Corona Borealis (the Northern Crown)

Corona Borealis (koh-ROH-nah BOH-ree-AL-liss) is a curved semi-circle of stars that forms a "U" shape (with the opening pointing toward the Zenith). Corona means "crown"; Borealis means "northern." Although this constellation is comprised of very dim stars, under a "dark" sky it is easily recognized because of its distinctive shape.

Associated Mythology - Either the crown of the ruler of Athens or the crown of Adriadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete (builder of the labyrinth guarded by the fearsome Minotaur). To the Arabs, the semi-circle of stars was a bowl; to the American Shawnee Indians, it was a semi-circle of dancing celestial sisters. For more information about the mythology associated with Corona Borealis, read the transcript of Northern Crown, the 21 June 1997 StarDate, the daily astronomy-related radio program produced by the McDonald Observatory, University of Texas.

Scorpius, the Scorpion

Scorpius (SKOR-pee-us) is the eigth constellation of the Zodiac for birthdates from 23 October to 21 November. Located near the southern horizon, Scorpius (FCPS Starfinder, No. 9, Southern Sky) should be easy to identify in July.

The bright star Antares (an-TARE-eez), located at the heart of the Scorpion, marks the top of the "J" shape which represents the curve of the Scorpion's tail. A Greek word meaning "rival of Mars," Antares (Letter "J," Southern Sky) is a double star named for the bright red color of its super red giant primary star.

Associated Mythology - Hera (Juno) commanded Scorpius to attack Orion as punishment for his conceit. The Scorpion stung Orion on the foot, causing his death. At Diana's request, Orion and Scorpius were placed in opposite parts of the sky so that Orion wouldn't be bitten again. Note that these two constellations never appear in the heavens at the same time.

Credits: CoM entries excerpted from Your Guide to the Constellations, by Lowell L. Koontz, former Planetarium Teacher at Edison High School, Fairfax County Public Schools.

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