Latest / Star Trails: From Backyard Astronomy to Cosmic Wonder / A Comet, a Crescent Moon and the Myth of the Great Bear

Transcript

A Comet, a Crescent Moon and the Myth of the Great Bear · Star Trails: From Backyard Astronomy to Cosmic Wonder

• 0:00
  Howdy stargazers and welcome to this episode of Star Trails.
• 0:10
  I'm Drew and I'll be your guide to the night sky for the week starting September 29th to
• 0:16
  October 5th.
• 0:18
  This week a new moon brings darker skies, a comet looms on the morning horizon and later
• 0:24
  in the episode I'll examine the lore of the Big Dipper and why cultures across the globe
• 0:30
  have seen this asterism as a big bear in the night sky for millennia.
• 0:35
  So grab a comfortable chair under the night sky and let's get started.
• 0:41
  This week the moon will begin in its waning crescent phase, gradually shrinking to a thin
• 0:46
  sliver visible in the early morning sky.
• 0:50
  On October the 2nd we'll experience a new moon, leaving the night sky free from moonlight
• 0:55
  and providing ideal conditions for deep sky observations.
• 1:00
  After that the moon transitions to a waxing crescent starting to grow again from just
• 1:05
  1% illumination on October the 3rd to about 7% by October 5th when you can spot its delicate
• 1:13
  crescent just after sunset.
• 1:16
  Jupiter is putting on a brilliant show this week, rising in the east just before midnight
• 1:21
  you'll find it in the constellation Aries where it shines brightly all night long.
• 1:27
  If you have a small telescope you'll be able to spot Jupiter's cloud bands and its four
• 1:32
  largest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
• 1:38
  Meanwhile Saturn is also visible in the early evening located in Aquarius.
• 1:44
  Its iconic rings are still on full display and with a telescope you can even catch a
• 1:48
  glimpse of Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
• 1:52
  Venus, the evening star, will be bright and beautiful near the western horizon after sunset,
• 1:59
  though it sets quickly its dazzling appearance is unmistakable.
• 2:03
  Mercury will be in superior conjunction with the sun on September 30th, so you won't be
• 2:09
  able to see it for most of the week.
• 2:12
  Night hunters will want to get up early this week.
• 2:15
  Comet C-2023A3 will be visible in the hours before sunrise on four successive mornings
• 2:23
  this week.
• 2:24
  Further windows of naked-eye visibility in the evening sky could follow in mid-October.
• 2:31
  Just a few days ago, C-2023A3 reached Parahelion, its closest point to the sun on its estimated
• 2:39
  80,000 year-long orbit.
• 2:42
  Sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere may be able to glimpse the comet a few degrees
• 2:47
  above the east-southeast horizon about 30 minutes before sunrise until Wednesday, October
• 2:54
  the 2nd.
• 2:55
  Monday morning could be a perfect time for spotting this comet while it's joined by
• 3:00
  a delicate, waning crescent moon.
• 3:03
  As always, comets are unpredictable, so we'll see what happens with this one.
• 3:13
  In this episode, I want to highlight a couple of lesser-known star patterns that you might
• 3:18
  not have heard of but which are visible at this time of the year.
• 3:23
  These constellations may not be as famous as Orion or Pegasus, but they offer a rewarding
• 3:28
  challenge for those looking to expand their knowledge of the night sky.
• 3:34
  First up is L-Serta, also known as the Lizard.
• 3:38
  It's a faint constellation located between the more prominent constellations of Cygnus
• 3:43
  and Andromeda in the Northern sky.
• 3:46
  L-Serta is shaped roughly like a zigzag or a lightning bolt, with no particularly bright
• 3:52
  stars to help guide you, making it a challenge to spot.
• 3:56
  One feature you can look for within L-Serta is the open star cluster NGC 7243.
• 4:04
  It's visible through binoculars or a small telescope and adds a bit of extra charm to
• 4:09
  this underappreciated constellation.
• 4:12
  The second constellation to explore is Iquellius, or the Little Horse.
• 4:17
  It's the second smallest constellation in the sky, located near Aquarius, Delphinus,
• 4:23
  and Pegasus.
• 4:25
  Iquellius is made up of a small, somewhat squashed rectangle of stars and looks a bit
• 4:30
  like a faint version of Delphinus.
• 4:33
  While it doesn't boast any major deep sky objects, it's a delight for anyone who enjoys
• 4:38
  star hopping.
• 4:40
  Because of its size, it's a great target for those who want to push their observational
• 4:44
  skills a little further.
• 4:46
  Both of these constellations, L-Serta and Iquellius, might not grab your attention at first glance,
• 4:52
  but they offer a wonderful way to deepen your stargazing experience.
• 4:57
  Be sure to look for them next time you're out under the autumn sky.
• 5:08
  As we continue exploring the night sky this week, let's talk about some deep sky objects
• 5:13
  that are well positioned for observation.
• 5:16
  These are some of the most beautiful and intriguing sights that can be seen with binoculars or
• 5:20
  a small telescope.
• 5:22
  Even if you're a beginner, they're not too difficult to find and they offer a great reward
• 5:27
  once you've located them.
• 5:29
  First up is the Dumbbell Nebula M27 in the constellation Volpecula.
• 5:36
  This planetary nebula is one of the brightest of its kind and it has an easily recognizable
• 5:41
  shape that looks like a glowing dumbbell or hourglass.
• 5:46
  Through a telescope, you'll be able to see the shell of gas ejected by a dying star.
• 5:52
  Next we have the Ring Nebula M57 in Lyra.
• 5:57
  This is another planetary nebula, but instead of an hourglass shape, it appears as a small
• 6:02
  but strikingly clear ring of gas.
• 6:06
  Through a medium-sized scope, the glowing ring really pops out against the dark backdrop
• 6:11
  of space, making it a favorite target for amateur astronomers.
• 6:16
  Don't forget about the Hercules cluster M13, one of the brightest globular clusters
• 6:22
  in the northern sky.
• 6:24
  Located in the constellation Hercules, this dense cluster contains hundreds of thousands
• 6:29
  of stars packed tightly together.
• 6:32
  A telescope will reveal its granular structure, making it a fascinating object to study.
• 6:38
  Also, it's one of the best globular clusters to observe in the fall.
• 6:43
  For galaxy hunters, try locating the Triangulum Galaxy M33 in the constellation Triangulum.
• 6:51
  It's a face-on spiral galaxy and the third largest member of our local group of galaxies
• 6:58
  after the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy.
• 7:01
  Under very dark skies, it's even possible to see M33 with the naked eye, though binoculars
• 7:08
  or a small telescope will really bring out its faint spiral structure.
• 7:13
  All these deep-sky objects make excellent targets for your stargazing adventures this
• 7:18
  week.
• 7:19
  It's usable for much of the night, so take your time to explore the wonders hidden in
• 7:23
  the cosmos.
• 7:31
  This week, we're taking a deep dive into one of the most iconic constellations, Ursa Major,
• 7:37
  the Great Bear.
• 7:38
  But as we'll discover, this isn't just any constellation.
• 7:43
  It's a star pattern that has captured the imagination of people around the world for
• 7:47
  thousands of years, and interestingly, many of those people saw a bear in the stars.
• 7:54
  But why a bear?
• 7:56
  The answer takes us back to ancient human history spanning continents and cultures and
• 8:02
  maybe into the mysterious world of prehistoric bear worship.
• 8:06
  Let's start with the constellation itself.
• 8:10
  Ursa Major, or the Great Bear, is visible all year round in much of the Northern Hemisphere,
• 8:16
  making it a trusty guide for stargazers.
• 8:19
  The part you're probably most familiar with is the Big Dipper, an asterism formed by seven
• 8:25
  bright stars within Ursa Major.
• 8:29
  The handle of the Dipper is often meant to be the long tail of the bear, which is odd
• 8:34
  because bears have short tails.
• 8:37
  The cup of the Dipper is significant because two of its stars, Dubay and Marac, serve as
• 8:43
  pointer stars to the North Star, Polaris.
• 8:47
  This was no small matter to ancient civilizations.
• 8:51
  Before modern navigation systems, people relied on the stars to find their way, and the Big
• 8:57
  Dipper was like a celestial compass, always pointing north.
• 9:01
  Mariners, travelers, and even nomadic tribes would have looked up to this asterism to guide
• 9:07
  their paths.
• 9:08
  But as useful as it was for navigation, it was also the subject of deep mythology and
• 9:14
  symbolism, and that's where the bear comes in.
• 9:17
  It seems like an odd choice.
• 9:19
  The stars of Ursa Major are spread out, and it takes some imagination to turn that shape
• 9:24
  into a bear.
• 9:26
  Yet incredibly, people all over the world, separated by time, geography, and culture,
• 9:32
  came to the same conclusion.
• 9:34
  From the ancient Greeks to Native American tribes and Siberian peoples.
• 9:40
  In Greek mythology, the bear is connected to the story of Callisto, a nymph who was transformed
• 9:46
  into a bear by the jealous goddess Hera.
• 9:49
  Later, Callisto was placed in the sky by Zeus, immortalized as the constellation we know
• 9:55
  today.
• 9:56
  The Romans inherited this myth, and the story continued to thrive throughout Europe.
• 10:02
  But here's where things get even more fascinating.
• 10:05
  On the other side of the world, Native American tribes like the Iroquois and the Algonquin
• 10:11
  also saw a bear in these stars.
• 10:14
  The Iroquois told stories of hunters chasing a great bear across the sky, with the bear's
• 10:20
  death in the fall explaining the changing colors of the autumn leaves.
• 10:25
  And in some versions of the story, the bear isn't just being pursued, it's wounded, with
• 10:30
  its blood staining the trees.
• 10:33
  These parallel myths suggest something deeper, something more ancient, and it might be linked
• 10:39
  to the migrations of early humans across continents.
• 10:44
  Anthropologists have suggested that early hunter-gatherers crossing the Bering land bridge from Siberia
• 10:49
  into North America carried with them stories of the celestial bear.
• 10:55
  As they spread across the continent, so did the legend.
• 10:58
  This bear in the sky became a universal symbol for survival, strength, and perhaps even the
• 11:05
  changing of the seasons.
• 11:07
  To possibly understand why the bear became such a powerful symbol, we need to go even
• 11:12
  further back in time, tens of thousands of years, to the age of the Ice Age hunter-gatherers.
• 11:20
  Evidence suggests that humans in Europe once revered and possibly even worshipped the cave
• 11:25
  bear, a species that roamed the earth during the Pleistocene epic and when extinct around
• 11:31
  24,000 years ago.
• 11:35
  Archaeologists have uncovered bear remains in ancient caves across Europe that suggest
• 11:39
  ritualistic treatment.
• 11:42
  In some sites in Switzerland and France, skulls of cave bears were found carefully placed
• 11:47
  in stone niches.
• 11:50
  Other remains show evidence that humans might have revered these massive animals, which
• 11:54
  could stand up to ten feet tall on their hind legs.
• 11:59
  These cave sites are thought to have been places of bear worship, possibly linked to
• 12:04
  the awe these prehistoric humans felt toward the bear's physical power and its ability
• 12:09
  to seemingly die in hibernation and return with the spring thaw.
• 12:15
  This seasonal rhythm mirrored the cycles of the natural world that were essential for
• 12:21
  the survival, especially to those dependent on hunting and gathering.
• 12:25
  It's not a stretch to imagine that the stories of the cave bear survived in oral traditions,
• 12:31
  eventually evolving into the myths and stories about a celestial bear we find in cultures
• 12:37
  from Siberia to North America.
• 12:40
  The stars of Ursa Major became the eternal bear, standing watch over the night, year
• 12:46
  after year, season after season.
• 12:49
  However, not every culture saw a bear in Ursa Major.
• 12:53
  In medieval Europe, the Big Dipper was often seen as a plow, a fitting image for agrarian
• 12:59
  societies.
• 13:01
  The Romans sometimes called it the Seven Oxen, referring to the Seven Stars as oxen pulling
• 13:07
  a cart.
• 13:09
  In England, the stars were imagined as Charles's wagon, named after Charlemagne, the great
• 13:15
  medieval emperor.
• 13:17
  In China, the Big Dipper had a very different cultural significance.
• 13:21
  It was known as part of the Northern Dipper, which was closely tied to the emperor's role
• 13:26
  as the Son of Heaven.
• 13:28
  The movement of these stars were thought to reflect the stability and harmony of the
• 13:33
  empire itself.
• 13:35
  Despite these variations, the bear myth is the most widespread and enduring.
• 13:41
  It's amazing to think that people separated by vast distances and thousands of years could
• 13:46
  look up at the same stars and tell similar stories.
• 13:50
  Perhaps there's something primal about the bear that spoke to early humans, an animal
• 13:55
  that, like them, was powerful, resourceful, and connected to the cycles of nature.
• 14:02
  As a top predator, the bear represented power and resilience, but the bear was also mysterious,
• 14:09
  capable of both incredible ferocity and long periods of dormancy during hibernation.
• 14:15
  In many ways, the bear walked a fine line between life and death, a creature that seemed
• 14:21
  to conquer the changing seasons in a way that humans wished they could.
• 14:26
  By identifying a bear in the sky, ancient people could project their hopes, fears, and
• 14:31
  understanding of the natural world onto the stars.
• 14:36
  Perhaps when they looked at Ursa Major, they weren't just seeing stars, they were seeing
• 14:40
  the cycle of life itself played out on a cosmic stage.
• 14:46
  So when you look up at the Big Dipper, take a moment to reflect on the idea that you're
• 14:50
  connected to a tradition that stretches back thousands of years, one that speaks to the
• 14:56
  deep relationship between humanity and the natural world.
• 15:00
  And just like them, you can rely on the Great Bear to guide you through the night sky.
• 15:07
  That's it for today's episode of Star Trails.
• 15:10
  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend.
• 15:14
  The easiest way to do that is by visiting our website, startrails.show, where you can
• 15:20
  find all of our episodes including transcripts, night sky maps, and more.
• 15:26
  Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the night sky.
• 15:30
  Clear skies everyone.