Archive
05/27/2016 – Ephemeris – Alkaid, the star at the end of the Big Dipper
Ephemeris for Friday, May 27th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 9:17, and will rise tomorrow at 6:02. The Moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 1:40 tomorrow morning.
The star at the end of the handle of the Big Dipper is named Alkaid. It is the bright star that’s closest to the zenith at 11 p.m. It is a rare blue-white star. Alkaid and Dubhe, at the other end of the Big Dipper are stars that do not belong to the Ursa Major Association. And thousands of years from now these two stars will leave the central stars of the dipper behind, and deform the Big Dipper. Over the millennia the Big Dipper would look like a tin cup. Near Alkaid are two popular deep sky objects. And being this far from the hazy band of the Milky Way one would guess that they would be galaxies. And they are. The Whirlpool Galaxy and the Pinwheel Galaxy. Two gorgeous spiral galaxies.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The change in the Big Dipper over time. Source: stargazerslounge.com. Ultimate source: Stellarium.
The Big Dipper and Alkaid with the Whirlpool (M51) and Pinwheel (M101) galaxies. Created using Stellarium.
The Whirlpool Galaxy, M51. Credit Scott Anttila.
The Pinwheel Galaxy, M101. Credit Scott Anttila.
11/07/2013 – Ephemeris – The Big Dipper’s lowest appearance in the north
Ephemeris for Thursday, November 7th. The sun will rise at 7:28. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 54 minutes, setting at 5:23. The moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 9:32 this evening.
The entire Big Dipper is at its lowest in the sky at 9 p.m. with the Dipper’s bowl centered due north under the pole star Polaris. The southernmost star of the Big Dipper is the star at the tip of the handle, named Alkaid. Alkaid will be at its lowest at 11:20 this evening, 4 degrees above the horizon for Traverse City, so is circumpolar, meaning it doesn’t set in the IPR (Interlochen Public Radio) listening area. The star name is Arabic and means something like the Chief of the daughters mourning at the Bier. The bier is the bowl of the dipper supporting, I suppose, the body of their father or mother. To the Anishinabek native peoples around here the Big Dipper was the Fisher or Fisher Star, a weasel like creature, whose bloody tail swept over the maple trees, turning their leaves red.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Big Dipper low in the north at 9 p.m. November 7, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
Fisher Star paints the autumn trees red at 11:20 p.m. November 7, 2013. Created using Stellarium.
For the story of the Fisher Star click here.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 