mage: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and Polaris (VailDaily.com)
Autumn is definitely approaching, whether the temperatures feel that way or not. Our planet is three-fourths of the way along its orbital path, and the autumn equinox officially will be on September 22. You have probably noticed the shorter hours of daylight already. The Sun is rising a bit later and setting a bit earlier each day as Earth continues its never-ending trek among the other solar system bodies. With the sun lower in the sky for our hemisphere because of our tilt, the hours of daylight are decreasing while the hours of darkness are lengthening. In the southern hemisphere the opposite is happening. It must have been a wonder to the people of ancient times who did not know about all the science related to our solar system that we blessed folks of our time enjoy now. Just imagine figuring out all the things we truly DO know about our solar system that were unknown even a few years ago.
This link will share interesting information about Mercury and how to locate this speedy little planet: YouTube – Mercury Farthest From the Sun This Week. The narrator on this link is not me – but a long-time internet source of valuable astronomy information. You can get it sent to your email and have daily updates which you might enjoy.
The path of the planets, the Sun, and the Moon are what generates the cycle of eclipses as well as the constellations we are able to view. On September 17/18 (remember dark is from about 7:45 PM until about 6:30 AM now, and the Moon will be in the sky at sunset with the partial lunar eclipse of September’s Full Moon will be visible here beginning at 7:41 PM, with maximum at 9:45 PM. (September 18, 2024 Partial Lunar Eclipse in Brownsville, Texas, USA – timeanddate.com). I am including this site so that you will be able to check times yourself for other information related to sunrise, sunset, etc. You might find this site really intriguing.
The September skies bring those northern sky circumpolar constellations of Ursa Major and Cassiopeia lower to the horizon and probably obscured by rooftops and the tree line in your neighborhood. The faint constellation Ursa Minor will still be rotating about it’s bright star, Polaris, although bright is not what that star is; in fact, in town its light will be washed out by the city’s over-bright street lights and the rest of the ubiquitous ‘notice my gas pump’ convenience stores. IF you are privy to a darkish sky, then here is how to locate Polaris, the North Star.
Stand facing north. That means your right shoulder is to the east where the sun rises, and your left shoulder is to the west towards sunset. As you watch a few minutes your eyes become dark adapted and you will be able to see King Cepheus on the right side (east) ahead of the W shape of Queen Cassiopeia. Cepheus looks like the crooked little house a kindergarten child would draw, with the peak of the roof pointing toward the horizon. If you imagine the sky as the face of a clock, then Cepheus will be about one o’clock, Cassiopeia about three o’clock. The Big Dipper will be on the left side at about seven o’clock. Polaris will be the point about which the hands of the “clock” rotate. If you hold your right arm out in front of you at a 30 degree angle, and the area is dark enough to see stars, then Polaris will be at the tip of your out-stretched fingers. To locate Polaris, look below and left of the peak of the roof of Cepheus for a small dipper shape of stars. The dim star at the end of the handle of the dipper is Polaris. This star is noticeable mainly because there are no other brighter stars in the area.
If you are wondering why I do not call the two Ursa constellations Dippers, it is because the ‘dippers’ are asterisms. What is the difference between a constellation and an asterism? The constellations are defined areas of stars that contain other recognizable patterns of stars within the designated degrees of arc (a recent column) which, in the Ursas, are those Big and Little Dippers. The Big Dipper stars are the Bear’s hindquarters and not the entire Bear. The constellation is the third largest constellation, covering more than 1200 square degrees.
Until next weekend, thanks for ‘stopping by,’ and do let some stars get in your eyes.
KLU
