Frost Science's September Sky Guide: Homer's Stars, Polaris, and the Harvest Moon

The planetarium team at Frost Science has released the September edition of 'Keep Looking Up,' a blog series that delves into celestial events and their cultural significance. This entry references Christopher Nolan's film version of Homer's 'The Odyssey' to examine ancient Greek knowledge of astronomy, focusing on constellations such as Ursa Major (the Big Dipper), Boötes, Orion, and the Pleiades. It describes how the Big Dipper, a circumpolar constellation in the Northern Hemisphere, has historically guided navigators to Polaris, the current North Star. The article also discusses axial precession, noting that Polaris became the North Star around 500 AD and will be succeeded by Gamma Cephei in 2,000 years, with a complete cycle lasting 26,000 years. Additionally, it mentions the astrolabe and sextant as key navigation tools. The post promotes the 'One Sky' film series at the Frost Planetarium, showcasing narratives from the Innu Nation of Canada, Japan's Genji and Heike clans, and India’s Jai Singh II and the Samrat Yantra observatory. Notable dates for September include the fall equinox on September 22 at 8:04 PM EDT, the Harvest Moon on September 26, and the New Moon on September 10, which provides excellent opportunities to view the Andromeda Galaxy (M13) and Saturn. The museum also offers outreach initiatives like the Portable Planetarium and Night Sky Telescope Viewing sessions.