October 11 – October 18
Being between moose and deer seasons, and with the full Moon out of the way, this weekend might be a good time for some good old-fashioned giraffe hunting. No guns allowed, just find a place where the sky is not tainted by light pollution and bring binoculars for an added treat.
The large constellation Camelopardalis is somewhat easier to pronounce than it is to locate in the sky. Look below Cassiopeia and between Perseus and Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper, which has the North Star at the end of the handle). Any stars you can see in this area compose the not-so-stellar giraffe. The constellation was imagined and charted on a globe by Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius in 1612 and later adopted by other prominent makers of star charts. The name derives from how the Greeks regarded giraffes as camel leopards, with their long neck and spots.
An interesting binocular object called Kemble’s Cascade is an observing highlight within Camelopardalis. This asterism, forming a line of about 20 stars, was noticed by Canadian amateur astronomer Father Lucien Kemble, who reported it to a columnist at Sky and Telescope magazine. One method of finding your way there is to imagine a line across the top stars of Cassiopeia’s W shape, right to left, and extend it an equal distance. Another is to extend an equal length line from Algol to Mirfak, the two brightest stars in Perseus. Near one end of this asterism a telescope will reveal the open star cluster NGC 1502, which is nicknamed the Jolly Roger Cluster.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:31 and sunset will occur at 6:39, giving 11 hours, 8 minutes of daylight (7:35 and 6:45 in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:40 and set at 6:27, giving 10 hours, 47 minutes of daylight (7:44 and 6:33 in Saint John).
The third quarter Moon rises near Jupiter around midnight Monday evening. Saturn is at its highest and best for observing in late evening. Mars will be half a binocular field above Mercury in evening twilight next Friday, a challenging target. Around 6 am Venus will be making its presence known low in the eastern sky. Late in the week we might start seeing some early streakers from the Orionid meteor shower, which peaks on October 21.
The William Brydone Jack Astronomy Club meets in the UNB Forestry-Earth Sciences building on Tuesday at 7 pm. Tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show at 8 pm on the YouTube channel and Facebook page of Astronomy by the Bay.Questions? Contact Curt Nason at [email protected].
October 4 – October 11
The Pleiades star cluster is rising in the early evening. Also known as M45 or the Seven Sisters and sometimes mistaken to be the Little Dipper, this compact eye-catcher represents the shoulder of Taurus the Bull. Over the next two hours the rest of the constellation clears the eastern horizon; in particular, the V-shaped Hyades star cluster anchored by orange Aldebaran, and the two stars marking the tips of the bull’s long horns.
In mythology, Zeus changed himself into a beautiful white bull to attract the attention of Europa, a princess of Sidon. She was taken by its gentleness and made the mistake of climbing on its back. Bully Zeus took off to the nearby seashore and swam all the way to Crete, where he changed back into his godly form and completed his conquest. The result was a baby boy who was named Minos, and he grew up to become the first King of Crete.
One of the horn stars of Taurus had been shared with the constellation Auriga. This star, Elnath, was officially assigned to Taurus when the constellation boundaries were set by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) a century ago. Taurus is one of the zodiac constellations, as the ecliptic passes between the Pleiades and Hyades and also between the horn-tips. Since the Moon’s orbit is tilted to the ecliptic by about five degrees, at times it can be seen passing in front of the Pleiades and Aldebaran.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:21 and sunset will occur at 6:52, giving 11 hours, 31 minutes of daylight (7:26 and 6:58 in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:31 and set at 6:39, giving 11 hours, 8 minutes of daylight (7:35 and 6:45 in Saint John).
The Moon is above Saturn this Sunday, full on late evening Monday and near the Pleiades on Thursday. Saturn is at its highest and best for observing around midnight this week. Mars and Mercury are very low in the west after sunset, difficult targets for binocular viewing. By next weekend Jupiter will be rising at midnight, placing it high in the east near Castor and Pollux for optimal morning observing. Ever beautiful Venus rises around 5:30 am this week.
The Saint John Astronomy Club meets in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on October 4 at 7 pm. Tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show at 8 pm on the YouTube channel and Facebook page of Astronomy by the Bay.Questions? Contact Curt Nason at [email protected].