Letter from Tim Kregel
Colorado Central – October 2006 – Colorado Central Magazine
Editors:
Concerning the “Bears in myth and legend” sidebar by Lynda La Rocca in the August 2006 Colorado Central Magazine:
I don’t believe “Ursa Major and Ursa Minor … are the only constellations that never set below the horizon in the northern hemisphere.” I’m pretty sure that as you approach the equator, all constellations/objects in the northern sky will set below the horizon, with the exception of Polaris which will appear on the horizon. The constellations will appear to pinwheel around Polaris wherever you are. At the geographic north pole, Polaris will be directly overhead (plus or minus a degree or so) and none of the pinwheeling constellations will set.
Tim Kregel
Know it all and infrequent celestial navigator
Germany
