Constellations fill night skies with myths and legends

Stars have existed for billions of years, aiding navigation, inspiring storytellers and even being relied upon to predict the future. But these "little diamonds in the sky" also form constellations.

Constellations, in essence, "are patterns of stars in the sky interpreted differently from culture to culture," said Pat Seitzer, an assistant professor of astronomy at the University. There are a total of 88 officially recognized and recorded constellations in the entire sky. "Forty-eight of them were derived from the ancient Greeks and the other 40 were more or less made up by modern astronomers," said Richard Teske, professor emeritus of astronomy.

Some constellation identities can be traced to specific cultures and civilizations.

"Many of the identities of the constellations were borrowed from Babylonian civilization, including the twelve sign of the zodiac," said John Given, a doctoral student in the department of classical studies. "The first systematic record of the const

Courtesy of "Guide to the Stars" by Leslie Peltier Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are some of the constellations in the Northern winter sky.

ellations and their corresponding myths seem to have taken place in the third century, B.C."

Star gazers already are familiar with some of these patterns in the sky, such as the Big Dipper, which actually is a part of the biggest constellation. Called the Ursa Major, the entire constellation is known as the Great Bear. Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are said to be the bears that cared for the infant Zeus on the island of Crete.

"Ursa Major is sometimes identified with the nymph Callisto who was seduced by Zeus and became pregnant. The problem was that Callisto has promised to the virgin goddess, Artemis, to remain chaste," Given explained. Later Artemis discovered that Callisto was pregnant, and angrily turned the nymph into a bear. Eventually the bear bore a son named Arcas who threatened to kill her. To prevent such a tragedy, Zeus transported both of them into the heavens as constellations.

Similarly, Orion has a myth of his own. A great hunter, he often is portrayed as boasting that he is a match for any animal on earth. But after offending the goddess of hunting, Artemis, he is killed.

To the right of Orion sparkles the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, which is nine light years away. To the left is Procyn. These are known as Canis Major and Canis Minor, respectively. They represent the hunting dogs of Orion and accompany him across the sky.

Almost all cultures have myths to explain the constellations. The ancient Chinese called the Big Dipper the Emperor's Chariot, while the Berbers of northern Africa considered our bears to be a camel and its calf. "There is no such thing as purity in the sky," Teske said.

Astrology grew prevalent because of a strong belief that everything in the universe is linked.

"Science cannot fully explain the world around us and mythology is a culture's way of adding to its store of knowledge and understanding of the world," Given said. "The two - science and myth - existed side by side, in a way that our modern culture doesn't allow. And I would say that our culture is poorer for the lack of willingness to look beyond the purely rational."

On a clear night, it is possible to see about 3,000 of the 6,000 known stars in the sky. But in Ann Arbor, one may only see about 100 stars. Light pollution interferes with viewing, Seitzer said. "It is best to go to the country side, maybe 30 miles west of here, to see the brightest stars."

Teske said that some of the brightest stars can be seen from a desert such as those in Texas or Arizona. But the best place to go for stargazing is the Southern Hemisphere during the winter months.

Seeing constellations in the moonlight can provoke wonder.

"Most people get their socks knocked off when they see stars," Teske said. Seitzer expressed his own opinion: "It is interesting to see patterns change as seasons change, and the paths of the moon and planets cross from week to week."

If constellations still aren't your forte, what about eclipses? The next total solar eclipse of the sun will take place on Feb. 26. The best place to view it in its entirety will be the Caribbean island of Aruba, which is where Pat Teske plans to be. It will begin at 12:30 p.m. and end at 1:57 p.m., and the maximum length of the event will be four minutes and nine seconds long.

For those of you who won't be in Aruba next week, you can catch a glimpse of the eclipse anywhere in the Detroit vicinity. A partial eclipse will take place at 1:04 p.m. and less than 10 percent of the sun will be visible. Both Teske and Seitzer said that people should not attempt to view the eclipse directly with the naked eye. Proper filters or a projection system are necessary to prevent blindness.

The next total eclipse of the sun will take place on Aug. 11, 1999 and will be visible from Central Europe, Seitzer said. Cities like Plymouth, England; Le Havre, France; Stuttgart and Munich, Germany will all be in the path of the eclipse.

Science has swayed many beliefs, myths and legends; science has changed our entire way of thinking about the world in general. But the sky in plain view holds many mysteries. So sit back, relax and open your eyes (with protection of course) to the many possibilities above and beyond.

02-19-98