Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Monday, October 27th.  The sun will rise at 8:13.  It’ll be up for 10 hours and 25 minutes, setting at 6:38.   The moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 9:38 this evening.

Visible low in the east at 10 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 will soon rise over 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.

Addendum

The Pleiades, about what you’d see in binoculars.

Looking to the east northeast at the Pleiades: 9 p.m. on October 27th. Created using Stellarium,

The Greek Pleiades a painting by Elihu Vedder in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain.

Legend of Devils Tower Credit: Indian Country Today Media Network

This is the illustration from http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/article/the-legend-of-devils-tower-3273