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The Harry Potter Astronomical Marathon
By Mike Weinstein (Bandersnatch)

Biography:

Mike Weinstein (also known as Bandersnatch), is an astronomer and college professor living in the United States.

Abstract:

Jo Rowling often uses the names of stars and constellations for her characters. It turns out that at certain times of the year, most of these astronomical objects can be seen in the sky during the course of one night. In this essay, the author imagines himself engaging in such an all-night stargazing session. Along the way, the many connections between the characters and their celestial namesakes are discussed. Maps of the sky are included, with the relevant objects labeled, so that Harry Potter astronomers may attempt their own tours of the night sky.


Acknowledgments:

Thanks to the Sploshers for entertaining my first version of this essay on their forums, the HPNs for their feedback on the final version, and Sue Upton for suggesting that I submit it to Scribbulus. Also thanks to SeverineSnape and the other Scribbulus editors for their helpful comments.


This essay may be read here.

Excellent job! I just love those Pleiades! (Poor Merope!)

Pity your stick!wand didn’t work though, innit?

This is great! I've try many time to look at some "harry potter stars", but I don't have anything else that my eyes...
I've seen Regulus, Sirius, andromeda, bellatrix, pollux, arcturus, Draco... I think it's all. It's always a great moment when I found a new one!

congratulation :0}

This was absolutely delightful and very educational, too! Thanks for such an original essay.

I really enjoyed this! I was an astronomy fanatic even before I became an HP fanatic, so this essay is like a match made in heaven!

That was an great essay, love the humor in it . there were a few things I didn't know. Anything that can make me laugh and learn, I can enjoy.

That was great.
Good to read from someone who knows abouth astronomical mythology.

I made a thread about the astronomy names in Harry Potter not long ago, but I knew nothing about the mythology surrounding the stars and constellations. I just read through listings of astronomical names and wrote down those I recogniced as Harry Potter names.

I ended up reading some of the mythology and found some interesting things.
This is the most interesting mythology I came across (quoting myself ):

Great essay. Unfortunately living at 37° South (and in a city) means that I have never seen many of the stars and constellations mentioned in the article.

On the other hand I did get to see comet McNaught a couple of weeks ago, even though I was in the inner city!

(Emphasis mine.)

Really? I had recently read that it was more like the other way round. The names Canis Major and Canis Minor intially only applied to Sirius and Procyon respectively, the constellations were constructed later.

"Why were Sirius and Procyon called the Dog Stars? From earliest times shepherds have used dogs to guard their flocks and warn of approaching danger. While the Nile flooding was esential for the Egyptian's survival, it also represented a physical danger to the people and animals living on the flood plains. Sirius and Procyon were the shepherd dogs in the sky, standing guard on either side of the celestial Nile (Milky Way). Their mid-summer rising warned shepherds that the flood was comming and it was time to move the flocks to higher ground.

"With the passage of time the meaning of the Dog Stars changed. 'Sirius' means 'the scorching one' and by 500BC its rising before the Sun corresponded with ... the hottest time of the year." 'How to Gaze at the Southern Stars' - Richard Hall

Thanks,
- Acrux

This post has been edited by Acrux: 03 February 2007 - 09:48 PM

Wow, Trilogy, that is scary, how much it relates. Also, the split snake can refer to, in OotP, when DD uses that wierd instrument and makes a snake, says "in essence divided" and the snake splits in 2.

Wow....that was enlightening. I'm going to have to read that again to take it all in! Lovely work. It's amazing how much it all means. Astronomy seems to outweigh alchemy in a lot of ways in the series.