March 27, 2012

SandBoxBlogs: Steamboat Today "Jimmy Westlake: My favorite stars: Mizar, Alcor"

Professor Jimmy Westlake is ranked in the top four of 'SandBox Nanny's' most fav  Colorado columnists and contributors.

He weaves tales of intrigue, suspense, war, love, anger and the fury of the Gods and Fates every Tuesday.

And his astrophotography skills?  Amazing

Up and over on Steamboat Today. 

Jimmy Westlake:
"In 1650, when astronomers first aimed their telescopes at the famed Horse and Rider, they were astonished to discover that the Horse itself appeared double. Almost any small telescope will reveal the twin stars of Mizar, called Mizar A and B. Modern astronomers have used sophisticated techniques to discover that each of Mizar’s twin components is again double. This amazing quintuple star system is located about 80 light-years from Earth.

My favorite story concerning the star Alcor comes from Viking mythology, where we find that the constellation of Orion the Hunter was called Orwandil the Giant, and the bright star Rigel represented the giant’s foot. Once, when Orwandil was crying like a baby because his toe was frostbitten, the god Thor grew tired of his whining and snapped off the frozen toe. He then threw it into the northern sky where we can see it today shining right beside Mizar as our little star Alcor...."  (Read more?  Click title)

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