As we look into the sky tonight, we see the big momma bear chasing the little baby bear around the pole. The baby has its tail wrapped up tight and stays just a little ahead of his mom. What junior does not know is that a big dragon had worked its way between them and Mom has just finished driving it toward the hero, Hercules. He has his foot on the dragon's head.
But the dragon had its eyes on others. There is a king who is protecting his prissy wife. He’s below the belly of the dragon and Cassiopeia is just peeking over the horizon east of north. Fortunately the strong hero, Hercules, is not letting the dragon get loose. But Hercules is busy with another project too.
He is about to try to charm the dragon with his guitar that he calls his little Lyra. The strings have this cool pick-up microphone on them called the ring nebula. And two birds have gathered to listen to the music. The swan, whose name is Cygnus, is flying south and further East is the Eagle. Someone has let an arrow fly between them.
Look! It must have come from that farmer, Ophiuchus. But he has forgotten his arrow since he is now fighting with a giant snake.
Down toward the horizon, the farmer has conjured a teapot which is pouring hot water on the tail of a scorpion. The steam from the tea pot, as you might see if the sky is really dark, is blowing along the horizon and is getting in the eyes of the swan. Later on, you may see that it is messing with the vain queen’s hair. Seriously, that spot where the steam is rising from is the center of the galaxy we live in. Downtown Milky way is a hot-time-space place, so for steam to rise from there makes sense.
Near the top of the sky is a bright star that can be found out the curved arc of the Big Bear’s tail. Arcturus is the heart of the shepherd king Bootes. The Bible calls the shepherd king David. And his crown is right between him and Hercules.
If you speed over to Spica with me, you are looking at a pretty girl named Virgo. She is threatened by that Scorpion, but the scales of justice (Libra) will do their best to protect her. Below Libra is a great Centaur, right out of the Harry Potter series, and his heart is a great globular cluster called omega Centauri. We can see it in Texas, but northern astronomers cannot. It is a great secret. Don’t tell them about it.
By the way, did I tell you that the strong man, Hercules had a globular cluster for a heart as well?
Under the Virgin girl is a square of stars called the crow. It is raising its voice to try to scare off the big water snake which is about to be swallowed up by the western horizon.
More directly West is Leo the Lion. This month he is standing on Saturn which is brighter than his regal heart, Regulus. Both Regulus and the lion’s eye star (Algeba) are pretty double stars.
And that takes us pretty much right-around to where we started with the dancing bears.
I hope your dreams are pleasant tonight as you think about these beasts and heros dancing over your heads. Maybe you will fall asleep thinking about the bears chasing each other round and round and round...
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