Posts Tagged ‘Orion’
Sky Tonight—May 1, Star hopping from constellation
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Rebecca wrote, “What is ‘star hopping?’ What does that mean?” Rebecca, amateur astronomers use star hopping to go from stars and constellations they know … to ones they do not know yet. First, look for noticeable patterns on the sky’s dome. One very easy pattern to find at this time of year is the constellation Orion the Hunter. You will find it descending in the west after sunset. Orion is easy to ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—April 25, Orion descends in the west
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org The famous constellation Orion will soon disappear for another season. At this time of year, Orion is descending in the southwest to west in the hours after sunset. This constellation is noticeable for its bright stars and its distinctive pattern on the sky’s dome. Look for three stars in a short, straight row. Also look for Betelgeuse and Rigel, Orion’s brightest stars. If you did not come to know it this ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—April 19, Moon and Scorpion rise after
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Like clockwork, the constellations rise and set 4 minutes earlier with each passing day. Four minutes doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up after a while. For instance, the stars rise and set one half-hour earlier with each passing week, or 2 hours earlier with each passing month. That is six hours difference after one 3-month season. Tonight, the red supergiant star Antares rises in the southeast around ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—March 12, Moon between Capella and
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org The first quarter moon will be shining between two brilliant stars tonight. Capella, the brightest star in the constellation Auriga, will be beaming north of the moon, while Betelgeuse, the star marking the right shoulder in the constellation Orion, will be shining south of the moon. From mid-northern latitudes in Europe and Asia, you will see the moon farther west (right), and closer to the star Aldebaran, than ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—February 14, Blue-white Rigel is at the
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Jupiter is the dazzling object in the west after sunset The three sparkling blue-white stars of Orion’s Belt are easy to spot, even on this moonlit night. As viewed from this hemisphere, this compact line of stars can be found in the south to southeast sky at nightfall. Look in the southern sky at evening and the southwest sky later tonight. Chances are the pattern you will pick out will be Orion! You may ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—February 10, Somber red Betelgeuse
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org At nightfall and early evening, people at mid-northern latitudes see the famous Belt of Orion – three stars in a short, straight row – about halfway between the southern horizon and straight overhead. Later at night, you will find Orion in the southwest. Above Orion’s Belt, you will find one of the sky’s most famous stars, ruddy-hued Betelgeuse. Kids especially like Betelgeuse, because its name sounds ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—January 20, Orion the Hunter easy to
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org The constellation Orion the Hunter is probably the easiest to pick out of all the constellations in the winter sky. It is identifiable by Orion’s Belt, three medium-bright stars in a short, straight row at the mid-section of the Hunter. See these stars? They are easy to spot on the sky’s dome. As seen from mid-northern latitudes, you will find Orion in the southeast at nightfall and shining high in the ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight, December 15: Bellatrix—Orion’s
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org The third-brightest star in Orion, Bellatrix, is often overlooked. Yet, Bellatrix is such a wonderful star. According to Richard Hinckley Allen’s classic book Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning, the Latin name Bellatrix means Female Warrior, which some find odd since the original Arabic title translates as the Conqueror. But women understand. Bellatrix represents Orion’s left shoulder. Although it appears ... Full Story
December 14, Focus on stars Betelgeuse and Rigel in
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Orion the Hunter is one of the most prominent constellations in all the heavens. You cannot fail to spot Orion’s Belt – three medium-bright stars in a short, straight row – if you look eastward in the evening. The magnificent Orion Nebula, or M42, is a fuzzy patch in Orion’s Sword. Most constellations have only one bright star, but Orion has two: Rigel and Betelgeuse. Rigel is Orion’s left foot. A ... Full Story
EarthSky Tonight—December 9, Find Orion the Hunter
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org You can find one of winter’s most famous constellations – Orion the Hunter – plus see the Milky Way tonight. Orion is bright and can be seen from inside smaller cities. For the Milky Way, you will need a dark sky! On these evenings in early to mid-December, the constellation Orion rises over your eastern horizon 2 to 3 hours after sunset. Orion swings south to his highest point around midnight, then sets ... Full Story