THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
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43.6667° N 70.2667° W
Altitude: 10 feet below sea level
Founded January 1970
Julian Date: 2458813.16
2019-2020: LVIV
"If it's the Psychic Network, why do they need a phone
number?" -Robin Williams
THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Monday, November 25, 2019
The "Thanksgiving" Constellation
[image: zodiac-sign-scorpio-vector-9276875.jpg]
*Astrological Scorpio*
To give credit where it's due, the astrological zodiac is a meticulously
organized marvel. Its retinue of constellations is ornately decorated and
its timetable is as neatly arranged as an OCD's after dinner sock drawer.
Moreover, the astrological zodiac allots almost equal times to each of
the twelve constellations comprising it. So, according to this zodiac,
the Sun, like a benevolent father loath to play favorites, invests nearly
the same time with each receiving constellation. The astrological zodiac
offers such a pleasing confluence of intricate organization and admirable
fairness that it is little wonder that astrology has persisted since
antiquity.
The astronomical zodiac is, by contrast, an unmitigated messs. The
artistic aspects that lend the astrological zodiac its aesthetic appeal is
replaced by such a mish-mash of numbers, letters and Greek symbols that it
looks like someone dismantled a physics equation and hung its parts onto
barren tree branches. Also, the astronomical zodiac is appallingly
unfair. The Sun doesn't spend about a month in each of the twelve
constellations. Instead, it apportions different times to the THIRTEEN
constellations that compose the astronomical zodiac. Virgo the Maiden
is clearly the Sun's favorite star pattern as it spends 45 days (Sept 15 -
Oct 30) traveling through that constellation. By contrast, the Sun only
condescends to devote 9 - 10 days in Scorpius the Scorpion. For those
sound minded many who prefer to inhabit a well ordered cosmos, the
astronomical zodiac provides all the comfort of foot massagers fashioned
from old blenders.
[image: sco.jpg]
*Astronomical Scorpius. *
Of course, the astronomical zodiac does have the advantage of accuracy.
It precisely predicts the Sun's position along the zodiac, a term that most
astronomers avoid, as they prefer instead the term "ecliptic band." (The
ecliptic is the path the Sun appears to traverse throughout the year.)
Once the International Astronomical Union designated the constellation
boundaries in 1928, astronomers could precisely determine how much time the
Sun appeared to occupy each "constellation region" along the ecliptic.
As constellations vary in size, they each play host to the Sun for
different amounts of time each year.
Virgo the Maiden hosts the Sun for the longest time. Scorpius the Scorpion
hosts the Sun for the least amount of time: less than two weeks. One
would appear to find the Sun within Scorpius between November 21 - 29. For
this reason, we often refer to Scorpius as the "Thanksgiving"
constellation. When we're celebrating "Thanksgiving," the Sun is passing
through Scorpius. Although we can't see Scorpius currently due to the
Sun's obscuration, we thought it would be nice to devote this article to
it. After all, it is apparently the Sun's least favorite constellation.
Also, as we spend our time roaming about the depths of the night sky, we
should pause on occasion to follow the Sun as it continues on its perpetual
loop along the retinue of its ecliptic constellations: a reminder that the
constellations never actually vanish, but instead, just hide themselves
from view.
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