Thursday 17 May 2018

Maps To Stars Homes...

... but probably not the stars you're thinking of...

  After I discovered that the night sky photos I took a month ago are mostly of the same old constellations I've already put up here on the blog, I thought about doing something a bit different.  While labelling some of those stars in constellations such as those seen in Constellations from a Nightshade Tarot, Is There Somebody at the Door?, No Moon At All, and Waiting For A Star To Fall, I recognised some of the nomenclature from Star Trek (and other shows*), and decided to label some of my photos with stars only seen or mentioned in that august show.

  Much research was conducted using Memory Alpha, Wikipedia, and my trusty Universe book - so much so that I became a little overwhelmed and had to have a sit down with a massive gin and a huge slice of chocolate cake!  Once I'd got over it however, I began trying things out... 

  First up - Fonts:


  I liked Microgramma D Medium Extended that I'd used for the previous constellation pictures, so I decided to stick with it for labelling these new ones.  For the star's Latinised Bayer designation, e.g. Alpha Lyrae, I chose 16 pt in a medium-light grey.  For its traditional name (approved by the International Astronomical Union), e.g. Vega, I increased the font size to 20 pt and the brightness of the grey.  And for the citation (i.e. which Star Trek episode or film it appeared in, or was mentioned in), I went with a darker grey in 12 pt.
  Then, to add something a little different to the previous constellation pictures, I circled the star with a red 26 pt "O" in Century Gothic - one of the few fonts in my limited selection with a perfectly circular O - and used it to denote the star, planet or moon that featured in the show.



  Next - Choosing a map:  



  Finding one with enough Star Trek-featured stars to make the map look anything more than sparse, is quite time consuming.  The one above of the constellations Leo, Canis Minor, and Gemini has quite a nice selection.
  Anti-clockwise from bottom left are: Wolf 359 (Leo), Procyon (Canis Minor), Pollux & Propus (Gemini), and Regulus (back to Leo).

  The one below, however, should be much more recognisable. 


  This one features Orion the Hunter in centre stage surrounded by Canis Major, Eridanus, Taurus, Gemini, and Canis Minor.
  Orion plays host to quite a few Star Trek locations, but in this map I only really had room for Coridan, Orion, and Mintaka III.  The planet Vulcan, which orbits 40 Eridani A, otherwise known as Omicron² Eridani (I forgot the ² on the map!) or Keid, can be found in the constellation of Eridanus;  Aldebaran III in Taurus;  Iota Geminorum IV, aka the Tribble homeworld, in Gemini;  Andor in Canis Minor;  and Sirius in Canis Major. 



 
  Then I got bored and did this:

  Coven constellation, anyone?  I didn't give the placement of our stars too much thought, and shall probably do a different one with more bloggers on it, but The Very Mistress MJ can be found in Cassiopeia (the upside down queen flashing her knickers!), while I'm floating about in the lanky giraffe, Camelopardalis!



* Such as Futrama which features Omicron Perseii 8, home planet of Lrrr (as pointed out by Eros in one of my previous star-themed posts.



24 comments:

  1. The one below, however, should be much more recognisable. ?????
    I can't tell you how relieved I was to get to the very last picture and see something genuinely recognisable.... I felt like such a dimwit before that.
    Sx

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    Replies
    1. Really? You didn't recognise Orion?!? I'm going to demote you to Upsilon or Mu Aurigae.

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    2. Noooooo! Please don't demote me! It's not my fault. I was cursed by a gypsy in Bromley High Street in 1979. She got in a rage and threw unlucky Heather at me (she was a big girl) and although I sustained only minor squashing, to this day I have blind spots, thus I get befuddled by maths, and constellations.
      Sx

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    3. Your tale of being squashed (however minor) by the large and unlucky Heather has somehow got me in the feels, so I shall refrain from demoting you. This time! You'd better start looking through my linked-to constellations as there's more of this to come.
      Probably.
      If I can be bothered...

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    4. *gulps*
      oh.... look.... there's a mighty fine groyne over there. Dinah will want to see it....
      Sx

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  2. Lola thanks you for not associating us with Alpha Canis Majoris!

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  3. I took this class in high school for two years. Yes....we had a planetriuam. But I don't remember a lot of it. I could benefit from a lesson or two from you in a dark room tootes.

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    1. I remain envious that your school had a planetarium. Ours had a cupboard in the English classroom with no window. The English teacher spent quite a lot of time in there.
      As for taking lessons from me, I'll need a few brsh-ups and reminders first as it's been a while...

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  4. I'm light years away from the rest of you lot which assures that you don't come knocking on my door at three in the morning.

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    1. Actually, I made sure I was the furthest away for that very reason, at 870 light years from Earth. LX is next at 510 ly; you're at 228 ly; Princess is 179 ly; and Ms Scarlet has barely left the back yard at 42.9 ly. Still, at least LX hasn't got a massive commute for his pillow-fluffing and IT duties.

      Delete
  5. I had a well thought out comment to make but I clicked on your giraffe link and am now weak at the knees...

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    1. Although I know it's futile, I still look out for my Hulking Blond Delivery God. The young, muscular cleaner who coils his vacuum cleaner cable suggestively within my eyesight can't quite replace him.

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    2. Does he no longer make deliveries? I once bought a box of dodgy frozen fish, just because. I still get a little hot under the collar when I think of the fish seller.
      Sx

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    3. I expect he's delivering to someone else, the bastard! We moved offices shortly after that "giraffe" post, and although the new office also has a Costa café in the foyer, I've never seen him unloading his huge package there :(

      I hope yours didn't give you food poisoning?

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  6. OOh! I'm a b it like Scarlet in getting easily befuddled.But, also like Scarlet, I saw the light, as it were, when recognisable names popped up.
    Brilliant idea!I can see a loooong line of bloggers clamouring to be thus recognised. Bags I be the lady taking application money.(ignore the fact that I get muddled counting real money)

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    1. Oh, dear. Looks like fannying about with the actual constellations might be for naught (I notice there's another "non-believer" below Eros). Still, fannying about with immortalising bloggers in the heavens is much less work and, frankly, more fun!
      Before I agree to your request, will I have to pay you, or do you make enough money from your "muddled counting"?

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  7. What a FUNtastic idea! I love the overlay of real constellations and the SciFi worlds that inhabit them! That Futurama Star Trek episode was awesome! The only thing that would've made it better was if the Omicronians or the Tribbles made an appearance. Everything is better with Tribbles! Unless you're an Klingon.

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    1. As you're so enthusiastic about my endeavours, I'll see if I can bypass Dinahmow's "muddled" application fee and get your constellation set up for free!
      I'd like to see Lrrr or at least Omicron Perseii 8 in Star Trek! Perhaps the Omicronians could keep the Tribbles in check by consuming them as snacks, just like the Futurama humans did with Popplers?

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  8. "The one below, however, should be much more recognisable."

    Sorry, no. Not at all. Sprinkled white dots, yes, but well yeah, sprinkled white dots. I could not tell MsScarlet from LẌ if you wouldn't make a red 26pt Century Gothic "O" around each of them, and name them, really. I mean, it's dark, and there are dots, so any red circle is good, isn't it ?!
    I think an Infomaniac Planetarium screen shot would be helpful. But I doubt that "Wanker 3" will ever make it into the official charts.
    And if you look for me, I'm still quietly nestled in Mare Crisium.

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    1. Right. That does it! Out of your Sea of Crisis and get to the front of the class with Ms Scarlet and Dinahmow. We'll have you recognising constellations in no time!

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    2. Oh, we could do tableaux vivantes of the different positions, leapfrogging through the classics ...

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Tickle my fancy, why don't you?