Wednesday, January 1, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Stars over Sisters By Paola Mendoza Correspondent Though Auriga, The Charioteer, isn9t the most recognizable constellation in the sky, it is one of the bigger ones. It is the 21st largest constellation in the sky, occupying 657 square degrees of the celestial sphere. This star pattern is well up in the northeast- ern sky in the early eve- nings during January, and is nearly overhead at 10 p.m. local time by mid-month. PHOTO BY EMIL IVANOV Auriga is bordered by M37 is a rich open star cluster located 4,511 light-years away in the Camelopardalis to the north, constellation of Auriga. Lynx to the east, Taurus and Gemini to the south, and her hand in marriage they involving his future wife. Perseus to the west. had to defeat Oenomaus When the wheels came off Auriga9s brightest star is in a chariot race. The king his chariot during the race, Capella, sixth brightest of all had already killed eigh- Oenomaus was dragged the fixed luminaries in our teen suitors because he was to his death, thus allowing sky. Although it appears to fearful of a prophecy that Pelops and Hippodamia to be a single star to the naked claimed he would be killed marry. But Pelops reneged eye, Capella consists of a by his son-in-law. But when on his part of the bargain, quadruple star system orga- Pelops, son of Tantalus, killing Myrtilus instead by nized in two binary pairs. entered the race, the gods throwing him into the sea. These stars are so close to decided to intervene. Pelops His father Hermes then one another that not even the was given a golden chariot placed him among the stars largest telescope on earth that would be pulled by a as Auriga. can separate them; their winged golden horse from At 11:48 p.m. on January existence is derived through Poseidon. To further ensure 4, the earth will reach peri- spectroscopic analysis. victory, Pelops arranged for helion, its closest approach Capella is 42.2 light-years Myrtilus to tamper with the to the sun, at 91,398,199 away and shines at a magni- wheels of the king9s char- tude of 0.08. See STARS on page 23 iot in exchange for favors Three of the finest open star clusters in the sky are found in Auriga, and all have Messier designations. In order of decreasing bright- ness, they are M37, M36 and M38. Besides being the brightest of the three clus- ters, M37 is also the richest. Nineteenth-century astrono- mer William Henry Smyth, officer of the Royal Navy, described M37 as follows: