From Dark Skiesīright outdoor lighting can make it hard to see all but the brightest stars. Look for the Moon near Saturn on July 16 and near Jupiter on July 19. Stay out late for Jupiter rising in the east, visible after 1 am early in the month, and by 11 at the end of the month. A small telescope will reveal its beautiful rings as well as its largest moon Titan. Saturn rises in the east-southeast around 11 pm at the beginning of the month, and by 9 pm as August begins. To ancient civilizations it may have looked like a mythical centaur holding a bow and arrow, but to modern stargazers it looks a lot more like a teapot. Just to the east of Scorpius is Sagittarius the Archer. The red star Antares marks the heart of the scorpion. Low in the south is the hook-shaped constellation Scorpius the Scorpion low in the south. They just happen to appear extremely close to each other from our vantage point on Earth. Not only that, but the two stars are different colors, one blue and one yellow! Recent analysis of the two stars' motion suggests that unlike many double stars, these two stars are not in orbit around each other. A small telescope reveals that there are really two stars there, appearing very close to each other. Look closely for the fairly unremarkable white colored star Albireo that marks the head of Cygnus. Viewers with darker skies might find the fainter stars that make up the three constellations of the Triangle: Cygnus the Swan, Aquila the Eagle, and Lyra the Harp. Look to the east for the three bright stars that make up the Summer Triangle. Look for a nearly first quarter Moon not far from Spica on July 16. Even under dark skies away from city lights, it's hard to imagine these mythological figures just by connecting the dots. Neither of these constellations has any other bright stars. Then speed on to Spica, the single bright star in Virgo the Maiden.
This group of stars is also officially known as Ursa Minor the Little Bear.įollow the curved handle of the Big Dipper to trace an 'arc' to Arcturus, the orange colored star in Boötes the Herdsman. Polaris is at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper. When you face the North Star, you're facing due north. Polaris is not a particularly bright star, but it does remain fixed in the sky throughout the night and throughout the year.
Use the two stars at the end of the Dipper's bowl to lead you to Polaris, also known as the North Star. Ursa Major the Great Bear is the official constellation here, but you'll need dark skies to see its fainter stars. It's a familiar name for this pattern of stars, especially used by observers in the United States, but it's not one of the 88 constellations recognized by astronomers worldwide. The Big Dipper is not officially a constellation it's what astronomers sometimes call an asterism. Connect the dots to imagine a big spoon or ladle high above.
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