Week of April 1-7, 2018

I recall standing under the stars as a child trying to understand why the constellations looked nothing like the elaborate drawings I'd seen in star maps and books.

I mean, why could I never find a strong man among the stars of Hercules? Or a herdsman in Bootes? Were the ancients so much more perceptive or imaginative than I?

The answer, of course, is they weren't. No one in the ancient world saw these pictures either; they simply set aside regions of the sky to represent people, animals and objects that were important in their storytelling. It took many years for me to realize how wrong I'd been, and that the constellations look no more like their namesakes than the George Washington Bridge looks like the Father of Our Country.

Today, I frequently hear from frustrated sky watchers who ask for my help to find among the stars the pictures created by the ancients. Of course, if they were to actually see those pictures, they'd need far more help than I could possibly offer. So I suggest instead that they ignore the classical figures and create images of their own.

"Can I do that?" they ask, as if the constellation police will descend upon them for abusing the sacred figures passed down through the ages. "Why not?" I reply. "There are no rules when it comes to finding your way around the sky." In fact, all astronomers make up such helpful figures all the time; we call them "asterisms."

After dark this week, go outdoors and look toward the eastern sky for several simple asterisms that I like to point out to beginners. These work for me, but remember, you may see totally different shapes among the same stars. And that's perfectly OK.

First, notice the yellowish star Arcturus, the brightest in the constellation Bootes, and the white star Spica, the brightest in the constellation of Virgo, to Arcturus' right.

Now, you can struggle to find the image of a herdsman or a maiden there if you like, but I prefer to keep things simple. To me, these bright stars form two corners of what I call the Diamond of Virgo. And Arcturus forms the base of a group of six stars that can be traced into the shape of a kite.

Much easier to spot, wouldn't you say?

Look to right of Spica and you'll see a compact group of four stars that represents the constellation Corvus, the crow. But those who live near the coast or a large lake might instead recognize the shape of a boat's sail.

Off to the left of Arcturus — almost due east late on spring evenings — lies another group of four stars that form the core of the constellation Hercules, the strong man. Amateur astronomers know this as the Keystone of Hercules that is — believe me — much easier to find than some muscular guy from ancient mythology.

Now, if you still insist on searching for classical images among the stars, go right ahead. You won't hurt my feelings. But if you're like I am — and I'm guessing that you are — you'll take the easy way and make your own!

Create your own star patterns after dark this week.

Visit Dennis Mammana at www.dennismammana.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.