What’s Up in the Sky: September is often a good time to observe Scorpius

Farscape - Scorpius Vs Crais

What’s Up in the Sky: September is often a good time to observe

Astronomy teachers love this time of year, especially if they have access to a telescope and dark site for observing. I met very few students who weren’t duly impressed with their first view through a telescope. And I get to relive those moments when my astronomy club does observing programs for the public.

September begins with two of the “stars” of the summer dominating the southern sky. Jupiter and Mars continue to shine brightly in the southwest and southeast, respectively. The two planets nicely frame two easily recognizable constellations between them, Sagittarius and Scorpius.

From a dark site with a clear horizon, face south and you will see the Teapot, with the planet Saturn shining brightly directly above the spout and seeming to rise with the “steam” formed by the river of light we call the Milky Way. Of course, the Teapot itself is not a constellation, but a unique and recognizable pattern of stars within a constellation, in this case, Sagittarius. The Big and Little Dippers, which are parts of the Great and Little Bears Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, are other well-known examples of what are called “asterisms.”

Right next to Sagittarius is Scorpius, the Scorpion, another one of my favorite constellations because it looks like its namesake. Find bright Antares centered between two neighbors with an arc of three or four stars to its right. Antares represents the heart of the Scorpion with pincers extending to the upper right and a curving tail down and to the left. Unfortunately, the tail is often too low to be easily visible.

The name “Antares” means “rival of Mars” because it is similar in appearance and lies close to the ecliptic, The name “Antares” means “rival of Mars” because it is similar in appearance and lies close to the ecliptic Scorpius

Look straight up and you will see another asterism, this one made up of three stars, each from a different constellation this time. Directly overhead is Vega, the brightest of the three, with Altair to its lower left and Deneb its upper left. Appropriately enough, this grouping is called the Summer Triangle. The star Vega is part of the constellation Lyra, the Lyre, Altair is in Aquila, the Eagle, and Deneb is the tail of Cygnus, the Swan. See if you can make out the two birds flying in opposite directions along the Milky Way, up in the sky.

Sept. 1: Pioneer 11 is first spacecraft to fly past Saturn — 1979

Scorpius

Sept. 30: End of daily communication with Pioneer 11 —1995

Scorpius