Well, look at this thing, they call it a constellation globe. I don’t know nothin’ ’bout all them fancy words, but I’ll tell ya what I see. It’s a ball, like a big ol’ marble, and it’s got all sorts of shiny dots on it. They say them dots is stars, you know, like the ones we see at night, but way more than I ever seen in my whole life.
Some folks, they like to stare up at the sky and make up stories ‘bout them stars. They say they see pictures up there, like bears and lions and dippers. I ain’t never seen nothin’ but a bunch of twinklin’ lights, but this here globe, it shows ya them pictures they talkin’ ’bout.
- They got lines connectin’ the dots, so you can see the shapes real good.
- It’s kinda like connect-the-dots, but with stars, fancy that!
I heard tell there’s a bunch of these star pictures, they call ‘em constellations. This globe, it’s got ’em all, I reckon. Eighty-eight of ’em, they say. That’s a whole lot of pictures, ain’t it? I can barely keep track of my own grandkids, let alone eighty-eight star pictures.
Now, this globe, it ain’t just for lookin’ at. They say you can use it to find them stars in the real sky. That sounds like a heap of trouble to me, but some folks, they like that sort of thing. They like to know where everything is, up there and down here. Me, I just like to know where my next cup of coffee is comin’ from.
I seen some city folk usin’ somethin’ called a star chart. Said it helps them find them stars. This globe, it’s kinda like that star chart, but round and fancy. It shows ya where them stars are supposed to be, dependin’ on the time of year and all. I guess if you’re lost out in the woods at night, this here globe might could help ya find your way. But I ain’t plannin’ on gettin’ lost in the woods anytime soon, so I reckon I’ll just stick to lookin’ at it here in the house.
Some of these stars, they got names. Big fancy names, like Sirius and Orion. I ain’t never heard of such names before. Back home, we just called ’em stars, plain and simple. But I guess if you’re gonna be lookin’ at ’em on a globe, you gotta call ’em somethin’.
This here globe, it even shows ya the Milky Way. That’s supposed to be a whole bunch of stars all bunched up together. Looks like a big cloudy streak on the globe. I ain’t never seen it in the real sky, not that I remember anyway. Too much city light around here, I reckon. Can’t see nothin’ but streetlights and buildin’s.
There’s talk about things called zodiac signs, tied to these stars too. Like Taurus and Cancer, not the sickness, mind you, but a bunch of stars. They say when you’re born, the stars up there got somethin’ to do with your life. I don’t put much stock in that, but some folks do. They read their horoscopes and all that. To each their own, I say.
And this globe, it ain’t just a daytime thing neither. Some of ‘em light up, so you can see the stars even when it’s dark. Like havin’ your own little night sky right there in your livin’ room. Imagine that! I reckon that’d be somethin’ to show the grandkids. They’d probably like it more than listenin’ to my old stories.
Some of these globes, they even show ya the path of the Earth. That’s supposed to be how the Earth moves around the sun. I never really understood all that stuff, but I guess it’s important to some folks. This globe, it tries to make it easier to see, I guess.
There is something that sounds like that Stellarium Web, some computer thing. They say it can show you the stars on your computer, just like this globe. But I ain’t got no computer. This here globe is fancy enough for me. It’s somethin’ I can hold in my hands, somethin’ real. I ain’t got no use for them computer things.
So, there you have it. That’s my take on this here constellation globe. It’s a fancy thing, ain’t it? But even an old woman like me can appreciate its purtiness. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll even learn a thing or two about them stars. But don’t hold your breath. I’m too old to be learnin’ new tricks now.
Finding stars with a constellation globe ain’t rocket science I reckon. If this here globe shows ‘em clear enough, you can look up at the real sky and try to match what you see. That’s what them city folk with their star charts do, so this here globe should work just as well. It’s like havin’ a little piece of the night sky right here in your hands.
Now, some of these globes, they spin around. That’s so you can see how the stars move across the sky at night. It’s kinda like watchin’ the sun go down, but with stars. It’s all very interestin’, I guess, if you’re into that sort of thing. Me, I’m more interested in whether the biscuits are burnin’ in the oven. But this here globe, it’s a good conversation starter, that’s for sure.
