Big Dipper

Pushpins in a Big Dipper shape
The backside of the bear.

A surprise discovery on a hallway bulletin board at the Observatory: a push pin Big Dipper!

It’s good and charming and subtle, and we can forgive that this version has eight stars instead of the night sky’s seven. (Not counting the visual double of Mizar and Alcor where the handle kinks.) Someone did this on a whim, and now it’s hard to resist the idea of putting up others all over campus to see who notices.

Have a great semester break!