12/16/2014 – Ephemeris – Capella, the winter star that won’t set
Ephemeris for Tuesday, December 16th. The Sun will rise at 8:13. It’ll be up for 8 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 5:03. The moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 3:17 tomorrow morning.
The bright star Capella is the only winter star I mention in the summer that still can be seen in the evening. That’s because it never sets for observers north of Ludington. It’s a constant reminder that winter is always just around the corner. Well this week it really is. It’s the brightest star in the eastern sky at 8 p.m. and for some time thereafter until Jupiter rises. Capella is in the constellation of Auriga the charioteer, a pentagonal constellation to my eyes. Capella means, essentially mama goat. Her three kids are the stars in a thin triangle to her right. Capella is actually a very close binary star, where the stars are too close to be optically separated. Breaking up the light with a spectroscope reveals its true nature.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Capella in the constellation of Auriga at 9 p.m. on December 16, 2014. Created using Stellarium.
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