Dao Look Kai: A Taiwanese Folk Tale

Dao Look Kai: A Taiwanese Folk Tale

Hello, I am a farmer in Thailand. You might have heard of a group of stars in the night sky where you live—we call it the Dao Look Kai. I have heard there are a lot of different stories about this cluster, but if I told you all the different stories, we would be here...
The Astronomy Behind the Japanese Holiday Tanabata

The Astronomy Behind the Japanese Holiday Tanabata

If you’re ever in Japan on July 7th, you might see many people laughing, dancing, shooting off fireworks, and tying wishes to bamboo trees—but most importantly, looking up into the heavens. This joyful event is called Tanabata, created to commemorate the two lovers in...
Hercules: The Myth of His 12 Labors

Hercules: The Myth of His 12 Labors

Zeus, the most powerful of all gods, had a son named Hercules. Hercules was the strongest man on earth and considered himself equal to many of the gods. Because his mother was mortal, and his father was the king of gods, he was half-god, half-mortal. Hercules was...
How Orion the Hunter Became Orion the Hunted

How Orion the Hunter Became Orion the Hunted

He caught a whiff of it, and instantly it was gone. Quickly, he walked in circles trying to find it and smelled it again, but this time it was stronger. As he followed the scent, it kept getting stronger and stronger, so he drew an arrow from his quiver, strung it...
The Astronomy Behind Groundhog Day

The Astronomy Behind Groundhog Day

When I was serving as a campus minister at the University of Toledo, one of my students said she grew up in Woodstock, Illinois. Among other things, this town is famous for being the place where the movie Groundhog Day was filmed—though the movie is said to take place...