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.”
So let’s finally do some star gazing! It’s the perfect time since we’re having a mild winter and the moon is entering its final phase. If you look to the east, one of the most famous pointing constellations is clearly visible, looking almost like a question mark. This is the Big Dipper. According to Night Sky Interlude, the Big Dipper is actually part of a bigger constellation called Ursa Major, better known as the Great Bear.
Back in July, both the Big and Little dippers were discussed in great detail. This time we’re going to use the Big Dipper to point to another constellation that hasn’t been discussed yet. You might recall that the outside of the “bowl” of the dipper points to Polaris. This would the first two stars at the top. This is obvious when you’re standing anywhere in town and with all the light pollution because it’s pointing to the next bright star. (If you’re some place where dark, then look for the next brightest star.) Then if you continue in the same direction pass Polaris, you’ll see a group of stars that looks like a sideways W, this constellation is called Cassiopeia.
According to Constellation-Guide.com, the stars, from top to bottom, are Segin or Epsilon Cassiopeiae, Ruchbah also known as Delta Cassiopeiae, Gamma Cassiopeiae, Schedar or Alpha Cassiopeiae and Caph, also called Beta Cassiopeiae.
While according to EarthSky.com, Cassiopeia used to be known as Cassiopeia’s Chair. In the 1930s, the International Astronomical Union gave this constellation the official name of Cassiopeia the Queen.
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Cassiopeia was a queen in ancient Greek mythology. According to legend, she boasted she was more beautiful than the sea nymphs called the Nereids. This angered the sea nymphs who appealed to Poseidon, god of the sea. He sent a sea monster, Cetus, to ravage the kingdom. To try to appease the Poseidon, Cassiopeia’s daughter, Princess Andromeda, was left tied to a rock by the sea. Cetus was about to devour her when Perseus the hero, who just happened to be passing by while flying on Pegasus, rescued the princess, and all lived happily! This story may sound familiar if you ever seen the movie, “Wrath of the Titans.”
The gods were so pleased, that all of them were elevated to the heavens as stars. Only Cassiopeia suffered an indignity – her vanity caused her to be bound to a chair and placed in the heavens so that, as she revolves around the north star, Polaris. Sometimes she’s in an upside-down position. It’s then that the Lady of the Chair, as she is sometimes called, is said to hang on for dear life. If Cassiopeia the Queen lets go, she will drop from the sky into the ocean below, where the Nereids are waiting.
We will explore the stars in this constellation more closely next week.
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.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.