Love in the skies

It’s the month of love and Harry the Hominid, Maropeng’s spokeshominid, encourages romantics out there to look to our skies for inspiration and life lessons this Valentine’s Day.

“There are many tales of love, romance, and tragedy in our star constellations,” he said.

Orion, a popular, easy-to-spot constellation due to his signature belt, is one such constellation surrounded by tales of love and tragedy.

“In Greek mythology, Orion was the most handsome of men and a great hunter. In one myth, he fell in love with the Pleiades, the seven sisters, daughters of Atlas and Pleione. He started pursuing them so Zeus scooped them up and placed them in the sky. The Pleiades are represented by the famous star cluster of the same name, located in the constellation Taurus. Orion can still be seen chasing the sisters across the sky at night,” explained Harry.

In another myth, Artemis, the goddess of hunting, fell in love with Orion. To stop her from giving up her vows of chastity, her brother Apollo dared her to hit a small target in the distance with her bow and arrow. Not knowing that the target was Orion, she hit it in a single shot, killing her would-be lover. Devastated by his death, she placed Orion among the stars.

“Maybe this Valentine’s Day you’ll have a story to share with your loved one as you gaze up at Orion’s twinkling belt,” said Harry. “And if you’d like to learn more about our intriguing skies, why not come along to Maropeng for its stargazing evenings that happen once a month with resident astronomer, Vincent Nettman. Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Details: www.maropeng.co.za.