Posts Tagged ‘Sirius’
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—March 13, Moon shines in front of Winter
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org As seen tonight from all over the world, the moon passes right in front of the great big loop of stars known to northern hemisphere residents as the Winter Circle or the Winter Hexagon. This huge star formation makes even the constellation Orion the Hunter look small. Orion sits in the southwest (lower right) corner of the Winter Circle. The Winter Circle is an asterism – a group of stars that is NOT a ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—March 4, Bright star Arcturus is a
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org The gloriously bright star Arcturus rises into your east-northeastern sky around 9 p.m. tonight. This yellow-orange beauty – like any brilliant star – sparkles wildly when it hovers near the horizon. Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation Bootes, which represents a Herdsman – though to our modern eyes, this star formation might look more like a kite or snow cone. Arcturus is the fourth brightest ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—Feb 19, The Hare and the Dove below the
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org If you look south around 8 p.m., you will easily notice a short, straight row of three medium bright stars. These stars represent the Belt of Orion the Hunter. Also, notice the star Sirius. Sirius: Dog Star and brightest star On old sky maps, the mighty Hunter of the ancient myths is seen poised with an upraised club and shield, as though fending off the raging Bull, Taurus. Jupiter is the bright object in the ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—February 13, Moon points the way to
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Tonight’s waxing gibbous moon resides inside the Winter Circle – an incredibly large star configuration made of six brilliant winter stars. Be sure to notice the variety in the colors of these stars. The Winter Circle – sometimes called the Winter Hexagon – is not one of the 88 recognized constellations. Rather, it is an asterism – a pattern of stars that is easy to recognize. Our sky chart cannot ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—February 1, For those at southerly
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Here is a star that northern stargazers rarely see. It is Canopus, and it is the second-brightest star in the entire sky. You will not see this star from the northern U.S. or similar latitudes. However, northern skywatchers who travel south in winter – or people in latitudes like those in the southern U.S. – enjoy watching this star. You can always find Canopus by first locating Sirius, the sky’s brightest ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—January 21, Identify the Winter Circle
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Tonight’s chart covers a wider area of sky than what we typically show. It is in answer to a reader in Nashville, who wrote, I have heard mention of the Winter Circle of Stars. Could you list the stars in this circle? You will find these stars at this time of year by looking east-southeast at early to mid evening. Again, this is a large pattern and covers a wide area of sky, but as always, it is easiest to start ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—January 11,Two stars flag sun’s path
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org You can use the brilliant star Sirius – and the star Vega – to imagine the direction our sun and solar system are traveling through space. The sun in its orbit is traveling away from Sirus and toward the star Vega. Although we could not fit them both on one chart, Vega shines over your northwestern horizon, opposite Sirius, at nightfall at this time of year. If you stand outside in early evening with your back ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—January 6, Use bright stars to find
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org You will need a very dark sky to see the constellation Monoceros the Unicorn on these cold January nights. How can you find the Unicorn? Focus in on the bright stars Betelgeuse, Sirius and Procyon. They make a triangle, sometimes called the Winter Triangle. Within this triangle of stars, hidden in between the many bright and glittering stars and constellations visible at this time of year, there is a ... Full Story
Sky Tonight—December 31, See brightest star at
Courtesy of EarthSky A Clear Voice for Science Visit EarthSky at www.EarthSky.org Sirius in the constellation Canis Major – the legendary Dog Star – should be called the New Year’s star. This star – the brightest star in our sky – celebrates 2011 and every new year by reaching its highest point in the sky around the stroke of midnight. How can you find Sirius? It is easy because this star is the brightest one we see from Earth. Its name means ‘Sparkling’ or ‘Scorching.’ In ... Full Story