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Ephemeris: 12/11/25 – The constellation of the guy with the goats
This is Ephemeris for Thursday, December 11th. Today the Sun will be up for 8 hours and 51 minutes, setting at 5:02, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:11. The Moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 12:53 tomorrow morning.
The first constellation of winter is in the northeastern sky, called Auriga the charioteer. It’s to the upper left of Orion and directly left of Taurus. Auriga actually never really quite leaves us, because its brightest star, Capella is the star that never leaves us even in the heat of summer, Though for most of us it’s in the trees in the north. Auriga is a pentagon of stars with the Capella on top. Just right of Capella is a thin triangle of three faint stars, an asterism or informal constellation called the Kids, baby goats. Capella is their mother. For some reason they are all held by a charioteer, who is shown without his chariot. Ptolemy, last of the great Greek astronomers called Auriga the coachman. If so, he did have room for the goats.
The astronomical event times given in this blog are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (Lat 44.7° N, Long 85.7° W; EDT, UT – 4 hours) unless stated otherwise. Times will be different for other locations.
Addendum
Ephemeris: 12/07/2023 – Auriga, the charioteer
This is Ephemeris for Thursday, December 7th. Today the Sun will be up for 8 hours and 56 minutes, setting at 5:02, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:07. The Moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 3:20 tomorrow morning.
The first constellation of winter is in the northeastern sky, called Auriga the charioteer. It’s to the upper left of Orion and directly left of Taurus. Auriga actually never really quite leaves us, because its brightest star, Capella is the star that never leaves us even in the heat of summer, Though for most of us it’s in the trees in the north. Auriga is a pentagon of stars with the Capella on top. Just right of Capella is a thin triangle of three faint stars, an asterism or informal constellation called the Kids, baby goats. Capella is their mother. For some reason they are all held by a charioteer, who is without his chariot. And from all the Hollywood Biblical epic movies I’ve seen, it takes two hands to drive a chariot, and it doesn’t have a rumble seat.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT –5 hours). They may be different for your location.
Addendum
11/24/2022 – Ephemeris – Finding Auriga the charioteer
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 15 minutes, setting at 5:07, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:52. The Moon, 1 day past new, will set at 5:31 this evening.
The constellation Auriga the charioteer is halfway up the sky in the east northeast at 9 p.m. It is a pentagon of stars, with the brilliant star Capella at the upper left of its corners. Capella represents a mama goat he’s carrying. A narrow triangle of stars just right of Capella are her kids, that is her baby goats. The Kids is an informal constellation or asterism. The Milky Way runs through Auriga, but it’s not very bright here. We are looking away from the center of the Milky Way to the more sparse outer parts of our galaxy. Within and near that pentagon, one can sweep with binoculars and low power telescopes to find several star clusters, groups of hundreds of stars born in the clump we still see them in. These star clusters will appear as fuzzy spots in binoculars.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT –5 hours). They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Auriga the charioteer finder animation. Mars is nearby between the horns of Taurus for the next week and a half as it works its way to the upper right. The Kids asterism is best seen in the frame without markings because the Capella label covers one of its stars. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
12/04/2018 – Ephemeris – Auriga the Charioteer
Ephemeris for Tuesday, December 4th. The Sun will rise at 8:03. It’ll be up for 8 hours and 59 minutes, setting at 5:02. The Moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 6:03 tomorrow morning.
The constellation Auriga the charioteer is half way up the sky in the east northeast at 9 p.m. It is a pentagon of stars, with the brilliant star Capella at the upper left of its corners. Capella represents a mama goat he’s carrying. A narrow triangle of stars just right of Capella are her kids, that is her baby goats. The Kids is an informal constellation or asterism. The Milky Way runs through Auriga, but it’s not very bright here. We are looking away from the center of the Milky Way to the more sparse outer parts. Within and near that pentagon, one can sweep with binoculars and low power telescopes to find several star clusters, groups of hundreds of stars born in the clump we still see them in. These star clusters will appear as fuzzy spots in binoculars.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Auriga and neighboring constellations for 9 p.m. in early December. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
11/22/2018 – Ephemeris – The little goat star, Capella
Ephemeris for Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22nd. The Sun will rise at 7:49. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 19 minutes, setting at 5:08. The Moon, 1 day before full, will set at 7:59 tomorrow morning.
Capella is the northernmost first magnitude stars. Tonight it shines in the northeastern sky. First magnitude stars are the 21 brightest stars in the night sky. Capella is the 6th brightest. The name Capella means little goat, though I’ve always known it as the little she goat. Her three Kids are represented by a narrow triangle of stars positioned to the right of her in tonight’s evening sky, though they may be overpowered by the bright Moon tonight. Capella is in the topmost corner of the pentagonal constellation of Auriga the Charioteer. Capella is actually a system of four stars only 43 light years away. And never sets for listeners in the Interlochen Public Radio transmission area, though all bets are off if you’re listening over the Internet from somewhere else.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
12/19/2016 – Ephemeris – OK kids, do I have to turn this chariot around
Ephemeris for Monday, December 19th. The Sun will rise at 8:16. It’ll be up for 8 hours and 48 minutes, setting at 5:04. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 11:44 this evening.
The constellation Auriga the charioteer is half way up the sky in the east at 8 p.m. It is a pentagon of stars, with the brilliant star Capella at one of its corners. Capella represents a she goat he’s carrying. A narrow triangle of stars nearby Capella are her kids, an informal constellation or asterism. Within and near that pentagon, binoculars and telescopes will find several star clusters, groups of hundreds of stars born in the clump we still see them in. These star clusters will appear as fuzzy spots in binoculars. One called M38 is near the center of the pentagon. Another, M36 is below it. Still another star cluster, M37, is farther below still. The M designations come from Charles Messier who two centuries ago ran into them while looking for comets.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Auriga the charioteer with Capella and the Kids at 8 p.m. December 19, 2016. The object named the Starfish Cluster is M38. To the right is Taurus the bull with the Hyades, his face and above the Pleiades in his shoulder. Created using Stellarium and edited with GIMP. Click on the image to enlarge.
11/16/2012 – Ephemeris – Capella the winter that doesn’t set (around here)
Ephemeris for Friday, November 16th. The sun will rise at 7:41. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 5:13. The moon, 3 days past new, will set at 8:11 this evening.
Midway up the sky in the east northeast at 9 p.m. You will find the bright star Capella. It is above and left of the bright planet Jupiter. Capella is located at one corner of a pentagon of stars that is the constellation Auriga the Charioteer. Capella represents a little she goat, while a slim triangle of stars are her kids. That triangle is known as the Kids. Capella is circumpolar for locations north of Ludington, meaning that this winter star doesn’t set, even in summer. Capella is a close binary star of stars with the same color as the sun, but much brighter. They orbit each other in 104 days. It looks like a single star in most telescopes. Spotting it low on the northern horizon at midnight in July is a reminder that winter will come soon enough.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Capella in Auriga with the Kids at 9 p.m. on November 16, 2012. Created using Stellarium.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 