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Fall Sky Tour 2003: The East
By Pedro Braganca
Special to SPACE.com
posted: 07:00 am ET
04 December 2003
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Intro[Also: North, South] This is the third of four articles this week, each examining a different compass direction in the night sky. Our tour guide is Starry Night Pro 4.5, the newest version of the leading astronomy software for night sky enthusiasts. The bright stars of winter begin to rise in the East. One of the most distinctive constellations in the fall and winter sky is Orion the Hunter, of which three of its brightest stars, Rigel, Betelgeuse and Bellatrix are labelled on the map. Moving to the left of Orion you come to Castor and Pollux, the two bright stars of Gemini, the Twins. Above Gemini are the five bright stars of Auriga the Charioteer. In Auriga you find Capella, the most brilliant star near the north celestial pole. Eastern Sky Explanation below
The map shows the sky from mid-northern latitudes at 9 p.m. local time this week. The zenith is the point directly overhead. Slightly south and to the right of Auriga is the head of Taurus the Bull. It can be easily identified because of the bright reddish star, Aldebaran. Above Taurus, riding on the back of the bull is the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. This young and bright open cluster is easily visible to the unaided eye and resembles a smaller version of the Big Dipper. At least 6 hot blue stars are readily visible and keen eyed observers can see more under dark skies away from all light pollution. The brightest object in the southern sky is the planet Saturn. Saturn rises before 7 p.m. local time in early December and continues to rise 4 minutes earlier each day. Following behind Saturn is Jupiter, who although brighter, can only be seen favourably after midnight. If you have dark skies, take note of the misty band of the Milky Way; it stretches from East to West in the sky. The is the glow of billions of stars toward the center of our own galaxy! Observe it carefully and discern where it widens and narrows as it transverses the sky. | The Perfect Gift | | 
| Astronomy for the
Entire Family! Starry Night software brings the universe to your desktop. Map the sky from your location, or just sit back and let the cosmos come to you. LEARN MORE! | |
Pedro Brananca is an astronomy support associate at Starry Night.
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