Come to think of it, a cinnamon roll does kind of resemble the Milky Way galaxy, doesn't it? The whole spiral shape, the dense and rich frosting, and the...wait a minute!
I stepped outside last weekend around midnight to enjoy the first view of the Milky Way galaxy from the balcony this year. I am always incredibly impressed by the density of the stars across the sky above during the late spring and early summer night sky. I took a moment to let my senses, especially my eyes, get adjusted. Just then I got a whiff of cinnamon goodness. My next door neighbor appeared to be making cinnamon rolls late in the evening. What a treat! I will never tire of the decedent taste of a greatly baked cinnamon bun...I mean, of the grand palette of the universe!
Let's take a look at two constellations this post: Draco and Delphinus. I know I mentioned Hercules last time, but I am saving his tale for a stand-alone post, complete with a guide on how to find the cotton ball cluster, M13.
Draco the Dragon coils and weaves around and through the Big and Little Dippers. The best time to see the whole constellation is late spring. Look for the head of the Dragon to the left of Hercules and above and to the left of the brightest summer star Vega, rising slowly in the Eastern horizon. It is easily noticed as a large triangle; from the head weave your way around the Little Dipper and between the Dippers to the end of its tail.
Draco symbolizes the great dragon guardian Ladon. Ladon was appointed the guardian of the golden apples of life and knowledge, and made a great guardian with its near one hundred heads! The tree was given to Hera as a wedding gift, and she chose to plant the tree on Mount Atlas. It is here we can find Atlas holding the world upon his shoulders, his punishment from the Olympian Gods for challenging them during the Great Titan War with his brethren; at first, Atlas' daughters were placed in charge of the tree and precious apples, but they were pilfering them constantly and were quickly replaced by Hera and rebuked.
Hercules was charged with obtaining some of these apples as a labor, and the story of his success in this trial will be shared within the next post. Ladon was placed in the night sky by Hera as a respect to the loyal servitude of the dragon to the Queen of the Gods.
Delphinus the Dolphin is an addition to my constellation knowledge this year, and a challenge to those up to finding a sparsely known constellation. This small constellation can be found on the Eastern horizon, under what is considered the Summer Triangle. The Summer Triangle starts with finding Vega, the brightest summer star, then consists of both Deneb to the lower left and Altair to the lower right. Connecting the three produce the triangle. We will further explore the constellations within the triangle further into the summer months.
Below the triangle look for a diamond-shaped cluster of stars with a tail...perhaps a bit like a kite even. A pair of binoculars is also a nice way to view the cluster up close. This dolphin was the loyal servant and messenger of Poseidon, and was integral in Poseidon finding a wife for the palace he had finished soon after being awarded the realm of the sea. He sent Delphinus out to scout the Nereids, underwater sprites or nymphs, and found favor with one of the Nereids. They were most flighty, but when approached by the gentle and soothing dolphin, they calmed. Eventually the nereid Amphitrite was coaxed onto the back of the dolphin and brought to the palace. In gratitude, Delphinus was placed in the sky to revere the intelligent creature of the sea.
Hope you enjoyed the tales of two loyal creatures! Catch you soon with the tale of Hercules!
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