A picture of the Big Dipper taken 2007/08/23 from the Kalalau Valley lookout at Koke’e State Park in Hawaii.
Have you ever felt rejection? Of course you have. It’s like this.
So you get all dressed for a party, suit up and shave, maybe slap on a little smell good and bounce out the door. Everyone’s going to recognize you, tell you what you want to hear, kiss up a bit. Sure, it’s going to be a great evening, all sparkles and glows.
Pulling up to the party, you notice there’s eight-eight cars filling all the spots. Hey, look, a Lamborghini sitting next to a Chevelle. Who’s that loser, eh? But at least the Chevelle’s parked. Where’s the spot for you car? Nothing. That block where Party Central’s kicking seems to be further and further away as your car searches for someplace within the same town. Finally, you spot one, but it’s kind of remote. Still, it’s available. In zips your car and for now, that party’s still jamming and you’re making tracks.
Knocking on the door, you feel the high vibe on the other side. After a few moments there’s no answer. Another knock. Nothing. Damn! If everyone knows me, why don’t they hear me? Why don’t they answer? Why’m I being dissed?
Because you’re an asterism, that’s way.
Asterisms are those groups of stars that are incredibly famous, everyone knows who they are yet they have no official recognition. How? Why?
That’s because they’re only part of the story. There’s more where that group of stars came from.
Take, for example, The Big Dipper. There’s hardly a person in the northern hemisphere that doesn’t recognize it. Visible all year long, its two forward stars point directly to Polaris, the celestial north pole. It dances gracefully with Cassiopeia on the opposite side of Polaris, and if you’re clever, one can tell the time by their position in the sky. Yet The Big Dipper is part of Ursa Major, or The Big Bear. It forms a saddle of sorts on the Big Bear’s back.
Another example is The Pleiades. This sparkling group of six stars shimmers on cold winter nights. They are part of Taurus the Bull, and sit at the end of Taurus’ horn. Occasionally, a planet or the moon might wander nearby, and if you’re really lucky, one of those might appear to cross over it.
There are others, like the Teapot (part of Sagittarius) and the False Cross (part of mega southern constellation Argo/The Ship, made up from components of the Ship’s Sail/Vela and Ship’s Keel/Carina), and Great Square, connecting Andromeda and Pegasus.
Don’t feel bad for these asterisms, however. It’s good to be taken. Who wants to be alone?
Moon, Stars and Beyond 