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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Posts Tagged ‘stars’

Sky Tonight—April 23, Two stars lead to

Sky Tonight—April 23, Two stars lead to constellation Hercules

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org The constellation Hercules the Kneeling Giant can be seen ascending in the east-northeast on these spring evenings. Our chart today shows the sky for late night, when all of these objects are well up in the northeastern to eastern sky. The stars Arcturus and Vega can help you identify Hercules, whose most noticeable pattern is a squarish figure in the center of the constellation. This sky pattern, or ... Full Story

Sky Tonight-Feb 26, Epsilon Aurigae, the

Sky Tonight-Feb 26, Epsilon Aurigae, the Charioteer’s distant and mysterious star

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org At early evening, look up high for the brilliant star Capella, the brightest in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer. Close to Capella, note the prominent triangle of starlets called The Kids. Lighting up the apex of this triangle is the star Epsilon Aurigae (Almaaz), one of the most mysterious stars in all the heavens. More on Capella: Golden Goat Star Although Capella looks much brighter than Epsilon, that ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—Feb 25, Scorpius the Scorpion’s

Sky Tonight—Feb 25, Scorpius the Scorpion’s stinger stars an early harbinger of spring

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Will you see the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion’s stinger stars below the waning crescent moon in the cold dawn tomorrow? You will need a clear, unobstructed view to the south to southeast to spot the stinger stars – Shaula and Lesath – flickering by the horizon. If you cannot spot these stars tomorrow, try again in later winter. The stars at the end of the Scorpion’s tail are also known as ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—Feb 24, Moon by Scorpion’s Heart

Sky Tonight—Feb 24, Moon by Scorpion’s Heart before dawn

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Friday morning – an hour or two before sunrise – the moon will shine quite close to the heart star of the constellation Scorpius. Find the rather fat waning crescent moon in the south to southeastern sky. Then look for the nearby reddish star. If you can’t see the sanguine color of the Scorpion’s heart with the eye, try binoculars. That is Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius. This ruddy gem ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—Feb 23, Moon by Scorpion’s Crown

Sky Tonight—Feb 23, Moon by Scorpion’s Crown before tomorrow’s dawn

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Before dawn tomorrow – on Thursday, February 24 – the moon will be near the upper part of the constellation Scorpius. These three stars are sometimes called the Crown of the Scorpion. Scorpius – which now rises in the south-southeastern sky an hour or two after midnight – is the constellation of the Scorpion. Individually, the Crown stars are Graffias, Dschubba, and Pi Scorpii. It is rare when star ... Full Story

Sky Tonight—Feb 22, Stars in the daytime

Sky Tonight—Feb 22, Stars in the daytime

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org People often ask if stars are up there, beyond our blue sky, during the day. The answer is surely yes, because Earth is a planet in space, surrounded on all sides by stars. Here is a view looking southeast at morning in late February or early March. Of course you really cannot see the stars, but they are there. Cool image of daytime moon from December 18, 2010 The constellation behind the sun around now is ... Full Story

EarthSky Tonight—September 6, Star-hop to Sirius

EarthSky Tonight—September 6, Star-hop to Sirius from Orion’s Belt

Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science www.EarthSky.org Sure, we have said it before, but we will say it again, because it is one of the neatest tricks in all the heavens. That is … Orion’s Belt points to Sirius. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky. It is up before dawn now, but will be shifting into the evening sky as the months pass. You can find Orion. Trust me. If you go outside and look southward before dawn now, you will notice Orion’s Belt, which consists of a short, ... Full Story