Hungry Mother State Park Stargazing for March, April And

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Hungry Mother State Park Stargazing for March, April And Welcome to Hungry Mother State Park Hungry Mother State Park Attention all stargazers, the night sky is calling. Here at the park we have some prime viewing areas located at the Stargazing spillway, the beach front and the ballfield behind Ferrell Hall. Year-round in the Park the sky is filled with stars, planets and constellations with stories to tell. Here Please watch for additional in the Northern Hemisphere we have monthly Stargazing guides to circumpolar constellations that can be learn more about stargazing in viewed all year long. What are you our park. waiting for? Let’s go stargazing. For more information about March Constellations Virginia State Parks, please visit: Cancer Canis Minor www.virginiastateparks.gov April Constellations Discovery Center Hydra Hours of Operation: Leo 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. daily May Constellations Corvus March/April/May Virgo Star Gazing Smart Phone Apps Star Walk 2 Night Sky Star Tracker Interpretation Office: Sky Map Phone: 276-781-7413 [email protected] March Constellations April Constellations the god Zeus placed the figure of a gigantic lion in the sky with the rest of the stars. Cancer (The Crab) Hydra (The Serpent) The people of Nemea were terrorized by the According to an ancient Greek legend, the Hydra is the longest constellation in the sky. lion. Several times they tried to destroy the figure of a gigantic crab was placed in the It is so long that it takes more than six hours beast. Heracles was ordered by the king, nighttime sky by the goddess Hera to form to rise completely. In the myth, the people Euryshtheus, to kill the Nemean lion. When the constellation Cancer. Hera swore to of Lerna were terrorized by this serpent; a Heracles reached the cave where the beast kill Heracles, the most famous Greek hero. horrifying beast with many snake-like heads, was living, he realized all his weapons were Hera attempted to kill Heracles many times, one of which was immortal. The heads of useless against the lion, thus Heracles killed but each time his incredible physical the Hydra could grow back even if they were the lion by strangling it with his bare hands. strength allowed him to survive. Hera then cut off. Anyone approaching the Hydra was When the beast was dead, Heracles used its decided to cast a spell of madness on killed by its venomous breath. The pelt as a coat and the head as a helmet. Heracles, causing him to commit a great destruction of the Hydra was one of the crime. In order to be forgiven, he had to many difficult tasks that Heracles had to May Constellations perform twelve difficult tasks. One of these perform to show that he was sorry for a tasks was destroying the terrible nine- terrible crime he committed. Heracles was Corvus (The Raven) so brave and strong that he succeeded in headed water-serpent, Hydra. During the The raven was Apollo’s sacred bird in Greek killing the Hydra, with the help of his battle between Heracles and Hydra, the mythology. According to the myth, the nephew Iolaus. Every time Heracles would goddess Hera sent a giant crab to aid the raven originally had white feathers. Apollo cut off one head of the beast, Iolaus would serpent. But Heracles, being so strong, killed told the bird to watch over Coronis, one of sear its injured neck, preventing new heads the crab by smashing its shell with his foot. his lovers, who was pregnant at the time. from growing back. During their fight, an As a reward for its service, Hera placed the Coronis gradually lost interest in Apollo and enormous crab emerged from the swamp to crab in the night sky. fell in love with a mortal man, Ischys. When aid the Hydra. Heracles killed the crab by the raven reported the affair to Apollo, the crushing its shell with his foot. Heracles Canis Minor (The Little Dog) god was so enraged that the bird did buried the Hydra's head under a heavy In the Greek myth, it is said that this nothing to stop it, that he flung a curse on it, rock. constellation, along with Canis Major, scorching the raven’s feathers. That, the Leo (The Lion) are Orion's hunting dogs. legend goes, is why all ravens are black. During the dry season in ancient Egypt, the lions of the desert came close to the valley Virgo (The Maiden) of the Nile when the river flooded, which The constellation represents almost every used to happen when the sun was in Leo. famous and powerful female in mythology, Some have interpreted this as the origin of including Athena, Artemis, Persephone and the name of the constellation. The ancient Demeter. She is usually carrying a grain of Sumerians, Babylonians, Persians, Syrians, wheat and a staff. Greeks and Romans all recognized this constellation as a lion. The Greeks believed .
Recommended publications
  • Heracles's Weariness and Apotheosis in Classical Greek Art
    Dourado Lopes, Antonio Orlando Heracles's weariness and apotheosis in Classical Greek art Synthesis 2018, vol. 25, nro. 2, e042 Dourado Lopes, A. (2018). Heracles's weariness and apotheosis in Classical Greek art. Synthesis, 25 (2), e042. En Memoria Académica. Disponible en: http://www.memoria.fahce.unlp.edu.ar/art_revistas/pr.10707/pr.10707.pdf Información adicional en www.memoria.fahce.unlp.edu.ar Esta obra está bajo una Licencia Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ ARTÍCULO / ARTICLE Synthesis, vol. 25, nº 2, e042, diciembre 2018. ISSN 1851-779X Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación. Centro de Estudios Helénicos Heracles's weariness and apotheosis in Classical Greek art Agotamiento físico y apoteosis de Heracles en el arte clásico griego Antonio Orlando Dourado Lopes Universidad Federal de Minas Gerais, Brasil [email protected] Resumen: Este estudio propone una interpretación general de las imágenes realizadas en Grecia, a partir del siglo V a. C. en monedas, joyas, pinturas de vasijas y esculturas, que muestran el agotamiento físico de Heracles y su apoteosis divina. Luego de una extendida consideración de los principales trabajos académicos que abordaron el tema desde finales del siglo XIX, procuro mostrar que la representación iconográfica del agotamiento de Heracles y de su apoteosis da testimonio de la influencia de nuevas concepciones religiosas y filosóficas en su mito, fundamentalmente del pitagorismo, del orfismo y de los cultos mistéricos, así como del fuerte intelectualismo de la Atenas del siglo V a. C.
    [Show full text]
  • Greek Mythology at the Service of the Portuguese Inquisition: the Case of Hercules and the Hydra of Lerna
    Athens Journal of Mediterranean Studies- Volume 1, Issue 1 – Pages 25-44 Greek Mythology at the Service of the Portuguese Inquisition: The Case of Hercules and the Hydra of Lerna By Milton Dias Pacheco Greek mythology has been along the centuries a fruitful source of inspiration to artists and writers, as it possesses the strength of expressing symbolically the most common circumstances of life. Regarding the threats that in every age put in danger human life the most popular figure was maybe the Hydra that infested the region of the Lake of Lerna, in Argolis. This mythical figure may still have an older origin as it is connected with chthonic dangers. Because of its terrifying aspect, reptilian traits and poisonous breath, it was related to the evil and the domains of Hell. Later the Hydra significance became larger and deeper as it represented the heresies that could affect the Christian orthodoxy. According to this point of view, every defender of the Catholic Faith was immediately compared to Hercules, the Greek hero who succeeded in killing the mythological Hydra monster. In this way, it is easy to understand why this representation was often used in connection with the Iberian Habsburg Kings, as it worked as a political strategy of this dynasty, in which the Spanish Habsburgs were faced as the guardians and defenders of the Church of Rome, mainly in times when the Inquisition developed a determinative role. An illustrative example of this was the decoration of the arch built by the Inquisition in Lisbon, when King Philip II of Portugal visited the Portuguese Empire capital.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Astronomy from Darkness to Blazing Glory
    Introduction to Astronomy From Darkness to Blazing Glory Published by JAS Educational Publications Copyright Pending 2010 JAS Educational Publications All rights reserved. Including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Second Edition Author: Jeffrey Wright Scott Photographs and Diagrams: Credit NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USGS, NOAA, Aames Research Center JAS Educational Publications 2601 Oakdale Road, H2 P.O. Box 197 Modesto California 95355 1-888-586-6252 Website: http://.Introastro.com Printing by Minuteman Press, Berkley, California ISBN 978-0-9827200-0-4 1 Introduction to Astronomy From Darkness to Blazing Glory The moon Titan is in the forefront with the moon Tethys behind it. These are two of many of Saturn’s moons Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, ISS, JPL, ESA, NASA 2 Introduction to Astronomy Contents in Brief Chapter 1: Astronomy Basics: Pages 1 – 6 Workbook Pages 1 - 2 Chapter 2: Time: Pages 7 - 10 Workbook Pages 3 - 4 Chapter 3: Solar System Overview: Pages 11 - 14 Workbook Pages 5 - 8 Chapter 4: Our Sun: Pages 15 - 20 Workbook Pages 9 - 16 Chapter 5: The Terrestrial Planets: Page 21 - 39 Workbook Pages 17 - 36 Mercury: Pages 22 - 23 Venus: Pages 24 - 25 Earth: Pages 25 - 34 Mars: Pages 34 - 39 Chapter 6: Outer, Dwarf and Exoplanets Pages: 41-54 Workbook Pages 37 - 48 Jupiter: Pages 41 - 42 Saturn: Pages 42 - 44 Uranus: Pages 44 - 45 Neptune: Pages 45 - 46 Dwarf Planets, Plutoids and Exoplanets: Pages 47 -54 3 Chapter 7: The Moons: Pages: 55 - 66 Workbook Pages 49 - 56 Chapter 8: Rocks and Ice:
    [Show full text]
  • Constellations with Prominent Stars That Can Be Found Near the Meridian at 10 Pm on January 15
    ONSTELLATIONS C Altitude Ruler The rotation of the Earth on its axis causes the stars to rise and set each evening. In addition, the orbit of the Earth around the Sun places different regions of the sky in our Horizon night-time view. The PLANISPHERE is an extremely useful tool for finding stars and 10 constellation in the sky, depicting not only what is currently in the sky but it also allows the 20 prediction of the rising and setting times of various celestial objects. 30 THE LAYOUT OF THE PLANISPHERE 40 50 The outer circumference of the dark blue circular disk (which is called the star wheel) you’ll notice that the wheel is divided into the 12 months, and that each month is divided into 60 individual dates. The star wheel rotates about the brass fastener, which represents the 70 North Celestial Pole. The frame of the planisphere has times along the outer edge. 80 Holding the planisphere on the southern corner you'll see "midnight" at the top. Moving Zenith counterclockwise, notice how the hours progress, through 1 AM, 2 AM, and so on through "noon" at the bottom. The hours then proceed through the afternoon and evening (1 PM, 2 PM, etc.) back toward midnight. Once you have the wheel set properly for the correct time and day, the displayed part represents what you see if you stand with the star and planet locator held directly over your head with the brass fastener toward the north. (Notice that the compass directions are also written on the corners of the frame.) Of course, you don't have to actually stand that way to make use of the Star and Planet Locator--this is just a description to help you understand what is displayed.
    [Show full text]
  • Naming the Extrasolar Planets
    Naming the extrasolar planets W. Lyra Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, K¨onigstuhl 17, 69177, Heidelberg, Germany [email protected] Abstract and OGLE-TR-182 b, which does not help educators convey the message that these planets are quite similar to Jupiter. Extrasolar planets are not named and are referred to only In stark contrast, the sentence“planet Apollo is a gas giant by their assigned scientific designation. The reason given like Jupiter” is heavily - yet invisibly - coated with Coper- by the IAU to not name the planets is that it is consid- nicanism. ered impractical as planets are expected to be common. I One reason given by the IAU for not considering naming advance some reasons as to why this logic is flawed, and sug- the extrasolar planets is that it is a task deemed impractical. gest names for the 403 extrasolar planet candidates known One source is quoted as having said “if planets are found to as of Oct 2009. The names follow a scheme of association occur very frequently in the Universe, a system of individual with the constellation that the host star pertains to, and names for planets might well rapidly be found equally im- therefore are mostly drawn from Roman-Greek mythology. practicable as it is for stars, as planet discoveries progress.” Other mythologies may also be used given that a suitable 1. This leads to a second argument. It is indeed impractical association is established. to name all stars. But some stars are named nonetheless. In fact, all other classes of astronomical bodies are named.
    [Show full text]
  • Folktale Types and Motifs in Greek Heroic Myth Review P.11 Morphology of the Folktale, Vladimir Propp 1928 Heroic Quest
    Mon Feb 13: Heracles/Hercules and the Greek world Ch. 15, pp. 361-397 Folktale types and motifs in Greek heroic myth review p.11 Morphology of the Folktale, Vladimir Propp 1928 Heroic quest NAME: Hera-kleos = (Gk) glory of Hera (his persecutor) >p.395 Roman name: Hercules divine heritage and birth: Alcmena +Zeus -> Heracles pp.362-5 + Amphitryo -> Iphicles Zeus impersonates Amphityron: "disguised as her husband he enjoyed the bed of Alcmena" “Alcmena, having submitted to a god and the best of mankind, in Thebes of the seven gates gave birth to a pair of twin brothers – brothers, but by no means alike in thought or in vigor of spirit. The one was by far the weaker, the other a much better man, terrible, mighty in battle, Heracles, the hero unconquered. Him she bore in submission to Cronus’ cloud-ruling son, the other, by name Iphicles, to Amphitryon, powerful lancer. Of different sires she conceived them, the one of a human father, the other of Zeus, son of Cronus, the ruler of all the gods” pseudo-Hesiod, Shield of Heracles Hera tries to block birth of twin sons (one per father) Eurystheus born on same day (Hera heard Zeus swear that a great ruler would be born that day, so she speeded up Eurystheus' birth) (Zeus threw her out of heaven when he realized what she had done) marvellous infancy: vs. Hera’s serpents Hera, Heracles and the origin of the MIlky Way Alienation: Madness of Heracles & Atonement pp.367,370 • murders wife Megara and children (agency of Hera) Euripides, Heracles verdict of Delphic oracle: must serve his cousin Eurystheus, king of Mycenae -> must perform 12 Labors (‘contests’) for Eurystheus -> immortality as reward The Twelve Labors pp.370ff.
    [Show full text]
  • Educator's Guide: Orion
    Legends of the Night Sky Orion Educator’s Guide Grades K - 8 Written By: Dr. Phil Wymer, Ph.D. & Art Klinger Legends of the Night Sky: Orion Educator’s Guide Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………....3 Constellations; General Overview……………………………………..4 Orion…………………………………………………………………………..22 Scorpius……………………………………………………………………….36 Canis Major…………………………………………………………………..45 Canis Minor…………………………………………………………………..52 Lesson Plans………………………………………………………………….56 Coloring Book…………………………………………………………………….….57 Hand Angles……………………………………………………………………….…64 Constellation Research..…………………………………………………….……71 When and Where to View Orion…………………………………….……..…77 Angles For Locating Orion..…………………………………………...……….78 Overhead Projector Punch Out of Orion……………………………………82 Where on Earth is: Thrace, Lemnos, and Crete?.............................83 Appendix………………………………………………………………………86 Copyright©2003, Audio Visual Imagineering, Inc. 2 Legends of the Night Sky: Orion Educator’s Guide Introduction It is our belief that “Legends of the Night sky: Orion” is the best multi-grade (K – 8), multi-disciplinary education package on the market today. It consists of a humorous 24-minute show and educator’s package. The Orion Educator’s Guide is designed for Planetarians, Teachers, and parents. The information is researched, organized, and laid out so that the educator need not spend hours coming up with lesson plans or labs. This has already been accomplished by certified educators. The guide is written to alleviate the fear of space and the night sky (that many elementary and middle school teachers have) when it comes to that section of the science lesson plan. It is an excellent tool that allows the parents to be a part of the learning experience. The guide is devised in such a way that there are plenty of visuals to assist the educator and student in finding the Winter constellations.
    [Show full text]
  • In This Exercise, You Will Learn Some of the Stars That Make up Patterns in the Sky
    PHYS 1830 - Perspectives on the Universe Winter 2015 PLANETARIUM EXERCISE In this exercise, you will learn some of the stars that make up patterns in the sky. These are properly known as asterisms. Constellations, on the other hand, are defined as 88 regions or patches of sky that are officially designated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Constellations often contain the familiar patterns of stars that are the asterisms, but constellations are usually identified by their Latin name. For example, the asterism of the Big Dipper is contained within the constellation of Ursa Major, the Greater Bear. You will also be introduced to the astronomical coordinate system that is most commonly used to describe positions of objects in the sky: the equatorial coordinate system. Part 1: Sketching You will sketch several asterisms on a single page. Draw a line across the bottom of the page to indicate the position of the horizon. Label this line with the cardinal points. Draw a cross near the top of your sketch to represent the position of the zenith. Label this point. Lightly draw in the position of the meridian and label it. For each sketch, label the time for which the planetarium is set and record your location within the dome. Use circles to mark the relative positions of the stars. The size of the circle should reflect the relative brightness with larger circles indicating brighter stars. Use straight lines to connect the relevant stars to draw the asterism shape. Sketch #1: Big Dipper, Little Dipper, and Cassiopeia Label the asterism/constellation name.
    [Show full text]
  • Winter Constellations Orion
    Night Sky 101: Winter Constellations Orion Orion is possibly the most well-known constellation, apart from The Big and Little Dipper. Easily recognizable by the three bright stars that form the “belt of Orion,” the constellation is, in reality, much larger. The two brightest stars in Orion are called Betelgeuse and Rigel. Betelgeuse has a distinct red tint, which makes it easy to tell them apart. Betelgeuse may soon go completely supernova. Astronomers suspect that this supernova will not affect the Earth, but may cause a double shadow to be cast on the Earth’s surface for up to two weeks. Orion is identified as the hunter by the Greeks. According to the myth, Orion was the son of the god Posiedon and Euryale, queen of the Amazons. Orion inherited his mothers talents and became the greatest hunter in the whole world. However, he boasted about this repeatedly, and was killed by a small scorpion (Scorpius), who stung him on the ankle. Canis Major and Canis Minor According to Greek mythology, Canis Major and Minor represent Orion’s faithful hunting companions. Canis Major appears to be chasing the rabbit constellation, Lepus, in the night sky. Canis Major is home to the sky’s brightest star, Sirius, also called “The Dog Star.” Sirius is a blue star, but appears to be many different colors and has been repeatedly mistaken as a UFO. One of the most unique celestial objects in Canis Major is the colliding spiral galaxies, NGC 2207 and IC 2163. The larger galaxy is in the process of pulling stars and remaining material from the smaller galaxy.
    [Show full text]
  • Startheater 3 Man
    AGES 8+ 2009 ® Planetarium Projector with Astronomy Software Instruction Manual Table of Contents Discover the Universe! .......................................................................................................3 Your Own Planetarium ......................................................................................................3 What Is a Constellation? ....................................................................................................3 The Star Sphere ....................................................................................................................4 Assembly and Operation ..................................................................................................4 Installing Batteries .......................................................................................................4 Operating Your Planetarium ....................................................................................5 Setting the Date and Time ........................................................................................6 Care and Maintenance.......................................................................................................6 Meteors and Comets ..........................................................................................................7 The Constellations...............................................................................................................7 The Moving Sky..................................................................................................................10
    [Show full text]
  • Star Wheel Questions Set the Star Wheel for 9Pm on November 1St
    Star Wheel Questions Set the star wheel for 9pm on November 1st. the edges of the star window are where the sky meets the ground. This is called the horizon. 1. What constellation is near the northern horizon? (Ursa Major, Bootes) 2. What constellation is near the eastern horizon? (Orion, Eridanus) The center of the star wheel is the top of the sky, over your head. 3. Name two constellations that are near the top of the sky. (Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Andromeda) On the star wheel, bigger stars appear brighter in the sky. 4. Which constellation would be easier to see because it has more bright stars: Cassiopeia or Cepheus? (Cassiopeia) 5. Planets are not shown on the star wheel. Why not? (because they change positions over time) Now set the star wheel for midnight on March 15. 6. Where in the sky would you look to see Canis Major? (near the western horizon) 7. Look toward the east. What constellation is about halfway between the horizon and the top of the sky in the east? (Corona Borealis (best answer) also Hercules, Bootes) The lines connecting the stars give us an idea about which stars belong to a constellation, and offer a pattern for us to look for in the sky. Each star pattern is supposed to represent a person, object or animal. For instance, Leo is supposed to be a lion. You also may have noticed that some constellations are bigger than others. 8. What constellation in the southern sky is the largest? (Hydra) 9. What is a small constellation in the southern sky? (Corvus, Canis Minor) 10.
    [Show full text]
  • A Collection of Curricula for the STARLAB Greek Mythology Cylinder
    A Collection of Curricula for the STARLAB Greek Mythology Cylinder Including: A Look at the Greek Mythology Cylinder Three Activities: Constellation Creations, Create a Myth, I'm Getting Dizzy by Gary D. Kratzer ©2008 by Science First/STARLAB, 95 Botsford Place, Buffalo, NY 14216. www.starlab.com. All rights reserved. Curriculum Guide Contents A Look at the Greek Mythology Cylinder ...................3 Leo, the Lion .....................................................9 Introduction ......................................................3 Lepus, the Hare .................................................9 Andromeda ......................................................3 Libra, the Scales ................................................9 Aquarius ..........................................................3 Lyra, the Lyre ...................................................10 Aquila, the Eagle ..............................................3 Ophuichus, Serpent Holder ..............................10 Aries, the Ram ..................................................3 Orion, the Hunter ............................................10 Auriga .............................................................4 Pegasus, the Winged Horse..............................11 Bootes ..............................................................4 Perseus, the Champion .....................................11 Cancer, the Crab ..............................................4 Phoenix ..........................................................11 Canis Major, the Big Dog
    [Show full text]