Vega

Winter Triangle

winter triangle,winter stars,betelgeuse,sirius,procyon

The Winter Triangle, or the Great Southern Triangle, is an asterism formed by three bright stars in three prominent winter constellations. These stars are Betelgeuse in Orion, Procyon in Canis Minor and Sirius in Canis Major constellation. The Winter Triangle is prominent in the night sky in the northern hemisphere during the winter months, from … [Read more…]

Arcturus

alpha bootis,orange giant

Arcturus, Alpha Boötis, is the brightest star in Boötes constellation and the fourth brightest star in the sky. With an apparent magnitude of -0.04, Arcturus is the brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere. (The three brightest stars – Sirius in Canis Major, Canopus in Carina, and Alpha Centauri in Centaurus – lie south of … [Read more…]

Capella

Capella, also known as Alpha Aurigae or the Goat Star, is the brightest star in Auriga and the sixth brightest star in the sky. The only stars in the northern celestial hemisphere brighter than Capella are Arcturus in Boötes constellation and Vega in Lyra. The only other star visible from northern latitudes that is brighter … [Read more…]

Northern Cross

northern cross stars,northern cross constellation

The Northern Cross is a prominent asterism formed by the brightest stars in the constellation Cygnus. The constellation is often confused for the asterism because the Northern Cross is much easier to find than the entire constellation.

Highlights of the Night Sky in August

ring nebula,m57,messier 57,planetary nebula,bipolar nebula

Here are some of the highlights of the night sky in August: 9 PM southern sky – Mars and Saturn moving toward the western horizon after sunset, moving closer together as the month progresses 9 PM western sky – August 31 – Mars, Saturn and the crescent Moon in a triple conjunction 5:45 AM eastern … [Read more…]