planetarium astronomy Archives

July 2010 Night Sky

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

Stars are located within constellations, which are just areas of the night sky. Scorpius, Aries and Taurus are examples of constellations. Your Name A Star Live Star Certificate displays the name of your constellation.

You can use our online World Constellation Guide to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight). Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope.

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

A Bullet from Another Galaxy

This beautiful composite image shows N49, the aftermath of a supernova explosion in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy located near our own Milky Way. A new long observation from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, shown in blue, reveals evidence for a bullet-shaped object being blown out of a debris field left over from an exploded star. The object is traveling at about five million miles per hour. Click on the photo for more information. Credit: X-ray: (NASA/CXC/Penn State/S.Park et al.); Optical: NASA/STScI/UIUC/Y.H.Chu & R.Williams et al

The Planets This Month

Several planets are visible with the naked eye in July, including Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter.

Venus is the bright object you’ll notice in the western sky around sunset this month. It is in the constellation Virgo throughout July.
Above Venus is the red planet, Mars, which is in the constellation Leo for most of this month, but moves into Virgo July 19.
Above Mars is the ringed planet, which is in the constellation Virgo all month. If you live in the northern hemisphere of Earth, look for Saturn toward the southwest after sunset. If you live in the southern hemisphere, look for Saturn toward the northwest after sunset. Like all the other planets, Saturn gradually moves west across the night sky. In fact, Saturn will be visible through most of each night in June.
If you’re an early bird, then you can see Jupiter in the hours before sunrise in July. If you’re in the northern hemisphere of Earth, Jupiter will be the bright object in the sky almost due south at sunrise. If you’re in the southern hemisphere, Jupiter will be almost due north at sunrise. Next to Jupiter is the planet Uranus, but you’ll need a telescope to see it.

The giant and stormy planet Jupiter has gone through a makeover, as seen in these comparative Hubble Space Telescope images taken nearly 11 months apart. Several months ago the dark Southern Equatorial Belt vanished. The last time this happened was in the early 1970s, when we didn’t have powerful enough telescopes to study the change in detail.

Left
A Hubble picture from July 2009 captures the planet’s familiar appearance from the past several decades with alternating zones of high altitude ammonia ice crystal clouds (white strips) and belts of lower altitude material (dark strips). The image was taken to study a wispy patch of dark debris in the far southern hemisphere caused by the suspected explosion of an asteroid plunging into the lower atmosphere on July 19, 2009.

Right
A Hubble picture from June 2010 reveals a slightly higher altitude layer of white ammonia ice crystal clouds that appears to obscure the deeper, darker belt clouds of the Southern Equatorial Belt. The Hubble Jupiter team predicts that these clouds should clear out in a few months.

Hubble also resolved a string of dark spots further south of the vanished belt. Based on past observations, the Hubble Jupiter team expects to see similar spots appear in the Southern Equatorial Belt, right before the white clouds clear out in a few months.

These natural colour comparative planet portraits were taken in visible light with Hubble’s new Wide Field Camera 3.

Credit: NASA, ESA, M. H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley, USA), H. B. Hammel (Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colorado, USA), A. A. Simon-Miller (Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA) and the Jupiter Impact Science Team.

June 2010 Night Sky

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

Star-forming galaxies like grains of sand

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

The Planets This Month

Several planets are visible with the naked eye in May, including Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter.

Venus is the bright object you’ll notice in the western sky around sunset this month: It will set in the west a couple of hours after sunset. It is in the constellation Cancer now.
Mars is in the constellation is in Leo this month: If you live in the northern hemisphere of Earth, Mars will appear toward the west-southwest after sunset. If you live in the southern hemisphere, Mars will appear toward the north-northwest at sunset.
The ringed planet Saturn will be to the east of Mars — in the constellation Virgo. If you live in the northern hemisphere of Earth, look for Saturn toward the southwest after sunset. If you live in the southern hemisphere, look for Saturn toward the northwest after sunset. Like all the other planets, Saturn gradually moves west across the night sky. In fact, Saturn will be visible through most of each night in June.
If you’re an early bird, then you might see the mighty planet Jupiter as it rises above the eastern horizon before sunrise this month. Next to Jupiter is the planet Uranus, but you’ll need a telescope to see it.

Uranus, Earth and the Moon — This illustrates the relative sizes of Uranus, Earth and Earth's Moon. The images are shown at the proper relative size, but not the correct relative distance from each other. Uranus is approximately 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) in diameter, or about four times the size of Earth. The Earth is approximately 7,900 miles (12,800 kilometers) in diameter, or about four times the diameter of the Moon, 2,100 miles (3,500 kilometers). Credit: NASA, ESA and L. Sromovsky (University of Wisconsin)

May 2010 Night Sky

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

You can use our new, online World Constellation Guide to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight). Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope.

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

Galaxy Cluster MACS J025.4-1222. Click image above to view video.
Credit: NASA, ESA, CXC, M. Bradac (University of California, Santa Barbara), and S. Allen (Stanford University)

The Planets This Month

Several planets are visible with the naked eye in May, including Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter.

Venus is the bright object you’ll notice in the western sky around sunset this month: It will set in the west a couple of hours after sunset.
Mars is in the constellation Cancer this month: If you live in the northern hemisphere of Earth, Mars will appear toward the south after sunset. If you live in the southern hemisphere, Mars will appear toward the north at sunset.
The ringed planet Saturn will be to the east of Mars — in the constellation Virgo. If you live in the northern hemisphere of Earth, look for Saturn toward the southeast after sunset. If you live in the southern hemisphere, look for Saturn toward the northeast after sunset. Like all the other planets, Saturn gradually moves west across the night sky. In fact, Saturn will be visible through most of each night in May.
If you’re an early bird, then you might see the mighty planet Jupiter as it rises above the eastern horizon shortly before sunrise this month.

April 2010 Constellations

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

You can use the World Constellation Map below to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight) in April. Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope.

DIRECTIONS: Find your approximate location in one of the horizontal bars on the map, and then note the corresponding red number (1-7). Then find your number in the list below to identify what Name A Star Live constellations you can see this month from your corner of the world.

1. For those of you in far northern climes, it doesn’t really get dark till past midnight in April. But if you’re willing to go outside at around 1:00 am you can see stars in the constellations Leo, Cancer, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor.
2. Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and Virgo are visible before midnight.
3. Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and Virgo are visible.
4.r Look for Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Ursa Major and Virgo this month.
5. Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Libra and Virgo are visible this month.
6. Cancer, Leo, Libra and Virgo are visible.
7. Libra and Virgo are visible.

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

See the planet Mars!

A heart-shaped surface feature on Mars. — From Mars, With Love. This heart-shaped pit on the surface of Mars was photographed by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor.

Pull out your telescope and look to the skies above, for this is a good time to see the planet Mars as the famous “Red Planet” is near what’s called “opposition.” This means that Mars and Earth are close to one another in their orbits around the Sun. (See diagram below.)

Name A Star Live diagram of Mars at opposition — At opposition Mars and Earth are at their closest approach to one another in their orbits around the Sun. (Note that this diagram is not to scale.)

It’s called “opposition” because, when viewed from Earth, Mars and the Sun appear at opposite sides of the sky at sunset: on the day of opposition, Mars rises over the eastern horizon just as the sun sets over the western horizon. While the Mars opposition was January 29, 2010, you can get good views of Mars throughout February.

If the star you have named is in the constellation Cancer then you’re in luck, for Mars is in the constellation Cancer as well for the next few months: If you find Mars, then you’ve found the constellation Cancer! Mars appears as a rather bright, reddish-orange object in the eastern sky during the first few hours after sunset this month.

If you have any trouble finding the planet, just use your Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software, which is included in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets. Also, you can view Mars through the SLOOH online telescope — Name A Star Live is the only name-a-star company to offer SLOOH.

Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to view the Red Planet as Mars oppositions occur only about once every 26 months.

February 2010 Constellations

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

You can use the World Constellation Map below to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight) in February. Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope.

1. Those of you in northern climes can see Andromeda, Aries, Cancer, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Orion, Taurus, Ursa Major (where the “Big Dipper” is) and Ursa Minor (where the “Little Dipper” and the North Star are located).
2. Andromeda, Aries, Cancer, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Leo, Orion, Taurus, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are visible.
3. Andromeda, Aries, Cancer, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Leo, Orion, Taurus, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are visible.
4. Look for Aries, Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Orion and Taurus this month.
5. Aries, Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Orion and Taurus are visible this month.
6. Cancer, Leo, Gemini and Orion are visible.
7. Orion is visible.

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

November 2009 Constellations

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

You can use the World Constellation Map below to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight) in November. Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope.

1. Those of you in northern climes can see Andromeda, Aries, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Pisces, Taurus, and Ursa Minor, where the “Little Dipper” and the North Star are located.
2. Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Orion, Pisces, Taurus and Ursa Minor are visible.
3. Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Orion, Pisces and Taurus are visible.
4. Look for Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Orion, Pisces and Taurus this month.
5. Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Orion, Pisces and Taurus are visible this month.
6. Aries, Pisces, Orion and Taurus are visible.
7. Aries, Orion, Pisces and Taurus are visible.

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

Here’s a neat image from the Hubble Space Telescope of a beautiful object that can be seen from just about anywhere in the world at this time of the year:

: M45, The Pleiades Star Cluster

Located in the constellation Taurus, the Pleiades Star Cluster (designated “M45” by astronomers) is one of the most famous and beautiful objects in the night sky. The Pleiades, which can be seen without the aid of a telescope, are often confused with the Little Dipper due to the arrangement of the Pleiades’ brightest stars in a ladle-like formation. While, using the naked eye, we can distinguish anywhere from six to nine stars in the Pleiades (depending on local observing conditions and one’s eyesight), in reality M45 has approximately 500 stars located about 400 light-years from Earth.

The Pleiades are also known as “The Seven Sisters” that represent the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione from classical mythology. The story goes that when Orion attempted to burst into the private sanctuary of the sisters’ home, Venus turned them into a flock of doves so they could fly away to safety.

The Aborigines also interpreted this group of stars as a cluster of young girls. These girls were seen as musicians who played for a group of boys, which are represented by the stars that are seen in the Belt of Orion.

The Zuni people of North America called the Pleiadies “seeds” because the first appearance of the Pleiades helped the Zuni decide when to plant their crops. The Zuni also knew that when the Pleiades moved directly overhead in the early morning it was time to harvest what they had planted, because the winter was coming soon.

The Japanese word for this set of stars is “Subaru,” after which the famous Japanese car company is named. In fact the Subaru corporation’s logo is patterned after M45.

November’s Planets

Jupiter still dominates the evening skies this month: For those of you in the northern hemisphere of Earth, look for the bright, steady light towards the south shortly after sunset. For those of you in the southern hemisphere, look for Jupiter towards the north shortly after sunset.

You earlybirds in the northern hemisphere will see Mars almost due south (almost due north for those of you in the southern hemisphere) shortly before sunrise this month. Regardless of where you live, Saturn will be above the eastern horizon before sunrise in November.

October 2009 Constellations

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

You can use the World Constellation Map below to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight) in October. Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope.

1. Those of you in northern climes can see Andromeda, Aries, Cassiopeia, Pisces and Ursa Minor, where the “Little Dipper” and the North Star are located.
2. Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Cassiopeia, Pisces and Ursa Minor are visible.
3. Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Cassiopeia and Pisces are visible.
4. Look for Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Cassiopeia, Pisces and Sagittarius this month.
5. Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Pisces and Sagittarius are visible this month.
6. Aquarius, Capricorn, Pisces and Sagittarius are visible.
7. Aquarius, Capricorn and Sagittarius are visible.

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

Here’s a neat image from NASA of a nearby galaxy in the the constellation Andromeda:

On a clear, moonless night — far from city lights — you can see the Andromeda Galaxy with your naked eye: It will appear as a fuzzy blob of light in the constellation Andromeda. The Andromeda Galaxy is located relatively close to our own galaxy, the “Milky Way,” at a distance of 2.9 million light years, meaning it takes light from the Andromeda Galaxy almost three million years to reach us.

BTW, we’re on a collision course with the Andromeda Galaxy: Eventually the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies will collide. But don’t worry — the collision won’t occur until billions of years in the future!

August 2009 Constellations

Want to see where your star is in the night sky?

You can use the World Constellation Map below to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight) in August. Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope.

DIRECTIONS: Find your approximate location in one of the horizontal bars on the map, and then note the corresponding red number (1-7). Then find your number in the list below to identify what Name A Star Live constellations you can see this month from your corner of the world.

Sorry, no constellations visible this month: Too much daylight! But check back in September when some of our constellations will be visible.
Ursa Minor’s visible, especially toward the end of August. Capricorn and Sagittarius are visible as well, although they are low on the horizon.
This is a great month to see Sagittarius — Scorpius too! Ursa Minor and Capricorn are visible as well.
Capricorn, Sagittarius, Scorpius and Ursa Minor are visible (although Ursa Minor’s very low on the northern horizon!).
Capricorn, Libra, Sagittarius and Scorpius are visible.
Capricorn, Libra, Sagittarius and Scorpius are visible.
Capricorn, Libra, Sagittarius and Scorpius are visible.

You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.

Hey, here’s a cool image from the constellation Sagittarius:

Nebulae are clouds of dust and gas. Many nebulae — like the Trifid Nebula — serve as stellar nurseries, where stars are born.

Be Sure to See Jupiter This Month

This August is a prime time to see the massive planet Jupiter. It’s at “opposition” in mid-August, meaning the Earth is between the sun and Jupiter, and Jupiter is at its brightest. Jupiter’s easy to find with the naked eye:

If you’re in the northern hemisphere of Earth, Jupiter is the very bright object that you’ll see toward the southeast during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight).
If you live in the southern hemisphere of Earth, Jupiter will appear in the northeast during the evening hours.

If you have a telescope, the best time to see Jupiter is in the late evening hours, close to midnight. At that point Jupiter is high in the sky, above the thicker layers of the atmosphere found near the horizon: You’ll get a much crisper view of Jupiter if you observe it when it’s high in the sky. You might see as many as four large moons orbiting the planet.

BTW, if your star is in the constellation Capricorn then you’re in luck: Jupiter is also in Capricorn right now. So just find Jupiter and you’re looking at your constellation.

Jupiter and one of its moons. Three Earth's could fit inside the Great Red Spot, pictured here. (Credit: NASA) — Jupiter and Io, one of the giant planet's four largest moons. Jupiter is so big that three Earth's could easily fit inside the Great Red Spot, which is pictured here. (Credit: NASA)

For you early birds, the planets Mars and Venus are visible this month in the east before sunrise.