The Herd Boy and the Weaving Girl

Posted by Brian Ventrudo

The sky holds the collected legends of a hundred cultures, from ancient Greece and Sumeria to ancient China and the aboriginals of Australia. The bright stars along the Milky Way this month always reminds me of a famous and touching legend from the time of Confucius in the 6th century B.C. …

The story tells of a poor herd boy (represented by the star Altair) and a humble weaving girl (the star Vega) who were once so lost in romantic distraction that they neglected their duties to their heavenly masters. As punishment, the boy and girl were placed in the sky and separated forever by the Celestial River (the Milky Way). But the heavenly spirits had some compassion… once a year, on the 7th night of the 7th moon, the lovers were allowed to meet when a bridge of birds spanned the heavenly river of stars.

Who says astronomy is all numbers and physics?

As you contemplate this celestial couple, take a little time to sweep the sky on a line between Vega and Altair with your binoculars or finderscope to see the odd little asterism called the “Coathanger”.

Also called Brocchi’s cluster, the Coathanger isn’t a true star cluster because its stars aren’t gravitationally associated. But its unmistakable shape and bright stars make for fine viewing on a warm summer night (or a cool winter night… the Coathanger is visible from the southern hemisphere, too). It’s also one of the many sights described in Stargazing for Beginners: A Binocular Tour of the Night Sky.

The map below shows you where to find the Coathanger. It makes great viewing for summer star parties… even total beginners gasp and laugh when they see this strange little group of stars.

The location of Brocchi's Cluster, also known as the "Coathanger" (click to enlarge).