We’re in the ‘tween” season, again. It’s called spring. Spectacular winter night sky sights are giving way to vastly different summer night sky sights. But, before the transition is complete, spring brings a mix of winter sights as they set and summer sights as they rise.
It you want to see the likes of Orion, Auriga, Canis Major, Puppis, and the Pleiades before they again dominate next winter’s sky, you’d better get out and look after sunset. They are all in the west, northwest, and southwest at sunset and drop below the horizon in the early hours after sunset. Take a look, and say farewell until next winter.
Let’s check out a few tweeners. All you need are binoculars, but a spotting scope or telescope can get you closer.
Go out 30 minutes after sunset, look to the west and see brilliant Venus. Then move upward toward the east, and bump into Mars, currently in the constellation Gemini, the twins. On April 25 a crescent Moon joins Mars in Gemini. They make a pretty grouping with Castor and Pollux, the alpha and beta stars of Gemini. Note the difference in color between Castor (white) and Pollux (yellow), more striking in binoculars. With binoculars scan between Mars and Venus. About midway you can find open star cluster M35, the Shoe-Buckle cluster. A telescope will get closer, showing more stars.
Now scan upward, along the same line as between Mars and Venus. A little farther from Mars as M35, another open star cluster can bee found. It’s called M44, the Beehive cluster. M44 resides in the constellation Cancer, the crab. Does it resemble bees swarming around a hive?
Look nearly straight up. On a nice night you will see what appears to be a backward question mark formed by stars. This is Leo, the lion’s head and neck.
While we’re looking up high in the sky, find the Big Dipper. It’s the butt and tail of Ursa Major, the great bear. Take a look at the second to last star on the dippers handle. It’s a pretty double star, named Mizar and Alcor. Follow the handle’s curve away from the dipper and you will run into a bright orangish star, named Arcturus. It’s the alpha star in Bootes, the plowman. Bootes rising in the sky signals the coming of summer. Scan back toward the Big Dipper along the same curve that got you to Arcturus. To the upper right of the line lies M3, a globular cluster of stars. It looks a lot different than the open clusters. More like a concentrated smudge. A telescope can show off its amazing shape and concentration of stars. M3 with be in the night sky all summer so return to it as often as you like.
What’s in the Sky?
This Saturday, April 22: Astronomy Night at Tye Preston Memorial Library in Canyon Lake! Free! All ages!
Come, join the fun, cloudy or clear. We start in the library at 8:30 pm and if clear will head outside to the observatory. Cloudy skies and we will have a presentation for you.
Tonight: Late night into Sunday morning; northeast: The Lyrid Meteor Shower peaks.