Lore of the Constellations: Canis Major

There are two prominent, winter hunting hounds you can find in your sky.  The greater of the two is known as Canis Major, the great dog.  It’s a common misconception that both Canis Major and Canis Minor are two hunting hounds of Orion the hunter.  But actually, the origins of these two dogs are a little different than what you’d think.

Lore of the Constellations: Cygnus the Swan

Hello again and welcome back to another Lore of the Constellations.  If you’ve been following these segments you’ll know that the last few videos have been on Aquila the Eagle and Lyra the Harp.  We’re rounding out the three constellations that make up the asterism known as the Summer Triangle now with Cygnus the Swan.

Lore of the Constellations: Lyra the Harp

Hello and welcome to another installment of the show that delves into the Lore of the Constellations.  If you’re up to date with this series then you are aware we’re in the season of Summer.  And with Summer we can find the appropriately named Summer Triangle asterism.  At each point of this triangle is a bright star within its own respective constellation.

For this video (click on the link above), we’re going to cover the bright star Vega which can also be found in the constellation Lyra the Harp.

The Astronomical World of Harry Potter: Part 1 – Draco and Luna

If you’ve ever read the Harry Potter series of books, or even seen the films, you’ll come across many unusual and colorful character names. Characters such as Millicent Bulstrode, Fleur Delacour, Argus Filch, and Gilderoy Lockhart are a few of the names you’ll come across when working your way through the seven books in the series. These names—the sounds they create and their connection to other words such as the Slither in Slytherin or the Guile in Goyle—can give an indication, a slight inkling, to the reader into what can be expected of such characters. But there are other names—names such as Draco, Sirius, and Luna—which can also tell the reader something about their respective characters, not based on the allusion of their names but based on the astronomical backgrounds their names are derived from.