Get Acquainted with the Night Sky

One of our yearly traditions at TheSpacewriter’s place is to send out holiday letters bringing our family and friends up to date on our lives. In keeping with our love of astronomy, we always include a little star chart on the back of the letter so that our BFFs can participate in what we always think of as the “Great Annual Family (and Friends) Star Party.”  This year is no different — the letters went out last week and we’re hoping that sometime in the next week or so, all our buds can go out and check out the sky.  I thought that I’d share it with all of my blog readers, too.  Whether you’re a grizzled stargazing veteran or a first-timer, there’s something here for you to look at.

First, here’s the chart. Feel free to download it and look at it on your computer. I made it using  TheSky, by Software Bisque.

Next, the tour.  To see this scene, go out around 9:30 p.m. (2130 hours) and face south.  (Be sure and dress warmly even if you live somewhere warm — nights can get chilly anywhere!) You should be able to see the stars of the constellation Orion, the Hunter. The star Betelgeuse makes his upper left shoulder, and the bright star Rigel is his lower right knee.  There are three bright stars slanting through the middle of the constellation. These are the Belt Stars. If you draw an imaginary line down through the Belt Stars in a southeasterly direction, you’ll come to the bright star Sirius.  It’s the brightest star in our night-time sky.

Just below the Belt Stars you can — if you have a fairly dark skygazing site — be able to make out a fuzzy patch. That’s the Orion Nebula — a starbirth region that lies about 1,500 light-years away from us.  The light you see left that region around 1,500 years ago!

Now, next to Orion (the constellation) is another one called Taurus, the Bull. His face (or horns, depending on how you look at it) are traced out by V-shaped cluster of stars called the Hyades.  The bright star called Aldebaran is not really part of the Hyades — it just happens to be in our line of sight between Earth and the cluster.

Not far from the Hyades, look for a smaller cluster called the Pleiades. This little cluster really has several hundred stars, plus some x-ray and radio sources, and a few brown dwarfs!  Think about all that as you gaze on this little glittery cluster.

If you have a pair of binoculars, take them along with you to enhance your gazing. They may help you see a few more stars and details in the nebula and clusters. If you have a telescope — well, you can have a great time seeing these objects in greater detail for the first time — or through a revisit if you’re an old fan. Whatever you do — enjoy your stargazing and have a wonderful holiday season!