[MR] Northern Regional Badge Polling

[David W.James]

On Feb 14, 2005, at 11:10 PM, Richard Mowbray wrote:
> Orion... Perhaps second only to the Big Dipper in Ursa Major, the
> constellation of Orion is one of the most recognizable patterns of
> stars in the northern sky. ...
> www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/ constellations/constellations/Orion.html -
> 5k -

> Sounds like north to me.

> Richard

	If you read a little further (note that you added a space before the 
first 'constellations'):

	"From the northern hemisphere, the three bright stars (Alnitak, 
Alnilam and Mintaka) in a straight line that form Orion's Belt are 
easily visible on the southern horizon in winter evenings."

	I will note that one of the most striking of the summer 
constellations, Scorpius, can also be seen from much of the northern 
hemisphere (and definitely from all of Atlantia) low on the southern 
horizon, but that also does not make it a 'northern' constellation.  
(And with a declination of -40 degrees, any such attempts would be 
pretty silly.)

	So, as you might think, if the constellation is 'on the southern 
horizon' when seen from the north, then it isn't necessarily a 
'northern' constellation, even if it is visible from there.  If you go 
to one of the other links on that page:

http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/skycharts/ori.gif

	You will be presented with a map of a small part of the heavens 
centered on Orion.  To the upper right of Orion you will find Taurus.  
Note the red line passing through Taurus and above (north) of Orion; 
this is the ecliptic; the path the sun appears to take against the 
stars as the Earth orbits it.  As Orion is below the ecliptic, and 
south of the signs of the zodiac, when writing in persona I would refer 
to it as a 'southern' constellation.  Not writing in persona, note the 
light blue line that passes just above Orion's belt.  This is the line 
above the equator on the equinoxes (Sept and April), known as the 
celestial equator.  You will note that Orion sits astride this line, 
making it an equatorial constellation in the purest sense.  A 
constellation's 'center' is determined using its entire expanse, which 
in the case of Orion includes sections above it (the raised arm and the 
shield) that most people do not realize are (or recognize as) part of 
the same figure.  Due to this inclusion the 'center' of the 
constellation is modernly considered to be 5 degrees above the 
celestial equator, so it is, technically, a 'northern' constellation.  
But if one considers the portion that most people recognize as 'Orion', 
the balance would tip south of it.

	I would note that Orion's belt is south of the equatorial line, making 
the belt, just as technically, 'southern'.

	All technicalities aside, Orion, while visible from the 'northern 
hemisphere' is not a constellation known for its 'northness', and 
therefore is not a prime choice for a symbol of Atlantia's Northern 
Region.

	Getting back to period perceptions, if your library has a copy of 
Peter Whitfield's "The Mapping of the Heavens" (ISBN 0-7123-0402-9), 
note the illustration of the constellation on page 74, a woodcut from 
Gallucci's _Theatrum Mundi_, from 1588.  Gallucci draws Orion (reversed 
from the way we usually see it drawn today, but typical of period 
representations) but in particular note that he draws the lines 
converging below the figure; clearly Gallucci considered it a southern 
figure; note his depiction of Bootes, directly above it, has the 
opposite convergence, as you would expect for a more northerly 
grouping.

	Note also that on Apian's star chart (page 73) from 1540 Orion is 
completely absent.  On Honter's (facing page), from 1541 Orion is 
present, but, again, in the far south.  Orion is missing from Durer's 
star chart from 1515, reproduced on page 71 (which, Whitfield claims, 
was the first printed star chart.)  It is missing as well from both the 
Vienna Manuscript, c.1440 (p. 68) and Aratus's map (page 32.)

	I think this makes it clear that it was not generally considered an 
attribute of the northern sky by folks in period.

David/Kwellend-Njal
(AAVSO logs my observations as 'JAMD'.  Kwellend-Njal just knows that, 
as a traveler, a knowledge of the night sky is invaluable.)