Star trails are the continuous paths created by stars, produced during long-exposure photos, such as the images in this post. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/what-are-star-trails…
Tag: polaris
Found Cassiopeia? Now look for Perseus
Perseus follows Cassiopeia across the night sky. It’s fainter, but has a graceful shape and some of the sky’s most interesting stars and star clusters. Source: https://earthsky.org/constellations/cassiopeia-and-perseus-in-northeast-on-october-evenings…
Meet Alpha Cephei, a rapidly rotating star
While not one of the most conspicuous stars in the night sky, Alderamin – aka Alpha Cephei – is easy to spot, and is interesting for its rapid rotation on its axis. Source: https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/alderamin-the-kings-brightest-star…
How to find the North Star and Southern Cross
In the next in our stargazing series, learn to navigate by the stars by finding Polaris in the north, or using the Southern Cross to find the South Pole Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24332490-900-how-to-find-the-north-star-and-southern-cross/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Meet Delta Cephei, a famous variable star
Delta Cephei doubles in brightness on a precise schedule, every 5.36 days. Its brightness changes are tied to its absolute brightness. Learn how this star helped establish the known distance scale of our galaxy and universe. Source: https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/delta-cephei-the-kings-famous-variable-star…
Why Earth has 4 seasons
Some assume our planet’s changing distance from the sun causes the change in the seasons. That’s logical, but not the case for Earth. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/can-you-explain-why-earth-has-four-seasons…
How to see the Great Square of Pegasus
It’s easy! The Great Square of Pegasus consists of 4 stars of nearly equal brightness in a large square pattern. Once you find it, you can star-hop to other well-known sights in the sky. Source: https://earthsky.org/favorite-star-patterns/great-square-of-pegasus-wings-in-sept-equinox…
Close-up on Cassiopeia the Queen
The constellation Cassiopeia the Queen has the distinct shape of a W or M. Find her in the north-northeast sky on September and October evenings. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/close-up-on-cassiopeia-the-queen…
Use Big Dipper to find North Star
The 2 outermost stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris, the North Star. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/use-big-dipper-to-find-polaris-the-north-star…
Cassiopeia points to Andromeda galaxy
Leave the city behind this weekend, and go galaxy-hunting! Cassiopeia – one of the easiest constellations to identify – points the way. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/cassiopeia-the-queen-also-points-to-andromeda-galaxy…