Haggart Astronomical Observatory
Clackamas Community College
Oregon City, OR

503-657-6958 x5665 ("LOOK")
http://depts.clackamas.edu/haggart
lookup@clackamas.edu

Public viewing: clear Saturday nights
Groups: other nights by arrangement

What's Up...?
in the Winter Sky

(Dec 2003- Feb 2004)
Planets:
Mercury   stays very close to the sun and can occasionally by seen right at sunset or sunrise.
Venus   is a very bright evening star in the west (Aquarius), showing gibbous phase in a telescope.
Mars   remains high overhead / westward, in Pisces.
Jupiter   rises late in Leo (about 10 pm in January) and is a brilliant morning star in the west.
Saturn   in Gemini, is superb, with its rings at an excellent angle for observing.
Distant
Planets		   Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are all invisible in the sun's glow.
Meteor
Showers 		  December 14: Geminids
 
Constellations
  Bright & Easy: Challenging:
Circumpolar "Big Dipper" / Ursa Major (the Great Bear)
Cassiopeia (the Queen)		 "Little Dipper"/Ursa Minor (the Little Bear)
Cepheus (the King)
Draco (the Dragon)
On the Ecliptic
("Zodiac")

Taurus (the Bull)
Gemini (the Twins)
Leo (the Lion)

Aquarius (the Water-Carrier)
Pisces (the Fish)
Aries (the Ram)
Cancer (the Crab)
North of Ecliptic

Auriga (The Charioteer)
Cygnus (the Swan)
Hercules
Lyra

Andromeda
Delphinus (the Dolphin)
Lynx
Pegasus (the Winged Horse)
Perseus (the Hero)
South of Ecliptic Orion (the Hunter)
Canis Major (the Great Dog)
Canis Minor (the Little Dog)		 Cetus (the Whale)
Eridanus (the River)
Lepus (the Hare)


Notable Stars:

Bright Stars
(Mag. 0 or 1)

(M=1 solar mass)
 
Winter Hexagon (clockwise, with Betelgeuse at the hub):
  Betelgeuse (Orion): mag. 0.69; red supergiant; 650 ly away; 15 M
  Sirius (Canis Major): mag. -1.42; white; A-class, 8.7 ly away, 2 M
  Procyon (Canis Minor): mag. 0.38; white, F-class; 11 ly away
  Pollux (Gemini): mag. 1.13; yellow-white, K-class; 40 ly away; 3 M
  Capella (Auriga):mag. 0.08; yellow, G-class; 41 ly away; 2.5 M
  Aldebaran (Taurus): mag. 0.86; orange giant; 60 ly away; 1 M
  Rigel (Orion): mag. 0.15; blue supergiant; 815 ly away; 20 M
Other:
Regulus (Leo): mag. 1.35; blue-white B-class; 69 ly away; 3.5 M
Doubles
& Multiples:
  • Mizar / Alcor ("horse and rider" - the middle star in the Big Dipper's handle). Some people can see this double naked-eye; binoculars split it easily; a telescope shows that there are actually 3 stars.

 

Deep-Sky Objects

OPEN CLUSTERS
groups of young stars (10-100) travelling together:

  • Pleiades (M45) in Taurus
  • Hyades in Taurus
  • Beehive (M44) in Cancer
  • E.T. or "Owl" below Cassiopeia
  • Double Cluster (Perseus - Cassiopeia)
  • M35 in Gemini

GALAXIES

  • M31: Andromeda (spiral, our closest at 2.2 mly away) & its satellite M32 (elliptical)
  • M 81 & 82 (Ursa Major)

GLOBULAR CLUSTERS
Spherical clusters of up to about a million ancient stars. About 150 globular clusters are known, forming a "halo" around our galactic core.

  • M79 in Lepus

NEBULAE

  • Orion Nebula (M42) - area of star formation in Orion's "sword"
  • Ring Nebula (M57) in Lyra - atmosphere "blown out" by a star at the end of its life
  • Crab Nebula (M1) in Taurus - remnant of a supernova that was visible from Earth in 1054 C.E

 

If there is something you are particularly anxious to see, let us know! We will try to accommodate you. Our viewing nights are operated entirely by volunteers. Please let us know if there is any way we can improve your viewing experience. And be sure to let us know if you are interested in becoming a volunteer yourself!            

 klh - 2/9//04