Visible high above the arc of the Milky Way is the bright-blue star Vega , which shines with an apparent magnitude of 0. Located in the Lyra constellation, Vega forms an asterism, or star pattern, well known as the Summer Triangle along with the stars Deneb in the Cygnus constellation and Altair in the constellation Aquila. Glowing red just below the right end of the Milky Way's arc is Mars, and Saturn is shining to its right, near the dusty core of the galaxy.
Tracing the line formed by Mars and Saturn farther to the right, we can find the red supergiant star Antares in the Scorpius constellation followed by the bright planet Jupiter. Astronomers think the Milky Way contains about billion stars. Just like light pollution can make it hard to see the stars inside a city, the brightness of the inner galaxy makes it harder to pick out individual stars in the summer sky. So while it may sound more pleasant to lie out in the fields and gaze up the stars in the comfort of a breezy summer evening, remember that the winter sky has a magic about it that is worth the extra trouble.
Jaime McLeod is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV. She enjoys the outdoors, growing and eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.
I wait with my grandchildren at the bus stop in the early mornings. We get to enjoy the stars,planets and moon.
My grandson received his first telescope for Christmas and I put an app on my tablet so we could better identify what we are seeing. I always appreciate the information you provide.
I LOVE the night sky. I spend more time outside stargazing in the winter dthan summer. Although it does get cold in the Panhandle of Fl. The summer constellations can be seen rising in the east at around 10pm. And finally Space, stars and a history of navigation innovation - British Science Week. The night sky in May. Enter your comment. Email We only ask for your email address so we know you're a real person. Email me if someone replies to my comment. Sign up and manage updates Email Atom.
Recent Posts The night sky in November November 3, The night sky in October October 5, Using satellites to monitor deforestation in cocoa crops September 29, In summer, our evening sky is facing toward the center of the Milky Way galaxy — some 25, to 28, light-years away. The winter stars tend to be closer to us — and there really are some gigantic stars located in this direction. Our sun, the Earth, and all the other planets reside within the Orion—Cygnus Arm. In fact, our arm of the galaxy is named for this constellation.
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