UPDATE:  SOLVED by Sean at 12:26 CDT

Ah, Saturday!  Are you ready to be amazed and amused?  Or are you just bored and paging through your bookmarked websites?  Either way, wake up those brain cells!

It’s time to run down the riddle rules again, for those of you just entering the fray.  The riddle answer can be an object or an event, but you will always be told which one you’re looking for.  The answer will be something well-known; something you grew up with; and something related to astronomy (always!).  You post your guesses in the comment section, where I am lurking.  The riddle posts every Saturday at noon CDT.  The winner becomes eligible to participate in the bonus riddle, and also gets to choose the subject of my next post (must be researchable, must be about astronomy), usually published the following Monday.

And now, for the clues:

The answer today is referred to as one “thing”, but it is composed of many parts.

It is known the world over.

Our ancestors knew it.

It is very well represented in ancient texts; among other writings it’s mentioned in the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Odes, the Aeneid, and the Bible.

It makes its way into modern fiction, also.

Parts of today’s subject are better known than others.  It would be fair to say that portions of it are recognized by almost everyone on Earth, while other portions are bordering on being completely unknown.

It is a well-known reference point.

One portion of today’s object is a beautiful time-bomb – that may have already detonated.

It is associated with an asterism which also has ancient and modern references.

You probably think of today’s object every year around October.

That should do it.  I’m waiting in the comment section… lurking… creeping quietly about…

BOO!  Ha ha!  Scared ya’, didn’t I?

A Spider Picture Just For Trudy