Arasteele
Arasteele t1_iwqlvoh wrote
Reply to What is your favorite constellation? by pete_999
I'll break with conventional norms and say the Little Dipper. That's right, the LITTLE Dipper. The big dipper can go bite buckets of fiddler crabs!
Reasons
Also called Ursa Minor. The little bear. As a Canadian I can tell you I would much rather fight a little bear than a big one. You'll want to trust me on this.
It is comprised of 7 stars. 7 is my favorite number. Polaris is one of two favorite stars. I'll leave you to wonder as to what the other might be.
Traditionally it has been important to navigation, particularly at sea, because of Polaris being the North Star. My dad, a former Seaman during WWII in the Merchant Navy, was the one who first drew my attention to the Little Dipper when I was a small boy in the 1960's. He sailed on munitions ships and oil tankers, all high prizes to the German Wolfpack submarines. It's a wonder I exist at all. How could Ursa Minor NOT be my favorite?
Call me a rebel, but there it is.
Arasteele t1_iwqigj7 wrote
Reply to What is your favourite space movie? (Hope this isn’t to shallow for this sub) by Oztravels
Lifelong Trekkie here, so of course honor decrees that I have to say all of the ST movies, and of course the original series.
One of my favorite sci-fi's from my childhood days (I'll be giving away my old age here) was a 1959 classic titled Angry Red Planet.
Not a movie (yet) but I'll shamelessly give a mention to the Mass Effect trilogy, my favorite space series of vgames of all time.
Arasteele t1_iwrr8ef wrote
Reply to comment by dittybopper_05H in What is your favorite constellation? by pete_999
Many good points, and thanks for the input. However, many merch ships from many countries were in fact sunk. Canada saw over 1600 seamen lost. My dad could easily have been among them. According the bbc.co.uk 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War Two, a death rate that was higher proportionately than in any of the armed forces.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/timeline/factfiles/nonflash/a6652091.shtml
And high or low, I'm not sure percentages would really carry much weight with you when you're at sea during wartime, standing on a deck looking over the ocean, and you know there are giant metal torpedo-spitting sharks out there looking to ruin your day.
Allow me the one point of feeling lucky to be alive to have a favorite constellation.