Ursa Major

Latin for, "Larger Bear", Ursa Major is one of the biggest and most easily seen constellations in the Northern Hemisphere. It can be seen almost year round in the Northern Hemisphere, with April being the best month to see it.

The brightest seven stars in the constellation is actually another, more well know constellation. The Big Dipper makes up the back of this great bear. This is the easiest way to locate him in the sky. If you can find the big dipper or the little dipper, just follow them to the bear. Down below is a diagram of the constellation to help you become familiar with the way it looks.

One of the few star groups mentioned in the Bible (Job 9:9; 38:32; Amos 5:8—Orion and the Pleiades being others), Ursa Major was also pictured as a bear by the Jewish peoples. ("The Bear" was translated as "Arcturus" in the Vulgate and it persisted in the KJV.) Not only mentioned in the Bible, this constellation has roots in the mythos in Iriquios, Hindu, Finnish, Greek, and Burmese civilizations. This is one of the best-known constellations world-wide. It truly is a sight to behold in the night sky.

The North Star

Polaris, Lodestar, the Pole Star, or whatever you know it by, the North Star is an important part of stargazing. Since the early days of recorded history, Polaris has been watched on a nightly basis by nearly everyone. It gives bearing to sailors lost at sea, travelers find their way east, and is even possibly used by animals as a source of navigation. The reason it can be used for such things is how close it lies on the north celestial pole. It is easily spotted by it's bright light, how it nearly never moves from the same place, and by it being a part of the Ursa Major constellation.

The North star is actually a star cluster. Seven different stars, at different distances from the earth, are close enough together that they look like one big star. It is also interesting to note that due to the procession of the earth's equinoxes, the North Star will not always be the northernmost star. Bear in mind that this will take an incredible amount of time to come to pass, so we can safely trust it being the North Star during our lives.

This is a great star to get used to finding. You never know when you may need to find it in the night sky to catch your bearings!

Micah

This image is a time-lapse shot showing how stars revolve around Polaris while it stays in the same central location.

The Moon

http://www.moonconnection.com/moon-september-2011.phtmlThis is a moon phases chart for the month of September. I will be posting the current month's moon phase chart each month.

The moon is, by far, the most prominent sight in the night sky. A full moon cycle takes about 28 days from new moon (where the moon is not visible) to new moon again. On some nights, the moon is the most beautiful sight to be seen. I am personally a huge fan of the thin crescent moon.

The moon can be a huge factor in stargazing. The moon is a big, unavoidable light source that does take away form the number of stars that can be seen. The bigger the moon, the more light it reflects to earth. If your only goal is to see the stars, or other celestial bodies, try and go on a night with the smallest moon as possible. The new moon phase will reveal a night of more stars than you can count. The full moon reveals only a handful of stars, but the moon is a sight to behold. Please take the time to really appreciate both for the beauty they each are.

P.s. the next new moon is Sept. 27, or this Tuesday. Take advantage of it!

Micah

Huntington University Location Tip

Here is the first stargazing location tip for you all! This spot is great for a HU student looking to get away or stargaze with some friends. As a general rule of thumb for any stargazers, never trespass on someone's property. The stars are not worth going to jail for.

Now, this location can be easily walked to in about 7 minutes from the dorms on campus. To get there, walk around the lake until you reach the entrance of the campus that is on the backside of Lake Snotip. Walk out past the sign as though you were heading to the YMCA or Parkview Hospital. Turn right onto Gragg street and keep going forward. On your left will be a field with a gate for an entrance. This is the Huntington University Cross Country field. Being a student at HU means you are ok to be here. This location is not perfect, as the campus and hospital will result in a little light pollution, but it is the best location short of driving somewhere. Give it a shot on the next clear night in Huntington, and give me some feedback.

More locations to come soon! Stay posted! I hope you enjoy this spot!

Micah

Lastest Pics from NASA

These pictures are some of them most recently taken pictures by NASA. Check out the splendor of the universe.
http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/scitech/2011/08/03/spaceshots-best-new-photos-our-universe/#slide=40

Light Pollution

This is a picture taken from space showing the prominent light sources of the eastern side of the United States. Yes, our lights on earth are indeed bright enough to be seen from space! The topic today is the biggest stumbling block to good stargazing (other than clouds) that one can face: light pollution. This post will cover the light pollution that occurs outside on a starry night, and not the kind that can happen indoors.

Air, being made up of molecules, is not perfectly transparent like we believe it to be. Light works by reflecting off of a surface, and our eyes pick up that reflection. Even on a dark night, the molecules in the air and the atmosphere surrounding the earth will reflect the light emitted by anything. Any extra light will make it harder to see the stars in the sky. The more lights you are around, the less stars will be visible. The rather bright spots on the map above are areas where cities are located. You can see the difference in light emissions from a city to the country.

The best places to see stars is away from any light. The countryside is always optimal stargazing country. Even if there is a little light, however; it will not ruin your whole experience. A place I frequently stargaze is not far from a small city, yet plenty of stars are still visible. City dwellers, there is always hope! A short drive out into the country is usually enough to eliminate most glare from city light as well. If you are diligent, you can always find a good place to stargaze, just be wary of light pollution.

Northern Indiana Sky Map

http://homepage.mac.com/graphicad1/theFWAS/Charts/FallConstellation.pdf
The link above is to a printable chart of constellations viewable from the Fort Wayne, IN region. It is specific to the Autumn months. Please check it out as it can really help to find constellations that are usually a little tricky to find.

Sky maps are a very neat thing. They show the placements of constellations and prominent stars in the sky as well as approximate times to see them best. If you really want to get a little more serious about finding constellations, get some sky maps. You can find them for nearly any region you can imagine, and you can get ones specific to the time of year you are stargazing.

The above sky map is tailored to a specific stargazing spot (which is a nice one) but this map can be used from any other location. If you bring a compass, this sky map can be used anywhere in the Northern Indiana region in the exact same fashion as if you were at the stargazing site indicated on the chart. Try printing this out and carry it with you the next time you can see some stars. You will be amazed at how many constellations you can find.

Micah

Dusk Settles

Hello all!
My name is Micah, and I spend a good part of my life at night walking around and exploring. For what, you may ask? Usually for places to see the stars! I can see God most clearly in a starry sky.
My purpose and hopes for this blog are simple really.

1. Share good stargazing spots with people in the Huntington IN area
2. Give people information about constellations, planets, and where/how to see them at night.
3. Instill some of my love of the sky in my reader's lives.

I am optimistic about the potential of this blog. If anyone has any feedback or thoughts I'd love to hear them, and will maybe post them as well! I plan to initially update this blog a few times a week so check back often!

God Bless,

Micah J Christensen