The Night Sky: January 2021
Here are a few skywatching tips for January:
Read More »The Night Sky: January 2021
Winter Hexagon
Winter Hexagon
The Winter Hexagon, also known as the Winter Circle, is a prominent winter asterism formed by seven stars prominent in the winter sky. These are Rigel in Orion, Aldebaran in Taurus, Capella in Auriga, Castor and Pollux in Gemini, Procyon in Canis Minor, and Sirius in Canis Major constellation.
Sirius and Procyon are also part of the Winter Triangle, a smaller asterism that these two stars form with Betelgeuse in Orion.
Read More »Winter Hexagon
Winter Triangle
The Winter Triangle, or the Great Southern Triangle, is an asterism formed by three bright stars in three prominent winter constellations. These 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 December to March.
Read More »Winter Triangle
Betelgeuse
Betelgeuse, Alpha Orionis, is the second brightest star in Orion constellation and the ninth brightest star in the sky. It is a supergiant star, distinctly red in colour, located at an approximate distance of 643 light years from Earth. It is an evolved star, one expected to explode as a supernova in a relatively near future.
Betelgeuse is a large, bright, massive star easily found in the sky in the winter months because it is part of a familiar pattern formed by the celestial Hunter. The red supergiant marks one of Orion‘s shoulders, while the hot, bright giant Bellatrix, Gamma Orionis, marks the other.
Read More »Betelgeuse