Can you believe it is almost the end of February?
The weather has been uncooperative this weekend, but I'm not really complaining. The winter-like weather out here in the desert Southwest is a welcome respite from the normal hot and dry days that are offered up by the Sonoran Desert. Black rolling clouds in the sky give way to wonderfully blustery winds that caress your face, and an occasional sprinkle or two. The evening cools down significantly and brings a quiet darkness that envelops the cacti and other desert flora. Friday evening's Full Moon hid behind this blackened curtain and shone brightly as the Full Snow Moon (well, as close to snow as you can get out here in the Southwest, I guess.) Remember I mentioned that I'd keep you in the know about the monthly Full Moon names? Well, February's moon is the full snow moon, since the heaviest snows were known to usually fall during this month to the native tribes. Some tribes also knew this moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions made hunting very difficult.
I thought also that it would be fun to discuss a few of the myths of the Full Moon this month, as company is visiting and I am not as able to disappear into the night on star strolls or stargazing expeditions. My in-laws, wife Cassandra, and I watched The Wolfman the night of the Full Moon and this sparked my curiosity as to how a myth such as werewolves came to be. So, I imagine that the symbolism of the moon certainly has some bearing on this. The moon truly idealizes the time of sleep and dreaming, of darkness and mysticism, and of the secrets of the unseen and unconscious. So the dark night brought about the imagination, the focus on the unknown and secret, and was known as an eerie mystic eyeglass to the spiritual nature of humankind.
The moon also was seen as a time piece; the changing of phases of the moon was certainly of great interest to past civilizations, which saw this large white orb in the sky and made many tales out of the phases of the moon, from a great monster swallowing the moon and regurgitating it, to a great clock in the sky which told the stories of the swift changes of life (from birth, to fullness and fertility in the Full Moon, to death in the dark or New Moon.) It was seen as the feminine counterpart of the Sun, and was also positioned in many tales of powerful pairs in the celestial myths. The twin god and goddess Apollo and Artemis is the Greek counterpart of these new bright orbs in the sky, the two celestial beings that herald in and excuse the Sun and Moon in the daily dance of the day. It has also been personified as "the Man in the Moon," looking above and seeing what appears to be a human face smiling down back at us.
The Moon was also known to sway the tides, and was given the distinction of having great influence on human behavior. The human body, comprised of a good amount of water, has been suggested to be swayed by the Moon. This is supposedly shown as true by studies identifying swiftly changing behaviors, such as madness, lunacy, and aggression. There is the idea that crimes committed become more aggressive. The psychiatric hospitals become fuller. That more babies are born because of the Moon's influence. It is funny because many studies have been conducted that show no conclusive truthful evidence, but I am a believer as I have worked in a psychiatric hospital and seen first-hand that there appears to be some coincidental pattern of acuity becoming greater during a full moon.
Ancient cultures adopted the idea of superstitions that gave the Moon such power as being able to drive a person mad, and become sick with moon-madness, or moonstruck. The Moon was able to not only strike madness in a person, but intense love and beauty and romance as well. "When the Moon hits your eye...like a big pizza pie...THAT'S AMORE!" All I can think of is either Cher in the movie or Lady and the Tramp sitting and eating spaghetti!
So, put these Moon myths together and we get the synthesis of the werewolf: darkness of the spirit in the human condition (aggression and bestial and primal tendencies that are secret and hidden during the day), being struck by the Moon with a curse (being turned into a wolf beast, based on the changing cycle of the Moon), and lastly of creatures of the night (a fascination with the mystic, grotesque, and misunderstood.) We humans have quite the imaginations, don't we?
Be careful of that Moon friend!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
#6 A Celestial River, A Beautiful Galaxy and A Double Cluster
So this has been a wonderful day; and, cap it off with a wonderful viewing of some of the late winter gems in the night sky with beloved family. My in-laws are out visiting, and my father in law Mike took an instant interest in the "Big Daddy" of telescopes, my 8" Dobosian. So, we started with viewing the planet Jupiter in the western horizon. Our solar system planets endorsed the Roman names, I wonder why? Imagine calling Jupiter Zeus? That, I think, would be kind of neat, but Jupiter does have a royal sound to it. So, our largest planet is aptly named after the stormy and gas-filled god of Olympus. Jupiter boasts up to three red spots, immense gas storms with intense winds and lightning (Zeus' trademark.) Through my telescope it appears as a small sphere with multi-color bands. Brown, tan, and yellow bands give Jupiter its distinct color. Four "bright stars" complete the viewing: the four Galilean moons Io, Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede.
The nice surprise of tonight was that Uranus was close by. This was my first time being able to see Uranus. Uranus and Neptune are really just for being able to say that you saw a small greenish speck in the sky, something like a star that does not twinkle. And, of course, my family had fun with all the Uranus jokes! Uranus is the grandfather of Zeus, god of the sky and heavens, and husband of Gaea/Gaia, the goddess Earth and the father of Saturn/Cronus, the god of time and agriculture. I will expand on the other planets as I view them. Do you know what god Pluto is? Hades, the god of the underworld and darkness, probably perhaps because it is so far out in the solar system it is in the icy shadowy darkness.
We then viewed the Orion Nebula M42; I am now jazzed up to get myself a set of filters for the telescope, especially an OIII filter to sharpen the contrast on nebulae. My mother in law and I found a few for sale which are certainly now on my wish list. My mother in law Cheryl then prompted us to take a look at the Pleides M45, the most noticed open star cluster in the night sky.
Then enter a beautiful spiral galaxy: Andromeda (M31/32) Take a moment to take a look above. The galaxy is the closest to us to view, and on a collision course with the Milky Way galaxy. The viewing was very clear, even with the waxing Moon and light pollution. Once again, I believe the filter would be able to bring further contract to the core and arms of the spiral galaxy. My father in law Mike made the comment that it "blew his mind that we are looking at light that was generated at the time of the dinosaurs." This is quite profound, and true in some cases, especially viewing the Virgo galaxy cluster. The light and/or stars we are viewing may already be dead by the time the light reaches us; hard to imagine huh?
Lastly, we shared a well-known twin star cluster known only as the Double Cluster. Surprisingly, this magnificent deep-sky object is not cataloged in the Messier objects, as Messier had started the catalog to help guide scientists from mistaking deep-sky objects for comets. These clusters are available for viewing as well to the naked eye in dark rural areas, and a nice way to ponder the density and vastness of the universe. I usually describe them as "two buckshots" or "two scatter plots."
I really enjoyed being able to spend time with my family and share my love of the stars. It was quite the gift. The day before I had planned just to share about Eridanus, the Celestial River that is not well known and usually glanced over; a very dim constellation that runs North to South, starting at Orion's foot and ending in the Southern Hemisphere. If you are able to trace the Northern part of the river, you have great eyesight.
I was not sure how much time I would have to share my stargazing, but enjoyed the time and support given by my family to my interests, and the time spent together. Now I know that truly, love is "Universe-al." Happy Valentine's Day everyone.
The nice surprise of tonight was that Uranus was close by. This was my first time being able to see Uranus. Uranus and Neptune are really just for being able to say that you saw a small greenish speck in the sky, something like a star that does not twinkle. And, of course, my family had fun with all the Uranus jokes! Uranus is the grandfather of Zeus, god of the sky and heavens, and husband of Gaea/Gaia, the goddess Earth and the father of Saturn/Cronus, the god of time and agriculture. I will expand on the other planets as I view them. Do you know what god Pluto is? Hades, the god of the underworld and darkness, probably perhaps because it is so far out in the solar system it is in the icy shadowy darkness.
We then viewed the Orion Nebula M42; I am now jazzed up to get myself a set of filters for the telescope, especially an OIII filter to sharpen the contrast on nebulae. My mother in law and I found a few for sale which are certainly now on my wish list. My mother in law Cheryl then prompted us to take a look at the Pleides M45, the most noticed open star cluster in the night sky.
Then enter a beautiful spiral galaxy: Andromeda (M31/32) Take a moment to take a look above. The galaxy is the closest to us to view, and on a collision course with the Milky Way galaxy. The viewing was very clear, even with the waxing Moon and light pollution. Once again, I believe the filter would be able to bring further contract to the core and arms of the spiral galaxy. My father in law Mike made the comment that it "blew his mind that we are looking at light that was generated at the time of the dinosaurs." This is quite profound, and true in some cases, especially viewing the Virgo galaxy cluster. The light and/or stars we are viewing may already be dead by the time the light reaches us; hard to imagine huh?
Lastly, we shared a well-known twin star cluster known only as the Double Cluster. Surprisingly, this magnificent deep-sky object is not cataloged in the Messier objects, as Messier had started the catalog to help guide scientists from mistaking deep-sky objects for comets. These clusters are available for viewing as well to the naked eye in dark rural areas, and a nice way to ponder the density and vastness of the universe. I usually describe them as "two buckshots" or "two scatter plots."
I really enjoyed being able to spend time with my family and share my love of the stars. It was quite the gift. The day before I had planned just to share about Eridanus, the Celestial River that is not well known and usually glanced over; a very dim constellation that runs North to South, starting at Orion's foot and ending in the Southern Hemisphere. If you are able to trace the Northern part of the river, you have great eyesight.
I was not sure how much time I would have to share my stargazing, but enjoyed the time and support given by my family to my interests, and the time spent together. Now I know that truly, love is "Universe-al." Happy Valentine's Day everyone.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
#5 When you Wish upon a Star...
Happy February star friends; check out the Crab Nebula (M1) above!
On Tuesday evening, I chose to pull out with my 8" Dobsonian telescope, and figured I would take a bit of time to take a peek at the Orion Nebula, and try my luck with other cataloged Messier objects in the winter night sky. After pulling the telescope out to the driveway, setting up all my eyepieces and gear, and training my laser scope on the winter night sky, I was able to find two nebula. I successfully found the Crab Nebula near Taurus' left horn tip. Imagine, I am looking at the nebulous gases left over from a supernova that occurred in 1054 A.D! Although it may just appear in the telescope as a blob, the mind-blowing idea that this gas used to be a star close to 950 years ago was staggering.
I also took a nice look at the Orion nebula, and enjoyed the greenish ectoplasm that showed up in the view; actually, it was one of the clearest looks at the Orion nebula I have had. I finished my stargazing outing with a view of the crescent moon, and have started to learn the craters of the moon. I believe in March we could start to learn some of the bigger craters of the Moon together, sound good?
So, in light of Valentine's Day this weekend, and family company coming to visit for about close to two weeks, I may be a little less expansive on my offerings each week. This week I thought it would be nice to take a look at the symbolism and stories that those wondrous balls of gas in the night sky have inspired in regards to love, legend, and destiny.
Well, of course, most of us have heard the famous Walt Disney song "When you wish upon a star..." or the childhood rhyme: "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight..." or even when you have caught a shooting star, have you wondered how it was that stars were given such wonderful wishing qualities? What is it with the fascination of gazing up above us and calling out for our heartfelt desires? Something about the expansive cosmos above us beckons us further to explore what is truly larger than us, and in ancient civilizations, this awe and wonder equated to the idea that something truly higher than humankind was above looking over the Earth, and perhaps is listening to our calls for help and support.
The universe above also seemed to take on the quality of being a harbinger of natural disasters, and most eclipses (Solar and Lunar) and meteor shower events were seen as large signs of impending doom or change, and taken very seriously. The awe and fear of the unknown power of the universe and natural world around those ancient civilizations is certainly respectable. It is also interesting to notice that a star was the sign of the coming of Jesus Christ, and challenged the idea that signs from the universe above were all dangerous with the coming of a divine gift and love that truly was a blessing to humankind.
Stars have also been guides to way fared sailors, sailing in the full darkness of the wide open sea, and to the three wise men looking for the Christ child and a higher knowledge and truth. Imagine the courage it took to travel through darkness, with only a night sky full of stars to keep the sailors and their ships on course; this never ceases to amaze me.Stars truly have also picked up an enigma of wisdom and spirituality about them, and are known as guideposts for cosmic fate and destiny. For instance, Shakespeare was well-known for writing in astrology and star symbolism into his great plays, especially his tragedies and most noticeably Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare calls the couple "star-crossed lovers" and makes alliteration to the Moon, Sun, and stars quite often. The literary imagery of love being linked to stars is perhaps because of the furiousness of the fiery and burning gases and bright twinkle of star above. John Keats "Bright Star" is a nice example of how a star's birth, death, and fusion of gases can create a beautiful prose.
Lastly, where else do we come across stars? Well, as symbols in flags and as badges and pins that conceptualize accomplishment and status. Gold stars reward commitment, discipline, and hard work. The American flag and the American military use stars to denote rank and commitment. A gold star can be the finishing achievement for a grade school student's superbly done theme paper, as much so as a twinkling star can be a beautiful set of eyes "a twinkle in the eye" or a diamond that twinkles like a star in an engagement or wedding ring.
Russ
On Tuesday evening, I chose to pull out with my 8" Dobsonian telescope, and figured I would take a bit of time to take a peek at the Orion Nebula, and try my luck with other cataloged Messier objects in the winter night sky. After pulling the telescope out to the driveway, setting up all my eyepieces and gear, and training my laser scope on the winter night sky, I was able to find two nebula. I successfully found the Crab Nebula near Taurus' left horn tip. Imagine, I am looking at the nebulous gases left over from a supernova that occurred in 1054 A.D! Although it may just appear in the telescope as a blob, the mind-blowing idea that this gas used to be a star close to 950 years ago was staggering.
I also took a nice look at the Orion nebula, and enjoyed the greenish ectoplasm that showed up in the view; actually, it was one of the clearest looks at the Orion nebula I have had. I finished my stargazing outing with a view of the crescent moon, and have started to learn the craters of the moon. I believe in March we could start to learn some of the bigger craters of the Moon together, sound good?
So, in light of Valentine's Day this weekend, and family company coming to visit for about close to two weeks, I may be a little less expansive on my offerings each week. This week I thought it would be nice to take a look at the symbolism and stories that those wondrous balls of gas in the night sky have inspired in regards to love, legend, and destiny.
Well, of course, most of us have heard the famous Walt Disney song "When you wish upon a star..." or the childhood rhyme: "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight..." or even when you have caught a shooting star, have you wondered how it was that stars were given such wonderful wishing qualities? What is it with the fascination of gazing up above us and calling out for our heartfelt desires? Something about the expansive cosmos above us beckons us further to explore what is truly larger than us, and in ancient civilizations, this awe and wonder equated to the idea that something truly higher than humankind was above looking over the Earth, and perhaps is listening to our calls for help and support.
The universe above also seemed to take on the quality of being a harbinger of natural disasters, and most eclipses (Solar and Lunar) and meteor shower events were seen as large signs of impending doom or change, and taken very seriously. The awe and fear of the unknown power of the universe and natural world around those ancient civilizations is certainly respectable. It is also interesting to notice that a star was the sign of the coming of Jesus Christ, and challenged the idea that signs from the universe above were all dangerous with the coming of a divine gift and love that truly was a blessing to humankind.
Stars have also been guides to way fared sailors, sailing in the full darkness of the wide open sea, and to the three wise men looking for the Christ child and a higher knowledge and truth. Imagine the courage it took to travel through darkness, with only a night sky full of stars to keep the sailors and their ships on course; this never ceases to amaze me.Stars truly have also picked up an enigma of wisdom and spirituality about them, and are known as guideposts for cosmic fate and destiny. For instance, Shakespeare was well-known for writing in astrology and star symbolism into his great plays, especially his tragedies and most noticeably Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare calls the couple "star-crossed lovers" and makes alliteration to the Moon, Sun, and stars quite often. The literary imagery of love being linked to stars is perhaps because of the furiousness of the fiery and burning gases and bright twinkle of star above. John Keats "Bright Star" is a nice example of how a star's birth, death, and fusion of gases can create a beautiful prose.
Lastly, where else do we come across stars? Well, as symbols in flags and as badges and pins that conceptualize accomplishment and status. Gold stars reward commitment, discipline, and hard work. The American flag and the American military use stars to denote rank and commitment. A gold star can be the finishing achievement for a grade school student's superbly done theme paper, as much so as a twinkling star can be a beautiful set of eyes "a twinkle in the eye" or a diamond that twinkles like a star in an engagement or wedding ring.
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Take care until next time,
Russ
Friday, February 4, 2011
#4 The Bull The Charioteer and The Mysterious Goats
Hello Friends,
It's been one "bull" of a week.
I really enjoyed my star stroll this past weekend. I got my wife Cassandra to join me; and so we bundled up together and enjoyed the starry night together. Taurus the Bull grabbed my attention this week, especially for the reason that its horns are one of the first of a few open star clusters the winter night sky can show us, and the first I will make mention of in the upcoming few weeks.
Notice Taurus appears to charge Orion the Hunter. First find Orion, then jump up and to the right. You will find a sideways "V-shaped" cluster of stars. This is the Hyades cluster of stars; in Greek, meaning "the rainy ones" and in Roman culture, they were seen as the Piglets. The rainy ones were so named due to their rise in the sky relating to the coming of Spring by the time Taurus gazed down upon us from far above. They were also so named as the mourning widows, crying the tears of those wifes that have lost their husbands to war or the hunt. There really is no story or reason noted as to why the Romans saw these stars as piglets.
The bright reddish/pink "eye" of the bull is Aldebaran, another of the super giant stars. At the tip of the left horn, lies a bright star that has been shared with Taurus and Auriga, the Charioteer's right foot. At the tip of the right horn lies the Crab Nebula. With field binoculars, you are able to see more of the several hundred stars that lie in this open star cluster; a decent telescope will show the Crab Nebula, a super explosion that was recorded in 1054 A.D. and was visible even during daytime for three weeks.
Imagine, I have never seen the Crab Nebula! This is certainly something I am going to gaze upon this weekend. I am so excited by finding something new in every adventure I take into the night sky. I never fear becoming bored of the night sky; each time I gaze upon the night sky, I am still continually brought to awe.
The bull is only the shape of the horns, head, and shoulders; there are no stars that identify the body and legs, and of course there is a great story behind this. Where the body and hind quarters would take up space are Cetus and Aries, the Ram instead. See the brighter three starred hook-shaped constellation? That is Aries, mostly linked and symbolized as the ram that produced Jason's golden fleece. And Cetus, we will visit in the near future, as this creature is part and parcel of the story of Perseus, the Hero.
So, about the missing half of the bull in the sky? Well, Manilius, a Roman poet, astrologer, and author from 1 A.D. draws a moral from this experience, sharing that "the sky teaches us to undergo loss with fortitude, even since constellations are formed with limbs deformed." The bull is also submerged underwater, only leaving its front quarters above water. Why is a bull emerged in water?
Once again, we see Zeus take on an animal form to woo and seduce a mortal woman. He was particularly fond of taking animal forms, so as to deceive his wife Hera and entice the mortal woman with a gentle and beautiful creature. Each of the planet Jupiter's four Galilean Moons (Io, Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede) has connected a story where Zeus takes an animal form to entice a mortal woman (man in Ganymede's case) to lay with him. Taurus the Bull was the shape Zeus took to lure a woman named Europa to lay with him.
In a side story, the bull/heifer could also symbolize Io, who Zeus turned into a heifer to disguise her from Hera. Hera's woman's intuition was strong, however, and she sent the one-hundred eyed watchman Argus to watch over this heifer that Zeus had brought to Olympus (our ancient private investigator of the gods). Argus was able to spy and confirm that the heifer was Io. Hera was furious and sent a gadfly after Io. Io then decided to swim away into the sea to escape. The heifer is seen swimming in the night sky, her top half above the water and the only part able to be spied.
The legend that incorporates Zeus taking the form of the bull is somewhat more complex. Zeus saw Europa and other girls playing upon the beach, and instructed Hermes to cause and gather the wild cattle in the mountains towards the beach. He hid within the cattle drive, a snow white bull with polished metal horns. Europa found this beast incredibly handsome and admired its gentle nature. She adorned the horns with flowers and stroked its head and neck. Zeus then coaxed Europa to sit upon the Bull's back. Once she had, he paddled out into the sea with Europa, where Europa became much more fearful and clung onto his horns as the waves washed over her and the bull. Zeus paddled and came to shore on Crete and revealed himself, giving her lavish gifts and a puppy, which at times is symbolized as Canis Major.
This myth shows the calming and restraint of the primal urges in the interest of love. It also shows of patience and cunning to win the heart of someone. It is a beautiful picture of the dance and method of love, and the gentle beauty of a woman taming the beast of man. We see this similar story in, of course, the tale of Beauty and the Beast.
Now let us head over to the tip of the left horn and/or the right foot of Auriga, the charioteer. The charioteer stands alone, holding the reins of a chariot in one hand and a goat in another. The constellation looks like a pentagon in the sky, within which is a yellowish star named Capella. Capella is noted as the winter star, and the goat star. It is funny because none of the myths mention or explain the origin of the goat, other than the star Capella meaning goat star. If you look to the right of the star, there are three small stars in a triangular cluster; these are dubbed as the "kids."
The most popular identification of the Charioteer is Erichthonius, a legendary king of Athens. He was a demi-god, the son of Hephaetus, the god of fire and forge. Hephaetus was not very kind to his demi-children, so Athena took him under her wing and taught him to tame horses, which led to the use of four horses to draw a chariot, that Erichthonius fashioned through his craftmanship derived as a gift from Hephaetus. The other interesting point to know is that Erichthonius was crippled as a result of being his father being disfigured, thus his intellect and craftmanship of the chariot reminds us that a physical limitation can be certainly overcome with creativity, intellect, and focus.
I left you another beautiful link: EarthSky Tonight, which gives a nice little spot on a highlight of the night sky to view and observe each day, and to share with other stargazers.
Be Well,
Russ
It's been one "bull" of a week.
I really enjoyed my star stroll this past weekend. I got my wife Cassandra to join me; and so we bundled up together and enjoyed the starry night together. Taurus the Bull grabbed my attention this week, especially for the reason that its horns are one of the first of a few open star clusters the winter night sky can show us, and the first I will make mention of in the upcoming few weeks.
Notice Taurus appears to charge Orion the Hunter. First find Orion, then jump up and to the right. You will find a sideways "V-shaped" cluster of stars. This is the Hyades cluster of stars; in Greek, meaning "the rainy ones" and in Roman culture, they were seen as the Piglets. The rainy ones were so named due to their rise in the sky relating to the coming of Spring by the time Taurus gazed down upon us from far above. They were also so named as the mourning widows, crying the tears of those wifes that have lost their husbands to war or the hunt. There really is no story or reason noted as to why the Romans saw these stars as piglets.
The bright reddish/pink "eye" of the bull is Aldebaran, another of the super giant stars. At the tip of the left horn, lies a bright star that has been shared with Taurus and Auriga, the Charioteer's right foot. At the tip of the right horn lies the Crab Nebula. With field binoculars, you are able to see more of the several hundred stars that lie in this open star cluster; a decent telescope will show the Crab Nebula, a super explosion that was recorded in 1054 A.D. and was visible even during daytime for three weeks.
Imagine, I have never seen the Crab Nebula! This is certainly something I am going to gaze upon this weekend. I am so excited by finding something new in every adventure I take into the night sky. I never fear becoming bored of the night sky; each time I gaze upon the night sky, I am still continually brought to awe.
The bull is only the shape of the horns, head, and shoulders; there are no stars that identify the body and legs, and of course there is a great story behind this. Where the body and hind quarters would take up space are Cetus and Aries, the Ram instead. See the brighter three starred hook-shaped constellation? That is Aries, mostly linked and symbolized as the ram that produced Jason's golden fleece. And Cetus, we will visit in the near future, as this creature is part and parcel of the story of Perseus, the Hero.
So, about the missing half of the bull in the sky? Well, Manilius, a Roman poet, astrologer, and author from 1 A.D. draws a moral from this experience, sharing that "the sky teaches us to undergo loss with fortitude, even since constellations are formed with limbs deformed." The bull is also submerged underwater, only leaving its front quarters above water. Why is a bull emerged in water?
Once again, we see Zeus take on an animal form to woo and seduce a mortal woman. He was particularly fond of taking animal forms, so as to deceive his wife Hera and entice the mortal woman with a gentle and beautiful creature. Each of the planet Jupiter's four Galilean Moons (Io, Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede) has connected a story where Zeus takes an animal form to entice a mortal woman (man in Ganymede's case) to lay with him. Taurus the Bull was the shape Zeus took to lure a woman named Europa to lay with him.
In a side story, the bull/heifer could also symbolize Io, who Zeus turned into a heifer to disguise her from Hera. Hera's woman's intuition was strong, however, and she sent the one-hundred eyed watchman Argus to watch over this heifer that Zeus had brought to Olympus (our ancient private investigator of the gods). Argus was able to spy and confirm that the heifer was Io. Hera was furious and sent a gadfly after Io. Io then decided to swim away into the sea to escape. The heifer is seen swimming in the night sky, her top half above the water and the only part able to be spied.
The legend that incorporates Zeus taking the form of the bull is somewhat more complex. Zeus saw Europa and other girls playing upon the beach, and instructed Hermes to cause and gather the wild cattle in the mountains towards the beach. He hid within the cattle drive, a snow white bull with polished metal horns. Europa found this beast incredibly handsome and admired its gentle nature. She adorned the horns with flowers and stroked its head and neck. Zeus then coaxed Europa to sit upon the Bull's back. Once she had, he paddled out into the sea with Europa, where Europa became much more fearful and clung onto his horns as the waves washed over her and the bull. Zeus paddled and came to shore on Crete and revealed himself, giving her lavish gifts and a puppy, which at times is symbolized as Canis Major.
This myth shows the calming and restraint of the primal urges in the interest of love. It also shows of patience and cunning to win the heart of someone. It is a beautiful picture of the dance and method of love, and the gentle beauty of a woman taming the beast of man. We see this similar story in, of course, the tale of Beauty and the Beast.
Now let us head over to the tip of the left horn and/or the right foot of Auriga, the charioteer. The charioteer stands alone, holding the reins of a chariot in one hand and a goat in another. The constellation looks like a pentagon in the sky, within which is a yellowish star named Capella. Capella is noted as the winter star, and the goat star. It is funny because none of the myths mention or explain the origin of the goat, other than the star Capella meaning goat star. If you look to the right of the star, there are three small stars in a triangular cluster; these are dubbed as the "kids."
The most popular identification of the Charioteer is Erichthonius, a legendary king of Athens. He was a demi-god, the son of Hephaetus, the god of fire and forge. Hephaetus was not very kind to his demi-children, so Athena took him under her wing and taught him to tame horses, which led to the use of four horses to draw a chariot, that Erichthonius fashioned through his craftmanship derived as a gift from Hephaetus. The other interesting point to know is that Erichthonius was crippled as a result of being his father being disfigured, thus his intellect and craftmanship of the chariot reminds us that a physical limitation can be certainly overcome with creativity, intellect, and focus.
I left you another beautiful link: EarthSky Tonight, which gives a nice little spot on a highlight of the night sky to view and observe each day, and to share with other stargazers.
Be Well,
Russ
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