August and September Star Guide
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 spillway, the beach front and the Stargazing ballfield behind Ferrell Hall. Year- round the sky is filled with stars, in the Park planets, and constellations with stories Please watch for additional to tell. Here in the Northern Hemisphere we have circumpolar monthly Stargazing guides to constellations that can be viewed all learn more about stargazing in year long. What are we waiting for? our park. Let’s go stargazing.
For more information about August Constellations Virginia State Parks, please visit: Lyra www.virginiastateparks.gov Sagittarius
September Constellations Discovery Center Aquila Hours of Operation: Capricornus Cygnus 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. daily Delphinus August & Star Gazing Smart Phone Apps September Star Walk 2 Night Sky Star Tracker Sky Map Interpretation Office: Phone: 276-781-7413 [email protected] September Constellations Cygnus (The Swan)
August Constellations Aquila (The Eagle) For the ancient Greeks, the constellation Lyra (The Lyre) Cygnus was related to the myth of Zeus and To the ancient Greeks, Aquila was the the goddess Nemesis. In order to escape According to Greek mythology, the lyre was servant of Zeus who held the god's invented by Hermes as a child when he from Zeus, Nemesis changed herself into thunderbolts and performed errands for him. many different animals. When she changed strung a tortoise shell. He traded the lyre He may also be the great eagle who devours to Apollo, who then gave it to his son, into a goose, Zeus immediately transformed Prometheus' liver as punishment for giving himself into a wonderful swan and won the Orpheus, a great poet and musician. fire to humans. The line of three stars, which Orpheus’ wife, Eurydice, was set upon by a love of Nemesis. The goddess became includes Altair, is revered by Indians as the pregnant, delivered an egg and then satyr. Eurydice fell into a nest of vipers and footprints of the god Vishnu. Some Asian she suffered a fatal bite on her heel. Her abandoned it. Fortunately, a shepherd found traditions see the bright star Vega as the the egg and gave it to Leda, the wife of body was discovered by Orpheus who, Weaving-Princess star who marries a overcome with grief, played such sad and Tyndareus, the king of Sparta. From that egg shepherd, the star Altair. came Helen of Troy. Helen was so beautiful mournful songs that all the nymphs and gods wept. On their advice, Orpheus traveled to Capricornus (The Goat/Sea-Goat) that Leda claimed her as her own child. The the underworld and by his music softened constellation Cygnus was formed to the hearts of Hades and Persephone, who There are many different myths about this celebrate the lovely swan. According to agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him dim constellation. Some believed that another version of the myth, Zeus to earth on one condition, he should walk in Capricornus was the Gate of the Gods, a transformed himself into a swan to court front of her and not look back until they both region in the sky where souls passed when Leda, the queen of Sparta and from that had reached the upper world. He set off with humans died. In Greek myth, Capricornus relationship, Leda had two children: Eurydice following and in his anxiety, as was associated with Pan. During a picnic, a Polydeuces and Helen. soon as he reached the upper world, he monster attacked the gods. The gods turned turned to look at her, forgetting that both themselves into animals and fled, but Pan Delphinus (The Dolphin) couldn't decide what to be. Finally, he needed to be in the upper world, and she When the sea god, Poseidon, courted the vanished for the second time, but now jumped into the Nile River, at which point he transformed. His lower half was in water, so nymph Amphitrite, one of the Nereids, she forever. resisted his advances and took refuge among it became a fish. However, his upper-half was still dry, so it stayed a goat. her sisters. Poseidon sent messengers to find Sagittarius (The Centaur) her and bring her to him, among them a
The Mediterranean people viewed dolphin. The dolphin found the nymph, Sagittarius as Enkidu, the close friend of soothed her and brought her back to the god. Gilgamesh, believed to be represented The two were later married. Poseidon by Orion. Greek mythology associates decided to honor the dolphin and placed its Sagittarius with Crotus, the son of the image among the stars. goat-god Pan and Eupheme, the nurse of the Muses. He grew to be a skilled hunter, as well as a man with an artistic soul. The Muses, with whom Sagittarius was raised, begged Zeus to honor him with a constellation equal to his great talents.