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*Where do you get all these mythology stories? I recognize some and want
to read more for myself! (really, I want a reading list, winter is
coming) *
*-J.P.*
I would be happy to give you a reading list. I have been using these
books as my resources.
*Mythology*
*Edith Hamilton*
One of the best known mythology books written within the 20th century,
Edith Hamilton's "Mythology" consists of wonderful mythology stories. I
would highly recommend this book if you want a comprehensive, albeit
sometimes cursory, overview of classical mythology. She devotes a small
section at the end to "Norse Mythology."
*The Greek Myths I and II*
*Robert Graves*
If Edith Hamilton's book is a bachelor's degree text, these books are PhD
level. Best known for having written "I, Claudius," Graves was the
quintessential classical scholar. These two books are fruitcake-dense
with detail and include extensive footnotes explaining the possible origins
of the mythological tales.
*Bulfinch's Mythology*
*Thomas Bulfinch*
A 19th century compilation of three Bulfinch books, "The Age of Fable,"
"The Age of Chivalry," and "Legends of Charlemagne." This beautifully
written text encompasses many mythological traditions apart from classical
mythology.
*Women of Classical Mythology*
*Robert E. Bell*
A reference guide listing prominent and obscure female mythological
characters in alphabetical order.
*Who's Who Classical Mythology*
*Michael Grant and John Hazel*
Another reference book which lists male, female and non gender specific
characters.
These last two books are not intended to read cover to cover. Instead, it
is handy to have them available to look up names mentioned in the other
narrative texts.
*Classical Mythology*
*Images and Insights*
*Stephen L. Harris and Gloria Platzner*
A thoroughly researched textbook which includes primary sources such as
excerpts from the Iliad, Agamemnon, the Bacchae and others. Exquisitely
written and very dense. Includes an intriguing section about the way to
interpret mythology. Some readers might consider this section a bit off
putting because it presumes to think for us. However, a very enriching
and engaging book, nonetheless.
*The Complete Idiot's Guide to Classical Mythology*
*Kevin Osborn and Dana L. Burgess, PhD*
Yes, I'm serious. A nicely written (and not condescending) book rich with
detail. One aspect of this book I like is its glossary and index, which
includes pronunciations, some of which can be a bit tricky. Includes
sections about mythology in literature and popular culture. Unlike
some of the "Complete Idiot" series -and the DA- it doesn't try too hard to
be funny.
Also, you might like these primary sources:
*Homer's Odyssey*
I found the prose version to be more reader-friendly than the verse
version, which is admittedly quite beautiful.
*Homer's Illiad*
Again: I found the prose version to be more reader-friendly than the verse
version, which is admittedly quite beautiful
Not all translations are equal. However, Alexander Pope's verse
translations of these epic poems are considered the "Platonic Ideal of
Homeric Translations."
*-Pseudo-Apollodorus*
*The Library of Greek Mythology*
Edith Hamilton disparages Apollodorus as a "dull writer." I am reluctant
to speak in a derogatory way of any writer, particularly one who was such a
gifted compiler. I will admit that this work is not as engaging as some
others. The "Pseudo" is reference to the mistaken belief that the Library
of Greek Mythology, or "Billioteca" was the work of Apollodorus of Athens.
The author remains unknown.
*Sophocles*
*Theban Plays*
Oedipus Rex
Oedipus at Colonus
Antigone
Ajax
Electra
Only seven of his plays are still extant. The Theban play cycle ("Oedipus
Rex," "Oedipus at Colonus" and "Antigone") is his most famous, with good
reason.
These are just a few of the resources available.
You will find that mythological tales are often convoluted and
contradictory. Some of these authors are centuries apart and being
prodigiously creative humans tended to embroider the tails with their own
embellishments.
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2020-2021: XIII
THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Remote Planetarium 91: Galaxy Questions and a Mythology Question
Since we've received a few questions this week pertaining to the galaxy, we
decided to devote today's lesson to answering them. Also, a subscriber
asked a question about a mythological reading list. Even though it
shatters the two tier-system, we decided to include that answer, as well.
Actually, we already did. See above.
*What is the difference between "Andromeda Galaxy" and "Andromeda Nebula?"*
*M.B.H.*
The Andromeda Galaxy and Andromeda Nebula refer to the same celestial
object. Until about a century ago, many astronomers believed that ours
was the only galaxy in the Universe. Every object, stellar or otherwise,
was therefore considered to have been part of our home galaxy. The
"Andromeda Nebula," was thought to have been a vapor cloud within the Milky
Way Galaxy. American astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889-1953) determined that
this "nebula" is actually an entire galaxy well beyond our own.
[image: m31m_s.jpg]
This drawing, taken from the Messier catalog, depicts the Andromeda Nebula,
so named as it is located within the constellation Andromeda.
Astronomers now know that this nebula is a galaxy and so its name changed
from Andromeda Nebula to Andromeda Galaxy. The word "nebula" means
"cloud-like," as these bodies resemble luminescent clouds in the night sky.
*"How do we know we're in a barred spiral galaxy?"*
*-P.H.*
Astronomers draw their conclusions about anything in the Universe through
observations. They face a particular challenge when trying to determine
the galaxy's shape because they are living inside it. They realized
that we live toward the outskirts of our galaxy by observing globular
clusters. These large star clusters are not distributed uniformly through
the sky, but are instead concentrated around the Sagittarius region.
Since globular clusters congregate around the galactic nucleus, astronomers
such as Harlow Shapley (1885-1972) reasoned that our solar system had to be
well displaced from the center. If Earth were close to the galactic
center, these clusters would appear to all directions from our
perspective. Observations of stellar distributions lead to the
conclusion that the Milky Way is a spiral galaxy. Stars and other
material are concentrated along these arms as opposed to being scattered
throughout the entire galaxy. Astronomers observed that certain
regions contained more stars than others: a tell-tale sign of the galaxy's
spiral structure. Astronomers have also been able to observe
innumerable other galaxies in the Universe. Based on these observations,
they determined that only a certain number of galaxy types exist:
ellipticals, spirals, barred spirals, irregulars, lenticular.
Observations showed that Earth is about 23,000 light years from the nucleus
of a spiral galaxy. Further observations of the nucleus region revealed
an "asymmetry" of light within the center. The center appeared much
brighter in one region than another. A central bar of stars around the
nucleus can explain this asymmetry. If the Milky Way didn't contain a bar,
observations wouldn't show this lack of symmetry.
*"What process leads to the creation of spiral arms? Is it related to
gravity, dark matter or dark energy?" -J.V.*
The spiral arms formed because the galaxy rotates around the center and
because of something else called "density waves." One can think of galaxy
waves as being like compression waves (think of sound waves). As the
spiral galaxy rotates, the waves cause the stars and dust to collect around
the "crests," regions we now see as spiral arms. One tricky issue about
spiral arms pertains to their duration. Astronomers would expect them
to "wind up" after just a few rotations and disappear. We know that the
Sun, which is less than half the galaxy's age, has revolved around the
galaxy about twenty times since its formation. Yet, the spiral arms
persist. It is possible that the neighboring satellite galaxies could help
to retain the spiral structure by keeping the larger density waves in
motion for an extended period. This issue remains unresolved. We do
know that the Milky Way Galaxy and billions of others have and keep their
spiral arms.
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