A bit of fun... design a constellation

[Helen]

On the OU course there is an activity to design your own constellation, and a story to go with it.  I thought it might be fun here too, as its cloudy....

Have fun!

Helen

[Gina]

What are you calling that, Helen?  I've been trying hard to see some sort of pattern.  Wonder what others see in it.

[DaveS]

The "Hot Pixel" constellation?

[vlaiv]

I'm not sure what are we supposed to do?

Identify few stars in above attached image, make them a constellation and tell the story of it, or produce similar looking image that depicts our fictional constellation - and again tell a story related to it?

[Gina]

I wasn't totally clear what we were supposed to do either but thought make a pattern of your own.

[Helen]

Sorry, yes, the idea is to download the picture, add some lines between the stars to make a picture of something, and then invent a 'mythology' to go with it...  

Helen

[saac]

It's the " Star Link Constallation".  Legend tells of a mad scientist who in the early part of the 21 century was so possessed by the notion that nature could be improved upon by technology that he filled the night sky with thousands of artificial stars so that we would never again experience the terror of a dark sky.  It is the most unusual constellation in the night sky being visible all year round in each hemisphere  

Jim  

Edited January 8, 2020 by saac

[vlaiv]

Ah, that is easy:

Here we see the "Great Southern Wave" Constellation or Harkoona Chatyu as Hotamte people call it. It is loosely translated as "Wave from the star". Legend has it that star fell from this part of the sky (it is believed that there was another star located roughly in bottom row) into the great waters and raised enormous wave that flooded the lands and created great plains of the south. This was before even time of the elders - legend has it.

[Captain Scarlet]

Isn't this basically what European explorers did to the Southern Hemisphere? The Northern constellations are largely based on Roman, Greek and older (Babylonian?) mythology. Whereas European explorers when they "discovered" the South, ignored many existing mythological or indigenous stories and instead concocted ridiculous names such as "Telescopium" Microscopium" "Horologium" "Reticulum" etc

[carastro]

Scottie dog constellation.

Scottie dog superimposed.

 

Edited January 8, 2020 by carastro

[Captain Scarlet]

... anyway, in the spirit of the exercise, I present the Travelling Salesman Constellation:

[carastro]

The spider.

 

[carastro]

And finally, turn the sky upside down and we get the woodpecker. 

 

[Paul M]

There once was a mighty celestial hunter, steeped in mythology. Unfortunately he had a dodgy shoulder; it was always red and swollen. Doctors told him that one day his shoulder would fail him.

Indeed, one day his bad shoulder both imploded and exploded at the same time. Now, without two good shoulders it's hard to be a hunter. So he changed careers. Some say he became a shopping trolley, others a pushchair.

Here's how the news broke:

 

[LukeSkywatcher]

I call this "Lorna Drives to Tesco". She has an annoying habit of driving around all the back roads to avoid traffic on the main street. Normal time from house to Tesco is about 15 mins. Going Lorna's way could be 50 mins, crossing in and out of 3 counties (Kildare, Meath and Dublin).

Edited January 8, 2020 by LukeSkywatcher

[DaveS]

7 hours ago, vlaiv said:

Ah, that is easy:

Here we see the "Great Southern Wave" Constellation or Harkoona Chatyu as Hotamte people call it. It is loosely translated as "Wave from the star". Legend has it that star fell from this part of the sky (it is believed that there was another star located roughly in bottom row) into the great waters and raised enormous wave that flooded the lands and created great plains of the south. This was before even time of the elders - legend has it.

Hmmm... I see a twisted 8-membered ring in the Chair conformation with side groups in the 1 and 4 positions. I won't even attempt to name it as I don't know what or where any heteroatoms are, though the two bits sticking out look like the conventional representations of methyl groups.

Sorry, I used to be an organic chemist.

[John]

I call this one "Cloaked Klingon Bird of Prey with Port and Starboard lights left on by mistake"

 

[ShrewView]

It looks to me like the Reindeer. Its a northern polar constellation only normally visible on December 24th, low over the chimneys of peoples houses. 

 

 

[MilwaukeeLion]

Constellation Fever.  Worshiped by Babylonians from 2370 bce - 2379 bce. Fever was clerk by trade who lived with his parents until he entered a dance contest and won a trophy.  In 2380 his dance was banned by the king and pretty much everyone else.