OK, this is it, the best stargazing of the year in the state of Washington, if we manage to have enough breaks in the clouds. The viewing is just fantastic. Bundle up with that thermos of something warm and prepare to be dazzled, kind of like how the Seahawks will dazzle the Steelers.
If you can, get out in the countryside. Don’t let city lights ruin this show for you. This next week will be especially nice because the moon is in its crescent phase to first quarter phase and won’t drown out the night sky with its “second-hand sunshine.”
Face south and you’ll get an eyeful of what I call “Orion and his gang.” The majestic constellation Orion the Hunter, with its three distinctive belt stars and the bright stars Rigel and Betelgeuse, is surrounded by other bright shiners, as well as the most beautiful planet in our solar system.
Of course I’m referring to Saturn, the ringed wonder. Saturn is still at its closest point to the Earth for this year of 2006, just over 750 million miles away. When you gaze upon Saturn with the naked eye, high in the southern sky, most of the light you’re seeing is coming from the billions of ice-covered rocks and boulders that make up the thin rings of Saturn.
The true test of any telescope is whether or not you can see Saturn’s ring system. When you’re peering through the eyepiece at Saturn, keep in mind that the ring system is no more than 10 miles thick. The best way to find Saturn is to look below the two bright stars Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini.
A little to the right of Saturn is a really bright star, Sirius. Not only is Sirius the brightest star in the night sky, it’s also the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major, the Big Dog. Draw a line through the three stars in Orion’s belt and extend that line to the lower left and it will point right at Sirius. Sirius is a Greek name that means “the scorcher.”
In the northern sky the Big Dipper is standing up on its handle and Cassiopeia the Queen is high in the north near the overhead zenith. It’s as bright as the Big Dipper and looks like an upside down “W” that outlines the throne of Queen Cassiopeia. The queen is tied up in her throne because she bragged that she was more beautiful than Hera, the queen of the Greek gods and the owner of the largest ego in mythology.
In the eastern sky there’s a sign of spring. Look for the diagonal backward question mark that outlines the chest and head of Leo the Lion. The bright star at the bottom of the question mark is Regulus. Leo will eventually lead in the springtime constellations.
Bundle up and enjoy the celestial eye candy.
Mike Lynch is an amateur astronomer and professional broadcast meteorologist for WCCO Radio on Minneapolis and author of the new book, “Washington Starwatch,” available at bookstores and at his Web site www.lynchandthestars.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
