Anishinaabe Star Knowledge by Michael Wassegijig Price. Thanks also to Nodwese Red Bear.
04/13/2012 – Ephemeris – The story of Boötes and Ursa Major
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
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.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 