Eyes to the Sky
This is the time of year when some of the loveliest constellations of the year show up in the nighttime sky. For many years I’ve shared those with family and friends via a star chart called the “Annual Family Stargaze”. This year, I’m sharing it online so all my world wide group of friends and family can enjoy it. I’ve chosen a constellation that can be seen from pretty much anywhere in the world, although my friends in the far south will see it in a different rotation than it is in this image.
The most recognizable pattern of stars is in the middle—it’s the constellation Orion, the Hunter (oh-RYE-unn). The bright orange-red star in his shoulder is Betelgeuse (BEH-tell-jooze, although some say BEE-tell-juice)). His lower right knee (as we look at it) is called Rigel (RYE-jell). The three stars in a row mark his belt and point directly down to Sirius (SEER-ee-uss), which is the brightest star in our nighttime sky. Sirius is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (KAY-niss Major), the Great Dog. Below him is the star Canopus (Kan-OH-puss), visible to our more southerly family and friends. Just above Sirius is the bright star Procyon (PRO-see-onn), which is the brightest star in the tiny constellation of Canis Minor (CAY-niss Minor), the little dog. Above Orion is the constellation Taurus, the Bull (TAW-russ). You can make out the Vee-shaped face of the bull, with the bright star Aldebaran (al-DEB-ah-ron) as his eye. The V-shape is a cluster called the Hyades (HIGH-uh-deeze). Riding in the sky above the Bull’s back is the small star cluster called the Pleiades (PLEE-uh-deeze).
To the left of Taurus is the constellation Gemini (JEM-en-eye), with the bright planet Jupiter smack in the middle of it. The two stars to the upper left of Jupiter are Castor and Pollux (CASS-tore and PAHL-ucks), the heads of the twins that make up Gemini.
I hope that your weather will permit you to step outside tonight (or any nights during the holidays) to check out the stars. Dress for the weather, of course. Enjoy the sky, contemplate the peace stargazing can bring to your soul, and enjoy!
Happy Holidays (whatever you celebrate at this time of year)!