It’s time to get out and enjoy the beauty of the autumn night sky. We’re entering prime time for stargazing, when nights are longer and skies are generally more transparent, thanks to lower humidity.
This month, in the west, there are still a few remnants of summer stars. The Summer Triangle is high above the western horizon with three bright stars from three constellations: Vega (the brightest of the bunch) in the constellation Lyra, the harp; Altair in Aquila, the eagle; and Deneb in Cygnus, the swan.
Cygnus is also known as the Northern Cross. Deneb is at the top of the cross, and below it three dimmer stars make up the crosspiece. A short distance below the crosspiece is Albireo, an equally bright star at the foot of the cross.
Look at Albireo with binoculars or a small telescope and you’ll see that Albireo is actually a double star. One star is gold, the other is blue. The stars look like they are next to each other, but many astronomers believe they are separated by about one light-year, the equivalent of about 6 trillion miles. Some astronomers believe Albireo is a binary system, in which two stars orbit one another in a period of about 100,000 years.
In the northwest, the Big Dipper is upright and riding low. In fact, it’s getting so low that it’s hard to see if you have a high tree line. The Big Dipper is the most recognizable star pattern, but it’s technically not a constellation. It’s the rear end and the tail of the constellation Ursa Major, the big bear. It’s also the brightest part of the bear.
One of my favorite star stories involves the big bear and the nearby constellation Bootes, the hunting farmer. At this time of year, Bootes is only partially visible above the northwest horizon. But Bootes has been hunting the bear all summer, and he has finally hit the beast, causing it to fall so low in the sky. The big bear is bleeding and as the blood falls to Earth, it splatters the trees and bushes, turning them red, just in time for fall.
In the east, the constellation Pegasus, the winged horse, is on the rise. Look for a giant diamond of stars. Just to the upper left of Pegasus is the Andromeda Galaxy, next-door neighbor to our Milky Way Galaxy, nearly 2.5 million light-years away.
In early October, Saturn will pop out in the later part of twilight very low in the southwestern sky and vanish shortly after darkness sets in. Because it’s so close to the horizon, it will be super blurry. By the end of the month, it will already be below the horizon by sunset.
CELESTIAL HUGS
Later this week in the early-morning eastern sky about an hour before morning twilight, the waning crescent moon will pass by the closely aligned planets Venus, Mars and Jupiter in the constellation Leo, the lion.
CLASSES
Mike Lynch Minnesota/Wisconsin Starwatch programs will be held from:
— 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, in Orono. For information, call 952-449-8350 or go to orono.ce.feepay.com.
— 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, in Prior Lake. For information and reservations, call 952-226-0080 or go to priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us/community/index.aspx.
— 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Wescott Library in Eagan. For information, call 651-450-2900 or go to www.co.dakota.mn.us/libraries/HoursLocations/Wescott/Pages/default.aspx.
— 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at the town hall in Cokato, Minn. For information and reservations, call 320-286-4120 or go to www.dc.k12.mn.us/commed.
Mike Lynch is an amateur astronomer, professional broadcast meteorologist for WCCO Radio in Minne-apolis and St. Paul and author of “Stars, a Month by Month Tour of the Constellations” (Adventure Publications, adventurepublica tions.net). Write to him at mikewlynch@comcast.net. Visit his website at facebook.com/mike.lynch.12327.
