LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – “November” is derived from the Latin word Novem which means nine. In the old Roman calendar it was the ninth month in the year.
When January and February were added, November became the 11th month, but retained its name.
The November night skies are dominated by Pegasus, the flying horse. Flying upside down, this magnificent beast is directly overhead, with The Great Square of Pegasus clearly visible:
Above Pegasus are four constellations that represent celestial royalty: Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda and Perseus.
In Greek mythology, Cepheus was the king of Ethiopia. His wife, Cassiopeia, was the queen. Andromeda was their daughter.
As for Perseus, he stars in the following drama.
Cassiopeia bragged that her daughter was the most beautiful of all women. This angered the gods, so they chained Andromeda to a rock, ready to be eaten by a sea monster.
Along comes Perseus to the rescue, and you guessed it! He comes riding in on Pegasus to save Andromeda! He later becomes her husband.
Perseus has one of the night sky’s most beautiful telescope objects, The Double Cluster. This is two star clusters close enough to be seen together in a telescope.
John Zimmerman is a resident of Lake County and has been an amateur astronomer for more than 50 years. For more information about Astronomy and local resources, visit his Web site at www.lakecountyskies.com .