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stellarluminosity · 8 months

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Crux, The Southern Cross

Crux may be the smallest out of the 88 constellations but it is certainly not to be passed by. Simple and compact, it is a distinctive cross made up of 4 bright stars. Acrux (α-Cru) and Mimosa (β-Cru) are multiple star systems. The double star to look out for is Acrux which is distinguishable by a telescope revealing twin blue-white stars of magnitude 1.3 and 1.7. The red giant Gacrux (γ-Cru) of mag 1.6 contrasts with the constellations other blue-white stars with its notable reddish hue. The pulsating variable, Imai (δ-Cru), is the dimmest out of the 4 which shines with an apparent mag of 2.8. There is a 5th star, Ginan (ε-Cru) that is not included as part of the cross but crucial when it comes to identifying the cross. With a mag of 3.58, this orange giant star can be snuffed out in light polluted skies.

Like its northern counterpart, the big dipper, Crux can be used as a signpost to find the south celestial pole. It can be quite confusing since any random stars can be used to form a cross in the sky. The False Cross asterism is a common navigation error when 2 stars from Vela and another 2 from Carina was mistaken for the Southern Cross constellation. 4 neighbouring stars from Carina also form another asterism called the Diamond Cross. The key is to always look out for a lil star, ε-Crucis, between Acrux (α-Cru) and Imai (δ-Cru). They are almost in line with each other. Another key element is that Crux will always be accompanied by The Pointers, consisting the stars Rigel Kentaurus (α - Cen) & Hadar. (β- Cen). They are 2 stars of somewhat equal brightness from the constellation Centaurus just east of Crux.

How to find south with Crux and the Pointers

Firstly, perpendicularly bisect the line formed by α & β-Cen and extend the line all the way down. Then followed by a straight line going downwards from γ-Cru to α-Cru. The point where these 2 lines meet will mark the southern pole.

Where to look? (From a perspective of 4°N)

Being a prominent southern hemisphere constellation, those living way down south will see it as a circumpolar constellation meaning it will never set. If you're living in latitudes above 20°N, it will not be visible. In the picture, I've included the "Pointers" as well for ease of identification and orientation. From 4°N, Crux can be seen as early as April at sundown at SSE. Both the Pointers and Crux are fully visible late April. Best time for viewing will be in May where it is high up in the sky when you're facing exactly South (Duh). As July went by, it makes its way towards western horizon. It will not be seen again until January but only appearing in the wee hours of the morning.

#astronomy #space #stargazing #stars #southern cross #Crux #navigation #amateur astronomy #universe #constellations

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androgynousbirdtale · 11 months

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Milky Way over a Turquoise Wonderland

What glows there? The answer depends: sea or sky? In the sea, the unusual blue glow is bioluminescence. Specifically, the glimmer arises from Noctiluca scintillans, single-celled plankton stimulated by the lapping waves. The plankton use their glow to startle and illuminate predators. This mid-February display on an island in the Maldives was so intense that the astrophotographer described it as a turquoise wonderland. In the sky, by contrast, are the more familiar glows of stars and nebulas. The white band rising from the artificially-illuminated green plants is created by billions of stars in the central disk of our Milky Way Galaxy. Also visible in the sky is the star cluster Omega Centauri, toward the left, and the famous Southern Cross asterism in the center. Red-glowing nebulas include the bright Carina Nebula, just right of center, and the expansive Gum Nebula on the upper right.

Image Credit & Copyright: Petr Horálek / Institute of Physics in Opava, Sovena Jani

#2023 #your friendly neighborhood space nerd #galaxy #bioluminescence #southern cross #constellations #carina nebula #nebula #Noctiluca scintillans #maldives #omega centauri #gum nebula #science #beautiful #amazing images #astrophotography

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robpegoraro · 1 year

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Starry-eyed in the Southern Hemisphere

RIO DE JANEIRO A city of almost 7 million people with an attendant level of light pollution isn’t the optimum place to take in the night sky, but I can’t stop doing that here anyway. Because for the first time in my 52 years on this planet, I don’t see the same stars and constellations when I look up after dark. The obvious attraction above is the Southern Cross, a constellation iconic enough…

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#Alpha Centauri #astronomy #Brazil #Canopus #constellations #Crux #light pollution #night sky #Rigil Kentaurus #Rio #Rio de Janeiro #Southern Cross

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xtruss · 8 months

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The Andromeda constellation, also known as the Chained Maiden, is seen over the El Capitan vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park in California. To the surprise of many people, it can be spotted with the naked eye on a clear night from August through February. Photograph By Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Image Collection

5 Famous Constellations That (Almost) Anyone Can Find

From Andromeda to Ursa Major, these cosmic landmarks dominate the sky. Learning how to spot them will turn you into a star gazer.

— By National Geographic Staff | August 23, 2023

The night sky is so vast; where do you start? Finding your way through the sky begins with a few dominant constellations, containing everything from star clusters and nebulae to obscure galaxies. If you keep looking upward, you’ll see these five constellations parade throughout the sky and through the seasons.

1). Andromeda (The Chained Maiden)

Andromeda, the Chained Maiden constellation, can be seen from August through February. This large constellation in the northern sky is conspicuous thanks to its attachment to the neighboring constellation Pegasus and that constellation’s Great Square asterism. The brightest star, Alpheratz, which represents the head of the maiden, happens to be shared with Pegasus. This blue giant star lies 97 light-years from Earth and shines 200 times brighter than our sun. Four main stars of Andromeda form a curved line toward the east, with Mirach representing her hips and Almach her chained foot. Although Mirach is nearly identical in brightness to Alpheratz, it is a larger red giant 197 light-years away.

Although Andromeda is considered a northern constellation, most of its stars can be glimpsed from the Southern Hemisphere, but always near the horizon, making it a bit trickier to observe its famous deep-sky objects. The most celebrated of these is the grand spiral called the Andromeda galaxy, or Messier 31. This, the closest large galaxy to our Milky Way, lies 2.5 million light- years away. To the surprise of many people, it can be spotted with the naked eye from a typical suburban backyard on a clear autumn night. It represents one of the farthest objects the unaided human eye can see in the universe.

2). Canis Major (The Great Dog)

To locate Canis Major, also known as the Great Dog, look for the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, which is seen here above Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve in Portugal. Sirius is actually Canis Major’s sparkling eye. Photograph By Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Image Collection

Canis Major is the larger of the two faithful hunting dog companions to Orion, the Hunter (explained below.) Standing by the Hunter’s foot, the Great Dog is an easy-to-find constellation visible from most areas of the world, thanks to being positioned just south of the celestial equator. Canis Major’s sparkling eye is the brightest star in the sky: Sirius.

The dog days of summer were named specifically for the Dog Star. In the Northern Hemisphere, ancient sky-watchers noticed the intensely bright star would rise and set with the sun. The combined power of the two suns was thought to be the cause of the stretch of hot weather experienced in late summer.

For binoculars and telescopes, Canis Major is rich in star clusters. Leading the pack is the beautiful open cluster M41, also known as the Little Beehive, which lies only four degrees south of Sirius. Containing some 80 stars, this fourth-magnitude cluster is 2,300 light-years away, yet is visible as a hazy patch to the naked eye on a dark night. It is an impressive sight through a backyard telescope, with orange stars scattered within.

3). Orion (The Hunter)

Orion, the Hunter, is seen just above the tree line by Mammoth Lakes in California. One of the oldest constellation figures, many stories are attached to Orion, a great hunter in Greco-Roman myths. Photograph By Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Image Collection

Visible across the world, Orion is one of the most identifiable as well as one of the oldest constellation figures, crossing cultures and thousands of years. Orion straddles the celestial equator, so it is well known to observers in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and holds the record for containing the most bright stars in one stellar pattern.

Many stories are attached to Orion, a great hunter in Greco-Roman myths. The most famous says that he was stung by a scorpion (Scorpius) in an epic battle, which is why the two figures have been placed in opposite parts of the sky. Orion boasts two first-magnitude stars, with Betelgeuse marking the shoulder to the viewer’s left and Rigel his foot on the right. Sitting between Rigel and Betelgeuse is Orion’s stellar line of three stars, Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka, marking the Hunter’s belt.

Orion includes an area of the Milky Way that features intense star production. Beneath the Hunter’s belt, in the middle of three stars that form Orion’s sword, is the Orion Nebula (M42). Visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy, faint patch, in backyard telescopes delicate wreathlike structures show where star formation is taking place at a furious pace.

4). Crux (The Southern Cross)

Crux, also known as the Southern Cross, can be found just above the silhouette of an acacia tree in Amboseli National Park in Kenya. Its distinctive cross asterism is marked simply by four bright stars. Photograph By Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Image Collection

One of the most famous of all southern constellations, Crux is the smallest constellation in the sky, yet it is among the most recognizable. Its distinctive cross asterism is marked simply by four bright stars. In ancient times before Earth’s precession shifted the stars toward the south, the stars of Crux were visible from Europe. But it wasn’t until the 17th century, when European navigators sailing south recognized the cross-like pattern, that Crux became its own official constellation. While best explored from south of the Equator, keen-eyed sky-watchers as far north as the southern tip of Florida can glimpse the Southern Cross.

Crux straddles a rich section of the southern Milky Way band and so is filled with deep-sky treasures of all kinds. Just east of Crux lies what appears to be a hole in the sky—a dark region devoid of stars known as the Coalsack Nebula. It is clearly visible to the naked eye as a strikingly large, dark gas cloud silhouetted against a bright star-studded Milky Way.

5). Ursa Major (The Great Bear)

Ursula Major, which includes the Big Dipper, is seen framed by the top of the entrance to Roodafshan Cave in Iran. Also known as the Great Bear, the Big Dipper in this constellation represents the bear’s rear torso and tail, with the other stars of the constellation mapping out its long nose and legs. Photograph By Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Image Collection

Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear, is one of the most prominent northern constellations, and its main claim to fame is that it contains the Big Dipper, a highly recognizable asterism. The easily identifiable Big Dipper represents the bear’s rear torso and tail, with the other stars of the constellation mapping out its long nose and legs. For most observers in the Northern Hemisphere, the Great Bear is close enough to the north celestial pole that it never sets below the horizon, and it rotates around the North Star once a day.

While to the ancient Greeks this stellar group represented a large bear, other cultures saw everything from a chariot to a horse and wagon, a team of oxen, and a hippopotamus (by Egyptians, who had likely never seen a bear). Some Native American tribes believe the cup of the dipper represents a bear and the stars in the handle represent warriors who pursue it.

Finally, remember that you will get your best viewing on moonless nights away from brightly lit areas. Give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness—and good hunting!

#National Geographic #5 Famous Constellations 🌌#Andromeda (The Chained Maiden)#Canis Major (The Great Dog)#Orion (The Hunter)#Crux (The Southern Cross)#Ursa Major (The Great Bear)#Photographer | Babak Tafreshi

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mouseandboo · 1 year

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Postcrossing NZ-244845 by Gail Anderson Via Flickr: Postcard with a photo of the Pohutukawa tree, also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree, beneath the Southern Cross. Sent by a Postcrossing member in New Zealand.

#Christmas #Christmas Tree #New Zealand #Tree #Stars #Constellation #Southern Cross #Summer #Pohutuawa Tree #Night #Night View #Postcard #POstcrossing #flickr

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just--space · 1 year

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Gems of a Maldivean Night : The southernmost part of the Milky Way contains not only the stars of the Southern Cross, but the closest star system to our Sun -- Alpha Centauri. The Southern Cross itself is topped by the bright, yellowish star Gamma Crucis. A line from Gamma Crucis through the blue star at the bottom of the cross, Acrux, points toward the south celestial pole, located just above the small island in the featured picture -- taken in early March. That island is Madivaru of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. Against faint Milky Way starlight, the dark Coal Sack Nebula lies just left of the cross, while farther left along the Milky Way are the bright stars Alpha Centauri (left) and Beta Centauri (Hadar). Alpha Centauri A, a Sun-like star anchoring a three-star system with exoplanets, is a mere 4.3 light-years distant. Seen from Alpha Centauri, our own Sun would be a bright yellowish star in the otherwise recognizable constellation Cassiopeia. via NASA

#NASA #space #astronomy

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the-wolf-and-moon · 1 year

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Southern Cross

#Astronomy #NASA #Night #Sky #Stars #Space #Science #Universe #Cosmos #Cosmic #Solar System #Southern Cross #Nebula #Galaxy #Constellations #Constellation #Rainbow #Bright

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tikycuki · 3 months

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ok so Gem is a sailor right? sailors using stars to navigate.... constellations, Crux showing the south pole, etc.

Crux, southern Cross, symbol of Australia, Pearl being south of Gem, yeah. Just thinking abt Gem navigating with the stars

#geminitay #pearlescentmoon #hermitcraft 10 #shiny duo

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annymation · 1 month

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Okay, now I wanna know how the calming from nightmares would play out between Aster and Asha…which means I’m giving you full permission to write this type of angst.😅 Maybe the two of the have a nightmare about those AU endings you gave each of them (Asha is cursed and Aster is a black hole). If it means I see a wholesome interaction of either of them calming each other from a nightmare, it’ll be worth the angst.

OOOOH-HOO HA HA HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh Emptyblog7 my poor, naive, little friend! You have no idea of what you just unleashed!

Thanks to you, I can now explore the deep machinations of my characters psyche, their deepest and untold fears are revealed in poetic ways, and best of all, I get to make my favorite blorbo suffer YIPPIEEEEEEE!!!

So anyway, Asha got a nightmare in chapter 8 of Kingdom Of Wishes (In the updated version) so I guess it's Aster's turn.

"All you'll have to do is give her a true love's kiss" Explained Acrux, the south star of the southern cross constellation. The elder star spoke calmly with a wise and serene smile "If your feelings are indeed true love, then... You shall become a human"

He finished that sentence with his voice sounding slightly quavery, almost as if he was trying to hide from Aster a sense of dread he was feeling.

Aster, however, didn't notice the uneasiness in his voice at all. The young star was beaming with the news that the stars would actually grant his wish. He couldn't stop smiling, frantically moving his arms up and down with an unbound energy.

Aster celebrated in front of all the stars that surrounded them "WOOOAAAAH!!! LETS GOOO-" But he stopped himself, realizing it was best to show maturity in front of the ancient star "I mean- ahem- Thank you, for giving me this chance" The little star bowed down his head to Acrux, to which the brighter star just smiles amusedly.

Another star that was among the many others gathered around them spoke up "We couldn't, in good conscience, let you go without asking one thing first" The star that walked forward was Meissa, more specifically, she's the head of Orion "Do you truly understand what your wish entails?"

"Ummm sure I do, it means I get to spend the rest of my life with the one I love" Aster replied with his eyes sparkling brighter than the sun.

And speaking of which "Indeed, the rest of your life..." The sun from the earth's solar system herself spoke "A life that, for us, will be nothing but a passing moment... We'll view your life the same way humans view the life of a butterfly. Freeing and beautiful, sure, but also short and fragile." She explained with a smile that carried some worry behind him

Aster understood what the other stars were worried about, that he'd regret this choice, that something bad would happen to him, he smiled and tried to reassure them "I know, and I've already accepted that. As long as I have Asha by my side I have nothing to fear"

...

A voice echoed from the crowd of stars "Well then, I guess we're asking the wrong question. Aren't we?" Just from their tone, it was noticeable how they were smiling while speaking.

Aster was caught off guard by the voice. Deep down, they knew that this whole thing felt quite "Deja Vu"... Almost like a memory he was re-living... But that felt different, he didn't remember this part.

Aster turns towards where the voice came from, he doesn't know which of the stars spoke "And uh- what would the "right question" be? Heh heh" Aster asked, feeling anxious all of the sudden, not sure why.

The stars that were gathered around moved to the side, almost like a door sliding open to reveal who had spoken... Aster's breath hitched.

All he saw was two eyes. Two tiny, shiny, yellow eyes. On a dark silhouette.

Aster couldn't quite make out who or what the silhouette looked like. But he knew one thing... That's NOT how stars present themselves when taking a physical form... This is something else.

Aster floats backwards slightly, his eyes darting around to the other stars, he looks at them distressed as if to ask "Are you all seeing that?"

But they seem unnerved by the newcomer... They actually have no reaction at all.

The shadowy figure then says "The question isn't if you're prepared to die eventually, of coooourse you are." There's nothing to be seen on their face besides their eyes, however, Aster can practically HEAR their huge smile as they speak. The silhouette takes a few steps forward as they ask their first question "What you really should ask yourself is...

Are you ready to lose her?"

Aster felt a chill run down his spine... Which was odd, stars can't feel cold. He tried to open his mouth to speak but-

"Are you ready to be even MORE helpless than you already were?"

His voice didn't come out, it was as if something was holding his lungs. Aster turned to Acrux but-

"Are you ready to be useless for her, again?..."

Acrux wasn't there, he vanished. Aster quickly looks around, and to his horror... The stars are gone.

Aster is shaking, all he sees around him is darkness. There's nothing, there's no one. Just him, and this thing getting closer and closer.

The figure suddenly get's close really fast, floating right above him "Tell me, do you really think you can protect her?" He sneered, it felt more like a mockery than a question "Even though you can't even protect yourself?"

Aster was frozen in place, staring at those bright eyes looming above him.

Suddenly, he feels himself getting smaller, but not because he was shrinking. Looking down, Aster sees he's being sucked into a hole that opened beneath his feet.

They try to scream, but no sound came out.

And even if it did, no one would hear.

It's just the two of them, in the dark emptiness of space.

Aster feels as if they're being swallowed by quicksand, as his feet sink down slowly, down and down into the hole of emptiness.

"Heh heh it's like they said, you're just as fragile as a bug now" the shadow couldn't hold in a lowly chuckle as floated in circles above Aster, watching the other sinking down slowly in amusement "Ah but then again, that's nothing new to you, is it?" those glowing yellow eyes pierced through Aster's soul "Even when you had magic, you were weak. Now? Now you're NOTHING!" The shadow's hand SLAMS with all force on Aster's face, now pushing him down, making him sink faster and faster. "So, when something WORSE than Magnifico shows up, what will you do? Hmmm?" Aster tried to pull and punch the hand out of his face, but it wouldn't budge, it was like the arm was made of concrete. He was powerless to stop this "That's right, NOTHING!" The hand pushed Aster down harshly, he could feel his whole lower half was being pressured from all sides, like he was being buried alive.

From between the dark fingers, Aster could open his eyes to look at the silhouette face to face...

He wasn't a silhouette anymore.

Aster could see their face... It was his own face.

It was like looking in a mirror, albeit, a mirror with a very sinister smile.

"But hey! That's what you wished for, right?" they kept pushing Aster down, his chest was completely swallowed by the hole. The shadow grinned as he rambled almost playfully "To live unsure of what the future has in store, not knowing what other threats you'll be hopeless to stop next, wow, exciting stuff, huh?! Everyday a brand new failure!" Aster once again tried to scream, but his voice wasn't coming out no matter how hard he tried. They were buried now up to the neck. His shadow stopped smiling, now with a cold expression, he said one last thing before pushing Aster into the abyss "So don't cry about it when things get tough, you asked for it."

With one last push... Aster fell in.

And he kept falling. Down.

Down and down.

Free falling.

Down.

Until.

"AAAAAAAAAH!!!!!" Aster woke up in cold sweat.

The boy was breathing as if his heart was trying to jump out of his chest, his eyes darting around the room, blinking rapidly, trying to adjust to the darkness. The room was barely lit thanks to the light of the full moon coming from the window, but slowly, things started coming into focus.

Aster tried to calm himself, hugging his pillow as he looked around to ground himself back into reality. None of that was real, he was fine, he was in his room, with just a closet, a few books scattered on the floor, and a face staring at him.

"GAAH-" Aster let out another yell, realizing that the face staring at him was his own... Because there was a mirror on the other side of the room.

He let out a sigh, of both relief and frustration, he literally just got scared of his reflection, how pathetic is that?

They stared back into the mirror for a few moments. Seeing his now curly brown hair and freckled cheeks... He could also see how much he was shaking, even though it wasn't cold.

They breathed deeply a few more time, as everything from that dream started to sink in, and not only that, but everything else that has been happening since Aster became human.

All the times he got hurt by accidentally forgetting he couldn't fly anymore and Asha got really worried about him.

All the times they passed by the royals statues and Aster had in the back of his mind the lingering fear that maybe the spell wasn't permanent.

All the times he wanted to express how this is all so new and overwhelming, to the point he sometimes didn't want to hang out with Asha and the others, sometimes, he just wanted to be left alone.

But he can't say that, right? Their time together is short, he has to enjoy every day like it's his last, that's what being human is all about... Right? And... That's what he wished for...

Aster didn't even notice he was crying til he felt a knot stuck in his throat. Tears were running down his freckled cheeks as he still kept staring in the mirror.

*knock knock*

"AAH!" Aster screams for the third time in a row once he hears someone knocking on the door.

"Aster, are you okay? I heard you yelling" Asha's voice came worriedly from the other side of the door "May I come in?"

Aster quickly dried his own tears with his pillow "Oh he-hey Asha! Ye-yeah sure, I'm fine, just uh- I fell from the bed" he lied, trying to disguise how hoarse his voice sounded

Asha opened the door, wearing a simple orange night gown and holding a candle "Did you hurt yourself? That was a pretty loud scream"

She wasn't actually buying this "Fell from the bed" talk, she knew by now Aster sometimes had the bad habit of keeping any negative feelings to himself. They still had to work through that.

Aster chuckled awkwardly "Heheh oops, I should probably apologize to Dahlia, her parents and the neighbors tomorrow, shouldn't I?" he tried to lighten the situation, but the shakiness in his voice gave it away that he wasn't feeling well

Asha set next to him on the bed and placed the candle on the night stand "Aster, you know you can tell me anything... I want to help." She held his hand, soothingly caressing it with her thumb. With his other hand Aster dried another tear that threatened to fall from the corner of his eye. Asha gently held his other hand as she said "You can cry if you need to"

And that was enough to make Aster break into tears.

The two of them hugged, as Asha caressed his back gently and whispered words of reassurance, his sobbing slowly subsided into small hiccups, and later to just some spaced out shaky breaths.

Soon, Aster was able to take deep breaths and calm himself, although he had calmed down, the two remained in the embrace, like neither of them wanted to let go.

"... I'm afraid of the unknown." Aster admitted in a sigh "Of not knowing what'll happen with us in the future... What if something worse than the royals comes and I- I can't keep you safe..." Aster's voice started shaking again.

Asha held him closer "I'm afraid too... Everyone's afraid of not knowing what'll happen next, that's part of life" she explained, feeling her own heart ache, as she indeed understood what Aster meant, or at least part of it "But we promised we'd protect each other, remember? That means I'm here for you too" She let go of the hug to look at him in the eyes with a smile "So don't put so much pressure on yourself, okay? We're in this together"

Aster's tears still glistened with the moonlight coming from the window, but he had a bittersweet smile.

"Thank you..." Aster pondered for a moment, and then asked "Is it okay if we cancel those plans we had for tomorrow and just... Stay home? Maybe just talking?... I think I want take the day to relax" He wasn't sure if it was selfish of him to ask that

"Of course we can." Asha replied warmly "That's actually a great idea, to be honest, we've been showing you so much human things everyday it probably got you kinda stressed, huh?"

Aster hugged her once again, she didn't know how much that meant to him.

"Thank you for understanding... I love you, Asha."

Asha hugged him back with a smile "I love you too, Aster"

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Dang that was a lot. I had to do some research about dream symbolism, look up the meanings of "Not being able to scream in a dream" and "Sinking in quick sand in a dream" and also "Free falling in a dream" for more insight.

Basically what I wanted to explore was both Aster's fear of not being strong enough to protect Asha, a fear that carried over since their star boy days to his human days, and also the guilt that comes from not feeling 100% happy after getting something you wanted all your life. Aster wished to be human for so long, so he feel like he doesn't have the right to feel sad, otherwise they're being ungrateful, when of course there's nothing wrong with not being happy all the time, that's something Aster still gotta work through.

In conclusion, Aster needs some therapy, luckily Asha is the next closest thing.

Tagging yall cause I've been teasing this angst for days now lol @gracebeth3604 @uva124 @emillyverse @oh-shtars @signed-sapphire @kstarsarts

#wish rewrite #wish reimagined #kingdom of wishes #ask

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251-dmr · 10 days

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Cranking up the stars and nebula

Just out of curiosity, I grabbed a screenshot of Crowley's…schematic?… of the stars and nebula he was creating Before the Beginning. Kinda fun. Let your astronomical imagination go.

What jumped out at me right away was the obvious "W" (blue) at the top, which I immediately took to be the constellation Cassiopeia, the Queen. Then I noticed that there are two other instances of Cassiopeia's W, although one of them (lower-left) is ever-so-slightly different.

This is the myth of Cassiopeia: Cassiopeia was the wife of King Cepheus of Ethiopia. Her pride got the best of her when she bragged that her daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids, part of Poseidon's retinue. As punishment for this affront, Poseidon sent a sea monster, Cetus, to destroy Ethiopia. The only way to stop the destruction was to sacrifice their daughter Andromeda to the monster, so they chained her to a rock on the shore. Just as Cetus approached to claim his sacrifice, Perseus, returning from his slaying of Medusa, saw the beautiful Andromeda, and saved her from the beast. Ethiopia was saved. Upon Cassiopeia's death, Poseidon placed her in the stars, where she was chained to her throne and must spend half of the year upside-down as further punishment.

As a side note, the constellation of Perseus is referred to, not surprisingly, as "The Hero". The vaguely "y-shaped" constellation to the left of the top "W" (pink) is reminiscent of the shape of Perseus, although not exact.

The other constellation that seemed fairly obvious is Crux, the Southern Cross (green), and I see it twice, one of them right under the crank. I couldn't find any mythology surrounding this constellation. But, the cross, right?

The odd prominent S-shaped "constellation" in the middle of the left circle (light blue), or is it snake-shaped, isn't any actual constellation. If I just barely glance at it, maybe I can pretend to see the curves of Scorpius, but I doubt it's actually meant to look like a real constellation.

Maybe some of the other constellations match up with real ones, I didn't spend all that much time on it. But some felt familiar. Like Corvus (the Crow) (top one in the black box), but it's usually depicted as a closed polygon.

The curved one right next to and below it reminds me of either of the Corona constellations, Corona Borealis (Northern Crown) or Corona Australis (Southern Crown).

Maybe someone else can imagine if any of the others seem to resemble real constellations.

Besides the constellations, my other observation was noticing that there were tints of yellow sprinkled around, and yellow always make me think of Azi.

Finally, Crowley then uses his crank and "mixes them all up".

It's hard to see the end result of the schematic after Crowley has stirred it all together, but now there are 4 overlapping circles, and all appear to have a lot more constellations in them than at the start.

I would love to hear about anyone else's observations or comments about the schematic. Or provide me with a link to any previous discussions about it.

#good omens s2 #gos2 #go meta #good omens meta

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