The expression "dog days" refers to the period from July 3 through Aug. 11 when our brightest night star, SIRIUS (aka the dog star), rises in conjunction* with the sun.

Conjunction, in astronomy, is defined as the apparent meeting or passing of two celestial bodies. TAAS Fabulous Fifty A program for those new to astronomy

Friday Evening, July 20, 2018, 8:00 pm

All TAAS and other new and not so new astronomers are welcome. What is the TAAS Fabulous 50 Program?

It is a set of 4 meetings spread across a calendar year in which a beginner to astronomy learns to locate 50 of the most prominent night sky objects visible to the naked eye.

These include stars, constellations, asterisms, and Messier objects. Methodology

1. Meeting dates for each season in year 2018

Winter Jan 19 Spring Apr 20 Summer Jul 20 Fall Oct 19

2. Locate the brightest and easiest to observe stars and associated constellations

3. Add new prominent constellations for each season Tonight’s Schedule

8:00 pm – We meet inside for a slide presentation overview of the Summer sky.

8:40 pm – View night sky outside

The Midnight Sky: Familiar Notes on the Stars and Planets, Edward Durkin, July 15, 1869 A Good Way to Start – Find North

Polaris North Star

Polaris is about the 50th brightest star. It appears isolated making it easy to identify. Circumpolar Stars

Polaris

Horizon Line Albuquerque -- 35° N Circumpolar Stars Capella the Goat Star AS THE WORLD TURNS

The Circle of Perpetual Apparition for Albuquerque

Deneb 1 URSA MINOR 2 3 2 URSA MAJOR & Vega BIG DIPPER 1 3 Draco

4 Camelopardalis 6 4 Deneb 5 CASSIOPEIA 5 6 Cepheus Capella the Goat Star 2 3

1 Draco Ursa Minor Ursa Major 6 Camelopardalis 4 Cassiopeia 5 Cepheus Clock and Calendar

A single map of the stars can show the places of the stars at different hours and months of the year in consequence of the earth’s two primary movements:

Daily Clock The rotation of the earth on it's own axis amounts to 360 degrees in 24 hours, or 15 degrees per hour (360/24).

Monthly Calendar The earth makes a full 360 degree annual revolution around the sun in 1 year which is 30 degrees per month (350/12). The TAAS Fabulous Fifty Objects of Summer Constellations Stars Messier Objects

LYRA (harp) VEGA

CYGNUS (swan) DENEB ALBIREO

AQUILA (eagle) ALTAIR

SCORPIUS (scorpion) ANTARES M4 –Globular Cluster

SAGITTARIUS (archer) NUNKI M8 – Lagoon Nebula What is a Constellation? A MODERN DAY CONSTELLATION isV one of 88 precisely delineated regions of the celestial sphere with coordinate based* boundaries approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

*right ascension -celestial longitude Image from The Astronomical Companion, Guy Ottewell, 1981 declination – celestial lattitude Cassiopeia

The farthest naked eye star is 16,308 Theselight 5years stars away. range from 54 to 615 light yearsThe away.closest Distancesstar is 4.2 light shown years here away. are not proportional. The star ICARUS is 9 billion light years away. The fainter the star the higher number for magnitude.

The amount of brightness decreases by a factor of about 2.5.

A magnitude 6 star is 100 times fainter than a magnitude 1 star. 20 Brightest Stars 1 Sirius 2 Canopus 3 Rigil Kentaurus 4 Arcturus 5 Vega 6 Capella 7 Rigel 8 Procyon 9 Acherner 10 Betelgeuse 11 Hadar 12 Altair 13 Acrux 14 Aldebaran 15 Spica 16 Antares 17 Pollux 18 Fomalhaut 19 Deneb 20 Mimosa HISTORICAL FORM OF CONSTELLATIONS

Cygnus, Lacerta, and Lyra Johann Elert Bode (1747-1826)

The Constellation CYGNUS as Portrayed in the Phaenomena by Aratus

translation of John Lamb, 1848 The Greek story of Leda and the Swan (aka Zeus / Jupiter) has stirred the imaginations of many famous artists including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

From ritual vase, ca 330 BC CYGNUS Al Sufi Late 1st Century AD

star on the beak

middle of the neck northernmost of the 3 on the tip of wing feather

bright star in the tail

left knee Star Locations based on Ptolemy’s original description recorded in the early 1st Century AD Modern Constellation Cygnus Modern Constellation Cygnus Cygnus What is an Asterism?

An asterism is prominent pattern or group of stars, typically having a popular name but smaller than a constellation. The Big Dipper Asterism Big Dipper Asterism

Vega 6th brigthest

Deneb Summer 21st brightest Triangle

Altair 14th brightest Vega & Lyra

Vega 6th brightest Vega & Lyra Two Birds of the Summer Heavens Cygnus, Deneb, and Albireo

“…perhaps the most lovely effect of colour in the heavens.“ Agnes Mary Clerke, 1889

ALBIREO

DENEB 19th Brightest Albireo Showpiece Proof Wall Posters Now Available at AMAZON and WALMART! Cygnus, Deneb, & Albireo Aquila, Altair

ALTAIR 14th Brightest Aquila & Altair Summer Triangle What Are the Messier Objects (M)?

The Messier objects are astronomical objects first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1771.

Messier was a comet hunter, and was frustrated by objects which resembled but were not comets,

He compiled a list of them to avoid wasting time on observing them

110 objects are in the catalog

Are the first deep space objects (outside of our solar system) that amateur astronomers will attempt to observe after observing the moon and the planets

All visible in small telescopes and many are observable in binoculars

Few visible to the naked eye The Messier objects are astronomical objects first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1771. Messier Objects Messier was a comet hunter, and was frustrated by objects which resembled but were not comets,

He compiled a list of them to avoid wasting time on Galaxies observing them Globular Star Clusters 110 objects are in the catalog Open Star Clusters Are the first deep space objects (outside of our solar system) that amateur astronomers will attempt to observe after observing the moon and the planets Nebulas

Double Star All visible in small telescopes and many are observable in binoculars

Few visible to the naked eye

Stinger in the Heavens Scorpius & Antares

ANTARES 15th brightest SUN

Earth ANTARES is relatively big ANTARES Scorpius & Antares Scorpius & Antares

M4 Globular Cluster Messier 4 Globular Cluster

Discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745

First globular cluster in which individual stars were resolved

Appears about the same size as the Moon in the sky

Number of stars >20,000

Apparent magnitude +5.9 The Southern Teapot Asterism Sagittarius & Nunki

teaspoon

NUNKI

Kaus Australis Sagittarius & Nunki M8 - Lagoon Nebula

NUNKI

Kaus Australis M8 -The Lagoon Nebula

Now Let’s Advance Using Star Charts Astronomy Phone Apps are plentiful, very useful, most are free.

STELLARIUM An Extraordinary Free Computer Program!!! The Evening Sky Map

for the current month can be downloaded for free at Back of Map Location month time

Outlines of the

constellations Dates of celestial events of celestial Dates

Symbols for the various objects

Magnitude (brightness) of the stars General Info Visible with naked eye

Observing Tips

Visible with binoculars

Astronomical Glossary

Visible with telescope How to use the Sky Map

Locate the four cardinal directions:

a. South b. North c. West d. East

As you observe, hold the chart so that the direction you are looking is at the bottom of the chart Finding Polaris Finding Sagittarius and Scorpius Bushnell Xtra-Wide Fixed Focus 4x30mm Binoculars

Excellent for Constellation Viewing Assistance cost about $50

SUMMER FAB 50 Checklist How Do We Find Fab 50 Objects in the Night Sky?

1. Take a sky map & checklist with you to dark location

2. Look for Polaris (North Star)

1. Look from map – to – stars then stars – to – map

2. Begin with the brightest and easiest to find

3. When you get “lost”, revert to what you know and try again

GO FOR IT & HAVE FUN! END

Last revised 071718