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Dark Sky Park: Antares

Antares
Antares

http://ipraudio.interlochen.org/2013-10-11%20Antares.mp3

IPR: You're getting ready for a big event at Headlands with author Paul Bogard who wrote the book "The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in a World of Artificial Light" next week on the 18th. What makes this a good time of year for getting together to share stories in, and about, the dark?  

MARY: There are several contributing factors in this season, and specifically in this year, that make this an ideal time for storytelling in the dark. This year the October Full Moon rises for us in the midst of a partial eclipse which means we will see the shadow of the Earth over the face of the Moon as it rises in the East on Friday, October 18. And though this Full Moon will diminish the peak of the Orionid Meteor Shower that happens later this month we can start to see these meteors as soon as Orion comes over the horizon after 11 pm here in the first few weeks of October.   

And then there are the ancient lovers, Venus and Mars. Venus is our brilliant evening star looking west after sunset while Mars is hanging out in the morning sky looking east about an hour before sunrise. They're not exactly opposite one another in the sky though they are on opposite ends of our day here on Earth, hanging out in the twilight times of dusk and dawn.  The thing that is rich with story in the current positions of Venus and Mars is that Venus is very close to the bright red star Antares in the constellation Scorpius while Mars is very close to the blue-white star Regulus in the constellation of the Lion - and each of these stars represents the heart of the constellation that it occupies; so Venus is near the heart of the Scorpion while Mars is near the heart of the Lion.   

IPR: What do you make of this?   

MARY: The star name "Antares" means "anti-ares" and since Ares is the Greek name for the Roman god Mars the name Antares suggests that the heart of the Scorpion is the rival of Mars. And mythologically, Antares rivals Mars for the love of Venus. So here we have Venus positioned close to Antares who is rival to Mars for her love; while Mars is positioned close to the heart of the Lion, the place of ferocious courage and compassion. So this is a great time for witnessing the drama of love in our natural environment rather than surrendering to it in our own lives!   We encounter our shadow with the partial eclipse of the Full Moon, we can find inspiration in the shooting stars of the Orionids and we can imagine that the planets are showing us whether the heart of darkness - Antares - can prevail against the heart of courage - Regulus.   

Perhaps the words of Byron are fitting for this season:   

So we'll go no more a' roving

so late into the night

though the heart be still as willing

and the moon be still as bright.

For the sword outwears its sheath

and the soul outwears the breast

the heart must pause to breathe

and love itself have rest.

Though the night was made for loving

and day returns too soon,

ye we'll go no more a' roving

by the light of the Moon.