Applegater
Summer 2011 7
THE STARRY SIDE
Late summer
and early fall
By gReeLey WeLLs
A recent shift in the Gater’s
printing schedule means this column
skipped some of July; please forgive me.
You’ll get this in late July and I only took
you up to June in the last edition. Hope
you survive! Of course, this year we also
just skipped a whole spring anyway—go
figure. Yeah sure, Ma Nature is not
angry at us…
So, from late summer into fall we
go: the Solstice has been over for a month
by the time you read this. The Milky Way
has gone from under and around us, to
flowing almost straight overhead, north
to south, with the Summer Triangle
high in the middle. Many great and
bright stars and constellations are out
for our viewing pleasure. Although
Leo has set in the west along with the
Big Dipper, Cassiopeia has risen in the
east. Now in the north of the Milky
Way, her vertical “W” has turned into
a lightning bolt, then to an “M,” and in
this season she will cross over the top of
the North Star. You should be able to
find Cassiopeia in the north and see how
the thin portion of the Milky Way goes
through her.
At the other end (the south),
where the Milky Way seems to originate
in our sky with a big bright bulge, is
Sagittarius (see Illustration 1). On the
left is the handle, the triangle is the top
and to the right is the spout. Sagittarius is
also called the Teapot by the English—no
surprise there. Out of the spout comes
that big splash of “milk,” which then goes
overhead through the Summer Triangle
to Cassiopeia.
To us in the northern hemisphere,
the southern part of our Milky Way
galaxy appears to start with Sagittarius.
However, Sagittarius is actually in the
at July’s end. In August Jupiter rises at
sunset, about when Saturn sinks in the
west. By September Jupiter is taking the
place of Saturn as the only “easy” planet
to find in the night sky. In October it
will be the brightest object in the sky, up
all night and setting around dawn.
center of our galaxy. In the southern
VENUS is pretty much invisible
hemisphere Sagittarius appears almost during July, August and September, but
north; this is because the whole southern may be seen VERY low in the dawn sky
hemisphere sky down to the South Pole in October.
is also part of the Milky Way.
MARS rises in July a few hours
No one person can see the before dawn. Toward the end of August
whole Milky Way at once, because it nears Castor and Pollux and the
we are actually within the Milky Way. crescent moon, in the dawn glow. Near
We’re surrounded by it, and only certain the end of September it aligns with
parts of the sky are visible from each of Caster and Pollux and again can be seen
our positions on the planet. Can you with the crescent moon as it heads for the
imagine this kind of scale and view? Beehive asterism (Cancer), best seen in
I’m hard pressed to imagine it, and only that light with binoculars. Mars actually
goes through the Beehive this month
and off toward a bright Regulus later
on. Again, binoculars or a telescope will
give you the full show. Try on the night
of October 1.
MERCURY might be seen in
the sunset quite low to the lower right of
a bright Regulus in July. Mercury then
slips into the sun to rise in the dawn
in later September. In late October it’s
below that very low Venus after sunset.
oF sPeCiaL note
Overhead in late July is Hercules,
along with the “C” of Corona Borealis,
between the bright Arcturus in the upper
West (follow the arch of the Big Dipper
handle to find Arcturus) and Vega in the
upper East (Vega is the brightest star of
the Summer Triangle). Illustration 2 will
Illustration 1 help you locate Hercules.
“know” it must logically be so. Only a
The full MOONS of summer
satellite that could take in the northern and fall start with July’s on the 15th
and southern hemispheres on both sides (you’ll have missed that one by the time
of the planet in a long single view could you read this). August’s full moon is
see it all! Some photographers have set on the 13th—it is known as the Grain
up in various parts of the world and or Green Corn Moon. September’s is
shot endless hours to come up with a on the 12th and is known as the Fruit
composite view of our solar system that is Moon. October’s is also on the 12th and
quite spectacular and beautiful to behold. is famously called the Harvest Moon.
But it’s a view none of us can have except
Se p t e m b e r 2 3 m a rk s t h e
that way.
the PLanets
SATURN is about the only
planet that is easy to see. For you folks
with a telescope, the rings open up briefly
for a better view. It’s moved from the
south to the southwest, and will be setting
by August. In July it is still traveling with
the dimmer star Porrima in Virgo. In
August Saturn leaves Porrima, and sinks
farther each night into the sunset way
below the bright Arcturus with Spica
to its left. On August 31 Saturn, Spica
and a crescent moon form a nice triangle
together just after sunset. By September
Saturn is lost in the sunset; in October it
goes behind the sun, completely out of
sight.
JUPITER rises about midnight
Equinox,
when days
and nights
are more or
less equal in
length.
The
Aquarid
meteors
may be
favorable this year from July 28 – 30.
They will take place pretty much all
night, with a radiant in the southern
half of the sky. However, our famous
and most dependable annual meteor
shower, the Perseids, will be a flop this
year because of a full moon! This is the
first time in my little life I will knowingly
miss these gems.
This time of year before dawn, if
we’re up looking for some of our planets,
Orion and the winter constellations will
be rising. Also generally at this time
of year and in the dawn hours the most
meteors are seen and the weather is so
pleasant we can stand to be out in it!
August/September is also a fine
time to see the subtle zodiacal light. This
sharp vertical triangle of light appears in
the ecliptic (the band where the planets,
sun and moon travel) in the East before
dawn and West well after the sunset
glow. It is often called the “false dawn”
as it proceeds real dawn (and likewise can
occur after the real sunset glow). It has a
pearly quality, and is very subtle and rare
to see. You need a low horizon for the
best viewing chances.
In England the Big Dipper is
called the Plough; as the Dipper/Plough
swings under the North Star this season
there’s another “plough” rising in the East
on the opposite side of the North Star.
It’s much bigger and called Pegasus. It’s
a huge square—or diamond because it’s
on its corner—and foretells the coming
winter, which is where I’ll join you again
next time.
Greeley Wells
541-840-5700
greeley@greeley.me
Illustration 2
