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Asterion and Chara – the Confusion of the Chase University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications, UNL Libraries Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln July 2002 Asterion and Chara – the Confusion of the Chase Charles D. Bernholz University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Michael J. Lyons Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libraryscience Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Bernholz, Charles D. and Lyons, Michael J., "Asterion and Chara – the Confusion of the Chase" (2002). Faculty Publications, UNL Libraries. 7. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libraryscience/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications, UNL Libraries by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. SPECIAL FEATURE: DEVELOPING IDEAS OF SPACE www.iop.org/journals/physed Asterion and Chara—the confusion of the chase Charles D Bernholz1 and Michael J Lyons2 1 Memorial Library, State University of New York College at Cortland, Cortland, NY 13045, USA 2 Port Jervis High School, Port Jervis, NY 12771, USA E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The study of astronomy, as an important part of any science education programme, provides our students with insights into more than just the cosmos. It may also serve as a mechanism to link them to other natural and social sciences. This article examines equally valid interpretations of the constellation Canes Venatici as an example of how the study of astronomy may serve this multidisciplinary educational role. In addition, it is an extension of the thoughts of Stannard (2001) on communicating physics through story. “Astronomers and poets are blood through supplementing these tales with images brothers. The beauty of life which cast in the overhead stars that conveyed the feats surrounds us is to be found not only in the of these deities. Other cultures created, from laws governing the firmament but also in their own observations, stories about the heavens.1 the laws of poetry.” The drama of Perseus, Andromeda and the sea Canes Venatici (Paustovsky 1970, p 207) monster Cetus; the balance between Orion and Scorpius; the array of celestial animals: these The evolution of scientific thought and knowl- familiar constellations formed the beginning of the edge has occurred, according to Popper (1972, union of storytelling and astronomy. pp 346–7), because “today’s science is built upon Today, astronomy is an important part of any yesterday’s science; and yesterday’s science in science education program. One of its strengths turn is based on the science of the day before. as a discipline is that it reveals more than just And the oldest scientific theories are built on pre- the universe to our students. It can also serve scientific myths, and these, in their turn, on still as a mechanism to link pupils to other areas of older expectations.” As part of his presentation, instruction: to the worlds of history, geography Popper alludes to the tales or stories that dealt and the social sciences. As the “oldest science” with “the beginnings of things, and which [tried] to (Reed 1986, p 62), astronomy serves as a very understand or explain the structure of the Universe useful platform to examine aspects of physics, and in terms of the story of its origin” (p 347). Such other fields of the sciences. stories provided a society with the groundwork In a recent comment on physics education, or a frame with which to maintain tradition and Stannard (2001, p 30) queried: “Why should we to provide answers to significant questions. The Greeks revered their gods through myths and 1 North America’s indigenous peoples are a rich source of stories of their endeavours and achievements, and stories in the stars. See, for example, Mayo (1987). 0031-9120/02/040289+07$30.00 © 2002 IOP Publishing Ltd P HYSICS E DUCATION 37 (4) 289 C D Bernholz and M J Lyons not use the art of storytelling to pass on our modern approach to descriptions of the stars. Together, scientific wisdom?” Professor Stannard has these materials demonstrate the evolution, over written a good deal on the use of story to convey the millennia, of inventive thought to describe the the ideas of physics to a larger audience. His heavens. series of Uncle Albert stories is a demonstration This article, through an examination of a of his particular focus on successful ways to less well-known constellation, Canes Venatici, expose children to scientific principles. Indeed, accumulates various views of the ways that that his pursuit of an educational environment in which universe has been perceived. It is the variety to support “flexible thinking” (p 32) by incipient and the richness over time of these perceptions— science students relies on the interaction of the even through the eyes of only western European developing fascination of the students with the observers in this example—that elevate the value teaching skills of their instructor. The fruits of of the study of astronomy in a science education this approach will be maximized when students program. construct ideas from their own, or imagined, Canes Venatici is the constellation of the experiences (p 33). hunting dogs of Bootes¨ (figure 1).2 These two In his description of his publications that Spring figures are in a never-ending pursuit of offer a storytelling approach to the study of the Great Bear, Ursa Major.3 Indeed, Bootes,¨ physics, Stannard revealed his own inspiration among other appellations, has been called the for presenting this content in this manner. It Hunter of the Bear (Allen 1963, p 93). The was material—C S Lewis’s Screwtape Letters— hunter and his quarry are very old yet clear which conveyed a moral. He concluded “what constellations, but the dogs—greyhounds to be is good for the teaching of morals is likely also specific—are a new addition to the night sky, to work when it comes to teaching physics” composed of “a sprinkling of faint stars below (p 34). A moral basis may also be seen in the Ursa Major” (Ridpath 1985, p 92). In 1690, history of the constellations, particularly revealed Hevelius’ new celestial atlas was published,4 and through Allen’s (1963) multicultural vignettes of thereby introduced these participants into the the interesting history of the star names. In chase around the Pole.5 Five Messier objects6 are that presentation, Allen described in detail the within the modern boundaries of this constellation traditional constellation figures, but he also noted (figure 2),7 but there are only two prominent stars other alternative figures that were offered for these here. One, a double blue-white (α CVn) named celestial forms. In the 16th century, Giordano Cor Caroli or Charles’ Heart after King Charles I, Bruno proposed moral virtues such as Law and is the brightest at magnitudes 2.9 and 5.5, while Truth as replacements. Julius Schiller exchanged, β CVn is a magnitude 4.3 yellow star. in the early 17th century, images of the Apostles However, this is supposed to be a chase scene. for the twelve constellations of the zodiac (p 28). Where are those dogs? These descriptive approaches served as additional 2 venues for using story to disclose important social Figures 1 and 3 are from The Glorious Constellations: History and Mythology by Giuseppe Maria Sesti ©1991. data. Conveying important cultural content was Published by Harry N Abrams, Inc., New York. Used with one of the objectives that many Mediterranean permission. All rights reserved. I thank David Savage at Harry societies achieved through their stories based on N Abrams for this reprint permission. 3 the stars. See Allen (1963, pp 114–7, 92–106 and 419–47) for Canes Venatici, Bootes¨ and the Great Bear, respectively. Educators have used the study of constella- 4 Sesti (1991, p 89) acknowledged that “this is the most tions in the classroom to illustrate ways to encour- accurate catalogue in the history of stellar observation before age students to investigate the heavens in this cre- the advent of the telescope.” 5 ative manner (McLure 1984, Selin 1993a, 1993b, The canines are missing from the famous, 1515 Albrecht Durer¨ plate of the Northern Hemisphere (Sesti 1991, p 92). Lebofsky and Lebofsky 1996, Kalchman 1998). 6 The five Messier objects are M3, M51, M63, M94 and M106 Staal’s (1988) collection of myths and legends (Pasachoff 2000, pp 256–7). among the stars also reveals diverse interpretations 7 Figure 2 is from A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets (4th edn) by Jay M Pasachoff ©2000. Published by Houghton of constellations. His compilation is an excellent Mifflin Co., New York. Used with permission. All rights reference resource for the constellations, and it is reserved. I thank Ronald Hussey at Houghton Mifflin for this a trove of supporting materials for a storytelling reprint permission. 290 P HYSICS E DUCATION July 2002 Asterion and Chara—the confusion of the chase Figure 1. The constellation of Bootes,¨ from Hevelius’ 1690 Uranographia totum coelum stellatum (Sesti 1991, p 260). Note the names and the positions of the two greyhounds that compose the constellation Canes Venatici. Figures 1 and 3 are presented as if the constellations were on a celestial globe, with the observer farther out in space looking down onto this astral surface, while figures 2 and 4 are views of a normal, terrestrial observer. We can see them quite clearly if we examine that Hevelius gave to the greyhounds.10 In these a copy of Hevelius’ atlas (Volkoff 1971),8 butitis illustrations, Asterion is the more northern dog, easier these days to see his proposed relationship while Chara runs along a lower, or more southern, between these dogs and the Great Bear in Sesti’s route.
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