In the Sky Tonight

last SG · 2005-08-23T14:26:28+00:00

Spotting the Summer Triangle Wednesday, May 17, 2006 Looking East-Northeast in Late Evening In the east-northeast in late evening, you'll find a famous...

poon cho tang SG

Monday, November 7, 2005

Looking East in Early Evening

Today our planet Earth sweeps between the sun and the red planet Mars. We go between the sun and Mars about every two years. Today's chart shows where to find Mars at sunset tonight in the eastern sky. For all of us, around the globe, it rises within about half an hour of sunset this evening. Why does Mars rise as the sun sets? Think of Earth and Mars in orbit around the sun. Earth is going between Mars and the sun, so the three bodies in space (the sun, us and Mars) are in a line, with Earth in the middle. We're on Earth so we look out into space in one direction to see the sun, and the other direction to see Mars. Thus Mars rises at sunset, and sets at sunrise. You'll see the red planet all night tonight, shining like a brilliant red beacon.

poon cho tang SG

Tuesday, November 8, 2005

Looking Due South to Due West a Couple of Hours After Sunset

Here is a wide view of the sky. You'll need to look both generally southward, a couple of hours after sunset, to see what the ancient stargazers regarded as an "ocean" in the autumn sky. Many of the constellations in this part of the sky are connected with water -- perhaps because the sun was moving through these stars during a rainy season long ago. Many of these constellations are faint, but if you have a dark sky, try to identify Cetus the Whale, Pisces the Fish, Aquarius the Water Carrier and Delphinus the Dolphin. If you don't have a dark sky, you can still see a bright star here, due south of the first quarter moon. It's Fomalhaut in the constellation Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish -- another swimmer in the celestial ocean.

poon cho tang SG

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

Looking South-Southeast Shortly After Sunset

Here is a view of tonights moon near the star Fomalhaut, in the constellation Piscis Austrinus. Today's chart is the view just after sunset -- about an our after sunset, this pair will be in the south, and later in the evening you will find them in the southwest. If you look back at yesterdays chart, you can get a bigger picture perspective of this sky region. Fomalhaut is sometimes called The Lonely One or The Solitary One. It's said to be "lonely" because it's noticeable as the only bright object in an otherwise empty region of the sky. Youll easily find Fomalhaut tonight, because its the closet star to the moon. This is a blue-white star, located only a couple of dozen light-years away. Its one of the easiest stars to find any autumn, because its so bright and so solitary.

poon cho tang SG

Whale constellation near moon tonight

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Looking East-Southeast One to Two Hours After Sunset

Tonight the waxing gibbous moon -- which has both grown thicker and moved eastward in the sky from its yesterday evening appearance -- is currently flanking the legendary constellation Cetus the Whale to the southeast. Flanking Cetus on its eastern side is the red planet Mars, still gloriously bright off its recent opposition with the sun on November 7th. There is a legend in which the princess Andromeda was tied to a rock by the sea and left to be devoured by a sea monster, in punishment for the vanity of her mother Queen Cassiopeia. Cetus is the monster that was supposed to eat her. Personally, we think he's pretty cute. As seen from the northern hemisphere, this constellation arcs across the southeastern sky throughout the evening. Today's chart is set for around 7 p.m. Central Daylight Saving Time, shortly after Cetus has risen above the east-southeastern horizon.

poon cho tang SG

Venus in front of "Teapot"

Friday, November 11, 2005

Looking South-Southwest Shortly After Sunset

Today's chart shows the lower south-southwestern horizon as soon as the sky darkens after sunset. There you will find the planet Venus, the brightest object in our skies (except for the moon, of course.) If you are in a particularly dark location, you may notice a peculiar star pattern surrounding our sister planet. This pattern is known as the Teapot asterism in the constellation Sagittarius. Venus is currently near the star Kaus Borealis, which marks the tip of the Teapot's lid. The star Alnasl marks the Teapot's spout. The star Nunki marks the handle of the Teapot. This asterism is well known to stargazers, but Sagittarius is sometimes difficult to pick out in the sky. It's not that these stars are faint. It's that the Teapot takes a little time to visualize as a teapot. Be patient, though. The Teapot asterism in the constellation Sagittarius is one of the best-known star patterns in the sky.

poon cho tang SG

Queen constellation in northern sky

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Looking North-Northeast at about 9 P.M.

The constellation Cassiopeia is one of the easiest of all star patterns to identify. It can be found high in the north in the evening at this time of year, not far from the North Star. It's easy to recognize because it's small and compact and looks like the letter "M" or "W," depending on what time of night and what time of year it is. We're also showing you Ursa Major in this chart, with its famous Big Dipper asterism. The Dipper and Cassiopeia are like the hands of a clock (except that they move counterclockwise), with the North Star, Polaris, as the pivot point. In other words, the Dipper and Cassiopeia are always opposite each other, as they move around and around the North Star. Those of us in the southern U.S. won't be able to see the Big Dipper, as it is currently below our northern horizon.

poon cho tang SG

Cassiopeia in close view

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Looking North-Northeast at About 9 P.M.

Yesterday we pointed out the constellation Cassiopeia, which is now high in the north in the evening. Here are the names of some bright stars in this constellation. You can look at Jim Kaler's fabulous web site to learn more about Schedar, Caph, Gamma Cassiopeiae, Ruchbah, and Segin. Also, if you have binoculars, be sure to turn them on in this region. Binoculars will reveal many beautiful groupings of stars in this direction of space.

coolger03 SG

eh… today i saw 2 bright spots leh.. one is a smaller orange one near the moon… then got another bigger white one that is much much further away… what are they har??

poon cho tang SG

the orange one could be mars, the bright one shld be venus Laughing

poon cho tang SG

Seven Sisters near the full moon

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Looking East in Early Evening

In todays chart, you can see the brilliant red planet Mars lighting up the east. The moon, which turns full at approximately 8 P.M. EST this evening, has moved eastward in the sky and is now near what looks like a tiny dipper pattern in the sky. This famous mini-dipper pattern is known as M45, or the Pleiades star cluster. This cluster is also known as the Seven Sisters -- although many people see this cluster with the eye alone as six stars. As a consequence, there have been many legends which explain the whereabouts of the lost Pleiad. Professional astronomers have counted more than 200 stars here.

poon cho tang SG

Fiery eye of Bull near moon tonight

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Looking East in Early Evening

Today's chart is once again set in the eastern horizon at early evening, about one hour later than yesterday's chart. You can see the fiery red star Aldebaran to the lower right of the now waning gibbous moon. This star is part of a V-shaped grouping of stars that represent the face of the constellation Taurus the Bull. Aldebaran -- known as the fiery "eye of the Bull" -- is a giant star, some 45 times bigger in diameter than our sun. In other words, if Aldebaran replaced our sun in the solar system, its outer layers would extend halfway to the orbit of the innermost planet in our sun's family, Mercury. Another fiery red object is up high in the east at this time-- the planet Mars. Skywatchers should have no problems telling the red planet Mars from the red star Aldebaran -- Mars is the really bright one!

poon cho tang SG

Red planet, Pleiades dipper in east

November evenings, 2005

Looking East in Early Evening

We continue with our highlight on the planet Mars. You can still see the brilliant red planet lighting up the east. This planet is easily visible any evening in the east this month. You can also find a famous star cluster up in the east with Mars each evening this month -- the Pleiades star cluster, also known as M45. This cluster has six easily visible stars that form a shape like a tiny dipper. In fact, skywatchers have often commented on the fact that M45 looks more like a dipper than the legendary Big Dipper asterism of the constellation Ursa Major.

poon cho tang SG

Dragon in northern skies this month

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Looking North-Northwest at About 9 P.M.

There's a constellation in the northern sky now that you shouldn't overlook -- the constellation Draco the Dragon. You might notice the two stars in the Dragon's head, Rastaban and Eltanin, when looking at the bright blue star Vega in the constellation Lyra. Draco is a circumpolar constellation as seen from northerly latitudes. In other words, like the constellation Cassiopeia (also up in the northern sky this month), it circles around and around the North Star, Polaris. Another noteworthy star in Draco is Thuban, which is not so noticeable in the evening at this time of year. It's an interesting star because -- around 3000 B.C. -- Thuban used to be a North Star.

poon cho tang SG

Predawn moon near Saturn, Twins

Monday, November 21, 2005

Looking Southwest One - Two Hours Before Dawn

Tomorrow morning before sunup, the waning gibbous moon can be found in the southwestern horizon, along with a beautiful and prominent Y- shaped pattern of stars. To the lower right of the moon are two stars noticeable because of their close proximity to one another -- the twin stars Castor and Pollux of the constellation Gemini. To the left of the moon, and just about the same magnitude as the Twins, is the planet Saturn. If your gaze falls to a very bright star low in the southwest, it is the bright, and famous dog star -- Sirius of the constellation Canis Major. Almost directly between Sirius and the moon is the smaller, less-known dog star Procyon from the constellation Canis Minor.

poon cho tang SG

Saturn goes "retro" tomorrow

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Looking Southwest One - Two Hours Before Dawn

Today's chart is set for tomorrow morning at about the same time and place as yesterday's chart. The planet Saturn is now about 4 degrees to the lower right of the moon, and the lovely sky pattern actually looks even more like a "Y" than this morning's appearance did. Saturn, like all the planets in our solar system, can be found along a specific pathway in our skies known as the "ecliptic" (marked in pink on today's chart.) This pathway is also the tract that the sun and moon take as they rise and set in our skies. The normal movement for planets in our sky is eastward along this line. Starting tomorrow, however, Saturn will appear to move westward on this line -- an apparent backward motion. This westward movement of planets in relation to other objects in our skies is known as a "retrograde motion." Of course, Saturn hasn't really changed the direction of the orbit. The cause of this temporary planetary backward apparent motion became apparent when the geocentric model of the universe was scrapped in favor of the heliocentric model.

poon cho tang SG

Lion near moon early tomorrow

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Looking Southeast One Hour Before Sunrise

Here is a view of the moon before dawn tomorrow -- now in front of the constellation Leo the Lion. It's brightest star is Regulus, a blue-white star that is some 140 times brighter than our sun and is located approximately 85 light-years away. Regulus is located at the bottom tip of a noticeable pattern within Leo -- an "asterism" called The Sickle -- which appears on our sky's dome as a backwards question mark. In ancient skylore, this Sickle pattern represents the head and shoulders of the Lion, with Regulus in particular signifying the "heart of the Lion."

poon cho tang SG

First quarter moon, Lion myths

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Looking Southeast One Hour Before Sunrise

Tomorrow mornings first quarter moon looks half-illuminated, and some people will call it a "half moon." Remember that, from Earth's surface, we can see only half of the moon's globe at any one time -- so part of the moon that looks half lighted to us tonight is really only a quarter of the whole round globe of the moon. Todays chart is the same time and place as yesterdays, and now shows the moon perched under the constellation Leo the Lion. Now that the moon has moved below the constellation, you can better picture the lion shape of Leo -- the sickle-shaped asterism that looks like a backwards question mark is the lions head, and the triangle on the left end of the constellation is the lions hind legs. There are many myths behind the constellation Leo. One account says that Zeus placed it among the stars simply to honor the animal as the king of all beasts. Another account says that it represents the first labor of Heracles, who sought fame and glory through acts of courage. In this labor, he killed a lion by strangling it with his bear hands.

poon cho tang SG

Sister planet points to Summer Triangle

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Looking West-Southwest Shortly After Sunset

There are 88 "official" constellations, whose boundaries were drawn by the International Astronomical Union in the first part of the 20th century. But there are also "asterisms" -- not official constellations -- simply star patterns, which have endured because they're so noticeable. One of the most prominent asterisms visible during the Northern Hemisphere summer months is called the Summer Triangle. It consists of three bright stars in three different constellations -- Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp, Deneb in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, and Altair in the constellation Aquila the Eagle. Those of us in the north can see it now, high in the west-southwestern sky. It's big, so don't look for a tiny pattern. You can use our sky's brightest object, the planet Venus, to help you find the star Altair. Altair, now located to the upper right of Venus, can be recognized because of the company it keeps: there's a dimmer star on either side of bright Altair.

WiNtEr'SkiLL SG

oo Mr. Green

poon cho tang SG

Dark side of moon

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Looking Southeast One Hour Before Sunrise

Here is tonight's waning crescent moon. It's now underneath the constellation Leo the Lion. Many people write to ask about the fact that, from Earth, we see only one side of the moon. The moon rotates about once a month, in contrast to the once-a-day rotation of our own planet Earth. It's the moon's monthly rotation that keeps us from seeing the back side of the moon. It spins once in the same amount of time it takes to orbit Earth, which is why we don't see the moon's back side. And it's no coincidence -- over the long history of our solar system, Earth's stronger gravity locked onto the moon and forced it into the one-sided relationship we see today. Other moons in the solar system share this property. In fact, nearly all the known moons of planets in our solar system are gravitationally locked with respect to their planets. Nearly all of them keep a single face toward the planet around which they orbit.

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