HELLO STARFANS!

ASTRONOMERS RECOGNIZE# EIGHTY-EIGHT CONSTELLATIONS REPRESENTING OBJECTS, ANIMALS OR PEOPLE.

ONE OF THE FIRST OF THOSE# WAS AURIGA - THE CHARIOTEER.

LET’S FIND HIM.

HIT THE SKY JUST AFTER SUNSET AND LOOK WEST# TO CATCH VENUS THE EVENING STAR BEFORE IT DIPS BELOW THE HORIZON.

AS IT GETS DARKER,# YOU’LL SEE POLLUX AND CASTOR NEAR JUPITER, AND IF YOU USE THOSE TO DRAW A CURVED# LINE TOWARD THE HORIZON YOU’LL FIND CAPELLA - THAT’S AURIGA’S LEFT SHOULDER!# CAPELLA COMES FROM LATIN AND MEANS “LITTLE FEMALE GOAT” WEIRD FOR A CHAIROTEER, BUT# TRADITIONALLY AURIGA HOLDS THREE GOATS!

WHY?

BECAUSE CAPELLA IS SAID TO BE THE# GOAT AMALTHEA THAT NURSED THE INFANT ZEUS.

OUR ANCESTORS USED THE STARS TO TELL ALL# SORTS OF STORIES ABOUT MYTHICAL FIGURES, REAL AND IMAGINED.

WE STILL SEE THESE SAME# STARS TODAY.

REMEMBERING AND CARRYING FORWARD THESE STORIES IS A WAY TO REMEMBER OUR PAST,# WHERE WE’VE COME FROM AND HOW WE GOT HERE.

KEEP LOOKING UP!