A celestial love story
The traditional 48 constellations in the northern night sky were created by the ancient Greeks as a way to relate stories about their beliefs, experiences, culture and mythology. They represent a multitude of animals, mythical beings and creatures, as well as inanimate objects. They were an integral part of the ancient Greeks’ oral history that, over the centuries, became immortalized in pictorial form in the night sky above. One such story, that of Princess Andromeda and Prince Perseus, plays out directly above us as the sky darkens on these cool autumn nights.
Our story begins with Queen Cassiopeia, queen of ancient Ethiopia. She was reputed to be a very beautiful lady, who, unfortunately for all in this story, was extremely vain, and could not refrain from boasting of her beauty to anyone who would listen (whether they wanted to or not). When they heard of this lady’s boastfulness, the ocean nereids (mermaids), who, as everyone knew, were deemed the most beautiful creatures alive, went to Poseidon, King of the Oceans, and complained, asking him to punish Queen Cassiopeia for her vanity. Poseidon then sent a sea monster (Cetus) to ravage the queen’s homeland. When the sea monster appeared in their city, and began knocking down buildings and gobbling up the local populace, Queen Cassiopeia and her husband, King Cepheus, went to the local temple oracle (priestess), and asked what could be done to stop this creature. The oracle told them that the only way the nereids could be appeased, and the sea monster called back to the depths of the ocean, was for them to sacrifice their only daughter, Princess Andromeda, to the monster.
Princess Andromeda was subsequently chained to a large, seaside rock, and abandoned to the advancing sea monster. This would certainly have been the sad demise of the princess had not Prince Perseus been in the neighbourhood. Perseus just happened to be passing by, or rather, flying by on his winged steed Pegasus, returning from a successful hunt for the Medusa, a rather nasty witch with a head of poisonous snakes. In addition to her deadly coiffure, Medusa had the ability to turn anyone or anything she gazed upon to stone. With some assistance from some of the Olympian gods, Perseus was able to cut off Medusa’s head (which he now carried with him in a sack) without getting himself turned to stone.
On his way home, and just happening to be flying past the city at this critical time, Perseus spied the helpless maiden chained to the rock below, with the sea monster fast approaching. Smitten by Andromeda’s beauty and unfortunate predicament, Perseus swooped down on Pegasus, positioning himself between the princess and the sea monster. Removing Medusa’s head from the sack, he pointed her face (which still had the eyes open) towards the sea monster, which, as was the fate of all creatures facing her lethal gaze,
immediately turned to stone, and sank beneath the waves. The princess was saved, the city and its people saved, everyone rejoiced, and Andromeda and Perseus were soon wed.
As the Greek story tellers often did with their major characters, they immortalized them by placing them in the night sky in the form of the constellations. All the actors and actresses of this story - Queen Cassiopeia, King Cepheus, Princess Andromeda, Prince Perseus, Medusa, Cetus and Pegasus - were, upon their fictional deaths, placed in the night sky for all to see. And so they remain there today, hundreds of years later, forming part of the night sky’s rich history, both oral and written.
Jupiter and Saturn remain the planets to watch in the night sky this coming week. Once the sky has fully darkened, Jupiter, in the SW, sits between the constellations of Ophiuchus - the Serpent Bearer and Scorpius the Scorpion, setting around 11 p.m.. Saturn, in the SSW, continues to hover near the handle of the “teapot” asterism in Sagittarius - the Archer, not setting until after midnight. Mars, Venus and Mercury remain lost from sight, due to their closeness to the Sun’s glow.
As the Sun sets on the evening of Sept. 14, the Full “Harvest” Moon will rise in the east. The Moon gets its name this month for the brightness it brings to the farmers harvesting their crops at this time of the year.
Last week I mentioned, whilst talking about finding the North Star, that Sirius was the brightest star in the northern night sky. I stated, incorrectly, that it was in the constellation of Orion - the Hunter. What I had meant to say was that it was in the constellation of Canis Major the Big Dog, to the lower left of Orion. Thanks to the gentleman from Seaside, NS for noticing my omission, and alerting me.
Until next time, clear skies.