THE USM SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM

207-780-4249     www.usm.maine.edu/planet

70 Falmouth Street     Portland, Maine  04103

43.6667° N                   70.2667° W 
Altitude:   10 feet below sea level

Founded January 1970

Julian date:  2458632.5

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"My brain has no heart.  My heart has no brain.  That's why when I speak my mind, I seem heartless and when I do what's in my heart, I seem thoughtless."      was written by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, author of the brilliant book, "Women Who Run with the Wolves."

THE DAILY ASTRONOMER

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Serpent and Scorpion

Consider it an example of stellar snake charming.  Wander outside on this late May evening and behold the constellations slowly ascending in the eastern sky.    Toward the southeast, the truncated claws of Scorpius the Scorpion peek up over the horizon.  Closer to the true eastern position, the faint, but still distinctive oval representing "Serpens Caput," the Serpent's head.     Serpens Caput is not actually a constellation in and of itself, but is, instead, part of a much longer constellation simply known as "Serpens," the Serpent.    To complicate matters annoyingly, the Serpent is held aloft by Ophiuchus, the Serpent Charmer, whose ankle star, Theta Ophiuchi, extends slightly below the ecliptic, the Sun's annual path through the sky. For this reason, Ophiuchus is considered the thirteen "zodiac constellation," the one that astrologer's obstinately refuse to recognize.  

As is often the case with adjacent constellations, Serpens and the Scorpion are related mythologically.  When Orion, who is now backstage behind the Sun until August, once proclaimed that he could slay any animal in the world and, if provoked, would be capable of killing them all, Diana, the goddess of the moon and wild animals, deployed Scorpius the Scorpion to slay him.    Scorpius swiftly killed Orion, and, in return, Diana hoisted him up into the firmament.   Ophiuchus was nearby during this assault and, being a divine healer, promptly resurrected the hunter, much to the chagrin of Hades, god the dead and lord of the gloomy underworld.   Even before the bewildered Orion had the chance to make inquiries about what had just transpired, Zeus slew him -again- with a thunderbolt and, to his regret, felt obliged to kill Ophiuchus, as well.  Truth be told, Hades insisted that Zeus contend with the upstart Ophiuchus, a mortal who somehow possessed the skill of resurrection, a power that even the gods, themselves, employed sparingly.    Hades worried that the kindly Ophiuchus would utilize this supernatural ability indiscriminately and might even deprive him of souls.  

Zeus struck down Ophiuchus, but placed him in the sky as well as a tribute to his prodigious skill and benevolent nature.   Being mortal, of course, his stars were quite faint: just bright enough to allow us to discern his outline while being unable to distinguish any features. (Ok, well, that's true of almost all the constellations.)

Now that we're careening toward the beginning of a sultry summer (high temp  46 F with raw, chilly rain), the summer constellations are now rising in the eastern sky.   Leading the way are the Serpent and the Scorpion: two of the creatures comprising the rich and diverse summer stellar menagerie.