Archive
06/26/2014 – Ephemeris – Draco the dragon is twisted around the pole of the sky
Ephemeris for Thursday, June 26th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 9:31, the latest sunset. The moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 6:32 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:59.
High in the northern sky at 11 p.m. lies the twisted constellation, that of Draco the dragon. This dragon is more like the snakelike Chinese dragon than the dinosaur like dragon of European legend. I find it better to start at the tail of Draco, to trace him out in the stars. Draco’s tail starts between the bowl of the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. The Dragon is seen in a line of stars that extends parallel to the handle of the Big Dipper before curving around the bowl of the Little Dipper then bends back toward the south. The head of Draco is an odd box of stars near the bright star Vega, high in the east. Though not made up of very bright stars, Draco has an easy shape to trace.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Draco via Stellarium in approximately the same orientation as the Jamieson atlas below. You’s have to face southeast and bend over backward to see this orientation in the sky.
Draco the Dragon as drawn in Alexander Jamieson’s 1820 Celestial Atlas as printer in Men, Monsters and the Modern Universe by George Lovi and Wil Tirion, 1989, Willmann-Bell, Richmond, VA
09-24-2013 – Ephemeris – The dragon in the sky
Ephemeris for Tuesday, September 24th. The sun will rise at 7:32. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 3 minutes, setting at 7:35. The moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 10:40 this evening.
High in the northern sky at 9 p.m. lies a twisted constellation, that of Draco the dragon. This dragon is more like the snakelike Chinese dragon than the dinosaur like dragon of European legend. At least that’s how I see it. I find it better to start at the tail of Draco, to trace him out in the stars. Draco’s tail starts between the bowl of the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. The Dragon is seen in a line of stars that extends parallel to the handle of the Big Dipper before curving around the bowl of the Little Dipper to the east then bends back toward the west. The head of Draco is an odd box of stars near the bright star Vega, nearly overhead. Though not made up of very bright stars, Draco has an easy shape to trace.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Draco and neighboring constellations at 9 .m. September 24, 2013. Created using Stellarium. Constellation art by Johan Meuris.
06/18/2012 – Ephemeris – The Little Dipper
Ephemeris for Monday, June 18th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 9:30. The moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 6:03 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:57.
11 p.m. is the best time now to spot the Little Dipper. It is difficult to spot, being mush smaller and dimmer than the Big Dipper. However it is the Big Dipper that points to it, by the two stars at the front of the bowl of the Big Dipper to point to the North Star Polaris, the star that doesn’t appear to move. That is the tip of the handle of the Little Dipper. The handle is seen in a curve of the stars upwards and a bit to the left to a small box of stars that is its bowl. The two stars at the front of the bowl are called the Guard Stars because they guard the pole. The Little Dipper is not an official constellation, but is Ursa Minor the lesser bear. To the Anishinabek native peoples of this area it represents a loon.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Little Dipper (Ursa Minor) and the Big Dipper (Ursa Major). Created using Stellarium.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 