If you enjoy Jeff's monthly star blog, you'll love Stelliferous Live!
The Director of our Bishop Planetarium will present a live star talk followed by a discussion on topics to be covered this blog. Please join Jeff on the 4th Wednesday of most months for this new program.
Upcoming Events:
Wednesday, February 22, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 28, 7 p.m.
Stelliferous Live! events are free to attend, but donations are appreciated.
Please RSVP to Amara C. Nash: 941-746-4131, ext. 11 or
click here to register online for the Feb. 22 event.
February 2012
“Ay, love is a journey through water and stars...” Pablo Neruda
February brings us Valentine’s Day, and this month’s night skies have tales of love to tell.
Let’s start with the opening act of a story that holds some promise. Two planets (shall we think of them as potential lovers?) have appeared on our stage. In the west sits Venus, the brightest and most beautiful of the planets. And clear across the sky on the eastern horizon? Mars, ruddy red and ready to give chase, has made his first appearance of the year. Over the next few months, Mars will be marching across the sky, with Venus inching her way closer and closer to him. How will this story unfold? I’m not telling. You’ll have to watch and see.
As Mars chases Venus across the sky, the epilogue to a second story continues to play itself out. And while I heartily recommend stepping out to take in the winter skies with your sweetie, I cannot suggest that you look to this story for romantic inspiration.
There, at the top of the sky, is Orion. Orion was endowed with great gifts. A giant, he was stronger than any other mortal. He was said to be unfairly handsome. And he was widely known as the greatest hunter the world had ever known: there was no quarry that he could not apprehend. None, that is, but Merope, one of the seven beautiful daughters of Atlas and Pleione.
Orion, the story goes, fell in love with Merope’s beauty and grace the moment he saw her. For twelve years he pursued her relentlessly. But, as Orion was a mortal and something of a brute, Merope continually fled his advances. Finally, in desperation, Merope asked for help from Zeus, who turned her into a dove so that she might fly away from the incessant advances. Orion was too good a hunter, though, and tracked her down yet again. Zeus, seeing no other option, turned Merope into a star and placed her on the back of the gentle bull Taurus for her protection. Her sisters, who loved Merope too much to be separated from her, asked to be turned into stars as well. And there they are today, the beautiful cluster of seven sisters, the Pleiades, sitting on the back of Taurus tonight.
Orion later met his fate at the stinger of a scorpion, the smallest of deadly beasts. After his death, Zeus (with cruel humor) turned Orion into a constellation, too, placing him just in front of Taurus. And to this day, Orion continues to battle the bull, doomed to eternally pursue Merope across the night sky, while she remains forever just out of reach.
Cupid’s arrow certainly didn’t hit its mark in this tale.
So, when you take your sweetie out to admire the brilliant stars of Orion and the Pleiades, don’t share their story. My advice? Use the time to steal a kiss instead.
A note about star charts: If you are looking at this star chart, you may have noticed that EAST and WEST are reversed, compared to a regular map. That’s because the chart shows the sky above your head. Imagine picking up your computer monitor (don’t really pick it up, please) and holding it up over your head. North would still be north, South would still be south, but now East and West are in their proper places. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it in no time.
