Star Maps for beginners - Keighley Astronomical Society



Star Maps for beginners

October to December. The Night sky to the South. At 8pm

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The Best way of finding your way around anywhere new to you is to make a note of a few prominent objects. In the Sky, too we have certain very conspicuous objects, which can be used as guides, which we have highlighted in this small series of beginners guides.

October to December. The Night sky to the South. At 8pm

1 Can you spot the great square of the constellation of PEGASUS. Actually the square is not so prominent as might be thought from the above map but it should be easy to find, as it is high in the south sky at this time of year. One of its stars ‘51 Pegasi’ was the first star to be found that has an extra solar planet, now named Bellerophon. However the planet is far too faint to be observed with the naked-eye

2 Look for the star cluster known as the Pleiades or the seven sisters, on the outer eastern edge of the constellation TAURUS. If you have good eyesight you will see more than seven stars. The record is seventeen. Binoculars will show further members of the group. Using a low power telescope around 250 stars can be seen.

3 Using the three stars of ORION’s belt and following the line from them up and right, try to locate the orange coloured star Aldebaran, in the constellation of TAURUS or the BULL. A ‘V’ shaped cluster of stars called the Hyades lies to the right of Aldebaran.

Other constellations nearby to take a look at are PERSEUS, and ARIES, which has a splendid double star called Mesartim. Easily seen with a small telescope. Also ANDROMEDA, CASSIOPEIA and CYGNUS.

Dominic Curran

Keighley astronomical society

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