During a recent, autumn morning walk, the Big Dipper asterism of the constellation Ursa Major (the big bear) appeared to be standing on its tail. I used the cell phone camera to get this image and then later added the lines between the stars to show the constellation.
Two arrows point to pair of stars that resemble the footprints of leaping gazelles, and indeed these pairs and one off of the photo to the right are often referred to as the Three Leaps of the Gazelle. Tradition holds that the gazelle was leaping to escape the lion (constellation Leo) in the sky far to the right of this image.
As for the “big bear;” I don’t think it was all that concerned about the lion, but it may have taken an interest in the gazelle. They do seem to be heading in the same direction.
PS: See the second star from the bottom in the Big Dipper? It is actually two stars as can be seen on the photo. They are named Alcor and Mizar; meaning “rider” and “horse.” The bright patch next to it was a cloud, but I like to think of it as dust stirred up behind a galloping stallion. Just thought horse lovers would like to know!
#ursamajor #bigdipper #gazelle #threeleapsofthegazelle
Eskildoodle Photos and Feelings 