Stars in Your Eyes, A Guide to the Northern Skies


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                       US Army Corps of Engineers
                           Portland District

          Developed by Upper Willamette Valley Projects Office
                                  1980


Table of Contents


Introduction

Helpful Hints

Ursa Major: Greater Bear (The Big Dipper)

Ursa Minor: Lesser Bear (The Little Dipper)

Draco: The Dragon, and Isis

Lyra: The Lyre

Cygnus: The Swan (Northern Cross)

Bootes: The Herdsman (Atlas)

Corona Borealis: The Northern Crown

Cassiopeia, Cepheus and Andromeda


From the day the first children opened their eyes, the gaze of humanity
has been drawn to the stars.

The stars have been relied upon to direct travelers, to make
agricultural predictions, to win wars and to awaken love in the hearts
of men and women.

Ancient stargazers pondering the nighttime sky saw definite star
patterns emerge. Today's astronomers have charted 88 of these patterns,
or constellations, which may be viewed from different parts of the world
at different times of the year.


Introduction


Many myths and legends have been woven around the stars and the
constellations they form. Surprising similarities often exist between
star stories coming from entirely different societies. The following
pages will help you locate several of the northern sky's summer
constellations, and will introduce you to some of the fascinating tales
surrounding them.

Constellation positions are given as they appear at 11:15 p.m. PDT on
May 31st and on July 1st.

Every 15 days constellations appear in the same positions one hour
earlier. Be sure you have the right time of night for the day and month
in which you are gazing.

Cover your flashlight with a piece of red tissue paper when reading the
charts at night. This will dim the light, and make it easier for your
eyes to adjust as you look from the lighted book to the dark skies.

Begin your search of the skies by facing NORTH. Use a compass, a
familiar landmark, or point your LEFT shoulder to the setting Sun.

Hold the picture compass so that its NORTH arrow points NORTH. Keeping
it still, turn your body to face the direction in which the SHADED arrow
is pointing.



Raise your arm in front of you to the level shown by the ranger figure:


STRAIGHT OUT


ONE-THIRD


TWO-THIRDS


STRAIGHT UP

You are now pointing in the general area of the constellation you wish
to find.


Helpful Hints


Stars that are shaded in the charts have some importance that is
explained in the text.




Ursa Major: Greater Bear (The Big Dipper)


This constellation is known as the Big Dipper because of the ladle-like
appearance created by the seven major stars. The Big Dipper has also
been known as the Greater Bear and as "The Great Bear and Hunters."

Iroquois legend relates that the three stars comprising the tail of the
bear are remnants of a mighty hunting party that was attacked by stone
giants. The great bear and the three surviving Indians were carried to
the sky by invisible hands, where the Indians still chase the bear
today.

The first Indian carries a bow, the second carries a kettle, and the
third carries sticks to make a fire for cooking the bear when he is
slain. During autumn, the Indian carrying the bow is able to strike and
wound the bear. The blood which drips from the bear tints the leaves of
the forest and gives us our fall colors every year.

On May 31 the Big Dipper is almost directly overhead in the northern
sky. On July 1 the Big Dipper will be seen in the NW compass direction
and will be lower in the sky. The two stars which make up the face of
the dipper are "pointers" and will be helpful in locating other
constellations.




Ursa Minoris: Lesser Bear (The Little Dipper)


Ursa minoris is best known for Polaris (the North Star), the end star on
the handle of the Little Dipper. Polaris is the only star to remain
stationary in the northern sky. Because of this unique attribute,
Polaris has been used for centuries by travelers as an aid to
navigation.

According to Greek myth, the Little Dipper, or "Lesser Bear," was once a
mighty hunter named Arcas whose mother was a beautiful woman named
Helice. Zeus' wife, the goddess Hera, was jealous of Helice and
transformed her into a great bear.

Once, when hunting in the woods, Arcas was about to kill the bear.
Feeling pity, Zeus changed him into a little bear and swung the mother
and her son into the sky by their tails. That is why the Greater Bear
(Big Dipper) and Lesser Bear (Little Dipper) have such long tails.

The Little Dipper may be found by locating the two pointer stars of the
Big Dipper. Follow the pointer stars to the North Star in the handle of
the Little Dipper (which appears to "pour" into the Big Dipper).




Draco: The Dragon, and Isis


Isis, the bright eye of Draco the Dragon, was named by the early
Egyptians. Temples at Thebes and Denerach were built to honor this star.
Its light shone directly through the open doors of the temples and into
the holiest of chambers.

After locating the Big and Little Dippers, you will easily find Draco
the Dragon. The tail of Draco winds between the Dippers. The head is
marked by the bright star Isis.




Lyra: The Lyre


Lyra represents the lyre that the Greek god Mercury gave Orpheus to play
while on the Argonaut expedition.

In another Greek myth, Orpheus played the lyre and charmed Pluto, god of
the underworld, to win back his dead bride from Hades. Unfortunately, he
lost her again by looking back as he was leaving Hades. At his death,
Orpheus and his lyre were placed among the stars.

The Lyra is a small constellation marked by the bright star Vega. To
find the constellation draw a line from the tip of the pointer star of
the Big Dipper, through Isis (the eye of Draco) to Vega. Vega is the
brightest star in the constellation and has a pale blue tint.




Cygnus:The Swan (Northern Cross)


Greek legend about Cygnus relates how Orpheus (the musician mentioned in
Lyra) was changed into a swan by the gods and placed in the sky near his
lyre after being foully slain by the cruel priestesses of Dionysus, the
god of wine.

For the early Christians the center of this constellation represented
the cross of Calvary. It is a nearly perfect cross with the star Denab
at its tip. During the summer months the cross appears to be on its
side. If you look at the stars on Christmas Eve the cross will be
standing upright on the horizon of the northwestern sky at 9:00 p.m.

Cygnus is found near Lyra. Its tip, the bright star Denab, is one corner
of a triangle formed by Isis (in Draco) and Vega (in Lyra).




Bootes: The Herdsman (Atlas)


Bootes was known as "Atlas" by the Greeks and was condemned to hold up
the heavens as punishment for being in a war against Zeus. Arcturus, the
bright star at the center of the constellation, was known by the Arabs
as the keeper of the heavens.

Bootes is bright and easy to locate. Follow the "arc"ed path of the
three stars in the handle of the Big Dipper across the sky to "Arc"
turus.





Corona Borealis: The Northern Crown


The Corona Borealis is a beautiful semicircle of stars that mystified
and bewitched the ancients. The Shawnee Indians named this constellation
the Celestial Sisters and told the story of White Hawk, a mighty hunter.

Walking once on the prairie at dusk, White Hawk noticed a circular path
beaten down in the grass. It had no tracks entering and none leaving. As
he sat pondering the circle a silver basket floated out of the sky and
touched lightly on the earth. Twelve beautiful maidens stepped out and
began dancing in the path. White Hawk hid to watch and was so bewitched
by the most lovely maiden that he tried to capture her for his wife. He
failed. The next night, disguised as a rabbit, he tried again to capture
the maiden. Again he failed. The third night, this time disguised as a
mouse, he succeeded in capturing her.

The maiden soon became unhappy and one day, in White Hawk's absence,
wove her own silver basket. Singing her magic chant she rose again to
the evening sky to become the bright star Arcturus in the constellation
Bootes. The other eleven stars of the Northern Crown represent the
remaining maidens in their silver basket waiting to dance at dusk (only
six can be seen easily).

The Northern Crown is located to the left of the constellation Bootes.




Cassiopeia, Cepheus and Andromeda


Early Arabians, noting a zig-zagging constellation, titled it "The Lady
in the Chair." To the Greeks, this lady was Queen Cassiopeia, residing
in the heavens along with her husband Cepheus, and daughter Andromeda.
According to Greek legend, Cassiopeia often boasted of her daughter's
great beauty. She once was so bold as to boast that her daughter was
more beautiful than the daughters of the sea god Nereus. The gods became
angered and sent a sea monster to destroy the coast of Cassiopeia's and
Cepheus' kingdom. Not wanting the coast to be destroyed, Cassiopeia
sought help from Zeus, who advised her to offer her daughter as a
sacrifice.

There on a rocky ledge by the sea, Andromeda lamented and waited for a
sea monster to devour her. But the myth doesn't end there, for Perseus
rode out of the sky on his winged horse Pegasus, subdued the sea
monster, and freed Andromeda.

Cassiopeia, shaped like a "W," lies in the thick band of stars known as
the Milky Way. Look below the Little Dipper and Cygnus the Swan. Cepheus
is just above Cassiopeia, and Andromeda appears below her in July.

Perseus and Pegasus are also constellations. To find them and others,
ask a Corps Ranger, or check your local library or planetarium