The night sky is a grab bag of constellations of all shapes and sizes, with civilizations all around the world adding their own spin to the patterns of the night sky. Almost 100 years ago, astronomers worldwide got together and decided on a standard set of 88 constellations to avoid confusion. Here in Minnesota and Wisconsin, we can see about three-quarters of them throughout the year. To view the ones we can’t usually see, we have to travel south to overcome the effects of the curvature of the Earth. Most names and best-known tales about constellations have roots in Greek and Roman mythology worldwide, especially in the Western hemisphere.

At least once a month, I like to feature a particular constellation. Most of the time, I put the spotlight, or should I say the night light, on one of the major constellations like Orion, Gemini, or Ursa Major, the Big Bear, but I also want you to get to know some of the less familiar deep track constellations.

Despite the less-than-friendly climate, bright stars and constellations will reward you on most clear winter nights. The best of them are in what’s called the winter oval or the winter hexagon. My name for it is “Orion and His Gang” because the constellations that surround the great hunter with his star-studded belt are nearly as dazzling as Orion himself.  The major players are Gemini the Twins, Auriga the Chariot Driver, Taurus the Bull, and Canis Major and Minor, the big and little dogs of the winter heavens.

(Mike Lynch)

One of the minor players in Orion’s gang is literally underfoot of the great celestial hunter, Lepus the Rabbit. As you can see in the diagram, it’s a real stretch to make this disjointed collection of faint stars into a heavenly hare. If you’re ever out stargazing with me and you can honestly tell me you see a bunny below Orion’s feet in the southwestern sky, I want to party with you!

You can see about one or two of the faint stars that make up Lepus in urban- or suburban-lit skies, but to really see it, you have to be out in the countryside, and even then, it’s a stretch of your eyesight and especially your imagination to see the celestial rabbit. One thing is for sure, though, whoever came up with the name Lepus (pronounced Leepus) for the heavenly rabbit had a sense of humor.

In mythology, Lepus the Rabbit is a fun little story. It reminds me of the classic Bugs Bunny-Elmer Fudd cartoons. Just like Elmer, Orion was a pretty good hunter. Orion could hunt down any beast on his island, no matter how large or ferocious they were. But, just like Elmer Fudd, one beast constantly eluded the mighty hermit hunter and took great pleasure in harassing him. It’s Orion’s version of Bugs Bunny, Lepus the Rabbit.

Not only was Lepus a normal pesky rabbit that ravaged Orion’s Garden, he would constantly taunt and tease Orion during his hunting adventures, jumping on his head or biting the mighty hunter in the butt just as he was about to launch a spear at a wild boar. Lepus also liked to leave little round souvenirs on the floors and countertops of Orion’s kitchen. He grew to hate the nasty little hare, but like Bugs Bunny, Lepus was too clever and fast to get caught, but Orion was determined!

Orion never realized his dream of eliminating Lepus because Zeus, the king of the gods of Mount Olympus, did in Orion himself. Zeus found out that Orion was fooling around with his daughter Artemis, the goddess of the moon. Actually, it was Artemis who pursued Orion as she deserted her task of guiding the moon across the night sky. Her duty was to guide a team of flying horses that towed a giant flatbed chariot with the moon strapped onto it. She kept seeing this nocturnal hunk of a hunter pursuing his prey night after night and had to meet him. So, on a nightly basis, she halted her horses in mid-flight to have her clandestine meeting with Orion. Artemis enjoyed her nightly hunting adventures; they were having quite a time!

Zeus disapproved of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion. He sent a giant scorpion who attacked Orion during his daytime slumber. There was a tumultuous battle between the combatants, but the giant scorpion fatally bit Artemis’s lover.

When Artemis discovered her dead boyfriend, she lifted his body into the heavens and magically transfigured it into the constellation we see in the winter heavens. She wanted to be able to see him every night as she guided the moon across the sky. She also placed his hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor, up there with him, along with that pesky rabbit Lepus tormenting him even in death!

Solar eclipse is just over two weeks away

It’ll be quite a show on Monday, April 8. We won’t have a total eclipse in Minnesota or Wisconsin, but less than a day’s drive away, you can be in the path of totality. Extreme southern Illinois and southeast Missouri will be the closest places to witness totality, an experience you’ll never forget! Go for it! The next total eclipse in the lower 48 states in the U.S. won’t be until 2045

Mike Lynch is an amateur astronomer and retired broadcast meteorologist for WCCO Radio in Minneapolis/St. Paul. He is the author of “Stars: a Month by Month Tour of the Constellations,” published by Adventure Publications and available at bookstores and adventurepublications.net. Mike is available for private star parties. You can contact him at mikewlynch@comcast.net.

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