Seasonal Tours

From the Pole star to the Dolphin

Locate Ursa Minor and see if you can see its seven main stars. If you can then you have a limiting magnitude of about 5. If you can make out 10 or more then you are closer to 5.8. The North Star is within half a degree of the axis of spin of the Earth and so is always in the same part of the sky.

Then use this chart to guide you through the rest of the tour.

Below the North Star in the Northwest at this time of the year is Ursa Major, the Plough. Use the bottom left and the top right stars of the "bowl" to point to two faint galaxies M81 and M82 both about 7 million light years (Ly) away. Very small and close together, you will need a good dark sky to see these in binoculars but in a telescope they make a beautiful sight.

Back to the Ursa Major, the double star in the handle are called Alcor and Mizar. In binoculars you will see a third star between the two forming a small triangle. In a telescope the brightest star, Alcor, is further split in to two stars.

Now follow the arc of the handle to the bright star, Arcturus in Bootes, low on the western horizon. Arcturus is the 2nd brightest star in our sky after Sirius, the brightest. Above and to the left you will find the "keystone" shape of Hercules. In Hercules there are two of the brightest globular clusterin the sky, M13, 25,000 ly distant and M92, 28,000 Ly distant. Both are seen as "fuzzy stars" in binoculars and show their true beauty in a large telescope.

Directly overhead in September is the 3rd brightest star in our sky, Vega in the constellation of Lyra. Vega is at the head of a triangle that points back to Hercules. The most northern (nearest to the North Star) star of this triangle will be seen to be a double in binoculars. In a telescope, at very high magnification, both stars will be seen to be close doubles themselves giving it the title of "the double-double"

Lyra. 30 sec exposure at ISO1600. Photo MJS

On your way from Lyra to Albireo in Cyngus (the Swan) you will have passed M56 another globular cluster, much fainter than the two in Hercules (it is further away at 40,000 Ly) and a challenge in binoculars. Albireo, the head of the swan, is also a double star with a striking colour difference between the two stars. However a telescope is required to see this though.

Ahead of the head of the swan there is a small grouping of stars known as the "coat hanger" and to the East (its left) is the constellation of Stagita, the Arrow. It contains M71, yet another globular cluster that is "only" 8,500 Ly away.

Continue around back towards Cyngus and you find M27, the Dumbbell Nebula, which is seen as a faint smudge with binoculars. It is known as a Planetary Nebula, which is cosmic dust and gas excited to glow by a very hot central star.

Now follow a line form Albireo, through the Dumbbell to the end of our tour, the constellation Delphinus, the dolphin.

Orion, one of the most distinctive and brightest constellations (grouping of stars ) and dominates the winter night sky . It is second only to the plough or the great bear as a recognisable constellation. Orion is easily found. Look south or southeast on a winters evening and you will see three bright stars in a row, making a distinctive and unmistakable pattern. You are now looking at Orion’s Belt. A map of Orion is below.

Orion a Stellar Signpost

Directly under Orion’s belt is Orion’s sword, which contains one of the most famous objects in the night sly, Orion’s Nebula. This appears as a hazy patch of light where stars are being born. Turning even a modest pair of binoculars towards this nebula will reveal a wealth of detail. Orion acts a signpost to other constellations in the sky and is an excellent starting point to learn your way around the sky.

If you draw an imaginary line through Orion’s belt and extend it to the left you will reach Sirius, the dog star, the brightest star in the sky, and a member of the constellation canes major (the great dog). Extend this imaginary line from Orion’s belt out to the right and you will reach a bright orange star at the point of a v of stars. This orange star is known as Aldebaran and is in the constellation Taurus the bull. Continue the line and you will reach the “seven Sisters” star cluster. It looks like a mini version of “the plough” and is a spectacular sight in a pair of binoculars. Above and to the left of Orion is the Constellation Gemini, Above and to the right is the constellation Auriga. These constellations are amongst the brightest and most distinctive in the entire sky and hold a wealth of treasures for the absolute beginner and advanced astronomer.