Nan at Night by Nancy Hoyt
-Thursday the 19th: The two nearest star clusters to Earth appear in Taurus, the bull. The Hyades forms the bull’s v-shaped face, while the Pleiades, the “shoulder” of the bull, form a tiny dipper north of the Hyades. Look for them high in the east this evening.
-Friday the 20th: Happy Birthday Mom! Although the actual “New Moon” is four days past, I’m sure many of you “Twilight” fans will be blazing to the theatre tonight…enjoy!
-Saturday the 21st: Orion, the hunter, is in view low in the east by 10 p.m. Look for his belt, a short line of three stars that stands almost straight up from the horizon. Bright orange Betelgeuse is to the left of the belt, with blue-white Rigel to the right.
-Sunday the 22nd: The moon takes aim at Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, tonight. They are well up in the south at nightfall and set in late evening. Jupiter is to the upper left of the moon and looks like a dazzling star. The moon is at apogee, its farthest point from Earth this cycle.
-Monday the 23rd: Look for Jupiter just below the moon this evening. The giant planet looks like a brilliant star. It far outshines all of the true stars in the night sky, so it’s hard to miss.
-Tuesday the 24th: A faint skinny triangle climbs the sky this evening: the constellation Triangulum. It is about half-way up the eastern sky at nightfall and climbs higher as the night progresses. The moon is half-lit in its first quarter stage this evening.
-Wednesday the 25th: The Great Square of Pegasus stands high in the south on November evenings. Its right side, which marks the squares western edge, points down toward the “autumn star” Fomalhaut, the brightest star of Piscis Austrinus, the southern fish.
-Thursday the 26th: Happy Thanksgiving!
During these waning nights of dark November, you will find the main attraction high in the southern sky; the Great Square of Pegasus, the winged horse. This autumn landmark is very useful for locating other intriguing sites. Begin with the upper left hand corner of the Great Square where you will find a trail of three stars, which compose the leading lights of the constellation Andromeda, the princess. Take a ninety-degree turn upward at the middle star, go up a little less than the distance each of the three are apart. Two fainter stars guide your way. Near the second of these, you should be able to discern an elongated little cloud of grayness. If you are successful, you have just located the Andromeda galaxy! Take out a pair of binoculars or a telescope and marvel at your discovery. Head over to the right (western) edge of the Great Square and follow the line far down toward the south and you will find the “autumn star,” Fomalhaut, within the rather dim constellation of Piscis Austrinus, the southern fish. The eastern or left side of the Square will lead you down a similar distance to Diphda, or Beta Ceti, one of the few bright stars in the enormous constellation Cetus, the whale (or sea monster.) A diagonal line from the lower left corner to the upper right will point you to Deneb in Cygnus the Swan and eventually to Vega in Lyra the Harp. If it is not storming, these long nights are perfect for appreciating our uniquely dark mountain skies. You can go out early to enjoy these sights and still get the kids in bed by 9 p.m. Enjoy!
