04/28/2014 – Ephemeris – The legend of the constellation of Corvus the crow

Ephemeris for Monday, April 28th.  The sun rises at 6:37.  It’ll be up for 14 hours and 6 minutes, setting at 8:43.   The moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 6:53 tomorrow morning.

The small constellation of Corvus the crow is located low in the south at 10:30 this evening. It’s made of 5 dim stars, but the pattern is a distinctive distorted box with two stars at the upper left marking that corner. To the right is a fainter constellation of a thick stemmed goblet called Crater. Both appear above the long constellation of Hydra the water snake who is slithering just above the southern horizon.  In Greek mythology Corvus, then white, was the god Apollo’s pet. He once bid Corvus to take a cup and fetch him some water. Corvus however dallied and waited for a green fig to ripen. Corvus grabbed a snake and returned with a story on how the snake had delayed him.  The angry Apollo turned the crow and all crows to this day black.

Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Corvus the crow, Crater the cup and Hydra the water snake along with the other spring constellations ay 10 p.m. April 28, 2014. Created using Stellarium.