Last week, we talked about the science behind the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini, the Twins. This week, I promised to discuss the ancient story told about Castor and Pollux. I do so with some trepidation.
Look straight south in the early evening, and you’ll see the familiar constellation Orion high in the sky. Above Orion, to the northeast, the constellation Gemini, the Twins, will be easily visible.
We denizens of the 21st century tend to look at the sky with a scientific eye, and, of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. We know the stars are giant hydrogen bombs. We see the constellations as useful conveniences to learn the sky. We are beginning to forget that humans used to tell stories about the stars — that our relationship with the starry vault was once personal and not pedantic.
Tom’s been out stargazing 12 nights in a row, so he’s too tired to write his column this week. Instead, he has asked the intrepid CAPTAIN ASTRO to answer some of the emails that have been pouring in from readers.
Look for Jupiter high in the south just after dark. The brilliantly yellow point of light is the brightest “star” in that direction. Jupiter’s brilliance is something of a puzzle. The planet is 450 million miles away right now. Mars, the dim orange point in the east before morning twilight, is half Jupiter’s distance, yet Jupiter shines 40 times brighter. What gives?
Here’s a deceptively simple question we recently got at Perkins Observatory: Do the stars move?Not too long ago, asking such questions got you burned at the stake. These days I can give the answer in the newspaper. Yes, they move, but not in the way you might think. Much of the motion we see is illusory.
During our public programs at Perkins, the educational process often takes interesting turns. One cold, clear night a while back, I listened in on a father and son who had stepped away from the rest of the group to check out a few constellations.
As my father was born, Orion was rising in the east. The stars of the constellation form a rough hunter, his shield before him, his rude club raised to slay some mighty beast.