Out of the 88 constellations that can be seen from Earth, Delphinus the Dolphin is the 19th smallest and Equuleus the Little Horse is the second smallest.
They also happen to be the smallest mammal constellations but, as they say, good things come in small packages. They’re cozied up together in southeastern evening skies this month in the Northwest.
Delphinus is one of the few constellations that looks like what it’s named. Delphinus is made up of a small but distinct sideways diamond of stars that outlines the torso and head of the little Dolphin, and a single star just to the lower right of the diamond marks the tail.
Currently Delphinus is swimming high in the southeastern skies as evening begins.
The best way to find Delphinus is by using the Summer Triangle. Despite the fact that we’re moving into autumn, the Summer Triangle is nearly overhead at the end of evening twilight. It’s very easy to see: Look for the three brightest stars in the very high southeastern sky and that’s the Summer Triangle.
This trio of bright stars is made up of stars from three separate constellations, each being the brightest star in their respective constellation. If you face toward the southeast and then crane your neck to see the top of the sky you’ll see Vega, the highest and brightest star in the Summer Triangle and the brightest star in the constellation Lyra the Harp.
On the lower left corner of the triangle is Deneb, the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. On the lower right corner is Altair, the brightest luminary in the constellation Aquila the Eagle.
It’s from Altair that you start your quick search for the diminutive dolphin. Gaze about two fist-widths at arm’s length to the left, or east, of Altair for that little diamond that makes up the body of the cute little dolphin.
Even though the five main stars that outline the body and tail of Delphinus the Dolphin are faint, each one of them is much larger and produces more light and energy than the sun, our closest star. Their faintness in our night sky is simply due to the distance. They range from 95 light-years away to more than 360 light-years. One light-year, the distance that a beam of light travels in a year’s time, is almost six trillion miles away.
See if you can spot Equuleus the Little Horse. This will be a real challenge because it’s less than half the size of Delphinus and its stars are just as faint. Four stars make a tiny and skinny lopsided trapezoid that is allegedly the head of a diminutive horse.
Both Delphinus and Equuleus are two of the original 48 constellations listed by the famous astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. As with all constellations different cultures have their own names and mythology associated with them.
Equuleus the Little Horse was thought to be the little brother of the famous winged horse, Pegasus. That makes sense since the constellation Equuleus is right next to Pegasus. There’s also a story among the Greeks about the a tremendous battle for power between Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Somehow or other when Poseidon struck his trident against a rock, out popped the little horse Equuleus.
The Greek mythology tale of Delphinus also involves Poseidon who kidnapped Amphitrite, one of the sea nymphs, Amphitrite managed to escape but Poseidon sent Delphinus, his faithful dolphin, to search for her. Delphinus talked Amphitrite to climb on his back Delphinus’s and ride back to the god of the sea. They were married and Poseidon placed his faithful dolphin in the heavens.
Mike Lynch is an astronomer and professional broadcast meteorologist for WCCO Radio in Minneapolis and is author of the book, “Washington Starwatch,” available at bookstores. Check his website, www.lynchandthestars.com.
The Everett Astronomical Society: www.everettastro.org/.
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