Saturday: “You know Aries and Cancer and Draco and Libra. Leo and Pisces and Virgo and Hydra. But, do you recall, the pointiest asterism of all? Triangulum, the three sided asterism, had a very pointy edge….” Sorry. Some stores have started putting up their Christmas decorations and that put me in the mood. Anyway, Triangulum is a small constellation between the more prominent Andromeda and Aries. Its main feature is a skinny triangle oriented parallel to and nearly four fists held upright and at arm’s length above the east horizon at 10 p.m.
Sunday: Did you time the exact length of the day and night last Tuesday on the first day of autumn? They were not equal in duration. Many people think that the day and night are the same duration on the autumnal equinox. The day is a little longer than the night for two reasons. First, the Sun is an extended object so even when the middle part has set, the upper half is still above the horizon lighting the sky. The second, and more influential reason, is that the atmosphere acts like a lens, bending light from the Sun above the horizon when the Sun is really still below the horizon. Day and night are closest in duration today.
Monday: The International Year of Astronomy (IYA) is winding down. But the size of the objects being featured is not getting any smaller. This month’s Go Observe is the Andromeda Galaxy. On Saturday, I had you look for Triangulum. About one fist above Triangulum is a star twice as bright as the brightest star in Triangulum. From that star, hop about a half a fist up to a star that is about one fourth as bright as the bright star you just found. Less than another half fist in the same direction is a fuzzy oval patch of light called the Andromeda Galaxy. The galaxy is impressive to see in binoculars. It consists of about 400 billion stars and is 2.2 million light years away. For more information about the Andromeda Galaxy, go to http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/observe.htm and click on October.
Tuesday: Jupiter is less than a half a fist to the lower right of the Moon at 9 p.m. Just to the lower left of Jupiter is the star iota Capricorni, a star a little bit larger than our Sun.
Wednesday: Astronomers, philosophers, and smart children have been contemplating the fate of the universe for centuries. Galileo did not start that trend. But by turning his telescope toward the night sky, he opened a new source of evidence for determining that fate. To honor Galileo’s contribution to this question, the IYA Hot Topic for October is “What is the fate of the universe?”. For more information, go to http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/topics.htm and click on October.
Thursday: Mars is five and a half fists above the southeast horizon and Venus is one fist above the east horizon at 6 a.m.
Friday: Since Halloween is coming up, the stores are filled with bags of candy clusters. Instead, take time to look at a star cluster. The Hyades cluster is an open star cluster that represents the V-shaped face of Taurus the bull. It is one of the biggest and nearest star clusters with about 200 stars 150 light years away. The Hyades cluster was the first cluster to be the subject of detailed motion studies. These studies allowed astronomers to pinpoint the distance to the Hyades and provide important information about the scale of the universe. Aldebaran, one fist above the east horizon at 11 p.m., is a foreground star and not a part of the Hyades cluster.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 9/19/09
Saturday: Last Saturday, I gave you a very brief overview of how to use the Big Dipper as a clock. But, my explanation was helpful only for a late evening in the autumn or spring. Some of you go out other times of the year and need a way to tell time then. First, find the two stars at the far end of the Big Dipper cup, the stars that do not touch the handle. Draw an imaginary line segment starting at the North Star and passing through the two Big Dipper cup stars. Now, draw a big circle around the North Star. Your circle is a 24-hour clock. Number the circle from 0 hours at the top, counterclockwise to 12 hours at the bottom of the circle, and back up to 24 hours at the top. (O hours and 24 hours are the same on this clock because the day is 24 hours long.) The hour number on the big circle closest to where your imaginary line intersects this circle is called your raw time. Due to the location of the Big Dipper compared to the rest of the stars, the time nearest the intersection (the raw time) is correct for March 6. For any other night, subtract two times the number of months the current date is after March 6 from the raw time. For example, let’s say the imaginary line between the North Star and the Dipper stars is pointed to the right. That means the raw time is 18 hours or 6 p.m. If you made this observation on October 6, which is seven months after March 6, you would subtract two times seven or 14 hours from the raw time. Thus, the time for November 6 is 18 hours minus 14 hours or 4 hours. In other words, 4 a.m. Don’t forget to convert for daylight savings time if needed. For a more complete set of instructions, go to http://prdupl02.ynet.co.il/ForumFiles_2/24505461.pdf. There is a simple “star clock” template and instructions at http://www.skyandtelescope.com/letsgo/familyfun/Make_a_Star_Clock.html. Use this paper star clock whenever you watch is broken.
Sunday: Leo the lion will appear to have two hearts for the next few mornings. Venus will be alongside Regulus, the bright star in the constellation that represents the heart of Leo. They are a fist and a half held upright and at arm’s length above due east at 6 a.m. Regulus is less than a pencil thickness to the right of the much brighter Venus this morning and they’ll remain close all week.
Monday: Let me tell you the story of the ghostly white figure that rises early in the morning around Halloween. It appears to be a huge dim glow of white light that rises up from the east in the pre-dawn sky. No, I’m not writing about the ROTC student who has her first early morning physical training. I’m describing an effect called the zodiacal light. This light comes from sunlight reflecting off dust grains in our solar system. The effect is the most visible when the band of constellations called the zodiac makes a steep angle with the horizon. You need a clear sky with no haze or light pollution to see the zodiacal light. At its brightest, the zodiacal light rivals the light of the central Milky Way. It is visible for the next few mornings.
Tuesday: The “twos” have it. At precisely 2:22 p.m. today, Twosday the 22nd, the center of the Sun crosses the celestial equator and passes into the southern sky. The celestial equator is an imaginary line that divides the sky into a northern and southern half. When the Sun is in the southern half of the sky, it appears to take a shorter path from rising to setting. It also does not get as high in the sky at noon. This leads to shorter days and longer nights. Since the Sun crosses the celestial equator today, there is an instant when it is equally in the northern and southern sky, called the north and south celestial hemispheres. This so-called “equal night” is given by the Latin word equinox. Thus, today is known as the Autumnal Equinox. However, the day and night are not of equal duration today. The sun rises at 6:45 a.m. and sets at 7:03 p.m. Day and night are of equal duration this Sunday.
Wednesday: Star light, star bright, the last star I see with mourning. How I wish with all my might, college didn’t start this morning. You may be making that wish on the star Capella, a tightly bound pair of yellow giants in the constellation Auriga. Capella is straight over head at 6:15 a.m.
Thursday: Jupiter is two and a half fists above the south-southeast horizon at 9 p.m.
Friday: If you are a late night person, you will see Mars one fist above the east-northeast horizon at 1:30 a.m. If you are an early morning person, you will see Mars five fists above the southeast horizon at 6 a.m.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Sunday: Leo the lion will appear to have two hearts for the next few mornings. Venus will be alongside Regulus, the bright star in the constellation that represents the heart of Leo. They are a fist and a half held upright and at arm’s length above due east at 6 a.m. Regulus is less than a pencil thickness to the right of the much brighter Venus this morning and they’ll remain close all week.
Monday: Let me tell you the story of the ghostly white figure that rises early in the morning around Halloween. It appears to be a huge dim glow of white light that rises up from the east in the pre-dawn sky. No, I’m not writing about the ROTC student who has her first early morning physical training. I’m describing an effect called the zodiacal light. This light comes from sunlight reflecting off dust grains in our solar system. The effect is the most visible when the band of constellations called the zodiac makes a steep angle with the horizon. You need a clear sky with no haze or light pollution to see the zodiacal light. At its brightest, the zodiacal light rivals the light of the central Milky Way. It is visible for the next few mornings.
Tuesday: The “twos” have it. At precisely 2:22 p.m. today, Twosday the 22nd, the center of the Sun crosses the celestial equator and passes into the southern sky. The celestial equator is an imaginary line that divides the sky into a northern and southern half. When the Sun is in the southern half of the sky, it appears to take a shorter path from rising to setting. It also does not get as high in the sky at noon. This leads to shorter days and longer nights. Since the Sun crosses the celestial equator today, there is an instant when it is equally in the northern and southern sky, called the north and south celestial hemispheres. This so-called “equal night” is given by the Latin word equinox. Thus, today is known as the Autumnal Equinox. However, the day and night are not of equal duration today. The sun rises at 6:45 a.m. and sets at 7:03 p.m. Day and night are of equal duration this Sunday.
Wednesday: Star light, star bright, the last star I see with mourning. How I wish with all my might, college didn’t start this morning. You may be making that wish on the star Capella, a tightly bound pair of yellow giants in the constellation Auriga. Capella is straight over head at 6:15 a.m.
Thursday: Jupiter is two and a half fists above the south-southeast horizon at 9 p.m.
Friday: If you are a late night person, you will see Mars one fist above the east-northeast horizon at 1:30 a.m. If you are an early morning person, you will see Mars five fists above the southeast horizon at 6 a.m.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 9/12/09
Saturday: You can use the position of the Big Dipper as a clock. During the late evening in the autumn, the Big Dipper cup is facing up to hold water. During the late evening in the spring, the Big Dipper cup is facing down to produce those spring showers. The water-holding Big Dipper is one fist held upright and at arm’s length above the north horizon at 11 p.m.
Sunday: This morning, the Moon starts a week of close encounters in the morning sky. At 6 a.m., Mars is a finger width below the Moon. They are even closer in the sky as viewed from Greenland and Lapland. (Yes, Lapland – look it up.) Residents there will see the Moon block, or occult, Mars. Of course, you have to hang out close together up there because it can be so cold.
Monday: Jupiter is two and a half fists above the south-southeast horizon at 10 p.m.
Tuesday: Look out moon! Don’t get stung. The Beehive Cluster, an open star cluster in the constellation Cancer the crab, is about a finger’s width to the upper left of the Moon. They are two fists above the east horizon at 5 a.m.
Wednesday: After surviving a bee scare yesterday morning, this morning the Moon gets close to something far more vexing yet potentially magnificent - a goddess. Venus, the Roman goddess of love, is about a finger’s width to the left of the Moon at 6 a.m.
Thursday: Conjunction junction, what’s your function? Saturn is in conjunction with the Sun today. That does not mean Saturn and the Sun are connected with an “and”. It means that Saturn AND the Sun share the same sky longitude, called Right Ascension. (I guess they are connected with an “and”.) Today Saturn is behind the Sun as viewed from Earth but a little bit above the Sun. That means if someone could turn off the Sun light at 11:00 a.m., you would be able to see Saturn about a finger width above the Sun. Thus, Saturn is impossible to see in backyard telescopes. It will not be easily visible until late next month.
Friday: Tonight’s Moon is new. Don’t bother looking for it. The new moon is the phase where the Moon is directly between the Earth and the Sun. Hence the side of the Moon facing Earth is not receiving any sunlight and cannot be seen. Even there was a giant, well-lit base on the Moon; you still could not see it. The new Moon is nearly in line with the Sun so the glare and illuminated blue sky would overwhelm the hypothetical moon base light.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Sunday: This morning, the Moon starts a week of close encounters in the morning sky. At 6 a.m., Mars is a finger width below the Moon. They are even closer in the sky as viewed from Greenland and Lapland. (Yes, Lapland – look it up.) Residents there will see the Moon block, or occult, Mars. Of course, you have to hang out close together up there because it can be so cold.
Monday: Jupiter is two and a half fists above the south-southeast horizon at 10 p.m.
Tuesday: Look out moon! Don’t get stung. The Beehive Cluster, an open star cluster in the constellation Cancer the crab, is about a finger’s width to the upper left of the Moon. They are two fists above the east horizon at 5 a.m.
Wednesday: After surviving a bee scare yesterday morning, this morning the Moon gets close to something far more vexing yet potentially magnificent - a goddess. Venus, the Roman goddess of love, is about a finger’s width to the left of the Moon at 6 a.m.
Thursday: Conjunction junction, what’s your function? Saturn is in conjunction with the Sun today. That does not mean Saturn and the Sun are connected with an “and”. It means that Saturn AND the Sun share the same sky longitude, called Right Ascension. (I guess they are connected with an “and”.) Today Saturn is behind the Sun as viewed from Earth but a little bit above the Sun. That means if someone could turn off the Sun light at 11:00 a.m., you would be able to see Saturn about a finger width above the Sun. Thus, Saturn is impossible to see in backyard telescopes. It will not be easily visible until late next month.
Friday: Tonight’s Moon is new. Don’t bother looking for it. The new moon is the phase where the Moon is directly between the Earth and the Sun. Hence the side of the Moon facing Earth is not receiving any sunlight and cannot be seen. Even there was a giant, well-lit base on the Moon; you still could not see it. The new Moon is nearly in line with the Sun so the glare and illuminated blue sky would overwhelm the hypothetical moon base light.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Friday, September 4, 2009
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 9/5/09
Saturday: Geometry review: part 2. School starts this week so it is time to continue our little geometry review from last week. (What? You forgot last week’s lesson? Well, go to the litter box, dig out last Saturday’s paper and review it.) Go outside at 10 p.m. tonight with notebook in hand. Ready? A square is a quadrilateral with four sides of equal length and four right angle corners. A good example in the sky is the Great Square, an asterism (group of stars) consisting of three stars from the constellation Pegasus and one star from the constellation Andromeda. At 9 p.m., the bottom of the Great Square is two fists held upright and at arm’s length above due east.
Sunday: Jupiter is two and a half fists above the south-southeast horizon at 10 p.m.
Monday: Fomalhaut, the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus, is one fist above the south-southeast horizon at 11 pm. It is the southernmost bright star visible from Ellensburg.
Tuesday: Venus is two fists above due east and Mars is five fists above the east-southeast horizon at 6 a.m.
Wednesday: The moon is spending a fun-filled Friday night with seven sisters. (Don’t tell Mrs. Moon.) At 11 p.m., the open star cluster called the Pleiades, or the seven sisters, is less than one fist to the lower left of the moon. They get closer as the night goes on. By sunrise, they are less than pinky width apart. Expect the moon to sleep on the couch tomorrow night.
Thursday: The calendar says summer is nearing an end. School starting tomorrow says summer is nearing an end. The summer triangle in the sky begs to differ as it is still high in the sky. Vega, the brightest star in the triangle, is a little bit west of straight overhead. Deneb is a little bit east of straight overhead and Altair is five fists above the south horizon.
Friday: Tonight’s last quarter moon is in the constellation Taurus the bull.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Sunday: Jupiter is two and a half fists above the south-southeast horizon at 10 p.m.
Monday: Fomalhaut, the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus, is one fist above the south-southeast horizon at 11 pm. It is the southernmost bright star visible from Ellensburg.
Tuesday: Venus is two fists above due east and Mars is five fists above the east-southeast horizon at 6 a.m.
Wednesday: The moon is spending a fun-filled Friday night with seven sisters. (Don’t tell Mrs. Moon.) At 11 p.m., the open star cluster called the Pleiades, or the seven sisters, is less than one fist to the lower left of the moon. They get closer as the night goes on. By sunrise, they are less than pinky width apart. Expect the moon to sleep on the couch tomorrow night.
Thursday: The calendar says summer is nearing an end. School starting tomorrow says summer is nearing an end. The summer triangle in the sky begs to differ as it is still high in the sky. Vega, the brightest star in the triangle, is a little bit west of straight overhead. Deneb is a little bit east of straight overhead and Altair is five fists above the south horizon.
Friday: Tonight’s last quarter moon is in the constellation Taurus the bull.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
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