- An astronomer\u2019s tour of autumn and winter targets<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
- Astronomy observing targets for the festive season<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
Things are different in 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to make things difficult for many of us. Most years, Thanksgiving can be something just short of absolute mayhem, with crowds with turkey and mashed potatoes and pies to tend to.<\/p>\n
Recommendations are to keep celebrations small this time, and not risk any further infections. Either way, as hard as 2021 has been, I have plenty to be thankful for.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not part of the tradition, but as bit of a Thanksgiving gift, here\u2019s something for you stargazers out there, whether you\u2019re in the US or elsewhere.<\/p>\n
![\""Scott\"]( "\\"\"Scott\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Thanksgiving pre-COVID seems like a lifetime ago. Scott (bottom, centre) and his family celebrate the holiday with family and friends in 2019.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n Thanksgiving isn\u2019t just my favourite holiday, it\u2019s one of my favourite nights of the year to look at the skies.<\/p>\n
Just because the celebrations will be smaller this year, doesn\u2019t mean we need to be apart. We all share the same sky, so let\u2019s take some time to watch it together.<\/p>\n
Once the food has been eaten, maybe the dishes cleared off, I like to step outside and head to my favourite south-facing patch of curb.<\/p>\n
When I need it to, it magically transforms into my favourite east-facing patch of curb. Let\u2019s head out there together. It\u2019s cold this time of year, so I take a cup of tea along and watch Orion<\/strong><\/a> rise.<\/p>\n
![\""Scott's\"]( "\\"\"Scott's\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Scott\u2019s sketch: a quick illustration of what to expect when you see Orion in the night sky at this time of year. Credit: Scott Levine<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n If you\u2019ve had a few minutes recently, you might have noticed the bright lights of winter starting to make their way into the sky overhead.<\/p>\n
In the constellation Taurus<\/strong><\/a>, the Pleiades<\/strong><\/a> cluster and Aldebaran<\/strong> (the bull\u2019s red eye) are the most obvious of them all. They\u2019re all in the prime-time sky by mid-evening.<\/p>\n
If you need help locating them, use a star chart, an astronomy app<\/a> or free software like Stellarium<\/a>.<\/p>\n
![\""Locate\"]( "\\"\"Locate\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>The constellation Taurus contains the Pleiades, Aldebaran and the Crab Nebula<\/a>. Credit: Bernard Hubl \/ CCDGuide.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n Following just behind Taurus in the early parts of these late autumn nights is Bellatrix<\/strong>, the third brightest of Orion\u2019s stars<\/a>. We think of it as one of his shoulders. Celestial objects rise in the east, so his eastern stars are closer to the ground.<\/p>\n
As time goes on and we get deeper into autumn and winter, Orion will already be standing tall when darkness falls. It\u2019s not quite there yet, though. For now, as Orion joins the night, he\u2019s sort of lying on his back.<\/p>\n
Around my corner of the Northeast US, around 40\u00b0 north, Bellatrix<\/strong> clears the horizon around just before 6:30 PM, but I can\u2019t see anything until it clears the houses across the street a couple of hours later.<\/p>\n
So, keep that and the shape of your neighbourhood in mind if you decide to join in. Maybe look out the window, or step into the early part of night a couple of times and see how things are moving along.<\/p>\n
![\""The\"]( "\\"\"The\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>The main stars of the Orion constellation. See if you can spot it throughout the colder seasons. Credit: Stellarium<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n Orion\u2019s a big constellation. It\u2019s about 19 degrees of arc from Bellatrix<\/strong> to the point where Saiph<\/strong>, his left foot, joins the sky. That\u2019s about the width of both fists held out at arm\u2019s length.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re ready, here\u2019s where we need to do a little math.<\/p>\n
There are 360 degrees in a circle; in a full rotation of Earth and the stars overhead. There are about 24 hours in a day. Three hundred sixty degrees divided by 24 hours means the sky moves by about 15 degrees each hour above our chilly seat on the curb.<\/p>\n
15 degrees of sky movement in an hour, and 19 degrees across Orion. Once you see Bellatrix, one by one, you\u2019ll see Orion\u2019s other stars join it.<\/p>\n
Rigel, Betelgeuse, the belt stars, the sword, and then, finally, Saiph will join the fun about an hour and a quarter later.<\/p>\n
![\""Betelgeuse\"]( "\\"\"Betelgeuse\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nBefore long, the tea will run out and hour outside on a cold night is a long time. I don\u2019t always have the time and the stomach for it, either. Instead, I sometimes like to use the Pleiades, Aldebaran and then Bellatrix as a countdown timer for Orion\u2019s belt, and then just watch those three.<\/p>\n
Mintaka<\/strong> comes first, then Alnilam<\/strong>, which is one of the farthest stars you can see with the naked eye, almost 2000 light years away, and then finally Alnitak<\/strong>. It\u2019s about 3 degrees, the width of two fingers or so, across his belt.<\/p>\n
As they pop into the sky, try to notice the way the sky around Orion changes, too. What other stars can you see? Is the Moon<\/strong><\/a> nearby? Maybe even see if the sights and smells in your neighbourhood change. As they rise, one by one, it isn\u2019t hard to imagine Earth turning.<\/p>\n
- Astronomy observing targets for the festive season<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
![\""Scott\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2020\/11\/Thanksgiving-2019-SLL1-bf68443-e1605621089740.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C465"\" "\\"\"Scott\\"\/")
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