In Depth |
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The milky way is hard to see from the city, and
hardest of all in this region, where we are
looking away from the center of our galaxy into
the dim outer reaches of our celestial spiral.
Still, astronomers know that when the milky way
is up, even if it is drowned out by city
lights, the heavens are rich with star clusters
which CAN be seen in small telescopes. Taurus,
Auriga, Gemini, and Canis Major are
particularly strewn with these little gems.
Also present are the great nebulae, gas clouds
where stars and worlds are being born today -
Orion boasts one of the best in the heavens,
M42, and the faint constellation Monoceros the
unicorn has the "Rosette" nebulae for
telescope-equipped enthusiasts.
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Finding the north star, Polaris, is no problem for former scouts like me, and the trick is to find the big dipper in the northeast; take the last two stars in the cup of the dipper, draw a line "up" from them, and there you are. The fact that Polaris is the 49th brightest night time star makes this much handier than looking at random! The third star in the dipper's handle, Mizar, is also of interest; as one of the best known double stars in the sky (and a good test for sharp eyes), it is a distinctive sky mark and a chance to show off your vast collection of astronomical knowledge.
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