The Winter Circle

Would you please answer on your Do Now sheet…

• In what direction do you look to see Orion tonight at 9 pm?

• What asterism helps you find it?

The winter circleStars Diagram

Directions: How to Find Interesting factsThe

Winter Circle

ORION

http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_orion_constellation_poster-228023600320509351

http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Orion.html

http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Constellation-of-Orion

Winter Hexagon- asterism

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap021106.html

Winter Circle 1/ 7 /2002

http://mail.colonial.net/~hkaiter/astronomyimagesC/wintercircle.gif

PLEIADESThe Seven Sisters

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pleiades_large.jpg

• After Atlas was forced to carry the heavens on his shoulders, Orion began to pursue all of the Pleiades, and Zeus transformed them first into doves, and then into stars to comfort their father. The constellation of Orion is said to still pursue them across the night sky.

Elihu Vedder(1836–1923)

The Pleiades1885

Oil on canvas

Greek poet Hesiod

• "And if longing seizes you for sailing the stormy seas, when the Pleiades flee mighty Orion and plunge into the misty deep and all the gusty winds are raging, then do not keep your ship on the wine-dark sea but, as I bid you, remember to work the land."

• (Works and Days 618-23)

The nine brightest stars of the Pleiades are named for the Seven Sisters of Greek mythology: Sterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygeta, Celaeno, and Alcyone, along with their parents Atlas and Pleione. As daughters of Atlas, the Hyades were sisters of the Pleiades. The English name of the cluster itself is of Greek origin, though of uncertain etymology. Suggested derivations include: from πλεîν pleîn, to sail, making the Pleiades the "sailing ones"; from pleos, full or many; or from peleiades, flock of doves.

http://www.navaching.com/swest/naji.gifs/pleiades.gif

Other names

• Subaru- Japanese• Hard flint boys- Navajo• Sailing Stars- Greek sailors would only set out

if they could see these stars• Rainy Stars- beginning of Autumnal rainy

season in ancient times

February- Pleiades overhead