Sky Shorts: Time to find 'jewels' of the autumn sky
One the loveliest sights in our autumnal night sky is the Pleiades star cluster! The Pleiades, known as the seven sisters or Messier 45, is an open star cluster located in the constellation Taurus, the Bull.
The stars in this open cluster were born around the same time in a gigantic cloud of gas and dust, located 430 light years from Earth. They are hot B-type, middle aged blue stars that are extremely luminous, many shine hundreds of times brighter than our Sun. Hot stars like the ones in the Pleiades cluster burn out quickly with a life span of a few hundred million years. There are more than 800 stars in this beautiful cluster.
As we head through the month of October, the Pleiades will rise earlier each night. As you look east, around 10 p.m., at the beginning of the month, you will spot what looks like a mini dipper. By month’s end the Pleiades will be viewable around 8 pm. Most of us will see six stars in a more light polluted area but if you can head out to a darker site you may see more than seven. Grab a pair of binoculars and I think you will agree that the Pleiades is a phenomenal sight to see.
The Pleiades is visible virtually everywhere on Earth, from the North Pole to the southernmost tip of South America. Imagine all the different cultures that gazed at this star cluster. Some of the different names, for the Pleiades, are “Seven Maidens,” “Seven Little Girls” or “Hens and Chicks.” In Japan, the Pleiades were known as Subaru, which means “coming together.” The name was adopted by the car manufacturer whose logo represents the five companies that merged into a larger sixth firm.
Historically, the highly visible star cluster served as a calendar for many civilizations. Appearing in the morning sky before sunrise, the Pleiades announced the opening of the navigation season in the ancient Mediterranean world. Our celebration of Halloween originates from an old Druid rite that coincided with the Pleiades reaching the highest point in the sky at midnight. It was believed that the veil dividing the living from the dead was at its thinnest at that time. In the Northern Hemisphere skies, the cluster is associated with the coming winter. When the Pleiades, or “Seed Stars,” disappeared from the evening sky, every spring, it signaled the seed-planting season to the Zuni of New Mexico.
In Greek mythology, the seven sisters are Maia, Electra, Taygete, Celaeno, Alcyone, Sterope and Merope. They are the daughters of Atlas and Pleione. They were pursued by Orion, so Zeus made them into stars and placed them in the sky forever. So, coming up in the winter skies, you can watch Orion pursue the sisters through a clear winter night!
Night Sky for October
Planets and the Moon:
Get ready for a stunning planet show in the evening sky! With the Sun setting earlier, there is plenty of time to enjoy the planets. Brilliant Jupiter will appear first in the eastern sky, about 30 minutes after sunset. It is the brightest object, in the evening sky, aside from the Moon. Shining at magnitude -2.9, it is visible all night. The four Galilean moons are a treat in a telescope. Heading to the right or southeast, lovely Saturn can be found in eastern Capricornus. Shining at magnitude 0.5, Saturn sets at 3 a.m. in early October and shortly before 1 a.m. at the end of the month. Saturn is a spectacular sight in a telescope also! Mars rises around 10 p.m. and is brightening, from magnitude -0.6 to -1.1, and can be found in the middle of Taurus, the Bull, drifting between the bull’s horns. Neptune can be found in eastern Aquarius, a few degrees south of the Circlet of Pisces. An easier way to find Neptune, at the start of the month, is using Jupiter as a guide. Neptune can be found 9.5 degrees west-southwest of Jupiter. The Moon lies 3 degrees south of Neptune on Oct. 7. Uranus lies in the sparse regions of southeastern Aries, about 12 degrees north of the star Menkar in Cetus. On the night of the Oct. 11-12, the Moon will nearly occult Uranus and pass less than a degree north. Mercury makes a splendid appearance in the morning sky, rising over an hour before sunrise at the start of the month. On Oct. 1, Mercury is magnitude 0.9, and by Oct. 5 it brightens to magnitude 0. Mercury reaches greatest elongation (18 degrees) on Oct. 8 and at -0.4 magnitude. It reaches -1 magnitude on Oct. 16 but begins to drop lower each morning. Mercury will be 1 degree southeast of the waning Crescent Moon on Oct. 24, only 4 degrees high, 30 minutes before sunrise. It will be a challenge to see. Venus is out of view, reaching superior conjunction on Oct. 22 and reappears in the evening sky around December. Other Moon pairings include Saturn on Oct. 5, Jupiter on Oct. 8 and Mars on Oct. 15.
The Orionid meteor shower peaks on Oct. 21 with no Moon light to interfere with viewing. It is possible to see up to 20 meteors an hour in a dark sky area.
Constellations:
West: You will see a keystone or crooked square shape, which is the body of Hercules. Look overhead to bright blue, white star which is Vega. Up a little more to Deneb, then left for Altair. When you connect these three bright stars you have made the Summer Triangle. Now head back to Deneb, imagine this to be the tail of Cygnus, the Swan. To the left and down slightly will be three stars in a line. These would be the outstretched wings. Extending from the wings would be the long neck and head of the swan. The head of Cygnus is a double star, Albireo. Above the Summer Triangle is a kite shape in the stars, Delphinus, the Dolphin.
North: The Big Dipper is low in the northern sky. Following the two stars at the end of the cup to the next bright star, Polaris, or the North Star. The constellation Cassiopeia, the “W” shape, is to the right and up from Polaris.
East: Look for four stars that form a large square, the great square of Pegasus. As we head further into October, we will see a small cluster of stars, the Pleiades, or the Seven Sisters, below and to the left of Pegasus.
Binocular Highlights: Focus on brilliant Jupiter in the eastern sky. Rest your arms on a table or steady surface. You will see four pinpoints of light. These are the largest or Galilean moons of Jupiter. Enjoy a multitude of stars scanning inside the Summer Triangle. For a challenge, find Vega and Altair, two of the Summer Triangle stars. Scan one third of the way up from Altair to Vega. You will find a group of stars that resemble a upside down coat hanger. Locate Cassiopeia. From the top point of the W shape, scan to the right and up slightly to find a fuzzy object which is the Andromeda Galaxy. From the bottom point of the W scan to the right and down slightly and you will see the Double Cluster in Perseus.
For further night sky details, maps, and audio, visit my website www.starrytrails.com.
Visit the Hoover Price Planetarium
There will be planetarium shows every Saturday. Visit www.mckinleymuseum.org, for show dates and times! Planetarium shows are free with museum admission. The Planetarium is located inside the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW, in Canton. For more information, call the Museum at 330-455-7043.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Sky Shorts: Time to find 'jewels' of the autumn sky
