jack oughton - observational journal v1

8/8/2019 Jack Oughton - Observational Journal V1

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Jack Oughton Observational Journal 09-10: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-

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Material by Jack Oughton [email protected] | www.writing.xijindustries.com

Our universe is a sorry little affair unless it has in it something forevery age to investigate Nature does not reveal her mysteries onceand for all.

Seneca, Natural Questions Book 7, c. first century.

Introduction:Astronomical observation is both an important scientific tool and has

been a source of great pleasure for humans throughout the millennia.

As long as there have been skies to gaze at in wonder, there have beenawestruck humans admiring them, trying to better understand theglittering skies

A greater understanding of the history and mythology behind theconstellations helps us better comprehend our ancestors and foreignpeoples. Many of the worlds cultures have their mythologies, creationmyths and legends intricately woven into the starry canopy. AustralianAborigines believed the world was alive under the back of a great skyanimal. Mesoamerican cultures developed a fascinatingly complexsystem of cyclic time, tied to and derived from their observations ofcelestial motion.

The field of astrology, no longer considered a science, relies

completely on the same observation of celestial motion to makefatalistic predictions. Millions of people still take very seriously theimplications of planetary movements upon their own lives. In ancientdays, life or death political decisions where made on theinterpretations of the stars and planets by a mystical class ofastronomer priest, the patterns in the skies were portents, direct fromthe Gods themselves!

Even today, cosmologists and physicists use observation to test andverify scientific theories with. Theoreticians turn to astronomers tolook for evidence of new scientific ideas.To them, the universe is notso much a predictive tool but an immense laboratory, where the verysmall and very massive alike can be studied in great detail. Thoughhuman knowledge has advanced in leaps and bounds since those earlytimes, the mysteries of skies above still hold vital secrets, key to ourunderstanding of the very universe and life itself.

Some of the first known astronomical journals date back to the time ofthe Mesopotamian era, around five millennia ago(Evans 1998, pp.296-297). They show in meticulous detail the surprising level of knowledgethat these ancients had of the sky, and how important astronomy was

in day to day life.These people literally lived and planned their livesaround what the skies told them.


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Needless to say, observation is an ancient and important art that willcontinue to evolve and remain relevant as humankind ages. Withgreater increases in optical technology will come more and more

stunning images. Perhaps the public at large will rediscover the nightsky? I would imagine that even the most disinterested observer wouldfind it hard not to appreciate the beautiful images that the HubbleSpace Telescope has given us.

I am by no means a practiced astronomer. My journal is nowhere nearas complex or informed as those kept by the ancients, or by activeastronomers today. However I have done my best to make aninformative read that will help the layman better understand thecultural relevance of our cosmic ceiling, and familiarise themselveswith the sky in general by getting to know some of the starry patterns

that live in it.


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Case Study: Mesopotamian Star DiaryMost of the surviving Mesopotamian astronomical texts were written

between 650 and 50 BC. These clay tablets with cuneiform writing arecalled astronomical diaries, and they are the unmistakable

observations of specialists: professional astronomer-scribes.

A typical diary entry begins with a statement on the length of theprevious month. It might have been 29 or 30 days. Then, the presentmonth's first observation - the time between sunset and moonset onthe day of the first waxing crescent - is given, followed by similarinformation on the times between moonsets and sunrises and betweenmoonrises and sunsets, at full moon. At the end of the month, theinterval between the rising of the last waning crescent moon andsunrise is recorded.

When a lunar or solar eclipse took place, its date, time, and durationwere noted along with the planets visible, the star that wasculminating, and the prevailing wind at the time of the eclipse.Significant points in the various planetary cycles were all tabulated,and the dates of the solstices, equinoxes, and significant appearancesof Sirius were provided.

The Babylonian astronomers used a set of 30 stars as references forcelestial position, and their astronomical diaries detailed the locationsof the moon and planets with respect to the stars. Reports of bad

weather or unusual atmospheric phenomena - like rainbows andhaloes - found their way into the diaries, too. Finally, various events oflocal importance (fires, thefts, and conquests), the amount of rise orfall in the river at Babylon, and the quantity of various commoditiesthat could be purchased for one silver shekel filled out the diligentastronomer's report.

Source: Andrew Sachs - Babylonian Observational Astronomy,http://www.jstor.org/pss/74273

A Babylonian almanac, mentioning future positions of the planets


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OrionThe HunterArtemis loved Orion and came near marrying him. Apollo took thishard, and when scolding her brought no results, on seeing the head ofOrion who was swimming a long way off, he wagered her that shecouldnt hit with her arrows the black object in the sea. Since shewished to be called an expert in that skill, she shot an arrow andpierced the head of Orion. The waves brought his slain body to theshore, and Artemis, grieving greatly that she had struck him, andmourning his death with many tears, put him among theconstellations."- Hyginus, Astronomica 2.34

ORION

Abbreviation Ori

Genitive Orionis

Pronunciation /raj.n/

Symbolism Orion

Right ascension 5 h

Declination +5Family Orion

Quadrant NQ1

Area 594 sq. deg.

Main stars 7

Bayer/Flamsteed stars 81

Stars with planets 5Stars brighter than 3.00m 8

Stars within 10.00 pc 8

Brightest star Rigel ( Orionis) (0.12m)

Nearest star GJ 3379(17.51 ly)

Messier objects 3

Meteor showers OrionidsChi Orionids

Bordering constellations GeminiTaurus

EridanusLepusMonoceros

Visible at latitudesbetween +85 and 75.Best visible at 21:00 (9p.m.) during the monthof January.


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Mythology:There are several different stories about the birth of Orion. Accordingto one version of the myth, Orion was the son of a poor shepherdcalled Hyrieus. Once, Zeus, Hermes, and Poseidon stopped by Hyrieus'house. Hyrieus was so generous with his guests that he killed the only

animal he had-an ox.

Hyrieus was not aware that his guests were gods. The gods wanted toreward Hyrieus' generosity by granting him a wish. Hyrieus' biggestdesire was to have a child. The gods told him to bury the hide of the

bull he had sacrificed to them and to pee on it. After nine months, a boy was born in that place. The child became a very handsome andstrong man.

He was such a good hunter that he was hired by the king Oenopion tokill the ferocious beasts that were terrifying the habitants of the island

Chios. Happy for his success, Orion said he would kill all the wildanimals on the earth. But. The earth goddess Gaia, who was themother of all animals, was not pleased with Orion's intention.

Gaia set an enormous scorpion on Orion. Orion soon realized that hisstrength and sword were useless against that mighty beast. He tried toescape, but the scorpion stung him to death. As a reward, Gaia placedthe scorpion in the sky as a constellation, which appears to beconstantly chasing after Orion, whose figure was also placed amongthe stars.


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There are other versions of the Orion myth, depending on the identityof his parents. The first of these identifies the sea-god Neptune asOrion's father and the great huntress Queen Euryale of the Amazonsas his mother. Orion inherited her talent, and became the greatest

hunter in the world. Unfortunately for him, with his immense strengthcame an immense ego, and he boasted that he could best any animalon earth. In response to his vanity, a single small scorpion stung himand killed him.

Another version of the Orion myth states that he had no mother butwas a gift to a pious peasant from Jupiter, Neptune, and Mercury."Orion supposedly was able to walk on water and had greater strengthand stature than any other mortal. A skilled blacksmith, he fabricated asubterranean palace for Vulcan. He also walled in the coasts of Sicilyagainst the encroaching sea and built a temple to the gods there".

Orion fell in love with Merope, daughter of Oenopion and princess ofChios. Her father the king, however, would not consent to give Orionhis daughter's hand in marriage--even after the hunter rid their islandof wild beasts. In anger, Orion attempted to gain possession of themaiden by violence. Her father, incensed at this conduct, having madeOrion drunk, deprived him of his sight and cast him out on theseashore. The blinded hero followed the sound of a Cyclops' hammertill he reached Lemnos, and came to the forge of Vulcan, who, takingpity on him, gave him Kedalion, one of his men, to be his guide to the

abode of the sun. Placing Kedalion on his shoulders, Orion proceededto the east, and there meeting the sun-god, was restored to sight byhis beam.

After this he dwelt as a hunter with Diana, with whom he was afavourite, and it is even said she was about to marry him. Her brother[Apollo] was highly displeased and chid her [she was, after all, a virginhuntress], but to no purpose. One day, observing Orion wadingthrough the ocean with his head just above the water, Apollo pointedit out to his sister and maintained that she could not hit that blackthing on the sea. The archer-goddess discharged a shaft with fatal aim.

The waves rolled the body of Orion to the land, and bewailing her fatalerror with many tears, Diana placed him among the stars.

It is also stated in some versions that Apollo, worried for Diana'schastity, sent a scorpion to kill Orion.

The myths of Orion resemble those of other mythical hunters from theBoiotian region. The hunter Kephalos, for example, was also said tohave been seduced by the goddess Eos while hunting on MountKithairon. Another, Aktaion, was killed during the hunt when he spiedon the goddess in her bath and, according to some, sought her for a

bride. And finally, the earth-born Boiotian giant Tityos attempted to


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violate the goddess Leto (as Orion had tried to violate Oupis) and wasdestroyed by Apollon and Artemis with their arrows.

The passage "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose

the bands of Orion?" is found in the Bible's Book of Job.

Astronomical Notes:No other is more distinct or bright as this northern winterconstellation. From the northern hemisphere, the three bright stars(Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka) in a straight line that form Orion's Beltare easily visible on the southern horizon in winter evenings. The

bright star that forms Orion's left shoulder is Betelgeuse. The name ofthis star means "The Armpit of the Central One" in Arabic, whichshows that like many other constellations, Orion was recognized

across many cultures.

Hanging down from Orion's belt is his sword that is made up of threefainter stars. The central "star" of the sword is actually not a star at all,

but the Great Orion Nebula, one of the regions most studied byastronomers in the whole sky. Nearby is the Horsehead Nebula (IC434), which is a swirl of dark dust in front of a bright nebula.

The famous Orion's Belt makes the hunter easy to find in the nightsky. Orion looks very much like a person. First, you should spotOrion's Belt, which is made of three bright stars in a straight line. Oneof Orion's legs is represented by the bright star Rigel, one of the

brightest stars in the night sky. His two shoulders are made of thestars Bellatrixand Betelgeuse. You can see Betelgeuse's reddish colourwithout a telescope. Other bright stars make up the two arms, one,which holds a shield, and another that carries a club. The famousOrion Nebula is located in Orion's sword, which hangs from the belt. Itis so bright, that even the naked eye can see the fuzzy patch. It looksspectacular even with a small telescope or binoculars.

From his belt there hangs a well defined dagger, which is known for

one of the most famous nebulas in the sky: The Large Orion Nebula(M42).

The other corners of the constellation are formed by Bellatrix(gammaOrionis) and Saiph (kappa Orionis). It was once thought that all women

born under the sign ofBellatrixwould be fortunate and have the giftof speech. The star's name is often translated as Female Warrior orAmazon, and another name sometimes seen is "Amazon Star".Around October 21 each year the famous Orionid meteor showerreaches its peak. Coming from the border to the constellation Geminias much as 20 meteors per hour can be seen


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Logged Objects:

M42: Image Credit: Danny SweeneyDate: 9th February 2010Instrument: Cannon EOS 1000dExposure Time: 120 secondsFilter: None

Orion Nebula (M42, NGC1976) HII REGION that is easily visible to the naked eye

as the central object in the sword of ORION (RA 05h 35m.4 dec.05o27!). The mainpart of the nebula is separated from a smaller part of the same cloud, known as M43

or NGC1982, by a dark absorbing region called the FISHS MOUTH. The nebula

surrounds, and is excited by, the four young stars of the TRAPEZIUM (also known as"1 Ori). The nebula is about 1500 LY away on the nearer side of the ORIONMOLECULAR CLOUDS and is little more than the inside of an incomplete sphericalhole in the side of the much larger dark nebula. The Orion Nebula is over a degree

across on the sky and thus some 25 to 30 LY in physical size. Its mass is severalhundred times that of the Sun.

Right Ascension 05h 35m 17.3s

Declination -05 23 28

Distance 1,34420 ly

Visual Brightness +4.0

Apparent Dimension 6560 arcmins


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Ursa MajorThe Great Bear

"The rule about bears is their unpredictability."- AnonymousURSA MAJOR

Abbreviation UMa

Genitive Ursae Majoris

Pronunciation /rsmedr/, genitive /rsi mdrs/Symbolism The Great Bear

Right ascension 10.67 h

Declination +55.38

Family Ursa Major

Quadrant NQ2

Area 1280 sq. deg. (3rd)

Main stars 7, 20Bayer/Flamsteed stars 93

Stars with planets 9

Stars brighter than 3.00m 7


Brightest star UMa (Alioth) (1.76m)

Nearest star Lalande 21185(8.31 ly, 2.55 pc)

Messier objects 7

Meteor showers Alpha Ursa Majorids

Leonids-Ursids

Bordering constellations DracoCamelopardalisLynxLeo MinorLeoComa BerenicesCanes VenaticiBotes

Visible at latitudes between +90 and 30.

Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during themonth of April


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The Big Dipper/Plough is an asterism (a group of stars which isn'ttechnically recognised as a constellation) in Ursa Major

Mythology:An Arab myth associates the Plough with a funeral. The quadranglerepresents a coffin and the three handle stars are people following thecoffin and mourning. The middle star (really the two stars MizarandAlcor) represents the daughter and son of al-Naash, the man in the

coffin, who has been murdered by al-Jadi, the pole star. Othercultures, too, relate funeral processions to the Big Dipper.


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The MicmacIndians of Nova Scotia and the IroquoisIndians along theSt. Lawrence Seaway share one story about the Big Bear. In this story,the quadrangle of the dipper represents a bear that is pursued by

seven hunters; the three closest hunters are the handle of the dipper.As autumn approaches, the four farthest hunters dip below thehorizon and abandon the hunt, leaving the closest three hunters tochase the bear.

The hunters are all named after birds. The closest hunter to the bear isnamed Robin, the second closest is Chickadee, and the third is MooseBird. Chickadee is carrying the pot in which the bear will be cooked.The second star in the handle is actually two stars [the famous doublestar system] called Mizar and Alcor, which represent Chickadee andthe pot. In autumn, as the bear attempts to stand up on two legs,

Robin wounds the bear with an arrow. The wounded bear sprays bloodon Robin, who shakes himself and in the process colours the leaves ofthe forest red; some blood stains Robin and he is henceforth calledRobin Redbreast. The bear is eaten, and the skeleton remains;travelling through the sky on its back during winter. During thefollowing spring a new bear leaves the den and the eternal huntresumes once more.

A Roman myth involves both bears, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. A beautiful maiden, Callisto, hunting in the forest, grew tired and laid

down to rest. The god Jupiter noticed her and was smitten with her beauty. Jupiter's wife,Juno, became extremely jealous of Callisto.Some time later, Juno discovered that Callisto had given birth to a sonand decided that Jupiter must have been the father. To punish her,Junochanged Callisto into a bear so she would no longer be beautiful.Callisto's son, called Arcas, was adopted and grew up to be a hunter,while Callisto continued to live in the forest. One day Callisto sawArcas and was so overjoyed at seeing her son that she rushed up tohim, forgetting she was a bear. Arcas thought he was being attackedand shot an arrow at Callisto. Jupiter saw the arrow and stopped itfrom hitting Callisto.

To save Callisto and her son from further damage from Juno, Jupiterchanged Arcas into a bear also, grabbed them both by their tails, andswung them both into the heavens so they could live peacefully amongthe stars. The strength of the throw caused the short stubby tails ofthe bears to become elongated. Juno was even angrier with Jupiter andmanaged to exact still more revenge on poor Callisto and Arcas. Shewent to the gods of the sea and forbade them to let the two bearswade in their water or streams on their long and endless journeyaround the pole star.


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A Chinese legend tells the story of the four stars which make up thebowl of the Big Dipper. These stars were the home of the "fates," theQueen Marichiand all her attendants and the god of literature. Clearly,it was a crowded home!

The story begins one time when a young lad by the name ofK'ueiwhowas a literary student known for his great learning and brilliant wit.Unfortunately, K'uei was also rather ugly, so ugly in fact that not eventhe most kind-hearted person could help but shudder when their eyesfell upon him. So although K'uei was smarter than any before him, andwitty, he had no friends.

At this time, it was customary for the emperor to present a goldenrose to the winning candidate at the metropolitan examinations. Asfate would have it, K'uei had won this honour. K'uei was very proud

when he approached the throne but alas, when the emperor, eventhough he had been forewarned, laid his eyes upon the ugly K'uei, hedropped the rose and there it lay shattered.Poor K'uei was in disgrace, and so, broken-hearted and finding lifeintolerable, he threw himself into the sea. As K'uei passed under thecool, calmness of the waves he was aware that under his feet hadappeared a monster. The creature was one of those strange beasts thatinhabit the depths of the sea, and he was lifting K'uei back up towardsthe surface.

The monster rose out of the waves with K'uei safely on his back andcontinued to mount higher and higher in the air, until at last he hadreached the very sky itself. There, enthroned among the stars of theBear, K'uei now watches over the literary affairs of the world and is thepatron saint of all scholars.

Astronomical Notes:Ursa Major (Latin: "Larger Bear"), is a constellation visible throughoutthe year in most of the northern hemisphere.

Ursa Major contains several bright galaxies, including the paired M81(one of the brightest in the sky) and M82, found above above the

bear's head, and Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), a striking spiral northwest ofEta Ursae Majoris. Other notable spiral galaxies include M108 andM109. Collectively, the constellation contains about 50 galaxies brightenough to be seen through an amateur telescope

Seven stars within Ursa Major from Alpha to Eta form our well-known asterism, and it goes by many names. It is worth noting that ofthese seven stars only Alkaid and Dubhe are independent from thegroup. The other five move through space together. Here are some ofthe names the group has been called by.


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The Big Dipper (US) The Plough (UK) The Great Cart (Germany) Kalavagnen ie, men's cart (Scandinavia)

The Sapta Richi ie, Seven Sages (Asia) The Haunch (Egypt) The Drinking Gourd (Colonial America) Hunting Party and Bear (Native American)

The Big Dipper/Plough covers only half of the breadth of the bear, theconstellation itself is quite indistinct in shape and very large, itextends much farther south, with its most southerly star, Xi UrsaeMajoris (Alula Australis), as far down as Leo and Cancer.

Over time the asterism will dissolve. It is only within the last 50,000

years or the familiar "dipper" shape has formed. As the stars movetheir separate ways, the dipper will become sharper, with the pointerstar (alpha Ursae Majoris) moving further to the front from the rest,south of its present position.

Deep Sky Objects:

Deep Sky Object: M82Image Credit: Glamorgan UniversityDate: April 2010Instrument: Canon EOS 1000DExposure Time: ?Filter: None


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Declination +69 40 47

Distance 11.5 0.8 Mly

Visual Brightness8.41


M82 is one of the finest starburst galaxies in the sky; its turbulent shape is evident

even at low powers. The starburst galaxy is five times as bright as the whole MilkyWay and one hundred times as bright as our galaxy's centre. The Chandra X-ray

Observatory has detected fluctuating X-ray emissions from a location approximately600 light-years away from the centre of M82. Astronomers have postulated that this

fluctuating emission comes from the first known intermediate-mass black hole, ofroughly 200 to 5000 solar masses!


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AurigaThe Charioteer

He is not indolent, boarded on His chariot pulled by seven horses, whenHe wills to make a move, He assumes two forms! O Sun, after arising -Atharva Veda

AURIGA

Abbreviation Aur

Genitive Aurigae

Pronunciation /ra/ Aurga, genitive /radi/

Symbolism The Charioteer

Right ascension 6 h

Declination +40

Family PerseusQuadrant NQ1

Area 657 sq. deg. (21st)

Main stars 5, 8





Brightest star Capella ( Aur) (0.08m)

Nearest star QY Aur(20.74 ly)

Messier objects 3

Meteor Showers Alpha AurigidsDelta Aurigids

Bordering constellations CamelopardalisPerseusTaurusGeminiLynx


Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of LateFebruary to early March.


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Mythology:This constellation may date back to Babylonian times as Rukubi, thechariot. The Romans identified this constellation with Erichthonius, thelame son ofVulcan (whom the Greeks referred to as Hephaestus)

The driver was considered to be a shepherd, usually one that hadflung a goat over its left shoulder (due to the resemblance of that areato a lump), and had its kids (two bright stars) nearby, which isrepresented by the star Capella (meaning she goat)

Pliny and Manilius treated the alpha star, Capella as a constellation byitself, also calling it Capra, Caper, Hircus, and by other hircine titles.

Indian mythology has a charioteer, Aruna, or Arun, that resemblesErichthonius in some ways. In the Hindu Pantheon Surya, the sun, isshown drawn by seven horses (though in earlier depictions it was four)with his charioteer, the lame Aruna, seated in front of him. Accordingto Hindu mythology, Aruna or Arun refers to the Charioteer of theSun, including the rising Sun. Aruna refers to the redness of the risingSun. He is believed to be a cripple (without thighs). This figure of theHindu mythology has the literal meaning, in Sanskrit, of the reddish

one. In India, Capella was worshipped as the heart of Brahma.

In one Greek legend, Auriga represents Erichthonius, a King of Athensand the son of Vulcan and Minerva. Auriga was deformed and hisdifficulty in walking led him to invent the four-horse chariot. Thisinvention brought him a place of honour in the sky. In another legend,Auriga was the son of Mercury. He trained chariot horses and hisanimals were said to be the fastest there were. The bright star Capellaalso has some legend about it. It is reputed to represent the goat thatsuckled Jupiter. At some point Jupiter accidentally broke off a horn.Jupiter made this piece of horn magical in that it could be filled withwhatever the possessor wished for. It was given the name Cornucopia,or "horn of plenty."


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Astronomical Notes:Its brightest star is Capella (alpha Aurigae, 0.1 mag), which is visible inthe upper right from the center of the constellation.

The galactic anticenter is located about 3.5 to the east of Aurigae,the anticenter marks the point on the celestial sphere direcrly oppositethe location of the galactic core. Due to this location, the region of skywith Auriga marks a less dense and luminous part of the dust bandwhich makes up the milky ways spiral arms.

The milky way runs straight through Auriga, which has many openclusters and other objects because of this. Its three brightest openclusters are M36, M37 and M38; all being visible with binoculars or asmall telescope in reasonably light polluted skies, a larger telescoperesolves the individual stars contained within them.

Three more dimmer open clusters are NGC 2281, located close to Psi 7Aurigae, NGC 1664, which is close to Epsilon Aurigae, and NGC 1893,next to the Flaming Star Nebula, located around mid-way between M38and Iota Aurigae. AE Aurigae, a runaway star, is a bright variable,currently located within the Flaming Star Nebula.

Auriga hosts at least four meteor showers annually, all of which have alow hourly activity rate. Its prime shower, The Aurigids, occur betweenthe end of January and late February and have amaximum of 18 perhour between 9th and 17th February. At the beginning of the 20th

Century, reports note spectacularly large fireballs, though in the early21st century this has currently reduced to an average of less than oneper hour.


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Deep Sky Object: M36Image Credit: Glamorgan UniversityDate: ?Instrument: Canon Eos 1000DIso: 1600

Exposure Time:25 seconds

M36 is dominated by a zigzag stream of stars, with fainter stars clumped around it.

The presence of this star cluster was first recorded by Giovanni Batista Hodiernabefore 1654 and re-discovered byLe Gentilin 1749. However, it was Charles Messier

who took the time to carefully record its position for future generations. If this cluster

were 10 times closer, it would appear as conspicuous and very similar to the Pleiades.

Because the cluster is only about 25 million years old, it contains no red giants, in

contrast to nearby M37 and M38.

Right Ascension 5h 36m 12s


Distance 4.1 klyVisual Brightness 6.3

Apparent Dimension 12


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Deep Sky Object: M37Image Credit: Glamorgan UniversityDate: ?Instrument: Canon Eos 1000DIso: 1600


M37 is more uniform than M36 but has a system of dark lanes (starless regions or

perhaps dark nebulosity). It contains at least 150 stars that are around magnitude 12and easily resolved by even small telescopes. Messier 37 would be later given its

NGC catalogue designation by John Herschel who was the first to make a guess at its

true stellar population: "Very fine large cluster, all resolved into stars of 10th to 13th

magnitude. It fills 11/2

field, but the straggling stars extend very far. There may be500 stars."

Right Ascension 5h 52m 19s


Distance 4.4 kly

Visual Brightness 6.2

Apparent Dimension 24


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HerculesThe Hero

A buffoonish Hercules (Heracles) comes to the house of his friendAdmetusHercules overindulges, as usual. Euripides, Alcestis

ABBREVIATION HER

Genitive Herculis

Pronunciation /hrkjliz/, genitive /hrkjls/

Symbolism Heracles

Right ascension 17 h

Declination +30Family Hercules

Quadrant NQ3Area 1225 sq. deg. (5th)

Main stars 14, 22





Brightest star Her (2.78m)Nearest star Gliese 661 (20.62 ly)

Messier objects 2

Meteor showers Tau Herculids

Bordering constellations Draco

BotesCorona BorealisSerpens CaputOphiuchusAquilaSagittaVulpeculaLyra

Visible at latitudes between +90 and50.Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the


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month of July.


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Mythology:The Phoenicians called it their god Melkarth, the Greeks called it thePhantom. We know it most commonly as Hercules, the hero who had


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12 labours to perform to demonstrate his courage and heroism.Hercules death was a sad story, we are told that our hero put on atunic that contained a deadly poison. So tortured by this he was thathe climbed a mountain, built a funeral pyre and perished in its fires.

Jupiter was so touched by this that he had a cloud descend toHercules, pick him up and carry him to his place in the sky.

Astronomical Notes:Hercules first becomes visible in the east in April, and works his wayhigh across the night sky through October. From the southernhemisphere, he appears low in the north. Four relatively bright starsform what is commonly known as the Keystone. Hercules' arms andlegs extend from this central square. By far the most exciting object tosee in Hercules is the magnificent globular cluster M13, which is

visible in dark night skies even without binoculars or a telescope. Thiscluster of 300,000 stars appears as a faint fuzzy spot to the naked eye.

Logged Objects:

Deep Sky Object: M13Date: 19th February 2010 Time: 15:41Seeing: 6 Instrument: EM01 - 2mFaulkes Telescope North, located at Haleakala, Hawaii

Exposure Time: 120Seconds Right Ascension16h 41m 41.44s

Declination +36 27 36.9

Distance 25.1 kly




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Filter:RGB+ND

Perhaps the finest globular cluster in the northern sky, M13 is easily resolved in a 5-

inch (12.5-cm) or larger telescope. Like other globulars, it looks much more three-

dimensional in the telescope than in photographs because the eye can see brightnessdistinctions that the camera does not record. Look for streams and other patterns in

the stars.

Deep Sky Object: M92Date: 19th February 2010 Time: 20:57Seeing: 6 Instrument: EM01 - 2mFaulkesTelescope North, located at Haleakala, Hawaii


Filter:RGB+ND

If M92 were not so close to M13 it would be considered a showpiece. As it is, not

only does M13 overshadow it, but M92 is hard to find without computer aid becausethere are no bright stars nearby!

Right Ascension 17h17'07"

Declination 4308'11"

Distance 26 kly


A arent Dimension 14' arc minutes


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CygnusThe SwanSwans sing before they die - 'twere no bad thing should certain personsdie before they sing.- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

CYGNUS

Abbreviation Cyg

Genitive Cygni

Pronunciation /sns/, genitive /sna/Symbolism The Swan or The Northern Cross

Right ascension 20.62 h

Declination +42.03

Family Hercules

Quadrant NQ4

Area 804 sq. deg. (16th)Main stars 9





Brightest star Deneb ( Cyg) (1.25m)

Nearest star 61 Cyg(11.36 ly)

Messier objects 2

Meteor Showers October CygnidsKappa Cygnids

Bordering constellations CepheusDracoLyraVulpeculaPegasusLacerta


Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during themonth of September.


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Mythology:One story tells us that Cygnus represents Orpheus who was changedinto a swan at his death and placed beside his magic harp (Lyra) in thesky. Another story says this represents Cygnus, son of the King of theLigurians who was stricken with grief over the death of his friendPhaethon. Touched by this, Apollo took pity on him, changed him intoa swan and placed him among the stars. Another story says the swanis Orpheus, who was murdered by the Thracian women while underthe influence of Bacchus. Upon his death, the celebrated musician was

placed in the heavens to spend eternity by his harp, Lyra. Yet anothervariant says that the swan represents the form taken by Jupiter whenhe deceived Leda and fathered Pollux.

According to Ovid, the swan was once Cygnus, son of Sthenele and aclose friend of Phaethon. Phaethon died in the river Eridanus afterattempting to drive the chariot of the sun, and Cygnus was overcomewith grief that Jupiter could have struck down his friend:As he mourned, his voice became thin and shrill, and white feathershid his hair. His neck grew long, stretching out from his breast, his

fingers reddened and a membrane joined them together. Wingsclothed his sides, and a blunt beak fastened on his mouth. Cygnus became a new kind of bird: but he put no trust in the skies, or inJupiter, for he remembered how that god had unjustly hurled hisflaming bolt. Instead, Cygnus made for marshes and broad lakes, andin his hatred of flames chose to inhabit the rivers, which are the veryantithesis of fire.

Astronomical Notes:Cygnus, the Swan, is also known as the Northern Cross because of its

distinctive shape. The constellation forms a lower case "t" shape, withadditional stars off the sides to show a bend for the wings. The tail of


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the swan is marked by the bright star Deneb, which is Arabic for "tail".Three fainter stars cross the line between Deneb and the head of theswan, Albireo, largely regarded as the most beautiful double star inthe heavens. Cygnus flies southward along the summer Milky Way, and

into the Summer Triangle.

The constellation is one of the easier to find in the night sky. Themythology of Cygnus tells the story of Zeus who took the form of aswan to seduce Queen Leda. From this union were born the twinsCastor (an eclipsing system made up of six stars!) and Pollux, whichcan be found in the constellation Gemini.

The tail and bill of the swan are both magnificent stellar sights. Denebis a bright, blue supergiant star, and a mere baby in age compared tomany other stars, it marks the tail of the swan or the top of the

Northern Cross. The brightest star in Cygnus, at magnitude 1.3, it isalso one of the corners in the Summer Triangle. Albireio is the swans

bill, or bottom corner of the Northern Cross. It is actually a binarysystem which exhibits a vibrant amber and blue contrast. The brighterstar of Albireo (or Beta Cygni) is magnitude 3.1, and the dimmer ismagnitude 5.1. The stars are approximately 380 light-years apart.

Cygnus is also interspersed with a variety of nebulae. The NorthAmerican Nebula is located just a few degrees east of Deneb, namedfor its resemblance to the North American continent. The Veil Nebula,

an ancient supernova remnant, is seen several degrees south of theeasternmost wing.

Less than two degrees from Sadr, or Gamma Cygni, the 2.23-magnitude star at the centre of the cross, is M29. M29 is an opencluster at magnitude 6.6. The other Messier object in Cygnus is M39,an open cluster found around 9 degrees northeast of Deneb. M39 ismagnitude 4.5: and can sometimes be seen by the naked eye.Returning to Sadr, NGC 6910, a 7.4-magnitude open cluster, lies just ahalf-degree from the star to the north.

Another nebula to see with binoculars is the Veil Nebula, NGC 6992.The Veil Nebula spans a large expanse of sky a little south of EpsilonCygni, the eastern star in the cross's arm. This entire region is calledthe Cygnus Loop and is the remains of a star that went into asupernova around 5,000 years ago.

Logged Objects:


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Deep Sky Object: NGC 6826Image Credit: Glamorgan UniversityDate: April 2010Seeing: 6 Instrument: EM01 - 2mFaulkes Telescope North, located at Haleakala, Hawaii

Exposure Time:120 secsFilter: RGB+ND

The central star in thisplanetary nebula is much brighter than the surrounding nebulosity. The star and the

nebula compete for your attention; the blinking effect occurs because the star popsin and out of view as you switch from direct to averted vision, or so the folklore says.

The bright double star16 Cygni (SAO 31898, NexStar Star 9426, mags. 6.0, 6.2, sep.

40) is just out of the field to the west. Several other doubles are nearby.


Declination +50 31 30.3

Distance ~2000 ly


Apparent Dimension 27 x 24"


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DracoThe Dragon"It was as huge as the Serpent that twines between the two Bears in thesky, if its full length were seen uncoiled" Ovid - book III ofMetamorphoses

DRACO

Abbreviation Dra

Genitive Draconis

Pronunciation /dreko/, genitive /drkons/

Symbolism The Dragon


Declination +65

Family Ursa MajorQuadrant NQ3

Area 1083 sq. deg. (8th)

Main stars 14

Bayer/Flamsteedstars

76

Stars withplanets

6

Stars brighterthan 3.00m

3

Stars within10.00 pc

7

Brightest star Gamma Draconis (2.24m)Nearest star Struve 2398

(11.52 ly)

Messier objects 1

Meteor showers Draconids

Borderingconstellations

BotesHerculesLyraCygnusCepheusUrsa MinorCamelopardalis

Ursa MajorVisible at latitudes between +90 and 15.

Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of July.


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Mythology:Draco represents Ladon, the dragon sometimes depicted with onehundred heads that guarded a sacred spring and slew the soldiers ofCadmus (the first king of Thebes).The eleventh of the Twelve Labours of Heracles was to steal the golden

apples.


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Heracles asks Atlas to gather the apples while he and Athena held upthe sky. Atlas, thinking he could trick Heracles into holding the skyforever, gladly accepted the mission. When he returned with theapples, Heracles slipped the sky back on Atlas' shoulders.

"Some also say this Draco was thrown at Minerva (Athene) by theGigantes (Giants), when she fought them. Minerva snatched its twistedform and threw it to the stars, and fixed it at the very pole of heaven.And so to this day it appears with twisted body, as if recentlytransported to the stars." [Hyginus, Astronomica 2.3] "Today we seehim forever asleep as the much-knotted, battered, and twisted Draco"[Minerva threw the dragon to the stars or slung it. A German wordfor snake is Schlange "which is probably related to 'sling'",

A Babylonian creation story tells of Tiamat, who turned herself into adragon but was later defeated and split into two parts. One part

became the heavens and the other, the Earth.

A Chinese tale sees the stars as the dragon who eats the Sun or Moon(possible represented by the north star Polaris) in an eclipse. During areal eclipse, ancient Chinese would make as much noise as possible,

banging on pots and pans to try and scare away the dragon which waseating the Sun or Moon.A Norse creation myth tells of a dragon who gnaws at the roots ofYgdrasil, the tree that covers the world.The Persians have regarded Draco as a man-eating serpent called

Azhdeha.In early Hindu worship, Draco is given the form of an alligator knownas Shi-shu-mara.

Because Thuban was the pole star 5000 years ago the ancientEgyptians keenly observed it. Some of Draco's stars were part of theirconstellation of Hippopotamus and some were of the Crocodile. Theyappear on the planisphere of Denderah and the walls of theRamesseum at Thebes. The hieroglyph for the Hippopotamus was usedfor the heavens in general while the constellation is supposed to have

been a symbol of Isis Rathor, Athor, or Athyr, the Egyptian Venus.

Draco's stars were also said to represent the falcon headed god Horus.Around 800 BC, the prehistoric Adena people who lived in the Ohioarea of the United States created Serpent Mound which is believed tomirror the constellation Draco. This huge mound is nearly a quartermile long.

Astronomical Notes:Draco the dragon is a circumpolar constellation, which means itrevolves around the North pole. It can be seen all year round. Draco isonly present in the Northern Hemisphere, so those living in theSouthern Hemisphere will never see this long constellation. The easiestway to spot Draco is by finding the dragons head. It consists of four


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stars in a trapezoid, found just north of Hercules. Draco's body ismade up of a chain of stars that arc towards polaris, before coiling

back towards the head, followed another turn that takes it between thetwo dippers. Perhaps we can see the resemblance to a coiled

serpentine creature?

From the head, Dracos tail winds through the sky, ending betweenthe Big and Little Dippers. The end of the constellation is held byThuban (Alpha Draconis), which was the pole star over 4,000 yearsago. This little group of constellations in named circumpolar, as theyare far enough north to circle the pole star

Draco's brightest star is Elatin, or Gamma Draconis. It shines atmagnitude 2.24 and lies 148 light years away. Draco's third brighteststar is located in the head. It lies 362 light years away from here and is

named Rastaban, shining at magnitude 2.79.

The final named star in Draco can be found between the end two star'sof the Big Dipper's Bowl and Polaris. It is a magntiude 3.82 star namedLambda Draconis, or Giausar.

Around 20,000 years from now the sky will look a little different. Theprocess that moves the North Celestial Pole is called precession, and iscaused by periodic wobbles of the earth on it's axis. It is believed thatDraco's star Thuban will one day be located where Polaris is, and will

be the 'new' pole star. . Interestingly enough, after about 26,000 yearsone cycle of precession takes roughly 26,000 years, and so after this26,000 years Polaris will be back where we see it now. The dragon willhave its day (or millennia?) hosting the pole star.

You may also be interested to know that there is a cat's eye hiding inthe dragons body. NGC6543, or the Cat's Eye Nebula, is located onethird of the way from Eltanin to Polaris. It is somewhat hard to detectat magnitude 8.8 but can be seen under dark skies with a telescope.

Logged Objects:None


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CepheusThe King

"The Ethiopians were the first who invented the science of stars, andgave names to the planets, not at random and without meaning, butdescriptive of the qualities which they conceived them to possess -Lucian

CEPHEUS

Abbreviation Cep

Genitive Cephei

Pronunciation /sifis/ or /sifjus/; genitive /sifia/Symbolism The King/King Cepheus


Declination +70

Family Perseus

Quadrant NQ4Area 588 sq. deg. (27th)

Main stars 7


43

Stars withplanets

1


1


3

Brightest star Cep (Alderamin) (2.45m)

Nearest star Kruger 60(13.15 ly)

Messier objects 0

Meteor showers None


CygnusLacertaCassiopeiaCamelopardalisDracoUrsa Minor


Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month ofNovember.


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Mythology:This constellation represents King Cepheus of Ethiopia. Althoughprobably best known as the husband of Queen Cassiopeia and fatherof Andromeda.

It has also been said that Cepheus was one of the Argonauts and thathe accompanied Jason on the quest for the golden fleece. For hishonour and bravery, he was placed in the sky. The Chinese regardedthese stars highly and associated them with royalty by calling themthe Inner Throne of the Five Emperors. The Arabs saw in these stars ashepherd, his dog and a flock of sheep.

He was deemed worthy of a place in the sky because he was fourth indescent from the nymph Io, one of the loves of Zeus and having Zeusas a relative was always an advantage when it came to beingcommemorated among the constellations. The kingdom of Cepheus

was not the Ethiopia we know today, but stretched from the south-eastern shore of the Mediterranean southwards to the Red Sea, an area


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that contains parts of the modern Israel, Jordan and Egypt. Ptolemydescribed him as wearing the tiara-like head-dress of a Persian king.

The later Hindus knew Cepheus, or Kepheus, as Capuja, adopted from

GreeceIn the Chinese sky, Alpha and Beta Cephei were part of a nine-stargroup called Gouxing, the celestial hook; the stars in this group wereassociated with omens regarding earthquakes. To the south ofGouxing, the stars Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Mu and Nu Cephei formedZhaofu, named after the legendary charioteer of the emperor MuWang.

This constellation is believed to date as far back as 23 centuries andthat is was recognized by the Chaldeans.

Astronomical Notes:Cepheus looks like a house. The point on top is a special star called acepheid. These stars are used to measure long distances. Theconstellation of Cepheus lies near the north celestial pole. Its mostcelebrated star is Delta Cephei, a pulsating supergiant star that variesin brightness every 5.4 days.

Cepheus is located close to Polaris, and in the Northern Hemispherenever sets. To locate it, draw a triangle between the constellations,Cassiopeia, Cygnus and the Little Dipper. WIthin that triangle will be apentagon, or house shaped collection of stars, this is the King himself.

Cepheus' brightest star is Alpha Cephei or Alderamin. It lies 45 lightyears away and shines at magnitude 2.45, it is found in the bottomright corner of the pentagon. The other, more distant star at the

bottom of the pentagon is Zeta Cephei

45 lightyears distant is the star that marks the roof in Cepheus; Erraior Gamma Cephei. It is magnitude 3.21. Lastly at the top of thepentagon is Gamma Cepheo.

Logged Objects:None


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Cassiopeia

The QueenCassiopeia, having boasted herself equal in beauty to the Nereids,drew down the vengeance of Poseidon, who sent an inundation on theland and a sea-monster which destroyed man and beast... -Apollodorus ii. 4; Hyginus, Fab. 64; Ovid, Metam. iv. 662

CASSIOPEIA

Abbreviation Cas

Genitive Cassiopeiae

Pronunciation /ksi.pi./ Cssiopia, colloquially /ksiopi./ Cssipeia;genitive /ksi.pi.i/

Symbolism the Seated Queen

Right ascension 1 h

Declination +60

Family Perseus

Quadrant NQ1

Area 598 sq. deg. (25th)

Main stars 5


53

Stars withplanets

3


4


7

Brightest star Cas (Schedar) (2.15m)

Nearest star Cas (Achird)

(19.42 ly)

Messier objects 2

Meteor showers Perseids


CamelopardalisCepheusLacertaAndromedaPerseus


Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of November.


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Mythology:The boast of Cassiopeia was that both she and her daughterAndromeda were more beautiful than all the Nereids, the nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus. This brought the wrath of Poseidon,ruling god of the sea, upon the kingdom of Ethiopia. Her name inGreek is , which means "she whose words excel".

Cassiopeia is the legendary queen of Ethiopia and wife of the king,

Cepheus. The royal couple had a daughter Andromeda who Cassiopeiawas forced to offer up to a sea monster because she had offended thesea nymphs boasting about her beauty. Cassiopeia was latertransported to the sky, where she sits on her throne and circles thepole.

Cassiopeia was the beautiful wife of Cepheus, king of Ethiopia, and themother of Andromeda. She is most famous in connection with themyth of her daughter, Andromeda. The queen made the mistake of

bragging she was more lovely than the Nereids, or even than Junoherself. The goddesses were, needless to say, rather insulted, and went

to Neptune, god of the sea, to complain. Neptune promptly sent a seamonster (possibly Cetus?) to ravage the coast. The king and queenwere ordered to sacrifice their daughter to appease Neptune's wrath,and would have done so had Perseus not arrived to kill the monster inthe nick of time. As a reward, the hero was wedded to the lovelyAndromeda.

Although she was placed in the heavens by Neptune, the sea-god sawfit to humiliate her one final time (and for all eternity). He placed herso that she is seated on her throne, with her head pointing towards

the North Star Polaris. In this position, she spends half of every nightupside-down.


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This group of stars was also seen by the Arabs as a hand or a kneelingcamel. The Inuit called it the stone lamp.

Astronomical Notes:Cassiopeia has a very distinct shape. She looks like a "W" or "M" in thesky, depending on where she is. Cassiopeia is a northern circumpolarconstellation, so it can be viewed all year long. It is home to severalclusters, or groups of stars. M52 is a large cluster on the western edge.With a telescope, many distant objects can be spotted. There are a fewnebulae within Cassiopeia, including the Bubble Nebula and IC 1805.This nebula is located just to the east of the constellation. Finally, anumber of galaxies can be spotted, including NGC 185, which is asmall distance south of the "W".

Cassiopeiae is a peculiar variable star. The brightness varies from 1.6to 3 magnitudes. Cassiopeiae is assumed to be a binary starcontaining a Be star and a neutron star. It is the brightest X-ray binaryon the sky, no other X-ray binaries can be seen with naked eye.Cassiopeia was the site of Tycho Brahe's supernova of 1572, and isalso the location of Cassiopeia A, the strongest radio source in the sky(other than the sun). Cassiopeia A is the remnant of a supernova whichapparently occurred in about 1667, although there is no record of ithaving been observed.

Logged Objects:

Deep Sky Object: M52Image Credit: Glamorgan University


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Date: April 2010Instrument: Cannon Eos 350DISO 1600Exposure Time: 33 seconds

No Filter.

M52 can be found quite easily by extending the line from Alpha over Beta

Cassiopeiae by 6 1/2 degrees to the NW to 5th mag 4 Cassiopeiae; M52 is roughly 1

degree south and slightly west of this star. Amateurs can see M52 as a nebulous patch

in good binoculars or finder scopes. In 4-inch telescopes, it appears as a fine, rich

compressed cluster of faint stars, often described as of fan or "V" shape; the bright

yellow star is to the south-western edge.

Deep Sky Object: M103Image Credit: Glamorgan UniversityDate: 19th February 2010 Time: 15:41Instrument: Cannon Eos 350D

Exposure: 23 SecondsIso: 1600

Right Ascension 23h 24.2m

Declination +61 35Distance 5.0 kly


Apparent Dimension 13.0'


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No Filter.

M103 is one of the more distant open clusters in the Messier catalogue. It's distance is

estimated between 8000 and 9200 light years, with some uncertainty due to an

unknown amount of light absorption in the intervening space. If a distance of 8500light years is used, the diameter of the cluster would be 15 light years. The brightest

star in the cluster is actually a binary, Struve 131, and coincidentally, is not physically

located within the cluster.

Right Ascension 01h 33.2m

Declination +60 42

Distance 10 kly


Apparent Dimension 6.0


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HydraThe Many Headed Serpent"This monster was so poisonous that she killed men with her breath,and if anyone passed by when she was sleeping, he breathed her tracksand died in the greatest torment."(Hyginus, 30)

HYDRA

Abbreviation Hya

Genitive Hydrae

Pronunication /hadr/, genitive /hadri/

Symbolism the sea serpent

Right ascension 8-15 h

Declination 20

Family HerculesQuadrant SQ2

Area 1303 sq. deg. (1st)

Main stars 17


75

Stars withplanets

10


2

Stars within10.00 pc (32.62

ly)

4

Brightest star Alphard ( Hya) (1.98m)

Nearest star LHS 3003(20.67 ly)

Messier objects 3

Meteor showers Alpha HydridsSigma Hydrids


AntliaCancerCanis MinorCentaurusCorvus

CraterLeoLibraLupus (corner)MonocerosPuppisPyxisSextansVirgo


Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during themonth of April.


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Mythology:This monster was the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, and was

brought up by Hera. It ravaged the country of Lernae near Argos, and

dwelt in a swamp near the well of Amymone: it was formidable by itsnine heads, the middle of which was immortal.

Herakles was sent to destroy her as one of his twelve labours, but foreach of her heads that he decapitated, two more sprang forth. So withthe help of Iolaos, he applied burning brands to the severed stumps,cauterizing the wounds and preventing regeneration. In the battle healso crushed a giant crab beneath his heel which had come to assistHydra. The Hydra and the Crab were afterwards placed amongst thestars by Hera as the Constellations Hydra and Cancer.

The Egyptians said this group of stars was the river Nile's starrycounterpart.

Astronomical Notes:Hydra is the longest constellation in the sky and is also the largest interms of area. It is so long that it takes more than six hours to risecompletely. Along it's northern side, we can observe the zodiacal signsof Cancer, Leo, Virgo and Libra. The stars in the serpent's head appearto be at the same distance but they are really very far away from each

other. The northernmost of the six stars in the head of the serpent,Epsilon Hydrae, is a quintuple star - a system of five stars. Alphard(Arabic for "the solitary one") is Hydra's brightest star. Hydra is hometo a fairly faint, but large, open cluster of about 80 stars known asM48. This cluster is easily observed with binoculars and looks biggerthan the disc of the full Moon. Hydra is one of the most ancientconstellations.

Logged Objects:None


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Non-Deep Sky ObservationsThe Sun

The Bright FatherThe sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eyeand the heart of the child Ralph Waldo Emerson

Observation:

Image Credit: Glamorgan University

Date: 6th April Time: 14:00Seeing: DaylightInstrument: Canon EOS 350DExposure Time: ?Filter: Solar Filter

This photograph was taken using a solar filter to protect the cameraand my eyesight. Seen magnified without a filter, it can be a literally

blinding sight. If you look carefully, you can see a solar prominenceemerging at the bottom right part of the sun. These are caused by

magnetic instabilities in the seething plasma that makes up the sunsstructure.

MythologyThe Sun has often been worshipped as a god by humans. Its obviouspower is clearly manifest in the form of blinding light and scorchingheat, a metaphor for omnipotent power. Even as far away from us as itis now, it demands respect, for without the sun the earth would becold, dark and dead.

Ancient, Proto-Indo-European religion depicts the sun as traversing thesky in a chariot. In Africa The Munshitribe considers the Sun to be the


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son of the supreme being Awondo and the Moon as Awondo'sdaughter. The Barotse tribe believes that the Sun is inhabited by thesky god Nyambi and the Moon is his wife. In Ancient Pagan EasternEurope Svarogis the Slavic god of sun spirit and fire. In Ancient Rome

the feast ofSol Invictus (The Unconquered Sun) on December 25 wascelebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over bythe Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ.

Tonatiuhwas the Aztec Sun God in the Aztec Civilization. A temperamental

deity,hehadtobepersuadedtoriseeverydaywithmultiplehumansacrifices.How

many victims had their hearts cut out to appease him? In the Aztec calendar,

Tonatiuhisthelordofthethirteendaysfrom1Deathto13Flint.

Astronomical NotesAstronomically speaking, our sun is an unremarkable, middle aged, G

Class Star. On the Hertzprung Russell diagram it is on the MainSequence, which means that it is currently burning hydrogen intohelium, and as far as stars go, is rather stable. In about 4 billion yearsit is predicted to start running out of hydrogen. This will cause it togradually evolve into a red giant, burning heavier and heavier elementsin an attempt to remain stable.

The Moon

The Lunar Mother


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I like to think that the moon is there even if I am not looking at itAlbert Einstein

The Moon has fascinated mankind throughout the ages. By simply

viewing with the naked eye, one can discern two major types ofterrain: relatively bright highlands and darker plains. By the middle ofthe 17th century, Galileo and other early astronomers made telescopicobservations, noting an almost endless overlapping of craters. It hasalso been known for more than a century that the Moon is less densethan the Earth. Although a certain amount of information wasascertained about the Moon before the space age, this new era hasrevealed many secrets barely imaginable before that time. Currentknowledge of the Moon is greater than for any other solar systemobject except Earth.

Observation:

Time and Date: 22:18, 9/10/09

Object(s) Viewed: The MoonEquipment Used: Naked eye observationObservations made from: Treforest, Rhonda Cynon TafNotes: I went out to observe the moon after a car journey fromMerthyr Tydfil with a friend. I noticed the particular, dark yellow hueof the moon and found it to be rather frightening. The moon canappear this way when it is low in the sky and when there are a lot ofdust particles in the atmosphere. The optical phenomenon is caused

by some of the light being refracted by the dense particles in the air,high up in the atmosphere, and this is the same phenomenonresponsible for the orange hues we sometimes see in the setting sun.


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MythologyThe mythology of the moon is often linked to a female goddess who ispaired with the male sun. She symbolizes emotions, feelings, instincts,day to day habit patterns and routine. The Moon is very stronglyrelated to mother, home and family, and the cycles of the moon areintricately tied to feminine moods and menstrual cycles. The moonwas thought to effect peoples mental states, with the term Lunacycoming from Latin name for the moon, Luna. Lastly, there is the timehonoured western myth of the Were-wolf, the beast that emerges onlywhen the moon is full, and makes mischief on cloudless nights underthe pale moonlight

The Many Names Of The MoonIn ancient Greece the moon was called Selene and in Rome her name

was Luna. In the myths associated with these goddesses, the goddessis paired with the god of the sun. He travels throughout the day andshe takes over the journey at night. She was typically considered to bea passionate goddess who takes many lovers and who represents thedesire associated with the moon.

The Aztecs had Coyolxauhqui, which means "Golden Bells."Coyolxauhqui was the sister of the Sun god, Huitzilopochtli.Coyolxauhqui was a powerful magician and the leader of the StarGods, the Centzonuitznaua

However, not all of the deities associated with the moon aregoddesses. Tecciztecatl was a male Aztec deity, sometimes identifiedas a rabbit. In some depictions he carried a large, white seashell on his

back, representing the moon itself; in others he had butterfly wings.

Mawu. In Africa, Mawu is a moon God who is forever linked in unitywith the sun goddess Liza. It is believed that lunar and solar eclipsesare related to the lovemaking times of the celestial couple.

Soma. This is a Hindu god that is associated with the moon. In Hindu

art, Soma is sometimes an embryo and sometimes a bull, andfrequently associated with Fertility. Soma's twenty-seven wives werethe star goddesses, the Nakshatras - daughters of the cosmicprogenitor Daksha. Daksha cursed Soma to wither and die, but thewives intervened and the death became periodic and temporary, and issymbolized by the waxing and waning of the moon


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In Greek myths, Selene was the Titan Goddess of the MoonIncarnate. She was depicted as a woman either riding side saddle on ahorse or in a chariot drawn by a pair of winged steeds. Her lunarsphere or crescent was represented as either a crown set upon her heador as the fold of a raised, shining cloak.

Astronomical Notes:The impact theory suggests that our moon was formed as the result

of earth colliding with a Mars sized planet named Theia. Geologicallyspeaking, Luna is quite unremarkable, having no geological activity,and being comprised mainly of cold dead rock. Its surface is ofimmense value to astronomers who wish to study the environment ofthe early solar system. Its many craters are ancient, and tell us abouthow much debris was loose in the baby solar system.

The Moon is 384,403 kilometers (238,857 miles) distant from theEarth. Its diameter is 3,476 kilometers (2,160 miles). Both the rotationof the Moon and its revolution around Earth takes 27 days, 7 hours,and 43 minutes. This synchronous rotation is caused by anunsymmetrical distribution of mass in the Moon, which has allowedEarth's gravity to keep one lunar hemisphere permanently turnedtoward Earth .-Source: Calvin J Hamilton http://www.solarviews.com/eng/moon.htm


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The Milky WayThe Starry RoadThe Milky Way is nothing else but a mass of innumerable stars planted

together in clusters. - Galileo Galilei

The milky way is not one object, but is instead comprised of themillions of observable stars and objects in the galactic plane of ourhome galaxy. Truly one of the most magnificant sights in the sky, tolook at it is to truly feel the primal beauty of the universe. Sadly,many urban dwellers have not been able to see the extent of the MilkyWay, if they have even seen it at all, and even small amounts of lightpollution are enough to obscure much of the ethereal detail of thiswonderous sight.

Observation:

Image Credit: Glamorgan UniversityDate: 19th February 2010

Instrument: Canon EOS 350DExposure Time: Unknown


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Filter: None.

Mythology:In Meteorologica Aristotle argued the Milky Way to be caused by "theignition of the fiery exhalation of some stars which were large,numerous and close together" and that the "ignition takes place in theupper part of the atmosphere, in the region of the world which iscontinuous with the heavenly motions."

The Khoisan people of the Kalahari desert in southern Africa say thatlong ago there were no stars and the night was pitch black. A girl, whowas lonely and wanted to visit other people, threw the embers from afire into the sky and created the Milky Way.

In Far Eastern Mythologies, the stars Altair and Vega were said to betwo lovers who were allowed to meet only once a year on the seventhday of the seventh month, when a flock of magpies and crows formeda bridge over the galactic river. That day is celebrated as Qi Xi, theSeventh Night

In the Hindu collection of stories called Bhagavata Purana, all thevisible stars and planets moving through space are likened to adolphin that swims through the water, and the heavens is calledsisumra cakra, the dolphin disc. The Milky Way forms the abdomenof the dolphin and is called Akasaganga, which means "The GangesRiver of the Sky".

In Egyptian mythology, the Milky Way was considered a pool of cow'smilk. It was deified as a fertility cow-goddess by the name ofBat.

To the Mori of Australasia, the Milky Way is the waka (canoe) ofTama-rereti. The front and back of the canoe are Orion and Scorpius,while the Southern Cross and the Pointers are the anchor and rope.

Astronomical Notes:The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy that is part of the Local Groupof galaxies. It is one of countless billions in the observable universe. Itis estimated to contain between 200 billion and 400 billion stars. Ourgalaxy has a relatively low surface brightness due to the interstellarmedium that fills the galactic disk, like thick cloth draped over alightbulb, this prevents us from seeing the bright galactic centre withthe naked eye.

The Sun (and correspondingly our Solar System) may be found close tothe inner rim of the galaxy's Orion Arm, in the Local Fluff inside the

Local Bubble. We are at a distance of 25,000 light years from theGalactic Centre; a region thick with stars and thought to be the host of


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an immense black hole, which acts as an anchor to all the materialwithin our galaxy, trapped in its gravitational pull.

Depending on which tribe you ask, theAborigines of Australasia havemany different and fertile myths related to the Milky Way.-Source:Malcolm Maloney Jagamarra: Marlu (Milky Way Dreaming)


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JupiterThe King Of The GodsWhether they find a life there or not, I thinkJupitershould be called

an enemy planet. - Jack Handy

Jupiter is king in the planetary hierarchy, the largest of all the planetsin the neighbourhood. Like a Solar System in miniature, Jupiter hasscores of smaller moons and captured objects trapped by his stronggravitational pull. Perhaps not the startling planet to look at, Jupiterglows in shades of brown and ochre, and his fluid atmosphere isstreaked with ponderously moving lines that mark divisions in theswirling gaseous chaos.

Jupiters incredibly strong magnetic field is immense. If it could be

seen from earth it would take up as much space in the sky as the fullmoon. It reacts to electromagnetic excitation in the same way as ourown magnetic field and has its own beautiful aurora.

Mythology


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To the Romans and Greeks, Jupiter was the King of the Gods, son ofthe titans and frequently made time to interfere in the affairs ofhumans. The Romans called him Optimus Maximus -Father God, BestAnd Greatest and he knew it!

Jupiter was one of the most important of the Roman gods,continuously evolving with Roman needs. In the early Republican era,when Rome was an agricultural city, he first appeared as anagricultural god in charge of sun and moonlight (Jupiter Lucetius),wind, rain, storms, thunder and lightning (Jupiter Elicius), sowing(Jupiter Dapalis), creative forces (Jupiter Liber) and the boundarystones of fields (Jupiter Terminus).

As Rome developed into a city of commerce and military force, Jupiterevolved into a protector of the city and state of Rome His main temple

was the "Capitolim Vetus", situated on the Capitoline Hill in Rome,which he shared with Juno (his sister and consort) and Minerva, toform the Capitoline Triad.

In Egypt he was called Ammon, and was depicted as a human with aram's head. He was one of the chief gods of the Egyptian pantheon. InBabylon he was represented by Marduk, the patron God of the city ofBabylon, considered equivalent to the older Sumerian god Enlil. TheAssyrians in turn equated Enlil to their state god, Ashur. All wereoften just referred to as Lord, and this title is preserved in Biblicalreferences to Baalor Bel.


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In modern astrology, Jupiter is the planet of expansion, and isassociated with leadership, principles, philosophy, law, politics, highereducation, travel, abundance, problem solving and rituals. NegativelyJupiter is said to manifest as excess in our lives and this affliction may

be physical; such as addictions or spiritual, such as dogmatism.

Astronomical NotesJupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and is the largest planet in thesolar system. If Jupiter were hollow, more than one thousand Earthscould fit inside. It also contains two and a half times the mass of allthe other planets combined. It has a mass of 1.9 x 1027 kg and is142,800 kilometers (88,736 miles) across the equator. Jupiterpossesses 62 known satellites. The four largest are Callisto, Europa,Ganymede and Io, and were named after Galileo Galilei who observed

them as long ago as 1610. The German astronomer Simon Mariusclaimed to have seen the moons around the same time, but he did notpublish his observations and so Galileo is given the credit for theirdiscovery.

Jupiter has a very faint ring system, but is totally invisible from theEarth. (The rings were discovered in 1979 by Voyager 1.) Theatmosphere is very deep, perhaps comprising the whole planet, and issomewhat like the Sun. It is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium,with small amounts of methane, ammonia, water vapor and othercompounds. At great depths within Jupiter, the pressure is so great

that the hydrogen atoms are broken up and the electrons are freed sothat the resulting atoms consist of bare protons. This produces a statein which the hydrogen becomes metallic. This metallic hydrogen isthought to be responsible for Jupiters immense magnetic field.-Source:Calvin J Hamilton http://www.solarviews.com/eng/jupiter.htm

Observation:Time and Date: 21:18, 16/10/09

Object(s) Viewed: Jupiter, Galilean Moons

Equipment Used: Meade LXD55 Telescope, 12x80LE BAK 4 Binoculars

Observations made from: Treforest, Rhonda Cynon Taf

Notes: Atmospheric conditions were clear. Observation was made in suburban back

garden so some glare caused by nearby streetlights hindered observing quality. My

observations differed from that of Danny, I could not distinguish any features on the

Jovian surface, whereas he could. Two of the moons were overlapping in my field of

view.


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Appendix I: Miscellaneous Images

Miscellaneous Photo 01: Though not deep sky objects, this is a pictureof Venus and Mercury as the sun sets, El Bosque, Spain, April 2010.

Miscellaneous Photo 02: A long exposure picture of University of

Glamorgans Astronomy and Space Undergraduates and Staff, takenaround the time of the first shot, El Bosque, Spain, April 2010.


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Appendix II:Image Credits:

Mythological Images Exerpted from two historical celestial atlases:

i.

Firmamentum Sobiescianum sive Uranographia*star atlas byJohannes Hevelius. Published: 1690. Expired.ii. Uranias Mirror**published by Samuel Leigh of the Strand,

London, circa 1825 Expired.

* Hevelius was perhaps the most active observational astronomer ofthe last half of the seventeenth century. His star atlas is notable formany reasons. It contains fifty-six large, exquisite, double-pageengraved star maps. The star positions for the charts were derivedfrom Hevelius's own star catalogue, based on his own observations,which was first published along with the atlas. It is unique among the

Grand Atlases in choosing to depict the constellations as they wouldappear on a globe, that is, from th

jack oughton - observational journal v1

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