Ever since I learned to identify objects in the night sky, I have liked Orion. Don’t know why, just do. It’s not because of any mythical Jungian archetype–once I considered “inventing” a mythical history for Orion, but–nah, it’s just Orion. In the Star Trek series there are supposed to be space pirates roaming in the “belt” area, but–nah. And I have no belief in astrology. It is pretty easy to see and identify, even in L.A. where I live. And it is comforting to come home late on a winter’s night and see the ol’ asymmetrical hourglass, standing up there tall and proud like a night watchman.
Anyway, back in the dreary days of summer (BORING summer constellations!) I was over visiting my Da’s house, when I chanced to let slip the comment that, “I can’t wait till Orion comes again.” Immediately Da started laughing and said, “I don’t think anybody’s ever said that in the history of the world!” (This is a man who never looked at the rings of Saturn through a telescope until I showed them to him, at age 63.) I thought Step-Ma would back me up, being a country girl from Indiana, but instead she sided with Da: “That is a pretty weird thing to say.”
Out of billions of people who have lived on Earth, I cannot believe I am the only one who ever anticipated the reappearance of a favorite constellation. My family already thought I was a flower-pluckin’, star-gazin’ hippy–and now this insult! Please help! Let me know I’m not alone!
Orion is my favorite constellation, and became the favorite constellation of an old friend of mine after I pointed it out to her. I think it’s second to the Big Dipper in recognizability, in fact in an old space shuttle game for the Atari 2600 it was the only constellation in the sky.
My favorite’s Scorpius. It’s just a really cool shape, and actually looks like what it’s supposed to be. The only constellation that actually looks kind of menacing, IMO.
I like Cassiopeia because W is the first letter of my name (Cassiopeia is shaped like a W). Due to this fact, it is one of about five constellations I can identify.
I’ve always meant to find out about all sorts of others, but my myopia and incurable laziness seem to be preventing that from occurring.
Another Orion person here. (OK, perhaps you kind of expect that from someone called AHunter). I’d like to have a good JPEG in screen-size ratio proportions (3:2 landscape) showing Orion and Taurus down to 10th magnitude or thereabouts. (astronomical photo, without silly lines or outline cartoons of a club-weilding hunter or star-identifying symbols, just the stars). So far have a folder containing lots of mediocre / low resolution images.
This thread is clearly desitned for MPSIMS or IMHO.
I like Ophiuchus 'cause I was born under that sign.
Scorpius is also a fave, 'cause I know when I start seeing it, summer is on the way.
Oh, and for a third selection I guess I’d pick Ursa Major, becuase it’s there year-round, and its asterism the Big Dipper is bright enough to be seen even in hazy conditions, and the “Three Leaps of the Gazelle” are pretty nifty too, I think.
Definintely Orion. It’s big, bright, easily recognizable, aesthetic in form, has some funky stars (Betelgeuse & Rigel), and has some cool stuff to look at through a telescope. The Orion Nebula (M42) is an easy to find target in Orion’s ‘sword’. The Milky Way is right next door too.
Scorpius is cool too. But it’s kind of hard to see from where I live (outside of Boston) because it’s so near the horizon and is covered by a lot of light pollution.
AHunter3 - I think Astronomy magazine recently had a cool photo like that. Maybe I can dig up which issue it was.
I like:
[ul]
[li]Orion - easy to identify. It was also my companion on Saturday and Sunday mornings when I had to deliver newspapers before 6 AM.[/li][li]Scorpius - It does look like what it’s supposed to be. Also, it’s my astrological sign.[/li][li]Cassiopeia - It got me brownie points in junior high science. We were supposed to take a framed transparancy sheet, go out in the evening, look through the sheet so as to see landmarks and the norther constellations, then pinprick the stars of Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, or Cassiopeia. I chose Cassiopeia. Then we were to do it again an hour later to show the constellation’s movement in the sky.[/li]
After grading our work, the teacher pulled me aside and thanked me for being the only person to choose a “hard” constellation. :D:D
Definitely not. I say it to myself every year (and sometimes to my wife) and I frequently see statements like that in Astronomy books/magazines.
Of course, many people don’t realize that it’s a winter constellation (for that matter, many people don’t realize that the stars appear to rise and set just like the sun).
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This is the first time I ever opened a thread in GQ and viewed it in IMHO. Thanks for the disorientation, manhattan.
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I wouldn’t say Orion is my favorite, but being an astronomy nut since I was so high makes it easy to identify every year, even out here in the metro area where plenty of stars are washed out. The Summer Triangle is also a perennial favorite, and there’s nowt wrong wi’ “arckin’ to Arcturus and spikin’ to Spica”.
I guess I don’t really have a favorite constellation. I love the whole night sky. I guess that’s the only sacrifice I have to make to living in the city - the view’s just not as good from here. sigh
I like Orion, and Capricornus, personally. Also, I like the Pegasus constillation.
I love the night sky and all the stars. I was asked once, by an old friend of mine, which star I wanted if I could have one. I told her I wanted them all.
[pedantry]
Pleiades is technically an asterism, not a constellation; it’s part of Taurus. The Big Dipper is also an asterism, part of Ursa Major.
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I have to admit I’m kind of an Orion fan myself, it’s got so many big bright beautiful stars in it, and it’s just got a nice-sounding name.
I’ll also pipe up for Auriga. Sentimental reasons; it’s the first constellation I learned to recognize myself, without anyone pointing it out to me. And it has a nice shape; it looks to me like someone’s flying a really big kite made out of stars.
I like Cassiopeia too, but that started because I like the word.
As for liking constellations for themselves, I like Scorpius. It’s got such a neat shape. I like the asterism Pleiades, too – I like the story behind it, and (in Seattle, at least) they’re so elusive. I feel lucky every time I manage to get a glimpse of them.
I love Orion too - the first constellation I learned about, after I saw his “belt” and wondered what it was.
I also enjoy Pleides (asterism or not), and the Dippers. I’ve been looking for Scorpio and Leo (someone said they are easily recognizable) but haven’t been able to find them yet.
