Monthly Sky Chart
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
STAR CHART FOR MID-LATITUDES OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE What ’s Out To nigh t? OPT2IMIZED FOR 1 HOURS *AFTER SUNSET o H r i z h t o r n o April 2020 Sky CN hart FREE Instructions A T R E C A Face North, South, East or L VCiospiytri:g h t W©2h02a0 tbsy KOenu GtraTuno. nAlli rgightst .recseorvm ed. West, then rotate the chart so Free for individual or group use but your direction is at the bottom. absolutely not to be sold. Please Match the biggest stars on direct questions, suggestions C E P H E U S or corrections to A h p a D C the chart to the bright - E M [email protected] O R D est stars in the sky. N A A I The center of the E P O I S S k M A a C a U m l L chart is the top r A D e U t R A s G e C l u O l N b C u A of the sky. I o D R T M I N O 4 R 3 U R M S A S P o l a r i s H E I E l R R o M A g C l D k i p S t a r 1 a p A U e r h 3 p L r i L E i N o r t h t t l M e r S S e U K t i o c E s h S e I a b S L u s a l A r R D h e C E R p A P l P P B A O O L E C s T R h M O e u A E b C R a d A n a O M 8 1 L / 8 i 2 N s I e S l u A M n C P e I i z V T a a t l s P l r I e D 1 u L p b h a e C C B E O D h O t A S i M 5 T p E e 1 r G E a s k E I p B u R V S e n R i M e g P n r X E U V C a A N N E 6 A A J U Y N A S O 3 L N R h t o T S R U s S E 0 M I A 3 R C S s z 7 u I M n U t es 3 e ad y A V H i 3 T M r n H a r Top a o b A r 5 of the e r o 3 o d c t l t s I u Sky A a M r B N H u C M L I r E M s C E R e I O M O N x i E E l u x M O l t N 1 l i z G r 1 R o t I A C P a 1 l l s o E R e S E C B N 4 S e n A 4 C U M D Sickl N N e e A n O L e I W e E s D b O R I o u e l S O R V a I g l E I N R e R t A O e G C IN B O Regu M f lus o n n o lt 2 l y o e c e i 4 g ro r i B M R P O h S ip O a R S RA E HYD C S O p N ic SEX O a TANS M Alphard s iu ir CR S AT ER CO S R U VU P S IS E N R L CA O 41 AJ M M H Y A DR B A XIS M PY LU CO PIS AN UP 35 TLIA P r1 C e r ic la N u c ct no e i bj B O r ta ll S wi ble at en VELA ou r th wh D ta o h a s tw g ne e rou 0x r r O om th t 5 Planets ste ste ec ed e a Mag Clu lu la b ew op x. nitu tar ar C bu vi sc 00 The position of any visible, naked-eye des S ul Ne ele o 1 lob ary t t –1 G net 0 Sou izon Pla la planet is indicated for the 15th of the 1 2 th Hor ebu 3 4 N laxy month with a size matching its magni - Ga tude. If the planet moves significatnly April 2020 Planet Notes during a month, other positions will be noted with dates. The ECLIPTIC Venus (15th of month) , at magnitude –4.5, sets in the west about 4 hours Distances planets are from Earth the 15th of this month: is the path of the Sun through the after the Sun. Mars , at magnitude +0.6, in Capricornus, rises in the east Venus : 50,000,000 miles, Mars : 125,000,000 miles sky but the planets and Moon move around 3:30 AM. Jupiter , at magnitude –2.2, in Sagittarius, rises in the Jupiter : 473,000,000 miles, Saturn : 936,000,000 miles. east about 3 AM. Saturn , at magnitude +0.6, in Capricornus, rises along it, too. It passes through around 3 AM behind Jupiter. SO, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars rise in that the constellations of the zodiac. order, all fairly close to one another. April Notes Brightest Stars The bright Winter constellations of CANIS MAJOR/MINOR, Aldebaran . In TAURUS. Magnitude +1. Distance: 65 ly. Orange ORION, GEMINI, TAURUS and AURIGA hover in the west. Orion’s Giant star 45 times the diamter of our Sun. Betelgeuse , with Sirius and Procyon, form the Winter Trian - Arcturus . In BOOTES. Magnitude –0.04. Distance: 37 ly. gle . At the top of the sky is LEO with its reverse question mark Diameter: 26 times the Sun’s. It’s an Orange Giant. (the Sickle) punctuated by the kingly star, Regulus . The Big Dip - Betelgeuse . In ORION. Magnitude +0.56. Distance: 428 ly. per is due north of LEO (their “backs” face each other). The han - Red Supergiant with a diameter 650 times the Sun‘s. Capella . In AURIGA . Magnitude +0.1. Distance: 42 ly. dle of the dipper curves and points to the star Arcturus in Diameter: 15 times the Sun’s. It’s actually 4 orbiting stars. BOOTES and if you continue the curve, you will encounter Spica Castor . In GEMINI. Magnitude +1.6. Distance: 52 ly. in VIRGO. In front of Leo is CANCER containing the Beehive sprin - Favorite double star that is twice the diameter of the Sun. kle of stars and to Leo’s rear is another sprinkle of stars in Coma Polaris . In URSA MINOR . Magnitude +2. Distance: 431 ly. Berenices. Both sprinkles can be seen easily with binoculars. 2,400 times brighter than the Sun. Supergiant star. Pollux . In GEMINI. Magnitude +1.2. Distance: 34 ly. Clusters, Nebulae, Galaxies + Diameter is 8.8 times the Sun’s & 46 times brighter. ly = Light year, a unit of distance. 1 ly = 6 trillion miles. Procyon . In CANIS MINOR. Magnitude +0.4. Distance: 11.4 ly. Alpha Persei Cluster . Distance: 600 ly / Diameter: 31 ly / Diameter is 2 times the Sun’s & 7.5 times brighter. Castor Double Star . Favorite double star. Need a telescope with Rigel . In ORION. Magnitude +1.3. Distance: 3200 ly. 50x to 100x to see Castor separate into two stars. Magni - Diameter: 222 times the Sun’s. Blue-White Supergiant. tudes of two stars are 1.9 and 3.0. In GEMINI. Sirius . Rising in CANIS MAJOR. Magnitude –1.44. Distance: 8.6 ly. Double Cluster . Two side-by-side clusters. Distances: 7,200 ly / The very brightest star in the whole sky but some planets, like Diameters: 63 ly / Mag 3.5 / Span 1° / 320 stars total. Best in Jupiter and Venus, are brighter. It has a diameter 1.8 times that a telescope but visible with eyes in dark skies. In PERSEUS. of the Sun and is 23 times brighter. 7th closest star to us. M35 . Cluster. Distance: 3000 ly / Diameter: 24 ly / Mag 5 / Spans Spica . In VIRGO. Magnitude +1.1. Distance: 262 ly. Actually two 28' / 200 stars. In GEMINI. close stars revolving around each other in 4 days. M34 . Large Cluster. Distance: 1,400 ly / Diameter: 14 ly / Mag 5.2 / Spans 35' / 60 stars. Try with binoculars, too. In PERSEUS. Mythology M36 . Cluster. Distance: 3,700 ly / Diameter: 13 ly / Mag 6.0 / FOR THE CENTRAL CONSTELLATIONS, NORTH TO SOUTH Spans 12' / 60 stars. Try with binoculars, too. In AURIGA. Arcas and his beautiful mother, Callisto were turned into the M37 . Cluster. Distance: 4,200 ly / Diameter: 29 ly / Mag 5.6 / Little and Big Bears, URSA MINOR and MAJOR because of jeal - Spans 24' / 150 stars. Try with binoculars, too. In AURIGA. ous Juno, wife of promiscuous Jupiter. M42 . Orion Nebula. Brightest nebula in the northern sky. About During a war between the Titans and Olympians, DRACO , the 30 ly in diameter and 1,760 ly away.