Inspired by David Harriman’s presentation: “The Inductive Way to Understand the Sky”
A Sonnet To The Movement Of The Heavens.
O’er east horizon riseth Sun, ‘tis seen as clear as day,
The shadows shorten toward high noon, then stretch back as sets eve.
While dropping down past west skyline ‘till casting final ray,
Twelve hours of light on equator ‘til ol’ sol doth take leave.
The Moon, in contrast, it doth wax and also doth it wane,
Some times it is not seen at all, while others, in full gleam.
The phases of this orb of night, when unknown, seem arcane,
Lunation points throughout the year help to reveal a theme.
Both Lunar and Solar Eclipse; quite something to perceive,
Once aberrations of the sky, to see, we now expect.
It’s through Synodic Periods, predictions we achieve,
celestial events observed o’er time interconnect.
The Sun and Moon both demonstrate, an ethereal dance,
providing much more over time than discerned at first glance.
In Winter, crops are scarce, this sets Orion on the chase,
the Spring sets forth the waters into Big Dipper’s domain.
As Summer blooms across the land, the Swan appears with grace.
and Fall, majestic colors frame Cassiopeia’s reign.
Orion’s shoulder’s Betelgeuse, while Rigel serves as foot.
Big Dipper’s second magnitude, its shape’s easily shown.
Swan’s tail’s, Deneb, in Arabic, is simply how it’s put.
The Queen’s distinctive W is also quite well known.
Four guideposts move across the sky as the seasons rotate,
containing three bright luminary markers in their midst.
These constellations subdivide and showcase what to locate,
and isolate three stars by name in short triadic list.
Night after night the stars do shift by almost one degree,
as thus arranged, may serve to some, an astronomic key.
Next, to meet the wanderers, considered quite nomadic,
for Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, have similar tableau,
To early watchers of the sky, they were enigmatic.
Distinctive objects to the eye, e’er roamed with steady glow.
At dusk and dawn are often seen the morning/ev’ning star,
as Venus, sometimes Mercury, have both been know as these.
In rather novel way they are essentially on par,
both Orbits bound interior, do grant them this prestige.
Bodies five, all heavenly, are seen by eye unaided,
Nicolaus Copernicus suggested hel’ocentric,
Tycho Brahe’s notes left Johannes Kepler quite persuaded,
unique movements as produced were each one’s own elliptic,
When Earth was found to be a planet, knowledge sprung anew,
changing ways that things were pondered; a world altering view.
The Hunter’s Great Dog follows him just off to the southeast,
his collar sports the brightest shining star called Sirius.
The Twins with Pollux at their head, play off to the northeast,
Procyon, in betwixt the two, now less mysterious.
The Bull, Taurus, sets off afield of Twins, just to their west,
Aldebaran, Bull’s bloodshot eye, gaze south of Ecliptic.
Auriga’s known as Charioteer, north of Hunter’s chest,
Capella, its most northern point, helps make this less cryptic.
Featured in this Winter cluster, seven constellations,
where six bright lights within them make the Winter Hexagon.
These verbal star maps, so arrayed, form these presentations,
as bounded here together in a sort of lexicon.
The Solstice in north hemisphere, comprises longest night,
to amateur astronomers, could serve as a delight.
The two stars in Big Dipper’s bowl by handle point the way,
to Regulus, the Lion’s heart, where on Ecliptic, beats.
When lining up bowls outer two, Polaris doth, still, stay,
with North Star, sailors guide their ships, when wind fills up their sheets.
East along Ecliptic, Spica marks where sits the Maiden,
Virgo must have feinted when she heard ol’ Leo roar.
The Herdsman used Big Dipper as a plow, per Greek legend,
Arcturus, “Guardian of Bear”, the Dipper’s home of yore.
These four main Spring constellations, set somewhat in a square,
add here three stars of special note, and one used oft’ at sea.
The Sun sets the Ecliptic from which Regulus strays ne’er,
an unseen pathway through the sky, doth skirt this fine marquee.
On Equinox, this early Spring, to north doth move the Sun ,
while Regulus, in opposition, stays on the same run.
Cygnus, Swan, swims gracefully, o’er empyrean expanse,
follow line from tail through head, ‘till it meets the southern edge.
The Archer, Sagittarius, on bow, arrow advance,
‘tis Antares, Scorpion’s heart, that he intends to wedge.
Beside this line, Altair, known as the flying Eagle, soars,
to warn the Swan distracted by Lyre’s uplifting strain.
Playing music, universal, composed on ancient scores,
the coda: Vega will ascend to be North Star again.
What’s known as ‘Summer Triangle’, began some years ago,
described in text “conspicuous” in eighteen sixty six.
A triad of the brightest objects stand out by their glow,
from each apex and time of year, the new name simply sticks.
Summer Solstice coincides with the shortest northern night,
along with warmer weather, some stargazers find all right.
When Queen Cassiopeia entered into the great hall,
she so boasted of her beauty, she was considered vain.
Banished forthright to the sky by the gods she did appall,
five stars in all make up her throne, upon which she must deign.
The Arabic word for the phrase: mouth of the [southern] Fish,
as Ptolomy did translate years ago, as Fomalhaut.
Search low on southern skyline to visually plenish,
for this one does both rise and set with less time to be caught.
These fifteen stars, first magnitude, plus one used as a guide,
reoccurring through the years, as broke down, each per season.
With short sagas, used to convey, intended to provide,
an organized collection, to apprehend by reason.
Fall Equinox, south heads the Sun, the cycle to do o’er,
pre-telescope astronomy, delivers this, and more.
Gregory S. Lewis
