Binoculars will show M31 just off the knee of the Andromeda constellation's stick figure see the big evening constellation chart in the center of Sky & Telescope. The exact time depends on your longitude. ![]() ■ This is the time of year when M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, passes your zenith soon after dark (if you live in the mid-northern latitudes). In December, springtime Spica is having its advance pre-dawn showing. If you're awake before the first light of dawn on Sunday morning the 18th, look southeast for the crescent Moon above Spica. Sirius is bright enough to show these effects well, especially with binoculars. When a star is very low it tends to twinkle slowly, and often in vivid colors. You’re not likely to mistake them the second-magnitude Announcer is only a twentieth as bright as the king star soon to make his entry. Its name means “the Announcer,” and what Mirzam announces is Sirius. now, depending on your location.Ībout 15 minutes before Sirius-rise, a lesser star comes up barely to the right of there: Beta Canis Majoris or Mirzam. ■ Have you ever watched a Sirius-rise? Find an open view right down to the east-southeast horizon, and watch for Sirius to come up about two fists below Orion's vertical belt. At least it gets high in good telescopic view earlier in the night now. Although Mars is starting to fade and shrink it's still brighter than Sirius, the brightest star. But with sharper eyesight, a good dark sky, and a steady gaze, you may make out 8 or 9. ![]() Most people with good vision can count those 6. How many Pleiads can you count with your unaided eye? Take your time and keep looking. Its six brightest stars form a miniature dipper standing on its handle. It's the size of your fingertip at arm's length. ■ The little Pleiades cluster shines high in the southeast after dinnertime, upper right of Mars by about a fist at arm's length, as shown below.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |