There is one general theme that runs though all the "Family Learning" columns that have to do with the general topic of science, and that is the idea that parents need to encourage their children to understand and take part in "real science," not "pseudo science."
The difference between the two is the difference between the very precise laws of probability, for example, and the very imprecise practices of superstition. Or, an even better example is the difference between astrology - the belief that human affairs are controlled and can be predicted by the positions of stars and planets, and astronomy - the scientific study and investigation of those stars and planets.I have said in earlier columns that parents do their children no good by displaying even a casual interest in the predictions of the horoscopes that are found in their daily newspaper, and that the all-too-common and vacuous greeting "What's your sign?" is a sign itself, identifying the speaker as one who probably has no real interest in real science at all.
But there is one part of astrology that can contribute to our learning about astronomy, and that is the 12 constellations that make up the zodiac. These 12 constellations, or signs of the zodiac, mark the path that the sun follows throughout the year.
When someone talks about the sun's being "in Cancer" (an event that is occurring right now), for example, it means that the stars in the crab-shaped constellation called Cancer (which is the Latin word for "crab") form the backdrop for the sun from our current position in space. If a total eclipse of the sun were to occur today, we would for a brief time see the stars of Cancer surrounding the position of the sun.
Cancer and the sun appear to move across the sky together as we turn from west to east, and so we won't see the stars in that particular constellation at all because they will be washed out by the brightness of the sun. But as the earth races through its orbit around the sun, our observation point will change. The sun won't move, and the constellations won't move, but as the earth speeds around the sun, we will see different star patterns become the background for the sun. In a few weeks, the constellation Leo (the lion) will rise and set with the sun, and the sun will be said to be "in Leo."
Now, the best part about knowing the constellations in the zodiac is understanding that these connected star patterns show us the path that the sun appears to follow throughout the year. Remember that the sun is "in" one of these 12 constellations every day, so when we locate a zodiac sign in the night sky, it shows us where the sun will be at a particular time of year.
Tonight, look for the stars of Scorpius (the scorpion) and Sagittarius (the archer) low in the southwestern sky. (You'll find these patterns described in books from the J523 section of your library and in a handy $3.95 Golden Guide titled "Stars" at most bookstores.) These constellations will be the background for the sun from mid-November through mid-January, and do you recall how low in the sky the sun appeared during those winter months last year? During the summer months the sun takes a much higher path across the sky, for in these months it is "in" Taurus and Gemini and Cancer. Your children will enjoy seeing these constellations on starry winter nights, but be sure to look for them high overhead, right along the line that we have seen the sun follow all summer.