The Night Sky: December 2020
Here are the highlights of the December sky:
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The Night Sky: June 2020
Here are some of the things to see in June:Read More »The Night Sky: June 2020
The Sickle
The Sickle of Leo is one of the most recognizable patterns in the spring sky. Formed by some of the brightest stars in the constellation Leo, the asterism outlines the mane of the celestial Lion.
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Great Diamond
The Great Diamond, or Diamond of Virgo, is a prominent spring asterism formed by the bright stars Cor Caroli in Canes Venatici constellation, Arcturus in Boötes, Spica in Virgo, and Denebola in Leo. The asterism shares the stars Arcturus and Spica with the Spring Triangle, an asterism formed by these two stars with Regulus, the brightest star in Leo.
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Spring Triangle
The Spring Triangle is a prominent spring asterism formed by the bright stars Arcturus in Boötes constellation, Spica in Virgo, and Regulus in Leo. The asterism can be seen in the southeastern sky from March to May by observers in the northern hemisphere. It shares two stars – Arcturus and Spica – with the larger spring asterism known as the Great Diamond, or Diamond of Virgo.
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Regulus
Regulus, also known as Alpha Leonis, is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and the 21st brightest star in the night sky. It has an apparent magnitude of 1.35 and lies at a distance of 79.3 light years, or 24.3 parsecs, from Earth. Alpha Leonis is not really a single star, but a multiple star system.
The name Regulus means the “little king“ or “prince“ in Latin and the star is also known as Basiliskos, Cor Leonis (Lion’s Heart), Qalb al-Asad and Rex.
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Owl Nebula – Messier 97
The Owl Nebula, also known as Messier 97 (M97), is a planetary nebula located in Ursa Major. The nebula lies at an approximate distance of 2,030 light years from Earth. It is known for its distinctive shape, resembling a pair of owl-like eyes, that can be seen in larger telescopes.
The estimated age of the Owl Nebula is about 8,000 years. The nebula has the designation NGC 3587 in the New General Catalogue.
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Messier 106 – NGC 4258
Messier 106 (M106) is a spiral galaxy located in the northern constellation Canes Venatici. The galaxy lies at a distance of 22 to 25 million light years from Earth. It has the designation NGC 4258 in the New General Catalogue.
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Big Dipper
The Big Dipper is one of the most easily recognizable asterisms in the night sky, found in the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The star pattern, formed by the seven brightest stars of Ursa Major, is well-known in many cultures and goes by many other names, among them the Plough, the Great Wagon, Saptarishi, and the Saucepan. The Big Dipper is particularly prominent in the northern sky in the summer, and is one of the first star patterns we learn to identify.
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