It’s hard to believe I’m writing about winter stars and constellations in the middle of midsummer. But there’s a good reason.
If you have ever been outside on a winter night, you have no doubt enjoyed the sight of the brightest stars and constellations of the year. But you also probably have your observation session short for a good reason: the cold temperatures. Many stargazers are negatively affected by frosty, sometimes bone-chilling conditions. Such a pity, because there are so many wonderful sights that the winter sky offers us. How I wish I could be a part of the wonders of the winter sky from a warmer climate.
Indeed, it would be nice to see the winter wonders from a place in the Caribbean as well as south of the equator. But for those of us who just can not afford the time or money to become aware of such filthy places in January or February, I offer a simple solution: Wake up this week for 4:30 p.m.
And here’s something to lure you out of bed; call it a bonus if you will. Sometime on Saturday morning (Aug. 15), the dazzling planet Venus will glow less than 4 degrees to the lower right of a slender crescent moon, a striking celestial scene!
Related: Best Night Sky Events of August 2020 (stargazing maps)
Venus will be in combination with the moon – which means the two objects share the same sky light while taking a close approach – on Saturday at 9:01 a.m. EDT (1301 GMT), according to NASA.
For skywatchers in New York City, the sun will rise at 6:06 a.m. local time, so the pair may be difficult to see at the time of conjunction. Early riders and night owls, however, can still observe the close approach a few hours before daylight. The moon arrives at 02:06 hours over New York City, followed by Venus at 2:33 local time.
Winter stars, without the cold
When you step outside after a rather wicked hour, you are transported to the air that greets you on a typical early evening in January. Focus your attention low to the west-northwest and you will see that the Summer Triangle is ready to leave the scene; back when the night started it appeared almost immediately overhead.
Starring high above Polaris, the North Star are the five bright stars that form a zigzag series, resembling the letter “M” – the ray of Cassiopeia, the Queen of Ethiopia. But when darkness began to fall just eight hours earlier, it was like a letter “W” hanging low over the northeastern horizon.
But the real view is to the southeast, where the sky is spandled with the bright luminaries of winter: the constellations of Orion, Taurus and Gemini; the bright stars Betelgeuse, Rigel and Capella; the beautiful Pleiades and Hyades star clusters such as the Great Orion Nebula. They reminded us all of a foul goodbye from our evening sky back in April, as the last of the winter cold had faded and was replaced by milder spring temperatures.
And now they are all in sight again to enjoy again – and this time you probably won’t need much more than a light jacket or sweater to protect the chill of the early morning. Now you can break out your binoculars or telescope and enjoy these advanced star patterns without having to worry about any refreshment frets, or how low the wind cooling factor will be.
Fight for your attention
Even for a casual observer, these bright stars and constellations are hard to miss. I remember when a very young boy spent the summers at my aunt and uncle’s house on Long Island. In August, one day a year, a large fishing trip was planned on a boat sailing from the city of Babylon in the morning. My father took me where I would join other uncles and nephews on a day-long adventure at sea.
But for me, the most memorable part of the trip was always at the beginning when we loaded the station wagon with us together in the previous darkness. I could not help noticing how brilliant and brilliant the stars appeared at that early hour. I did not know much about the constellations then, but there is no doubt in my mind that I unknowingly probably admired Orion and his retention.
A signal that cooler days are on the way
Another object that is making its first appearance since it was last seen disappeared in the glare of the sun last spring is the brightest star of the night sky, Sirius. In July and early August, Sirius appears invisible during the day. Legend has it that the light of the sun combined with the light of the brightest star of the night is what caused the extreme heat that was often experienced at that time of year.
Since Sirius is the brightest star in the constellation of Canis Major, the big dog, and thus became known as the “Dog Star”, the saying of oppressive summer weather became known as the “Dog Days”. The dog days officially end on August 11 with Sirius’ ‘helical rise’ – his first appearance in the morning twilight sky, just before the rising of the sun.
So, no matter how hot your local weather is or has been, this appearance of Sirius – a star we associate most with the winter season – rising just before the sun, is a subtle reminder that the hottest part of the year now is behind us and a promise that a change to cooler weather is only a matter of a few weeks away.
Four minutes makes it all possible
The reason we can see stars associated with the winter season in August is thanks to the earth making one full rotation on its axis, not in 24 hours, but rather four minutes ashamed of that: in 23 hours 56 minutes. As a result, the stars rise four minutes earlier each day than the previous day.
And those four minutes can add up quickly.
After 30 days, a star has risen two hours earlier. If this schedule is extended to cover a full year, this adds up to 24 hours. That is, this cycle is repeated after one year. Five months from now – mid-January – the night sky we now see at 4.30pm will be visible at 3.30pm (in places where daylight is seen. Because we set our clocks back an hour in ‘ e fall, it is actually a difference of 11, not 10 hours).
Of course, in mid-January, the average daytime air temperature nationwide will be around 40 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius) colder than it is now, and that’s why it’s so much more comfortable to enjoy the stars of winter … in summer !
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at Hayden Planetarium in New York. He writes on astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmers’ Almanac and other publications. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
