Last week we explored the Big Dipper, this week let’s get to know the Little Dipper. As the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper is often confused for the whole constellation, but it is only the brightest part of the constellation. This is called an asterism. The prominent stars in Ursa Minor constellation form the Little Dipper, but they are not the only stars in the constellation.
As mentioned in the last couple of weeks, the Big Dipper can be used to find the Little Dipper. Do this by drawing an imaginary line drawn between the two outer stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper, called Merak and Dubhe. When the line is extended pass Dubhe, it points to the next bright star, which is Polaris. According to www.Constellation-Guide.com, the Little Dipper is important in navigation because of its brightest star, Polaris also known as the North Star. Polaris is the nearest, bright star to the north pole. The star’s angle above the horizon can also be used to find your latitude on Earth, which makes the North Star exceptionally useful to sailors. For observers near the equator, Polaris appears near the horizon. It really is a multiple star system, consisting of the main star, two smaller companion stars and two more distant components. Also mentioned last week, the Big and Little Dippers swing around the Polaris. However, they aren’t the only ones; actually all the stars rotate around Polaris.
According to www.Constellation-Guide.com, Thales of Miletus created Ursa Minor around the year 600 B.C. from stars that previously marked the wings of Draco, the Dragon. The Draco constellation still loops around Ursa Minor in the sky. Thales created the new constellation after Phoenician sailors had showed him how to use the stars of the Little Dipper to find north. Because the seven bright stars of the Little Dipper point the way north, the Latin word for “north” is septentrio, derived from “septem triones” or seven oxen.
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In the early myths, the seven stars that form the Little Dipper represented the Hesperides, the nymphs who were tasked with guarding Hera’s orchard where immortality-giving apples grew. The nymphs occasionally plucked from the grove and Hera placed Ladon, a never-sleeping dragon with a hundred heads, to keep an eye on them. Ladon is represented by the neighboring constellation Draco. Heracles killed the dragon and stole the golden apples as part of his eleventh labor.
Next week we will learn more about the stars in the Little Dipper but now it’s time to talk about meteor showers. Have you noticed any shooting stars lately? Over the next few weeks, everyone should be able to catch a glimpse of one since according to the American Meteor Society, we are in the midst of three meteor showers. First there is the Delta Aquarids, which started on July 12 and goes all the way until Aug. 23. It is best seen from the southern tropics so look south to see this one. This meteor show will peak on July 28 but the moon will be more than half full, which will interfere with the show. Your best bet is to try to watch the show over the weekend since the moon won’t be a full and will be setting around 12:30 a.m. instead of 1 a.m., as it will on July 28.
The other meteor shower going on is the Alpha Capricornids. It actually started back on July 3 and will go until Aug. 15. This shower is not very strong and rarely produces in excess of five shooting stars per hour. What is notable about this shower is the number of bright fireballs produced during its activity period. This shower is seen equally well on either side of the equator. It will peak on Aug. 11.
Lastly, the most popular and biggest meteor shower just started on July 17 and will go until Aug. 24. Rates for this shower are as many as 50 to 75 meteors per hour from rural locations. This one peaks on Aug. 12.
Look Up appears in the weekend edition. If you have any astronomical questions or facts you’d like to share email news@smdailyjournal.com with the subject line “Look Up.”
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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