When I was a kid, I had a subscription to an astronomy magazine called “Odyssey,” and I loved it: Articles about NASA; pictures of other planets, moons, nebulae; do-it-yourself science experiments; monthly guides on stargazing with cool charts introducing me to the constellations. (True story: “Odyssey” was the home of my first published work of fiction – a couple paragraphs entered as part of a contest to create legends based on the features of the moon. No, I will not be sharing it.) This is where I learned to spot Orion – and it’s been my favorite constellation ever since.
I know, it’s an easy pick: Neat name, jeweled sword with a naked-eye nebula, brightest in the cold clear Ohio winters. Orion’s always been my sky calendar and reminder of the constant motion of the stars and time. When I used to do a lot of pre-dawn running, the first sign that summer was ending were those mornings I’d get up and catch Orion just over the horizon. How huge it seems when it’s low in the sky, and how unfailingly wondrous to view M-42 through binoculars or a telescope.
Three of the best star names are in Orion, too: Betelgeuse, Rigel, and Bellatrix.
Anyway, I’m 53 years old now, and here’s my first tattoo:
John Booth Writes 