I’ve been meaning to tell you about the tiny constellation Delphinus the Dolphin for a while now, but with everything else going on this year I just haven’t had the chance. Now’s the time though, while it’s still available in the early evening Butler sky.

A little under 100 years ago, the International Astronomical Union officially divided the sky into 88 constellations to standardize the night sky worldwide.

The Greek astronomer Ptolemy cataloged 48 of those constellations in the 2nd century.

Since then, several astronomers have gradually added the other 40, many of them in the southern hemisphere and the southern portions of the northern hemisphere.

Delphinus the Dolphin is one of Ptolemy’s original constellations. Even though it’s small and dim, it’s also distinct and is one of the few constellations that actually resembles what it’s supposed to look like.

And even though it’s the 19th smallest constellation, it’s one of my very favorites! I love pointing it out at stargazing classes and parties. Once you see it you’ll never forget it.

Delphinus is made up of a small, skinny diamond of faint stars that outlines the torso and head of the little dolphin, and a single faint star that marks the tail. Currently, Delphinus is swimming in the celestial sea in the fairly high southwestern sky as evening darkness sets in.

The best way to find Delphinus is by using the famous Summer Triangle. Although we’re well into October, the Summer Triangle hangs high in the southern sky. It’s very easy to spot. Just look for the three brightest stars that you can see in the southern sky, and that’s it.

This triad of bright stars is made up of stars from three separate constellations, each the brightest star in its constellation.

If you face south, the brightest star you’ll see is Vega, in the right corner of the Summer Triangle and the brightest star in the constellation Lyra the Harp. Just above and to the left of Vega is Deneb at the top of the Summer Triangle; Deneb’s the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. On the lower corner is Altair, the brightest luminary in the constellation Aquila the Eagle.

It’s from Altair that you find the diminutive dolphin. Just gaze about two fist-widths at arm’s length to the left and a little above Altair to find a skinny, diagonally-oriented diamond that makes up the body of the cute little dolphin. The dolphin’s tail is marked by a star that’s just a little way to the lower right of the diamond.

Even though the five main stars that make up Delphinus are faint and dainty, nothing could be farther from the truth! Each one of those apparently little shiners is much larger and way more powerful than our sun. They kick out so much more light and energy than our home star.

Their faintness in our night sky is simply due to their vast distance. They range from 95 light-years to over 360 light-years away. Just 1 light year, the distance that a beam of light travels in one year’s time, is almost 6 trillion miles!

Throughout the ages, people have used constellations to tell stories tied to local religion or mythology. That’s certainly true of Delphinus.

Many early Hebrew towns saw Delphinus as a whale, reminding them of the Old Testament story of Jonah and the whale. Early Christian settlements saw the little diamond of stars as the Cross of Jesus.

I love the Greek mythology tale about Delphinus. It involves Poseidon, the god of the sea. Like most Greek gods, Poseidon was quite a playboy who really got around in his youth.

After many years he tried to domesticate himself and get married. He set his sights on Amphitrite, one of the many Nereids that occupied his domain. Nereids, or sea nymphs, were like mermaids according to legend. Their mission was to provide safety and protection for sailors and fishermen. Male mariners also found them to be nice eye candy and very entertaining!

Despite Poseidon’s attempted charm and all his wooing, Amphitrite was underwhelmed by his sliminess and avoided him like the plague. She hated the god of the sea.

Poseidon wasn’t about to quit his ill-fated pursuit. His love and lust were on a mission, and, by hook or crook, he was determined to win his prize. How about this for class: he kidnapped Amphitrite and put her in a cage. How about that for charm.

Amphitrite attempted to escape, but one day, when one of Poseidon’s guards opened the door of the cage, she screamed at him at the top of her lungs with such a high pitch that it stunned the guard just long enough for her to slip behind him, swimming her tail off as far as she could. Even after Amphitrite’s great escape, Poseidon didn’t give up. He simply refused to go through life without his favorite sea nymph.

He changed his strategy. Instead of being nasty, he vowed to change his ways and actually become a nice guy. He sent Delphinus, his faithful and magical dolphin, to search for Amphitrite.

Delphinus could not only talk, he was a diplomat as well. He managed to find Amphitrite and persuaded her to give Poseidon a chance. After all Poseidon had done to her this was an incredible change of heart. So, she climbed on Delphinus’s back and rode back to the god of the sea.

They were happily married, and, as a reward, Poseidon placed his faithful dolphin in the heavens as the constellation we still see thousands of years later.

Again, Delphinus the Dolphin is navigating the celestial waters in the early evening southwestern sky. It might take a little work to find the little dolphin of the night sky, but it’s worth it!

Mike Lynch is an amateur astronomer and professional broadcast meteorologist for WCCO Radio in Minneapolis/St. Paul. He is also the author of “Stars: a Month by Month Tour of the Constellations,” published by Adventure Publications and available at bookstores and at adventurepublications.net. Contact him at mikewlynch@comcast.net.