Long before the Trojan War—indeed, in an age when the city of Troy, later famed throughout the world, did not yet exist—Tros ruled the region of Dardania in what is now northwestern Turkey, where his descendants would one day establish Troy. Tros had a son named Ganymede, a strikingly handsome youth acclaimed as the most beautiful boy in the world. As a prince, he understood from an early age the expectations placed upon him.
One day, Ganymede led his flock to graze at the foot of Mount Ida. As he idly watched the sheep with their heads bent to the grass, a shadow rushed toward him. The eagle seized him in its massive talons and carried him toward the sea, as though he were nothing more than prey. At first he struggled violently, but he soon realized he was high in the air. Seeing the earth shrink beneath him, he no longer dared to move recklessly.
The eagle flew on with Ganymede, and the familiar slopes of Mount Ida gradually receded. In their place stretched a boundless, shimmering ocean, until the bird rose ever higher and at last reached Mount Olympus, home of the gods.
The eagle was none other than Zeus in disguise. He had come to the mortal world in search of a young and beautiful cupbearer for the gods. When he soared through the skies of Dardania, he was captivated by the youthful, lovely Ganymede, and without hesitation carried him—indeed, abducted him—to Olympus.
Zeus told Ganymede that if he remained on Olympus, he would retain his youthful appearance forever and gain eternal life. Yet Ganymede refused to abandon his homeland so easily. As a prince, he believed he must devote himself to his country. Zeus replied that he had already granted Tros a pair of splendid horses, able to race across the water and gallop through ripened wheat fields, and that Tros took comfort in knowing his son would become the gods’ cupbearer.
With no other choice, Ganymede began his career as the gods’ cupbearer. The work itself was not difficult. Zeus had given him a vessel that could pour forth an endless supply of wine. But the workplace politics of Olympus caused him no end of misery. Because of his beauty, he faced not only the lewd gazes of male gods but also the jealousy of the goddesses. Above all, Hera, queen of the gods, often went out of her way to make things difficult for him.
Unable to endure such a life, Ganymede sought out Zeus again and begged to return home. But Zeus would not release his cupbearer. In the end, Zeus lifted Ganymede’s image into the night sky as the constellation Aquarius, so that his beautiful figure would remain forever among the stars.
Observation Guide
Although Aquarius is the tenth-largest constellation by area, even its brightest star is only of third magnitude, making it rather difficult to pick out.
In autumn, the prominent Great Square of Pegasus can be found in the southern sky. Following the Great Square southward, Fomalhaut, the brightest star in Piscis Austrinus, can be found. Between Pegasus and Piscis Austrinus lies the fainter constellation of Aquarius. Near the upper-left area of Aquarius, four stars form a Y-shaped pattern, the constellation’s most recognizable features. Extending westward from this Y-shape, Aquarius’s two brightest stars, Alpha and Beta Aquarii, can be found, which represent Ganymede’s shoulders.
By drawing an imaginary line from Alpha Aquarii to Fomalhaut, and about three-quarters of the way along it, the planetary nebula NGC 7293 can be found. Known as the Helix Nebula, NGC 7293 is sometimes nicknamed the Eye of God. A planetary nebula is, in fact, the remains of a star. Low- to intermediate-mass stars gradually shed their outer layers as they reach the later stages of their evolution. The remaining hot core emits intense ultraviolet radiation, causing the expelled gas to glow and form a brilliant planetary nebula.
The NGC (New General Catalogue) was compiled by astronomer John Dreyer in 1888 as a comprehensive catalog of nebulae and star clusters, with supplementary volumes published in 1895 and 1908 known as the IC (Index Catalogue). Although Dreyer compared data from different observers, limitations in observational techniques and the data available at the time meant that the NGC/IC still contained many errors and misidentifications. As observational methods improved, later astronomers continued to revise the NGC/IC. Among these efforts, Wolfgang Steinicke’s Revised NGC/IC (RNGC/IC) and the subsequent NGC/IC Project re-verified the positions and identifications of many objects, ultimately bringing the catalog to about 14,000 NGC/IC objects.
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Easter Egg
as if it were thirsty,
so he poured the liquid from the vessel into Crocquado’s mouth.
It was a grown-up flavored black coffee.
After three seconds of silence, Crocquado said,
“Can I add some sugar?”
