In Defense of Leo Minor (as published in the Planetarian)


Ever notice ow certain constellations get more press than others? Maybe I spend far too much time beneath my own dome looking at my own stars, but the constellations above my head begin to tell me things after awhile. True, I build my own planetariums, so perhaps I have a bit more vested interest and right to call them 'my stars', and maybe the constellations talk to me in the privacy of my own dome more than they would say in a more public dome. They tend to be more shy then I think, and perhaps a bit more resentful that cable tv, dvds, and glowing screens have largely replace them as an evenings entertainment. But they talk to me as I mentioned, and they are concerned that certain of their .. umm. members get far more press than the others.

I had to admit it was true, that even I tend to look at the same constellations over and over and ignore the rest. The big boys and girls, I need not mention them, with their swords and belts and sisters and sea monsters threatoning, their heros and myths. For awhile then I listened to the gripes of constellations that were overlooked but admittedly still famous, and its time to name some names. Aquarius lamented nobody sings about him anymore, and Capricorn butted me in a vain attempt to get some attention. And on and on it went. Finally I contemplated the twins of the skies, there were more than I thought when I really looked at it, and I heard a tiny voice crying from my sky overhead. It was Leo Minor.

'What about ME' he cried!

He had a point. The two bears get all the attention he pointed out, and those Centaurs. True enough. The Dogs... they were bright and in full glory, couldn't argue there. Geminii even represented the original 'two for one' sale idea. 'I represent the little guy' Leo Minor argued, the lesser of the celestial pairs, that forgotten brother or sister who gets shunted off to the corner. 'Got any examples?' I asked him bravely.. I'd never even identified him in the shadow of his big Lion King bro, and even now I was hard pressed to see where his voice was coming from. He warmed to his subject. 'Take horses'.. the big horse with the wing thing is famous, but who can find Equlous? Theres a big snake hogging tons of sky, but Hydrus her jilted boyfriend? Doesn't he need some attention too? Who looks at the southern stuff? Their triangle, their crown?

'Wait' I argued .. the southern Fish is brighter than the Pieces... 'Exceptions. exceptions' he continued.. Serpens may be in two parts, but he gets more looks that Lazerta or Chamaleon!? Leo Minor had made his point I suppose, so I conceded someone needed to put in a word for those lesser twins .. those forgotten sisters and brothers and objects up there in the sky that deserve at least passing mention. As I headed for the dome of my home built 15 foot domed theater, I already heard Aquila and Cygnus trying to make up with Pavo and Phoenix. Grus was crying in the corner.

The last thing I saw before flipping on the lights was Leo Minor curling up with the Lynx and going to sleep'.