Saturday: In 1979, the group Foreigner recorded the song “Head Games”. They could have been singing about the constellations Hercules and Ophiuchus when they said “head games, it’s just you and me baby, head games, I can’t take it anymore” because the heads of these two constellations have been right next to each other in the nighttime sky for all of human history. And just to make it easy for you, a star that bears an Arabic name that means “the head” represents each head. In Hercules, it's Ras Algethi (head of the kneeler); in Ophiuchus, Ras Alhague (head of the serpent charmer). At 11:00 p.m., Ras Alhague, the brighter of the two, is about three fists held upright and at arm’s length above the east-southeastern horizon. Ras Algethi is about a half a fist to the upper right of Ras Alhague.
Sunday: Are you thirsty? I'll wait while you get some water.
I will NOT wait while Corvus the crow gets you some water. The Greco-Roman god
Apollo made this mistake. He sent Corvus the crow to get some water in the cup
known as Crater. Some figs distracted Corvus and he waited for them to ripen so
he could eat them. When Corvus got back late, Apollo put Corvus and Crater in
the sky with the gently tipping cup just out of the reach of the perpetually
thirsty crow. Corvus is a trapezoid-shaped constellation about two fists above
due south at 9:30 p.m. Crater is just to the right of Corvus.
Monday: Venus is about a thumb’s width below the moon at
10:00 p.m., one fist above the west-northwestern horizon. When a bright planet
is close to the moon in the sky, it is a tempting target to be seen when the
Sun is out. “WHAT?!” you say. “Can I really see a planet when the Sun is out?”
The brightest planets can be seen during the day with binoculars. The key is
knowing where to look. Since you can easily find the moon during the days when
it is out, use the moon to find Venus. First find the moon at 7:00 p.m., four
fists above due west. Then get the moon in the center of your binocular field
of view. Next move your binoculars a little to the lower left of the moon so
find Venus. Finally, lower your binoculars and look in the same location.
Tuesday: Today is International Museum Day. You can read
more about the day here: https://icom.museum/en/international-museum-day-2/.
Even better, visit a museum instead. One of my favorite astronomy locations is
the Goldendale Observatory in Goldendale, WA. Plan your visit at: https://www.goldendaleobservatory.com.
Wednesday: Are you thirsty when you get up in the morning? I
know you are not waiting for Corvus. That’s okay because the Big Dipper is
positioned to hold water in the morning sky. Look three fists above the
northwest horizon at 4:30 a.m. You’ll see three stars that make a bent handle
and four stars that make a cup. This is the Big Dipper.
Thursday: Jupiter is two fists above the western horizon at
10:00 p.m.
Friday: Regulus is about a finger’s width to the upper left
of the moon, four fists above the west-southwestern horizon at 10:00 p.m.
The positional information in this column about stars and
planets is typically accurate for the entire week. For up-to-date information
about the night sky, go to https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/planner.cfm.
All times are Pacific Time unless noted.
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