A little ramble through You Tube - Canis Minor the Lesser Dog

 https://youtu.be/PrP5hxad1Sg

In modern mythology Canis Minor is the Lesser Dog constellation that together with Canis Major follows Orion the Hunter across the sky.

It appears not to have been known to the classical Greek astronomers it was simply referred to as rising before his companion star. It is about the time of Ptolemy c100-170 CE that it appears as a separate constellation and is therefore included in the 48 classical constellations.

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There are 88 constellations in the night sky, 48 are regarded as classical in that they were known to the astronomers living thousands of years ago. The other 40 are called modern. These were added during the 1500s, 1600s and 1700s.Many are in the southern hemisphere which were unknown to Europeans.

People tend to use the Greek myths and legends with the classical constellations; the modern ones have no myths or legends attached to them.

Most of the star names used are Arabic

A little ramble through You Tube - Canis Major the Greater Dog

 https://youtu.be/TfQrZFH8FFY

Canis Major is a stunning constellation with many bright stars and clusters, unfortunately for observers in Britain it is always low in the sky, so we never see it at its best. It represents one of the two dogs the other being Canis Minor that follows at the heels of Orion the Hunter.

@https://www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

@https://www.ramblingastronomer.bsky.social

@https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-lunn-mbe-fras-45383831/

@https://theramblingastronomer.blogspot.com/

@https://open.spotify.com/show/0Q56h7UWOw3qOgKnXsOqnb

There are 88 constellations in the night sky, 48 are regarded as classical in that they were known to the astronomers living thousands of years ago. The other 40 are called modern. These were added during the 1500s, 1600s and 1700s.Many are in the southern hemisphere which were unknown to Europeans.

People tend to use the Greek myths and legends with the classical constellations; the modern ones have no myths or legends attached to them.

Most of the star names used are Arabic

A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - zodiacal light in 1877

 Nature February 8^th 1877

The Zodiacal Light

This phenomenon was conspicuous in the neighbourhood of London on the evening of the 4^th February. At 6h 35m, the light was very much stronger than that of the Via Lactea in the brightest part above the horizon, and totally different in colour, being a pale yellow in the more elevated position, with a ruddy tinge nearer the horizon.

It was not distinctly traceable much beyond zeta Pisces.

                                                         www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

A little ramble through You Tube - Cancer the Crab

 https://youtu.be/z0_qitcLO2A

The area between the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini and Regulus in Leo the Lion appears  very dull and featureless. It is occupied by Cancer the celestial crab. All of these three groups are part of the zodiac.

@https://www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

@https://www.ramblingastronomer.bsky.social

@https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-lunn-mbe-fras-45383831/

@https://theramblingastronomer.blogspot.com/

@https://open.spotify.com/show/0Q56h7UWOw3qOgKnXsOqnb

There are 88 constellations in the night sky, 48 are regarded as classical in that they were known to the astronomers living thousands of years ago. The other 40 are called modern. These were added during the 1500s, 1600s and 1700s.Many are in the southern hemisphere which were unknown to Europeans.

People tend to use the Greek myths and legends with the classical constellations; the modern ones have no myths or legends attached to them.

Most of the star names used are Arabic

The Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio

 Join me, Martin Lunn MBE every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country. 

I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomical societies in the north of England.

The Astronomy Show every Monday evening only on Drystone Radio live online at www.drystoneradio.com DAB radio in Bradford and East Lancashire, or 102 and 103.5 FM and can also be heard later on the Drystone Radio Podcast.

 

Cooke Telescope Tales - occultation of 73 Pisces observed from India in 1880

The occultation of the star 73 Pisces by Jupiter was observed from Meean Meer, Lahore, India on December 23^rd 1880 by H Collett using a 4.5 inch Cooke telescope with a power of 96. 

At 01 hours, 52 minutes, 30seconds GMT  the star was hanging on the limb of the planet and by 01 hour and 54 minutes it had entirely disappeared. The phenomenon strongly resembled the occultation of a satellite except the disappearance was more rapid. The planet and star appeared to cohere for about 1.5 minutes.

No micrometer was used. The GMT of reappearance was 02 hour, 44 minutes when the star was again observed to hang onto the planet’s limb. The planet was well placed for observation being near the zenith. 

Before and after the occultation Jupiter appeared as if with 5 moons, the star being almost indistinguishable from the satellites. 

As the occultation could not be observed in Europe these few notes may prove to be of some interest. 

                                                     www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

 

A little ramble through You Tube - Cannes Venatici the Hunting Dogs

 https://youtu.be/m_AldL1teAo

This constellation was added to the sky by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius who was not only an astronomer but the major of Danzig. Hevelius invented 10 new constellations in the northern sky, astronomers today still use seven of them. It was in 1687, that Canes Venatici or the hunting dogs were created. According to myth the hunting dogs were being held by the Herdsman Bootes  and it is suggested that this may be to prevent them from chasing the two bears around the celestial pole.

@https://www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk

@https://www.ramblingastronomer.bsky.social

@https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-lunn-mbe-fras-45383831/

@https://theramblingastronomer.blogspot.com/

@https://open.spotify.com/show/0Q56h7UWOw3qOgKnXsOqnb

There are 88 constellations in the night sky, 48 are regarded as classical in that they were known to the astronomers living thousands of years ago. The other 40 are called modern. These were added during the 1500s, 1600s and 1700s.Many are in the southern hemisphere which were unknown to Europeans.

People tend to use the Greek myths and legends with the classical constellations; the modern ones have no myths or legends attached to them.

Most of the star names used are Arabic