October skies have many sights

Among astronomical events this month is one of the best meteor showers of the year.

See SKIES, page 8

Skies

See SKIES, page 10

Skies

By MIKE FORD

Special to The Capital-Journal

The long summer days and short nights are now a thing of the past. October brings us longer nights, shorter days, cooler temperatures and a new sky to view. Even though we are officially in the fall season, many of the summer constellations and bright stars are easy to locate.

Beginning directly overhead, the bright star Vega is still visible. Vega is the main star in the constellations of Lyra, the harp. Eventually, Vega will become the North Star. Because the Earth is wobbling as it rotates, the sky will slowly appear to shift, and in approximately 10,000 years, Vega will assume its new position as the pole star. Next to Lyra to the east, is the constellation of Cygnus, the swan. Again you can see Cygnus as a large cross in the sky, thus being called the Northern Cross. The bright star on the northern part of the cross is Deneb. It is 10 times more massive than the sun and burns 50,000 times brighter. And, to the south of Cygnus, the bright star Altair shines in Aquila, the eagle. The bright stars Vega, Deneb and Altair form the Summer Triangle.

To the southwest, Scorpius, the scorpion, is seen with the bright red giant star Antares, which means, "rival of Mars." Along with Antares, Mars still graces the sky in the southeast. A good pair of binoculars will reveal a small, red star. A telescope will show a small disk. East of Scorpius, Sagittarius, the archer, is still visible with the Milky Way blazing from south to north. Both of these summer constellations will set in the southwest around 11 p.m.

With the summer constellations leaving our view, several bright constellations can still be seen in the fall sky. Rising in the east at sunset, Pegasus, the winged horse, is visible as a big square, called the Great Square in Pegasus. Although Pegasus is known as a winged horse in Greek mythology, it is very difficult to see the shape of a horse. The Great Square is an easy way to see the constellation.

The star in the upper left corner of the square is called Alpharatz. This star is also part of another constellation, Andromeda, the chained lady. Andromeda was saved by the great warrior, Perseus. Andromeda is well known to astronomers because it is the location of the nearest galaxy to the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy. This galaxy is almost a carbon copy of our galaxy in size and shape. It is bright enough that it can be seen with the naked eye, and when looking at it in binoculars, the spiral shape can be seen. This galaxy has a distance of 2.5 million years, so we actually see it as it looked 2.5 million years ago. Whenever you look into the sky, you always look into the past; you never see the present. Even our closest star, the sun, takes eight minutes for its light to reach us every day.

To the north of Pegasus and Andromeda, the constellation of Perseus, the warrior, is visible. It is located in the northeast at sunset and appears as two strings of stars in the shape of the Eiffel Tower. Two objects are interesting to observe in this constellation. First, at the top of the Eiffel Tower, there is a double cluster of stars that appear as jewels in binoculars or a small telescope. This cluster is called "h" and "chi." It is also visible to the naked eye on a clear, moonless night. Also, one of the stars in Perseus seems to grow dim and then bright again. This is called Algol, the winking demon, or Demon Star. Algol is one of the eyes of Medusa, the gorgon. Perseus cut off the head of Medusa to save Andromeda from the jaws of Cetus, the sea monster. Algol is actually a variable star. A variable star has one star revolving around it, and when the stars are apart, they appear bright. When one star is in front of the other, they become dim. This particular star is easy to notice because it dims and brightens about every three or four days.

There will be two bright "stars" visible in the east during the month. These "stars" are the planets Jupiter and Saturn, which are rising in the east around 11 p.m. Look to the east for a white- yellow star that doesn't twinkle. In a moderate-size telescope, there will be three to four stars surrounding the planet. These are the satellites of Saturn. The brightest one of the group is Titan. It is the only known satellite to have an atmosphere similar to early Earth's. Its atmosphere is mainly nitrogen. In 2004, the space probe Cassini will arrive at Saturn and not only explore the Saturnian system but land another probe on Titan. The Huygens probe will provide scientists information about the surface and the make-up of its atmosphere. If all goes well with the descent of the probe, expect to see images of the surface as well.

Morning observers also can catch a glimpse of Mars, now located in Leo, the lion. It will rise around 3 a.m. local time and appears as a red star in the east. During the first week of October, Mars is near the bright star Regulus. Watch Mars on several nights and see how it moves against the background of stars. This movement is due to the Earth's revolving around the sun and Mars' revolving, as well.

The bright star in the southwest after sunset is Venus, the Earth's twin sister. As the month progresses, Venus will rise out of the glare of the sun and become the evening star for the next several months.

Called one of the best meteor showers of the year, the Orionids will peak Saturday, Oct. 21. Because the moon will be visible in the morning sky, the prospects of seeing meteors will be moderate to excellent after midnight. These meteors will appear to be bright streaks going across the sky. The streaks are actually small pieces of rock about the size of a grain of sand. Some of the brighter meteors will be slightly larger. The best place to view the Orionids is in a field away from city lights. Meteor showers also can be photographed. You would need a SLR camera with a fast lens, tripod, cable release and fast film, like 400 or 1000. Aim your camera in the area of the constellation of Orion, which rises about 2 a.m., and wait. Each picture should be 10 to 15 minutes long. Photographing meteors is hit and miss. You never know if you get a meteor until you get your film developed.

Moon phases this month: first quarter --- Oct. 5; full moon --- Oct. 13; last quarter --- Oct. 20; and new moon --- Oct. 27.

Don't forget, daylight-saving time ends Oct. 29. Set your clocks back one hour and enjoy an extra hour of sleep. From this time on, it will seem the sun will be setting earlier every evening, making longer nights and shorter days.

Mike Ford is a science teacher at Holton High School.

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