The expression "dog days" refers to the period

from July 3 through Aug. 11 when our brightest

night star, SIRIUS (aka the dog star), rises in conjunction* with the sun.

Conjunction, in astronomy, is defined as the apparent meeting or passing of two celestial bodies.

TAAS Fabulous FiftyA program for those new to astronomy

Friday Evening, July 20, 2018, 8:00 pm

All TAAS and other new and not so new astronomers are welcome.

What is the TAAS Fabulous 50 Program?

It is a set of 4 meetings spread across a calendar year in

which a beginner to astronomy learns to locate 50 of the most prominent night sky objects visible to the naked eye.

These include stars, constellations, asterisms, and Messier objects.

1. Meeting dates for each season in year 2018

Winter Jan 19

Spring Apr 20

Summer Jul 20

Fall Oct 19

2. Locate the brightest and easiest to observe stars and associated constellations

3. Add new prominent constellations for each season

Methodology

Tonight’s Schedule

8:00 pm – We meet inside for a slide presentation overview of the Summer sky.

8:40 pm – View night sky outside

The Midnight Sky: Familiar Notes on the Stars and Planets, Edward Durkin, July 15, 1869

Polaris North Star

A Good Way to Start – Find North

Polaris is about the 50th brightest star.

It appears isolated making it easy to identify.

Circumpolar Stars

Polaris

Horizon Line Albuquerque -- 35° N

Circumpolar Stars

The Circle of Perpetual Apparition

for Albuquerque

Capella the Goat Star

AS THE WORLD TURNS

Deneb

1 URSA MINOR

22 URSA MAJOR &

BIG DIPPER

5

6

3

4

1

5 CASSIOPEIA

6 Cepheus

3 Draco

4 Camelopardalis

Vega

Deneb

Capella the Goat Star

2

5

6

3

4

1

Ursa Major

Ursa Minor Draco

CamelopardalisCassiopeiaCepheus

A single map of the stars can show the places of the stars at different hours and months of the year in consequence of the earth’s two primary movements:

Daily ClockThe rotation of the earth on it's own axis amounts to 360 degrees in 24 hours, or 15 degrees per hour (360/24).

Monthly CalendarThe earth makes a full 360 degree annual revolution around the sun in 1 year which is 30 degrees per month (350/12).

Clock and Calendar

Constel lat ions Stars Messier Objects

LYRA (harp) VEGA

CYGNUS (swan) DENEB

ALBIREO

AQUILA (eagle) ALTAIR

SCORPIUS (scorpion) ANTARES M4 –Globular Cluster

SAGITTARIUS (archer) NUNKI M8 – Lagoon Nebula

The TAAS Fabulous Fifty Objects of Summer

What is a Constellation?

VA MODERN DAY CONSTELLATION is one of 88 precisely delineated regions of the celestial sphere with coordinate based* boundaries approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

Image from The Astronomical Companion, Guy Ottewell, 1981

*right ascension -celestial longitudedeclination – celestial lattitude

Cassiopeia

These 5 stars range from 54 to 615 light years away. Distances shown here are not proportional.

The farthest naked eye star is 16,308 light years away.

The closest star is 4.2 light years away.

The star ICARUS is 9 billion light years away.

The fainter the star the higher number for magnitude.

The amount of brightness decreases by a factor of about 2.5.

A magnitude 6 star is 100 times fainter than a magnitude 1 star.

20 Brightest Stars

1 Sirius2 Canopus3 Rigil Kentaurus4 Arcturus5 Vega6 Capella7 Rigel8 Procyon9 Acherner10 Betelgeuse11 Hadar12 Altair13 Acrux14 Aldebaran15 Spica16 Antares17 Pollux18 Fomalhaut19 Deneb20 Mimosa

HISTORICAL FORM OF CONSTELLATIONS

Cygnus, Lacerta, and LyraJohann Elert Bode (1747-1826)

translation of John Lamb, 1848

The Constellation CYGNUS as Portrayed in the Phaenomena by Aratus

The Greek story of Leda and the Swan (aka Zeus / Jupiter) has stirred the imaginations of many famous artists including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

From ritual vase, ca 330 BC

Star Locations based on Ptolemy’s original description recorded in the early 1st Century AD

CYGNUS Al Sufi

Late 1st Century AD

star on the beak

middle of the neck

bright star in the tail

northernmost of the 3 on the tip of wing feather

left knee

Modern ConstellationCygnus

Modern ConstellationCygnus Cygnus

What is an Asterism?

An asterism is prominent pattern or group of stars, typically having a popular name but smaller than a constellation.

The Big Dipper Asterism

Big Dipper Asterism

Vega 6th brigthest

Deneb 21st brightest

Altair 14th brightest

Summer Triangle

Vega 6th brightest

Vega & Lyra

Vega & Lyra

Two Birds of the

Summer Heavens

Cygnus, Deneb, and Albireo

DENEB19th Brightest

ALBIREO

“…perhaps the most lovely effect

of colour in the heavens.“Agnes Mary Clerke, 1889

Albireo Showpiece ProofWall Posters Now Available at AMAZON and WALMART!

Cygnus, Deneb, & Albireo

Aquila, Altair

ALTAIR 14th Brightest

Aquila & Altair

Summer Triangle

The Messier objects are astronomical objects first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1771.

Messier was a comet hunter, and was frustrated by objects which resembled but were not comets,

He compiled a list of them to avoid wasting time on observing them

110 objects are in the catalog

Are the first deep space objects (outside of our solar system) that amateur astronomers will attempt to observe after observing the moon and the planets

All visible in small telescopes and many are observable in binoculars

Few visible to the naked eye

What Are the Messier Objects (M)?

The Messier objects are astronomical objects first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1771.

Messier was a comet hunter, and was frustrated by objects which resembled but were not comets,

He compiled a list of them to avoid wasting time on observing them

110 objects are in the catalog

Are the first deep space objects (outside of our solar system) that amateur astronomers will attempt to observe after observing the moon and the planets

All visible in small telescopes and many are observable in binoculars

Few visible to the naked eye

Messier Objects

Galaxies

Globular Star Clusters

Open Star Clusters

Nebulas

Double Star

Stinger in the

Heavens

Scorpius & Antares

ANTARES 15th brightest

ANTARESis relatively big

SUN

Earth

ANTARES

Scorpius & Antares

Scorpius & Antares

M4 Globular Cluster

Messier 4Globular Cluster

Discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745

First globular cluster in which individual stars were resolved

Appears about the same size as the Moon in the sky

Number of stars >20,000

Apparent magnitude +5.9

The Southern Teapot Asterism

Sagittarius & Nunki

NUNKI

Kaus Australis

teaspoon

Sagittarius & Nunki

M8 - Lagoon Nebula

NUNKI

Kaus Australis

M8 -The Lagoon Nebula

Now Let’s Advance Using Star Charts

Astronomy Phone Apps are plentiful, very useful, most are free.

STELLARIUM An Extraordinary Free Computer Program!!!

STELLARIUM An Extraordinary Free Computer Program!!!

for the current month can be downloaded for free at

The Evening Sky Map

Back of Map

Location month time

Dat

es

of

cele

stia

l eve

nts

Outlines of the constellations

Magnitude (brightness) of the stars

Symbols for the various objects

General Info

Observing Tips

Astronomical Glossary

Visible with naked eye

Visible with binoculars

Visible with telescope

Locate the four cardinal directions:

a. Southb. Northc. Westd. East

How to use the Sky Map

As you observe, hold the chart so that the direction you are looking is at the bottom of the chart

FindingPolaris

Finding Sagittarius and Scorpius

Bushnell Xtra-Wide Fixed Focus 4x30mm Binoculars

Excellent for Constellation Viewing Assistance cost about $50

SUMMER FAB 50Checklist

How Do We Find Fab 50 Objects in the Night Sky?

1. Take a sky map & checklist with you to dark location

2. Look for Polaris (North Star)

1. Look from map – to – stars then stars – to – map

2. Begin with the brightest and easiest to find

3. When you get “lost”, revert to what you know and try again

GO FOR IT & HAVE FUN!

END

Last revised 071718