This Week’s Stargazing Tips

This Week’s Stargazing Tips

 

January 20: Winter Stars

If the stars seem especially bright at this time of year, you aren’t imagining things. Winter skies feature such constellations as Orion, Taurus, Gemini, and Canis Major, which are home to the brightest stars in the night sky.

January 21: Perseus

The constellation Perseus, the hero, stands directly overhead at about 8 p.m. and drops down the eastern sky later on. It is surrounded by other mythological characters, including Cassiopeia, Andromeda, and Pegasus.

January 22: Big Dipper Clock

The Big Dipper wheels around the North Star like the hour-hand of a giant clock, ticking off the hours of the night. Winter is an especially good time to watch it, because it’s in good view pretty much all night long.

January 23: Procyon

Procyon, the “little dog” star, rises to the right of the full Moon tonight. The system was born with two stars. One was bigger and heavier than the other, so it shined brighter but burned out faster. Today, only the star’s tiny, dead core remains.

January 24: Auriga

Auriga, the charioteer, is high overhead in mid to late evening. Several of its stars form a lopsided pentagon. The brightest is Capella, one of the brightest stars in the entire night sky. It represents a small goat riding on the charioteer’s shoulder.

January 25: Moon and Regulus

The Moon keeps company with a “royal” star tonight. Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, is quite near the Moon as they climb into good view by 8 or 9 p.m. The star’s name means “the little king.” It comes from an ancient idea that Regulus was one of the rulers of heaven.

January 26: Moon and Jupiter

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, stands close to the Moon tonight. It looks like a bright star to the lower left of the Moon as they climb into good view by about 10 p.m. Jupiter’s four biggest moons are visible through binoculars.

 

Source:
StarDate