Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
PISGAH ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Text by Dr. Bob Hayward Astronomer/Educator Graphics by TheSky Software Bisque Mountain Skies October 17, 2016 THE “CAPRICORN HOUR” The stars: Some refer to this time of the year as the Capricorn Hour since this faint but beautiful constellation is easily situated for viewing in the southern skies in the early evening. Capricornus is known as the “seagoat” and is really a celestial joke. It seems the god Pan, who was half boy and half goat, was startled by the monster Typhon. His immediate reaction was to change himself into a fish and swim to safety. But in his haste he got all mixed up and ended up with the front half of a goat and the back half of a fish. Thus, he is often referred to as the “seagoat” or sometimes “goatfish.” We get our English word “panic” from this episode. Capricornus is on the edge of an area of the sky containing a group of constellations related to water. To the east of Capricornus are the constellations of Aquarius the water bearer, Pisces the fishes, and Cetus the sea monster or whale (from which we get the word “cetacean”). To his south is Piscis Austrinus, the southern fish. Because so many of these constellations are associated with water, we call this area of the sky “The Sea.” While the constellations in “The Sea” are generally quite faint, there is one bright star, Fomalhaut, in Piscis Austrinis. Incidentally, at the present time, the planet Neptune, not visible to the naked eye, is nestled in the middle of Aquarius. This is appropriate since Neptune, known as Poseidon to the Greeks, was the god of the seas. The great flying horse Pegasus is rising to the north of Pisces. We spot him by looking for a square of bright stars, the “Great Square of Pegasus.” (Technically, the northeastern corner of this square, the star Alpheratz, marks the head of the beautiful princess Andromeda, but we commonly include it as one corner of the Great Square of Pegasus.) The planet Uranus, right at the edge of visibility to the naked eye under ideal conditions, lies in Pisces the fishes below the eastern edge of the Great Square of Pegasus. Actually, Pegasus is only half of a flying horse since this constellation does not include his hindquarters or rear legs and tail. The story goes that Pegasus was born in the sea. Thus, he is often depicted rising up out of the water. He is also upside down as we view him from the Northern Hemisphere. So, in a nutshell, what we really see is half of an upside down flying horse. Think about the last time you saw a flying horse rising up out of the ocean and you will have no trouble visualizing Pegasus in the autumn skies. The planets: After sunset we have Venus low in the southwest as our “Evening Star.” To the upper left of this bright planet is the much dimmer Saturn with the red Mars well up due south in Sagittarius the archer. Uranus and Neptune are up low in the east but the observer will need a telescope to find the former and at least binoculars for the latter. Jupiter is now emerging from the morning twilight replacing the elusive Mercury which has now disappeared into the sunrise. Orionid Meteor Shower: As with all meteor showers, the Orionids are best observed between midnight and dawn from a dark location with clear skies. In 2016 the Orionids are predicted to reach a peak of about twenty meteors per hour about 1 a.m. EDT, Friday, October 21. This shower generally lasts for about two days; so one should expect to see some Orionids the morning of the 20th, peaking on the 21st and remaining on the 22nd. Unfortunately, we will have a third quarter moon rising about midnight. Thus, in the predawn hours, there will be moonlight interfering with observing the fainter meteors. Look high in the east to find the meteors appearing to radiate out the area at the tip of the club of the constellation of Orion the hunter, near the feet of Gemini the twins. Binoculars or telescopes are not needed to observe meteors. Celestial Calendar: October 21, 1 a.m. EDT - Peak of the Orionid Meteor Shower October 22, 4:04 p.m. EDT – Last Quarter Moon October 30, 1:38 p.m. EDT – New Moon October 31 – The Sun moves from Virgo the maiden into Libra the scales November 6, 2:00 a.m. EDT - Daylight Saving Time ends. Set clocks back 1 hour. November 7, 3:51 p.m. EDT – First Quarter Moon