Spring Constellations

Question 1

What is the Greek story for Cancer

Answer 1

To prevent Heracles from killing the Hydra, Hera sent a crab to pinch his foot (it was crushed). She placed it in the heavens to reward it for bravery.

Question 2

What interesting deep sky objects are in Cancer?

Answer 2

Praesepe (Beehive) star cluster; M67 open cluster

Question 3

What is the Greek story for Orion

Answer 3

Powerful hunter so handsome that goddesses squabbled over him.

Question 4

What are some other cultural stories for Orion

Answer 4

Egypt: Osiris, God of Light. Bororo of Brazil: huge caiman. Maori of NZ: a canoe. Lakota: the ribs and backbone of an unknown creature called Tayamni (that also included a head at Pleiades and tail at Sirius)

Question 5

Four Betelgeuse facts

Answer 5

Rigel is brighter - 7th brightest star in Earth’s sky (775 LY, 40,000x brighter than Sun).
Betelgeuse is the tenth brightest (550-900x diameter of Sun).
Betelgeuse is a semi regular variable star, and a red supergiant.
Betelgeuse is about 700 LY away. (source: NASA)

Question 6

What happened to Betelgeuse in 2019

Answer 6

The Great Dimming. 60% less bright. Later we figured out it had expelled a bunch of material from outer atmosphere (surface mass ejection), which cooled into a cloud of dust grains that blocked our view. (source: NASA)

Question 7

Will Betelgeuse go supernova?

Answer 7

Yes, eventually, in 100,000 years. It will then become either a neutron star or black hole.

Question 8

What important deep sky object is in Orion’s Belt?

Answer 8

Orion Nebula, about 30 LY across. Huge region of interstellar gas and dust. Active nursery for the birth of stars.

Question 9

What is the Greek story of Hydra?

Answer 9

Usually ID’d as the many-headed monster slain by Heracles as one of the twelve labors. (Two headed replaced each one beheaded, so H used fire).

Question 10

What interesting deep sky objects are in Hydra

Answer 10

Shapley supercluster (largest known group of galaxies, >20).