Boötes Call

.....Astronomy, by definition, is a study that encompasses the universe, and so there is are many different new things that a study of astronomy can bring you across. For example, I learned that the symbol on the second “o” in “Boötes” is not an umlaut, but a dieresis, indicating that both letters are to be pronounced. I have been presuming that this makes the pronunciation “Bu-u-tez”. I could well be wrong, but since the constellation is never going to get offended, who cares?

.....In legend, Boötes is a herdsman with his dogs (the constellation Canes Venatici) chasing the Great Bear (Ursa Major) forever around the pole, from the latitudes of the northern United States only getting six hours below the horizon a day to rest from the chase. Worse, while Boötes is chasing two bears, and has dogs, there are no constellations of sheep, cattle, or anything else one could reasonable "herd".  Boötes is, them, one heck of a bad herdsman and everything was eaten by the bears ... sort of explains the peeved pursuit.   

.....A quick look at the star map will show that this legend is proof that the ancient Greeks had no knowledge of kites. If we were to remake the constellations today (a scheme which has been tried before, remind me to tell you about that sometime), Boötes would almost certainly be “the kite”.

.....Wouldn't this remove the pathos of the futile, eternal chase, or the eternal circling of the bears, never able to rest?  First, is that what you like about astronomy?  Jeez.  But even if it is, you're still good.  It will just have to wait as we build a few more constellations.