THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
70 Falmouth Street Portland, Maine 04103
(207) 780-4249 usm.maine.edu/planet
43.6667° N 70.2667° W Founded January 1970
2022-2023: LXXXVI
Sunrise: 6:00 a.m.
Sunset: 7:23 p.m.
Civil twilight begins: 5:31 a.m.
Civil twilight ends: 7:53 p.m.
Sun's host constellation: Pisces
Moon phase: Waning crescent (36% illuminated)
Moonrise: 3:33 a.m.
Moonset: 2:01 p.m. (4/15/23)
Julian date: 2460049.29
"You can observe a lot just by watching."
-Yogi Berra
THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Friday, April 14, 2023
Quiz # 19: Summer Constellations
Yes, we know that astronomical summer has not yet begun. . We still have to
wait 67 days, 23 hours and 48 minutes for that golden moment to arrive.
However, we've been so savoring this sweetly unseasonable weather that we
felt inspired to celebrate the hot season prematurely. What better way
to mark the eventual, though not necessarily imminent, return of summer
than with a quiz pertaining to the summer constellations. After all, one
can see these patterns now, provided that one ventures out later in the
evening.
So, slather on the sunscreen, hoist up the coolers, frolic around in your
flip-flops and brace yourself for a sultry day of oppressive heat,
suffocating humidity, scorching sand and all the other things that truly
make life worth living.
1. Hercules, whose name translates into "Glory of Hera," is also known as
the "Kneeling One," because in the night sky he is kneeling on which
constellation?
a. Andromeda the Constrained Princess (no comment)
b. Draco the Dragon
c. Cepheus the King
d. Corvus the Crow
2. Deneb, Vega and ____________ comprise the famous Summer Triangle.
a. Antares
b. Alnilam
c. Altair
d. Alnitak
3. This small constellation is nicknamed the "Jewel Box," as its pattern
is a compact array of beautiful stars. Its official name is Delphinus
the _____________.
a. Dragon
b. Dogwood Tree
c. Demon Eye
d. Dolphin
4. Which constellation marks the position of the galactic nucleus?
a. Scorpius the Scorpion
b. Sagittarius the Archer
c. Scutum the Shield
d. Vulpecula the Fox
5. Virgo the Maiden, associated with the Greek Persephone, was abducted by
which God?
a. Zeus
b. Apollo
c. Vulcan
d. Hades
6. ___________________, known as the "Serpent Charmer," was a mortal who
was a divinely gifted healer.
a. Ophiuchus
b. Corona Borealis
c. Bootes
d. Corvus
7. Lyra represents a harp that _______________ played to compose love
songs for ________________.
a. Arion; Lilith
b. Orpheus; Eurydice
c. Pyramus; Thisbe
d. Bill; Hillary
8. Antares, the red supergiant star in Scorpius, is so large
_______________ Suns could fit inside it
a. 100
b. 90,000
c. 2.2 million
d. 50 million
e. none of the above
9. Which queen spends the early summer evenings lurking low in the
northern sky?
a. Cassiopeia
b. Cepheus
c. Andromeda
d. Lacerta
10. _________ the Scales is the only inanimate object included in the
astronomical zodiac
a. Libra
b. Cancer
c. Corvus
d. Crater
ANSWERS
1. b. Draco the Dragon
Draco, like Camelopardalis, is a circumpolar constellation that few people
have seen. Its stars are relatively faint and his pattern meanders all
through the northern sky. However, one can easily observe his triangular
head just north of Hercules.
2. c. Altair
Note: Alnilam and Alnitak are both stars within ORION's belt!
3. d. Dolphin
Delphinus the Dolphin rescued the musician Arion from his pirate captors
and conveyed him to safety.
4. b. Sagittarius the Archer
At a distance of more than 23,000 light years, the galactic nucleus is not
visible to us due to the obscuration of gas and dust.
5. d. Hades
Identified with the Roman Pluto. Just a brief note: the word "Hades"
often signifies the Underworld, itself. However, originally, Hades was the
God who presided over the Plains of Asphodel, Tartarus and other underworld
regions.
6. a. Ophiuchus
After he resurrected ORION, Ophiuchus was struck down by a thunder bolt by
Zeus, but then placed in the night sky as a tribute to his skill.
7. b. Orpheus; Eurydice
He used this Lyre when he went into the underworld to fetch Eurydice, who
had been slain by a serpent at their wedding. It ultimately didn't end
well, but at least he liberated her for awhile.
8. e. none of the above
330 million Suns could fit inside Antares Some purists will insist that
each answer was technically correct.
Bully for them!
9. a. Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia is circumpolar, meaning that she never sets at our latitude.
However, she is low in the northern summer sky in the early evenings.
10. a. Libra
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