by M. Leon Knott
From the March, 1993 issue of the Saguaro Astronomy
Club's newsletter, SACNews, in Phoenix, Arizona
Well, here we are, class. Summer, with its hazy skies and too hot
temperatures has given way to blessed fall, with cooler temperatures
and incredible skies. Now is the time to take out those new
binoculars, telescope, star charts, or books you just could not
resist, as you begin mining the riches of the night time sky.
Right away, with the general cussedness and perverseness of life,
you face a seemingly impossible task. All those stars have such
unusual names and just how do you really pronounce something like
Betelgeuse and some others even worse? After all, one does not wish
to appear unknowing about such elementary things when in the company
of friends, spouses, students, ministers, and school teachers, right?
I recently experienced such a problem when visited by the late
well-known Walter Scott Houston, author of SKY & TELESCOPE magazine's
"Deep Sky Wonders" column for nearly 47 years. Sitting in our living
room, we were talking about galaxies, clusters, and nebulae when I
happened to mention the beautiful double star in Orion we know as
Rigel (rhymes with a well-known antacid). Mr. Houston looked at me
and said, "It's Rigel (rhymes with regal)." To which I replied,
"Rigel (rhymes with that well-known antacid)."
At that point the famous Walter Scott Houston glared at me and
said, "How many advanced degrees do you have?" When I answered that I
had one degree and that it did not amount to very much, he said "Well,
I have three degrees and two fellowships. It's Rigel (rhymes with
regal)."
Glancing up, I could see my wife Fannie and two daughters, Dottie
and Kana, smirking at me, and believe me I know how to pronounce
"smirking." Well, Mr. Houston has gone back home, and in the spirit
of modest correctness, I hereby affirm that the proper pronunciation
of Rigel is Rigel (rhymes with that well-known antacid).
So, in an attempt to share with you my grammatical, syntactical,
and pronounciational expertise, and in order to help you become better
acquainted with the names of several famous stars, I have drawn up the
following short list. If you learn to pronounce the names of these
stars properly, you can hold your head high in any crowd and put to
shame anyone who might presume to correct you, whether PhD, school
teacher, or even high school kid. If someone does try to push too
hard, just tell them you read it here and that ought to be good
enough to silence even the most adamant and obdurate.
Let us begin with the bright stars in Orion, since that brilliant
constellation commands the fast approaching winter skies. This starry
warrior has beacons marking out his shoulders, his belt, and of
course, his left foot (Rigel - you already know how to say that),
along with his right knee. The bright star that does signify Orion's
right knee is Saiph. You will be perfectly safe in pronouncing it
"safe" with just a tiny bit of emphasis right in the middle of the word;
you know, as if you suddenly realized that an insect had entered your
mouth and was conducting extensive and probing explorations in there.
Orion's right shoulder is Bellatrix, and you might say Bellatrix
is for kids. On the other hand, his left shoulder is Betelgeuse, and
I defy anyone to pronounce it "Beetle Juice" within my hearing. I
just simply will not stand for it. You had be much safer in pronouncing
it as if it were spelled "Bet Old Joy." Now, doesn't it feel really
good when you get it right?
The three stars making up Orion's belt are very famous and are
known as Mintaka, Alnitak, and Alnilam. I dare you to say all three
name, quickly as you can, three times in a row! These stars point to
the eastern direction and help us locate the brightest star in the
heavens. This star is seriously bright and is named Sirius. You might
even call it Seriously Sirius, if you know what I mean.
Letting the belt lead us in the opposite direction will point us
to the glaring red eye of Taurus (like the well-known automobile) the
Bull. This bright red star is named Aldebaran. Here, you might say
"The Bull attacks us....Al, Deb, and I run (Aldebaran) while Ann
tarries behind (Antares, the name of the Scorpion's heart, seen
during the summer. I threw it in for free)." Poor Ann.
Well, you have been marvelous students and this is enough for a
first session. Later we will cover such important names as Arcturus,
Zubeneshamali, Algenubi, Mirach, and perhaps, even Uranus. Being an
amateur is fun and informative. It can also give rise to some
justifiable pride and perhaps even some gentle snob appeal, especially
when we can pronounce all those tough words correctly, with confidence
and verve arising out of knowing we are right and all those other guys
are wrong.
Related EJASA Articles -
"Orion: Winter's Mighty Hunter", by Michael S. Wiggs - December 1989
"In Search of the Horsehead Nebula", by Eric Greene - April 1991
"Astronomy and the Family", by Larry Klaes - May 1991
"The Hyades: A Star Cluster Rich in Myth and Astronomy", by Ken
Poshedly and Don Barry - June 1992
"Celestial Favorites of Autumn", by Bruce Bowman - October 1993
About the Author -
M. Leon Knott is an amateur astronomer interested in observing and
telescope making. Recently from the U.S. East Coast, he is now living
in Mesa, Arizona. He has written for SKY & TELESCOPE, ASTRONOMY, THE
MOTHER EARTH NEWS MAGAZINE, and TELESCOPE MAKING. In addition he is
an Associate Editor of the new AMATEUR TELESCOPE MAKERS JOURNAL and
Newsletter Editor for the East Valley Astronomy Club (EVAC).
Mr. Knott is author of and discussed in the following EJASA articles:
"Cometary Conundrums" - June 1993
"Hunting for Comets: One Observer's Success Story", by Michael
Janes - March 1994
"1993 Arizona Messier Marathon", by A. J. Crayon - June 1994
"1994 Arizona Messier Marathon", by A. J. Crayon and Paul Dickson -
June 1994
"Mirror Making Class of 1993: A Review", by Paul Dickson (this issue)
ANNOUNCING A NEW PUBLICATION: SETIQUEST MAGAZINE
by Carl Helmers
SETIQuest is a new quarterly print/electronic mail (E-mail)
periodical containing news, technical information, and tutorials
devoted to bioastronomy and its subset, SETI (Search for
Extraterrestrial Intelligence).
SETIQuest is published for professionals, serious amateur
astronomers, and individuals curious about this fascinating field of
observation. SETIQuest fills the need for a specialized astronomical
publication devoted exclusively to the on-going search for evidence
of life in the Universe. Such evidence could be intentional or
inadvertent signals of other civilizations. Such evidence could be
found in spectral signatures of biological activity on extrasolar
planets or in the interstellar medium.
SETIQuest is written and edited for the scientifically literate
individual taking part in the progress of our technological
civilization, with articles by amateur and professional scientists.
SETIQuest includes information about hands-on observational programs
that can be carried out by individuals and groups of amateur
astronomers at radio and optical wavelengths.
SETIQuest is filled with articles covering topics such as:
* Tutorials about bioastronomy and SETI
* Microwave or optical SETI as practiced by amateurs
* "Do-it-yourself" participation in bioastronomy and SETI activities
* Book reviews
* Regular commentary on issues relevant to SETI and bioastronomy:
SETI and the political milieu
Philosophical issues regarding the prospects of success and
failure in the search
SETI as a parable of science versus pseudo science
Publications Watch: Summaries of recent scientific/general
publications relevant to SETI
For your FREE issue of SETIQuest (Volume 1, Number 1), send us
your postal address by fax, E-mail, or conventional mail to:
SETIQuest Inquiries, Department EX
Helmers Publishing
174 Concord Street
Peterborough, NH 03458-0874
U.S.A.
Telephone: (603) 924-9631; FAX (603) 924-7408
Internet E-mail: SQINQNET@pixelacres.mv.com
Related EJASA Articles -
"Does Extraterrestrial Life Exist?", by Angie Feazel - November 1989
"Suggestions for an Intragalactic Information Exchange System",
by Lars W. Holm - November 1989
"Radio Astronomy: A Historical Perspective", by David J. Babulski -
February 1990
"Getting Started in Amateur Radio Astronomy", by Jeffrey M. Lichtman
- February 1990
"A Comparison of Optical and Radio Astronomy", by David J. Babulski
- June 1990
"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) in the Optical
Spectrum, Parts A-F", by Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley - January 1992
"History of the Ohio SETI Program", by Robert S. Dixon - June 1992
"New Ears on the Sky: The NASA SETI Microwave Observing Project",
by Bob Arnold, the ARC, and JPL SETI Project - July 1992
"First International Conference on Optical SETI", by Dr. Stuart A.
Kingsley - October 1992
"Conference Preview: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
(SETI) in the Optical Spectrum", by Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley - January 1993
"Detectability of Extraterrestrial Technological Activities",
Part 1, by Guillermo A. Lemarchand - December 1993
"Detectability of Extraterrestrial Technological Activities",
Part 2, by Guillermo A. Lemarchand - January 1994
About the Author -
Carl Helmers, President and Editorial Director, Helmers Publishing,
Inc.. Publishers of SENSORS, ID SYSTEMS, and SETIQuest magazines (what
else do you do after starting BYTE?).
INTERNET: carl@pixelacres.mv.com
SNAILMAIL: 174 Concord Street, Peterborough, NH 03458, U.S.A.
TELEPHONE: 603-924-9631; FAX: 603-924-7408
THE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE ATLANTIC
September 1994 - Vol. 6, No. 2
Copyright (c) 1994 - ASA
###########################
ASA MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
The Electronic Journal of the Astronomical Society of the Atlantic
(EJASA) is published monthly by the Astronomical Society of the
Atlantic, Incorporated. The ASA is a non-profit organization dedicated
to the advancement of amateur and professional astronomy and space
exploration, as well as the social and educational needs of its members.
ASA membership application is open to all with an interest in
astronomy and space exploration. Members receive the Journal of the
ASA (the JASA is a hardcopy sent through United States Mail and is not
a duplicate of this Electronic Journal) and the Astronomical League's
REFLECTOR magazine. Members may also purchase discount subscriptions
to ASTRONOMY and SKY & TELESCOPE magazines.
For information on membership, you may contact the Society at any
of the following addresses:
Astronomical Society of the Atlantic (ASA)
P. O. Box 15038
Atlanta, Georgia 30333-9998
U.S.A.
ASA BBS: (404) 321-5904, 300/1200/2400 Baud
or telephone the Society Recording at (404) 636-3642 to leave
your address and/or receive the latest Society news.
ASA Officers and Council -
President - Eric Greene
Vice President - Jeff Elledge
Secretary - Tex Ratcliff
Treasurer - Cindy Weaver
Council - Frank Guyton, Larry Klaes, Ingrid Siegert-Tanghe,
John Stauter, Wes Stucky, Harry Taylor, Gary Thompson,
Bob Vickers
DISCLAIMER
Submissions are welcome for consideration. Articles submitted,
unless otherwise stated, become the property of the Astronomical
Society of the Atlantic, Incorporated. Though the articles will not
be used for profit, they are subject to editing, abridgment, and other
changes. Copying or reprinting of the EJASA, in part or in whole, is
encouraged, provided clear attribution is made to the Astronomical
Society of the Atlantic, the Electronic Journal, and the author(s).
Opinions expressed in the EJASA are those of the authors' and not
necessarily those of the ASA. No responsibility is assumed by the
ASA or the EJASA for any injury and/or damage to persons or property
as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from
any use of operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas
contained in the material herein. This Journal is Copyright (c) 1994
by the Astronomical Society of the Atlantic, Incorporated.