Astronomy fascinates me.  It always has.  When I was in about first grade, I inherited an Atlas.  The maps didn’t excite me much, but at the very beginning of the book was a 2-page spread of the night sky with stars and constellations labeled.  This, I loved!  I remember seeing the constellation “Delphinus” on there – which I hadn’t previously known the name to, though it was often visible from our driveway and my family had dubbed it “The Tiny Dipper.”  Unfortunately, since then I’ve been pretty bad about learning to recognize constellations.  I’m making an effort now, though, and it’s pretty cool to know what you are looking at when you stare up at the stars!

A couple nights ago, Tom and I were sitting out in our hot tub and noticed a group of stars that we thought looked like a kite or a glider.  Tonight, I decided to figure out what it really was.  Turns out, it is part of the constellation Cygnus – which is rooted in the Greek word for “swan.”  So, I guess our thought of something flying/gliding through the sky wasn’t too far off!  In our area, you can find Cygnus up above the western horizon in the evening.  It's just up and to the left of the bright star, Vega.  It's also not too far from my "tiny dipper," Delphinus :)  Look for it next time your outside at night -- and if you can't make out a swan, just look for a kite!