Archive
05/29/2014 – Ephemeris – Boötes the Herdsman
Ephemeris for Thursday, May 29th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 15 minutes, setting at 9:18. The moon, 1 day past new, will set at 10:04 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:01.
High in the south southeastern sky at 10:30 tonight can be found the kite shaped constellation of Boötes the herdsman, chasing or herding the Great Bear Ursa Major of which the Big Dipper is the hind end, across the sky. The bright star at the base of the kite is the 4th brightest night-time star Arcturus. It can be found and name remembered by first locating the Big Dipper and by following the arc or curve of the handle to Arcturus. This star is an orange-colored giant star, 37 light years away. Its light was used open the 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair believing its light left the star in 1893 the year of the previous Chicago Worlds Fair. It turns out that Arcturus is 3 light years closer than what they thought.
Addendum
Bootes and Ursa Major high overhead on late spring evenings at 11 p.m. Created using Stellarium.
05/28/2013 – Ephemeris – Boötes the bear chaser
Ephemeris for Tuesday, May 28th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 9:17. The moon, half way from full to last quarter, will rise at 12:34 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:02.
Appearing high in the southeastern sky at 10:30 tonight is the kite shaped constellation of Boötes the herdsman. The bright star Arcturus is at the bottom of the kite, pointed to by the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper, overhead. In one story Boötes represents a young hunter named Arcas, son of Callisto, a beautiful young lady who had the misfortune of being loved by Zeus the chief Greek god. Zeus’ wife Hera, found out about it, and since she couldn’t punish Zeus, turned Callisto into an ugly bear. Arcas, unaware of why his mother disappeared in his youth was about to kill the bear when Zeus intervened and placed them both in the sky. Now Arcas as Boötes chases the Great Bear forever around the pole of the sky each day and night.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Bootes and Ursa Major high overhead on late spring evenings at 11 p.m. Created using Stellarium.
05/14/2013 – Ephemeris – How to find two bright spring stars.
Ephemeris for Tuesday, May 14th. Today the sun will be up for 14 hours and 47 minutes, setting at 9:02. The moon, 4 days before first quarter, will set at 12:48 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:14.
The Big Dipper, now pretty much overhead points to several stars and constellations. It’s handle points to two bright stars. First we follow the arc of the handle to the bright orange star Arcturus, the 4th brightest night time star. The reason I say night time is that the sun is a star also but by definition is not out at night. The arc to Arcturus is a how to find Arcturus and a clue to its name. Arcturus, high in the east southeast, lies at the base point of the kite shaped constellation of Boötes the herdsman. From Arcturus, straighten out the arc to a spike and one soon arrives at Spica a blue-white star in Virgo the virgin, now low in the southeast. Saturn is to its left this year. Spica is also sometimes pronounced “Speeka”.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
My program that shows the arc to Arcturus and spike to Spica.
A more realistic view of the same part of the sky. Created using Stellarium.
06/07/2012 – Ephemeris – The constellation of Corona Borealis
Ephemeris for Thursday, June 7th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 27 minutes, setting at 9:25. The moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 12:07 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:57.
High in the southeast at 10:30 p.m. can be found a rather small arc of stars just east of the kite shaped constellation of Boötes with the bright star Arcturus at the bottom. It’s called Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. There is a Southern Crown, Corona Australis, just below the Teapot of Sagittarius, a late summer constellation, which barely rises above the horizon here. This semi-circle of stars was to the Greeks the crown bestowed to Princess Ariadne daughter of King Minos of Crete after she had helped the Greek Theseus escape from the Labyrinth of the Minotaur. To the Native Americans around here it was the sweat lodge, and to the Australian Aborigines it was the boomerang whenever it rose over their northern horizon.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Corona Borealis with Boötes at 10:30 p.m. Created with Stellarium.
05/23/11 – Ephemeris – The constellation Boötes
Monday, May 23rd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 5 minutes, setting at 9:11. The moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 1:59 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:06.
Appearing high in the eastern sky at 10 p.m. tonight is the kite shaped constellation of Boötes the herdsman. The bright star Arcturus is at the bottom of the kite, pointed to by the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper, overhead. In one story Boötes represents a young hunter named Arcas, son of Callisto, a beautiful young lady who had the misfortune of being loved by Zeus the chief Greek god. Zeus’ wife Hera, found out about it, and since she couldn’t punish Zeus, turned Callisto into an ugly bear. Arcas, unaware of why his mother disappeared in his youth was about to kill the bear when Zeus intervened and placed them both in the sky. Now Arcas as Boötes chases the Great Bear forever around the pole of the sky each night.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Bootes and the Big Dipper
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 