Planning Your Tour Meaningful Constellation Tours!

Planning Your Tour Constellations Do: Organize Chaos Tell Time Help with Navigation Tell Important Stories Interpret Both! Constellations Are: Patterns of stars That change with time And move predictably Cultural Icons

Constellations Do:

Organize Chaos

Tell Time

Help with Navigation

Tell Important Stories

Constellations Are:

Patterns of stars

That change with time

And move predictably

Cultural Icons

Challenges: Change with time & date Don’t look right Solutions: Prepare seasonal versions Practice! Pick best looking ones Fuel imagination with good stories well told Planning Your Tour

Challenges:

Change with time & date

Don’t look right

Solutions:

Prepare seasonal versions

Practice!

Pick best looking ones

Fuel imagination with good stories well told

In 1922, the International Astronomical Union standardized 88 constellations. 48 classics from Greek mythology where “cropped” and 40 “no story” additions were added: IAU Maims the Sky! 14 named by Dutch sailors exploring southern seas 3 ship parts and 12 tools / inventions 1 lizard, 2 dogs, and 2 cats to “fill the gaps” Restoring the Ancient Sky

14 named by Dutch sailors exploring southern seas

3 ship parts and 12 tools / inventions

1 lizard, 2 dogs, and 2 cats to “fill the gaps”

Why? Reduced size made them better reference points Boundaries were drawn (1930) Sky became like jigsaw puzzle IAU Maims the Sky! Why Learn & Interpret pre-1930 sky? Coordinate system (RA & Dec.) used universally Originals look better Restoring the Ancient Sky

Why?

Reduced size made them better reference points

Boundaries were drawn (1930)

Sky became like jigsaw puzzle

Why Learn & Interpret pre-1930 sky?

Coordinate system (RA & Dec.) used universally

Originals look better

Cygnus “ The Swan” Restoring the Ancient Sky

Restoring the Ancient Sky Pegasus “ The Winged Horse” Andromeda “ The Princess”

Scorpius “ The Scorpion” Restoring the Ancient Sky

“ Little Dipper” “ Big Dipper” Star Hopping 1 2 3 4 4.5

N Ө =Xº ay Navigation 37 0 N Lisbon Madeira N38 o N34 o N36 o

Constellation Contemplation 15 0 11pm 45 0 1am 0 0 10pm 30 0 12pm 60 0 2am 75 0 3am 90 0 4am Telling Time 360 0 / 24hr = 15 0 of rotation per hour

Delay “ Big Dipper” Ursa Major Mythology (Greek)

Mythology (Greek) Ursa Minor “ Baby Bear” Ursa Major “ Mama Bear”

Delay “ Great Bear & Hunters” Ursa Major Mythology (Greek)

Constellation Contemplation 0 0 July 30 0 August 60 0 September 90 0 October Change of Season 360 0 / 12 months = 30 0 of revolution per month

Delay Reference Points “ Big Dipper” Ursa Major M51 Whirlpool Galaxy Hubble Deep Field 10,000 galaxies M82 Cigar Galaxy ? M81 Bode’s Galaxy

Photo by Tyler Nordgren Galaxy becomes plural! M82 Cigar Galaxy M81 Bode’s Galaxy “ Mr. Universe” Edwin Hubble The Drake (kev) equation for life: 1:1,000 stars have rocky planets 1:1,000,000 rocky planets spawn life 1:100 with life evolves “intelligence” = 10 civilizations per galaxy 10,000 galaxies in HUDF 12.7 million HUDFs to fill sky (N&S) = 1,270,000,000,000 civilizations?

Preserving the stories Ursa Minor “ Baby Bear” Ursa Major “ Mama Bear” 5.0 lm

Preserving the stories 4.0 lm Ursa Major “ Mama Bear” Ursa Minor “ Baby Bear”

Preserving the stories 3.0 lm Ursa Major “ Mama Bear” Ursa Minor “ Baby Bear”

Preserving the stories 2.0 lm Ursa Major “ Mama Bear”

Preserving the stories

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