Rise of the Summer Stars

Due north and standing on its handle is the Little Dipper, also known as Ursa Minor the little bear. Of these stars, only Polaris and two other stars at the end of the bowl are bright enough to see under typical conditions.

Face west to find Leo the lion. The bright star Regulus is the heart of the lion. The circular hook-shape next to Regulus represents the lion’s head and fluffy mane. Higher in the western sky, Denebola marks the tip of the lion’s tail.

As an alternative, imagine this pattern of stars as a little mouse. Denebola now marks the tip of the mouse’s pointy nose, while the hook-shape of Leo’s head becomes the mouse’s curly tail. As Leo sets, it looks like the mouse is standing up on its back legs.

Don’t wait too long to look for Leo. He sets early in the evening, and every night he sets just a little bit earlier. My mid-July these stars will be lost in the glow of sunset.

Go back to the Big Dipper and follow the curve of its handle until you reach the bright orange star Arcturus in Bootes the herdsman. To most people, this pattern looks more like a kite or an ice cream cone than a shepherd. Aside from Arcturus, the stars of Bootes are also rather faint.

Continue the arc of the Big Dipper’s handle through Arcturus and speed on to Spica, the only bright star in Virgo the maiden. Just below and to the right of Spica is an easy to spot squashed square of stars called Corvus the crow. This little group isn’t well known, but it stands out compared to the faint and meandering mess of the maiden’s stars.

Finally, face east for one of the main attractions of the summertime night sky, three bright stars in a large triangle shape. The Summer Triangle features Vega, Deneb, and Altair of the constellations Lyra the harp, Cygnus the swan, and Aquila the Eagle respectively. As the evening grows later and the skies get darker, the summer triangle will rise higher in the sky.

Binocular Practice

You don’t need thousands of dollars worth of equipment to enjoy the night sky - your own two eyes are all that’s needed to get started. If you’d still like a little inexpensive help, find a pair of binoculars! Most binoculars don’t magnify very much, but they all gather more light than your eyes can alone, and can make things a little easier to see.

Try starting with the planet Venus. It provides a brilliant beacon for early evening astronomers and will dominate the western sky until September. Watch for it high in the west as soon as the sky begins to darken after sunset. It’s so bright it’s often mistaken for a distant streetlight, an airplane, or even a UFO!

On the evenings of June 14 and 15, Venus will be joined by a pretty crescent Moon. Grab those binoculars for a close up look at the pair. You might be able to see a little more detail on the Moon. The surface of Venus is totally covered with clouds so you won’t see any detail, but the planet might look just a little bit larger in binoculars. Try again on the evenings of June 19 and 20 to see Venus pass by the Beehive star cluster in the dim constellation of Cancer the crab. Unless you have almost perfectly dark skies you won’t see the Cancer itself with your own eyes. Scan the area with binoculars to see if you can find the Beehive.

Meanwhile, “red planet” Mars is a faint orange dot just to the west of Leo the lion. Currently Mars is moving eastward against the background stars from night to night. Mars will pass by Regulus from June 4 through 8.

Below Denebola, the tail of Leo, is a pale yellow dot. This is the planet Saturn. Take a look through binoculars, and Saturn... will still be a pale yellow dot. In this case you do need a telescope to reveal the rings, but it’s definitely worth the look!

If you happen to be up in the wee hours of the morning, Jupiter will be high in the eastern sky before dawn. The crescent Moon passes by Jupiter on the morning of June 6. We’ll get a more convenient view of the giant planet later in the summer.

How Many Planets?

How many planets are there in our solar system? Nine, right? Or is it eight? Maybe it's ten, or twelve, or more. Just what is a planet, and does Pluto count? The answer may surprise you.

From June through September you can count the planets for yourself in Nine Planets and Counting, an original production of the Sudekum Planetarium. The show features an original soundtrack by Nashville musician Tony Gerber. You can visit his web site at spaceformusic.com.

See our web site for show times and links to more information about the solar system!

Upcoming Star Parties

The next FREE public star party is set for Saturday, July 17 from 8:30 to 10:30 at the Visitor Information Center at Longhunter State Park. Join us as members of the Barnard Seyfert Astronomical Society set up telescopes to provide you with views of Mars, Saturn, the Moon, and much more.

If the weather is cloudy, the star party will be cancelled. If the weather is questionable, call AstroLine at (615) 401-5092 or check our web site before traveling. On our web site, you'll also find driving directions and a list of useful star party tips.