Night Sky
The Night Sky Now (January to February 2012)
The 5 bright stars of Orion are in the south around 9 pm at the end of January. Orion's belt is easy to find, 3 stars equally spaced in a straight line. At right angles to the belt are the other two, about a fist above and below the belt (click on FACTS to learn about words in italics). The higher one is Betelgeuse, the lower is Rigel. The latter is as bright as 60,000 suns but is much further away - the light from the sun takes 10 minutes to get here, the light from Rigel 900 years.
Look along the line of the belt to the left: low down in the sky is Sirius, the brightest star visible from our latitude on earth. Sirius is in the southern hemisphere of the sky, below the celestial equator. We only see it in the winter months.
Now look for another bright star, high up in the sky, to the left of Sirius and Betelgeuse and the same distance from them as they are from each other. It is Procyon. These three bright stars form a huge prominent equilateral triangle. Overhead near the zenith is Capella, a circumpolar star.
Go back to Orion's belt and spot a well-known nebula, a knuckle or so below the left star of the belt towards Rigel, known as M42.
Now find the 'heavenly twins', Castor and Pollux; they are on a line from Rigel to Betelgeuse in Orion, about 3 fists further on from Betelgeuse. The lower one, Pollux, is the brighter twin.
Try to spot the Pleiades, a small fuzzy cluster of stars. Follow the direction of Orion's belt 4 fists to the right, passing the bright star Aldebaran on the way. The five main stars of the Pleiades form the shape of a tennis racquet. The fuzzy look is due to their association with a nebula.
The Plough is low down in the north but London's light pollution prevents us seeing it clearly. The 3-star handle is below the 4-star plough. The 2 stars furthest from the handle are the 'pointers' to the Pole Star. This star, though not very bright is important for navigation since it is almost at the north pole of the earth's axis and due north on the compass.
The planet Jupiter is prominent in the SW at the start of the period but by the end of February it will be near to setting in the West. With binoculars you may be able to see 2 or 3 of its moons; they are in a straight line with the planet.
At beginning of February the 'red planet' Mars is rising in the East and will be visible all night. By the end of the month it will be in the SE, a few fists above the horizon. It is yellowish rather than red, but a lot redder than the star Sirius. By the middle of February, in early evening after sunset, it should be possible to see the very bright planet Venus low in the sky between West and South-West.
At the beginning of the period the moon will be a half-moon to the right of Jupiter. It will be a full moon as it rises in the east on the evenings of 8 and 9 January. The next new moon starts on 23 January. Look for the slender crescent moon in the west a few days later, soon after sunset. The moon is full again on 7 February. There is another new moon on 21 February.
Look along the line of the belt to the left: low down in the sky is Sirius, the brightest star visible from our latitude on earth. Sirius is in the southern hemisphere of the sky, below the celestial equator. We only see it in the winter months.
Now look for another bright star, high up in the sky, to the left of Sirius and Betelgeuse and the same distance from them as they are from each other. It is Procyon. These three bright stars form a huge prominent equilateral triangle. Overhead near the zenith is Capella, a circumpolar star.
Go back to Orion's belt and spot a well-known nebula, a knuckle or so below the left star of the belt towards Rigel, known as M42.
Now find the 'heavenly twins', Castor and Pollux; they are on a line from Rigel to Betelgeuse in Orion, about 3 fists further on from Betelgeuse. The lower one, Pollux, is the brighter twin.
Try to spot the Pleiades, a small fuzzy cluster of stars. Follow the direction of Orion's belt 4 fists to the right, passing the bright star Aldebaran on the way. The five main stars of the Pleiades form the shape of a tennis racquet. The fuzzy look is due to their association with a nebula.
The Plough is low down in the north but London's light pollution prevents us seeing it clearly. The 3-star handle is below the 4-star plough. The 2 stars furthest from the handle are the 'pointers' to the Pole Star. This star, though not very bright is important for navigation since it is almost at the north pole of the earth's axis and due north on the compass.
The planet Jupiter is prominent in the SW at the start of the period but by the end of February it will be near to setting in the West. With binoculars you may be able to see 2 or 3 of its moons; they are in a straight line with the planet.
At beginning of February the 'red planet' Mars is rising in the East and will be visible all night. By the end of the month it will be in the SE, a few fists above the horizon. It is yellowish rather than red, but a lot redder than the star Sirius. By the middle of February, in early evening after sunset, it should be possible to see the very bright planet Venus low in the sky between West and South-West.
At the beginning of the period the moon will be a half-moon to the right of Jupiter. It will be a full moon as it rises in the east on the evenings of 8 and 9 January. The next new moon starts on 23 January. Look for the slender crescent moon in the west a few days later, soon after sunset. The moon is full again on 7 February. There is another new moon on 21 February.
Roy Singham, 14 December 2011