Mon Dec 8, 2025 ORION’S RETURN
The ancient constellation Orion the Hunter has returned to our evening skies.He rises out of the east around 8 o’clock tonight.In Robert Frost's "The Star Splitter," the poet begins by saying, "You know Orion always comes up sideways.Throwing a leg up over our fence of mountains, And rising on his hands, he looks in on me Busy outdoors by lantern-light." Orion does come up sideways, first his left shoulder, the star Bellatrix, and the hunter's knee, the star Rigel; then three bright stars in a row which form his belt, followed by Betelgeuse in Orion's right shoulder, and finally his right leg, the star Saiph. When I was young, I saw Orion, looking just as he does now, as did my grandparents, and their grandparents, and so on back for thousands of years.
Tue Dec 9, 2025 WHY BUY A TELESCOPE?
You can spend lots of money buying a telescope and then be unhappy with the results. Before you buy one, ask yourself: what do you expect the telescope to do? Most small telescope views fall far short of the incredible images that we get from great observatories or space telescopes. So why buy a telescope? Well one of the principle joys of the telescope is the excitement of finding these objects in the sky, and knowing that they really are out there. A good starter telescope is a Newtonian reflector with a 6 inch mirror on a Dobsonian mount, which uses big one and a quarter inch eyepieces. Such a scope should cost between 200 – 400 dollars. Begin your research on the internet, or e-mail me at jbell@irsc.edu for advice.
Wed Dec 10, 2025 PEGASUS
One of the oldest constellations in the sky is that of Pegasus, the flying horse. Its four brightest stars form a large, almost perfect square. On most star charts only the forward half of Pegasus is displayed, because in the myth of his creation, Pegasus was born out of the sea, so his hind legs and his tail are still below the ocean’s surface as he emerges from the depths for the very first time. Two heroes, Perseus and Bellerophon are associated with this ancient star pattern. You can find the flying horse this evening, and throughout the month of December, well up in the western sky after sunset. And as an added bonus, the planet Saturn will be appearing to the south of Pegasus, a fairly bright, yellow-tinged starlike object in the constellation Pisces.
Thu Dec 11, 2025 SUMMER TRIANGLE IN WINTER/THE NORTHERN CROSS
The Summer Triangle has three bright stars: Vega, Altair, and Deneb. Vega is in the constellation Lyra the Harp; Altair is in Aquila the Eagle; and Deneb is in Cygnus the Swan. It’s hard to recognize most constellation figures, so we come up with easier shapes to find. In the constellation of Cygnus the Swan, there is a simpler pattern called the Northern Cross. The tail of Cygnus, the star Deneb, marks the top of the cross; while the bird’s beak, the star Albirio, is at the foot of the cross; and the wings of Cygnus form the crosspiece. In the summer and the early fall, Cygnus is overhead. But now as winter approaches the swan has moved toward the horizon, and the Northern Cross now stands upright in the west after sunset.
Fri Dec 12, 2025 GEMINIDS
The Geminid Meteor Shower is here. This display of shooting stars comes from the direction of the constellation Gemini, hence the name “Geminids.” The Geminids are a fairly reliable shower, and under clear, dark skies, should generate a few dozen meteors each hour, some of them bright fireballs. The shower reaches peak activity over the next few nights, with lesser numbers of meteors through December 17. Best views should be in the late evening until dawn. Face east and look upward toward the zenith for best results. Get away from bright streetlights that can spoil your view. Make sure you have permission to be at whatever location you choose, dress warmly and protect yourself from mosquitoes.
