[image: Herbert-Collins-painting-256x367px.jpg]
*The Great Bear, the Seven Maidens and the Devil's Tower*
A geologist might describe Devils Tower in Wyoming as a Laccolith: an
eruption of igneous rock protruding up through layers of sedimentary rock.
Setting science aside, the rest of us know of it as the eroded butte where
the seven maidens were trapped by the Giant Bear.   As is true with many
mythological stories, this one has its fair share of variations.
 Consequently, this version might differ from one with which you're
familiar.

It was said that long ago in the region we now call the upper midwest, a
great mid-summer festival was planned during which seven young maidens and
seven young warriors would be wed.       Over many moons did the people
plan this grand feast and celebration.  Alas, a day before the wedding
feast was to commence, a ferocious mountain-sized bear laid siege to the
village and devoured many people prior to departing.   The seven warriors
who intended to be married the next day were sent to pursue and kill the
bear, much to the distress of the young women to whom they were betrothed.
The warriors tried to allay the womens' concerns by assuring them that no
bear, not even the largest, was a match for all seven warriors at once.
 Though still deeply concerned, the young women did not attempt to restrain
the warriors who, they knew, were honor-bound to avenge the grievous losses
their community had sustained.

Naturally, the wedding feast was postponed until the warriors returned.
However, many days passed and none of the warriors returned.  Although the
elders explained that the warriors' expedition might require a great deal
of time and that there was no cause for concern, the seven maidens became
increasingly alarmed.   They each saw the bear when it attacked and knew of
its enormous size and prodigious strength.      It could very well be a
match for seven warriors.    When the warriors didn't return after the
passage of one complete moon cycle, the seven maidens resolved to sneak out
at night and seek them out the young men, themselves.   They chose to
depart in secret, knowing full well that their parents and other relations
would prevent them from leaving.

The morning after their departure, the seven maidens found themselves on a
wide stretch of barren land from which a lofty tower protruded in the
distance.     Despite being weary and already short on food, they strode
forward toward the tower.  "If we climb it," one of the women said, "we
will be able to survey much and will perhaps see the men and bear."   After
walking most of the day, the maidens came to the tower's base and looked up
with dismay at the summit, which seemed so high as to puncture the sky,
itself.   "We shall rest here tonight and climb in the morning," one of the
other women said and the others readily agreed.   They fell asleep at once
and were abruptly awakened at dawn by a fearsome growling.  They looked up
to see the giant bear bounding inexorably toward them across the same
barren wasteland they had traversed the day before.  Despite their fatigue,
all seven women scrambled hurriedly up the tower and managed to reach the
summit just as their ursine attacker reached the base.    They all looked
down and, to their horror, noticed that when the bear stood on his hind
legs, his head was more than halfway up the tower itself.    The women
watched the bear start to scale the tower and they all collapsed from both
terror and exhaustion.    They lay there essentially paralyzed while
listening to the bear's deafening growls and feeling the tectonic
disturbance as the tower shook from its weight.    The women clasped hands
and prepared to meet the same fate that they knew must have befallen their
beloved warriors.

At once, however, the moon goddess, who had been observing the scene from
her crescent chariot, hoisted them up into the sky to become the Pleiades
Star Cluster.  While ascending, the women pleaded with the goddess to
reunite them with the men who would have become their husbands.   "I am
sorry," the goddess replied, "I don't know what became of them. Perhaps you
will see them from your new perch." (She didn't have the heart to tell them
the truth about what really happened to the men.)   The goddess next
brought the great bear up into the heavens to become the constellation Ursa
Major.  The goddess knew that if the bear was in the sky, it could no
longer harm people on Earth.

To this day, one can still see a series of vertical grooves running down
Devil's Tower..formed by the great bear's claws.   Although geologists
might offer an alternate explanation for these grooves, we here know the
real story.


THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM 207-780-4249   www.usm.maine.edu/planet
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70 Falmouth Street   Portland, Maine 04103 43.6667° N
 70.2667° W  Altitude:  10 feet below sea level Founded January 1970 Julian
Date:  2459318.18
2020-2021: CXI

THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Exploratorium XLI:  Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024


*Location*
           New England
*Time*
           Yes, you're correct


Less than three years!
We are less than three years away from what will most assuredly be
described as this generation's most dazzling celestial spectacle: the total
solar eclipse on April 8, 2024!    Dubbed "Great American Eclipse II," -the
first "Great American Eclipse" occurred in August 2017-, this eclipse will
be visible along a path extending from the South Pacific though Mexico, the
US and into Canada.

         [image: SE2024Apr08T.png]


That *totality path, *as it's called, will also pass through western and
northern Maine.  The image below shows the precise location.     Although
the total solar eclipse won't be visible in Portland -dagnabit- the skies
will go dark all over the state and region during totality: the time when
the moon moves directly in front of the Sun.

[image: map_maine_2024.png]

Consider today's Exploratorium as Chapter I of DCCC pertaining to the Great
American Eclipse 2024.     Even though the totality event will last only a
few minutes, this eclipse will command the attention of all but the most
uninterested.      (And even they will note the abrupt onset of darkness.)

Although the times will vary slightly, the totality will begin around 3:30
p.m. on April 8,2024 and will last no more than three minutes. (Durations
vary depending on location.)            However, prior to and after
totality, one will observe the moon partially covering the Sun as it moves
onto and then away from it.      Those observers outside the totality path
will only see a partial eclipse, the magnitude of which will decrease with
increasing distance away from the path.    For instance, observers in
southern Maine and northwest Texas will see nearly all of the Sun covered.
 However, observers in the Yukon and Panama, which occupy either edge of
the eclipse "zone," will see only a sliver of the moon covering the Sun.
When it comes to solar eclipses, LOCATION is all important.

The totality path is so narrow because the moon's shadow cone tapers down
to a small area by the time it reaches Earth.    As Earth spins and as the
moon moves,  this tiny shadow describes a path across a part of the planet
known as the *totality path*.

[image: cones.0885_print.jpg]
This artistic depiction of the 2017 solar eclipse shows how the moon's
shadow tapers down to a small area by the time it reaches our planet.
Image: NASA

Over the course of the 1095 days remaining until the 2024 solar eclipse, we
will be explaining absolutely EVERYTHING about it: from safe ways to view
it, to eclipse geometry, to the series of eclipses that have occurred in
its saros cycle (#139).

How inexpressibly exciting this event is going to be!
We just can't wait...but we'll wait, anyway.


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