What's Up! (Fact & Fantasy about the Spring constellations) by Stardancer

The spring night sky is filled with a multitude of mythical stories with a cast of many. They include a lion, a great bear, a herdsman, a virgin, a crab, a hydra, and Hercules. Of those listed, the most interesting and the easiest to find are the first few. Get comfortable while I tell you about how they came to share this part of the heavens.

Artemis, moon goddess and mistress of the hunt, surrounded herself with a band of beautiful nymphs who always accompanied her on the chase. Among these hunting companions was an especially lovely maiden named Callisto; like the others, she took a vow of chastity on joining Artemis's band.

Zeus, king of all the gods and husband of Hera, had a weakness for mortal women and often aroused the jealous ire of his queenly wife. On one of his frequent visits to Earth, he happened to pass the woodland cove where the lissome Callisto, having put off her huntress' garb, lay soundly asleep. Falling instantly in love with the beautiful girl, Zeus disguised himself as Artemis's brother, Apollo, and then overwhelmed the unsuspecting Callisto, becoming her lover. She bore him a son, named Arcas (after the Greek 'arktos', or "bear").

Zeus, now perceiving that he would have to protect Callisto from the wrath of his slighted wife, Hera, as well as from the vengeful rage of Artemis, turned his sweetheart Callisto into a bear.

One day, when Callisto's son Arcas had grown into manhood and mastered the skill of bow and arrow, he saw a great bear in the forest. The creature was in fact his unhappy mother, constantly forced to flee other beasts, and constantly pursued by the very hunters in whose company she was once included. At the sight of her son, she paused in joy, but Arcas, ignorant of his mother's transformation, drew his bow and took aim at her. At this moment, Zeus intervened and changed Arcas into a little bear so he could recognize Callisto. The godly source of all their troubles then transported them into the heavens allowing them a happier residence in the region of the north pole. Thenceforce, they have been known as the Greater and Lesser Bears.

The Greater Bear is one of the most ancient constellations as it has been mentioned in every extended reference to the heavens in the legends, parchments, tablets, and stones of remotest times. The pattern of the Greater Bear is somewhat difficult to discern as a whole, but it contains a familiar group of stars that constitutes one of the most striking figures in the heavens, the Big Dipper.

Not far from the Great Bear is the constellation Bootes. First appearing in Homer's Odyssey some twenty-eight hundred years ago, this constellation's ancient title was given various derivations. Some say he was named by the Greeks, others say the Romans called him "Hunter of the Great Bear". In France, Booties is 'Bouvier' or "Herdsman". Bootes was also thought to be "Icarus" or "Icarius", the Athenian who taught the world how to make wine and whose daughter Erigone accompanied him to the heavens as Virgo.

Holding a palm in her right hand and an ear of wheat in her left, this universally recognized Maiden bewilders us with her many identities! In Egypt, Virgo appears on the zodiacs of Thebes as Isis, the great Egyptian goddess. She is also spoken of as a goddess in ancient Turkey, Sidonese and Indian cultures. During the 'Golden Age', when Greek gods and goddesses roamed the earth, she was known as Astraea, goddess of innocence and purity. As the world began to change and discontent and conflict rose among the populace, the gods abandoned human society to take up residence in heaven. When Astraea, the last celestial being to leave the earth, saw that the people would not mend their evil ways, she rose slowly upward into the skies until she reached her present position between Leo and Libra, where at night she still shows herself to mortal man as a constellation of the zodiac.

Just above the constellation Virgo is placed Leo, the lion, yet another victim of Hercules many conquests as Cancer the crab, and the Hydra were. The first of Hercules' labors was to slay the gigantic Nemean lion, an anatomic marvel whose skin could not be pierced by iron, stone, or bronze. Invincible Hercules stopped up one entrance to the lion's double-mouthed cave, and wrestled with the beast until he choked it to death. A fitting memorial to Hercules' many superhuman deeds, Leo was placed in the heavens by the gods, where it has been known for thousands of years as a constellation of the zodiac.

Although most of these constellations are not as visually defined as some of the Winter ones, we can use the Big Dipper as a start point to navigate through the northeast spring sky.

High in the northeast is Ursa Major, the Great Bear, whose hindquarters most people recognize as the Big Dipper. Two stars in its bowl are called Pointers because a line drawn through them and extended northward points to Polaris, the North Star in Ursa Minor, the Little Bear or the Little Dipper. The same line extended away from Polaris points to Leo, high in the southeast. If you follow the arc of the Big Dippers handle eastward, you will "arc to Arcturus" the bright orange star midway up in the eastern sky that marks the base of the kite-shaped figure of Bootes, the Herdsman, now laying almost horizontal. Continuing the line from Arcturus and you will "speed to Spica" the brightest star in Virgo in the southeast. Below Arcturus you will find the butterfly or H-shape of the mighty Hercules.

Don't forget that comet Hale-Bopp is becoming more visible this month with March 22nd being it's closest approach to the Earth. In March the comet will be well placed in the morning sky for observers. Best viewing in March will be the 5th through the 22nd when bright moonlight will not interfere. Now begin to look for the comet in the evening skies as well at the end of the month when it will be at its brightest. Look low in the northwest about an hour after sunset during the dates 24th through the 31st. Hale-Bopp is moving from Cyngus through Lacerta and will proceed into Andromeda.

Early spring evenings might still be a bit brisk for star gazing, so make some hot chocolate or tea, bundle up in warm clothes and get out and see 'em.

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