Let’s explore the personalities of some of the brightest stars in our sky
[ad_1]
If like me, you have been watching the night sky for a long time, you will begin to recognize certain stars and constellations as old friends.
You might even welcome them as they make their first appearance in the eastern evening sky at the start of a particular season, and bid them a fond farewell as they begin to disappear in the west several months later. And with time, you may even learn some of the history and outstanding characteristics of certain stars; like people, no two are really alike.
So, this week, let’s explore the personalities of some of the brightest stars in our current evening sky.
Related: The brightest planets in the night sky: How to see them (and when)
More: Night sky, November 2021: What you can see this month
A world’s fair ‘turn on’
Our first stop is Arcturus in the constellation Boötes, the herdsman, which is now descending the sky slightly north of due west. This orange star of magnitude -0.05 is the fourth brightest star in the night sky and is now known to be 36.7 light-years from us.
But in 1933 astronomers thought it was 40 light-years away.
That year, during the Century of Progress exposition in Chicago, starlight from Arcturus was focused on a photocell attached to the 40-inch (102 centimeters) Yerkes refracting telescope to turn on the lights of the exposition. The astronomers of that time thought they were using radiation that started heading toward Earth in 1893 — 40 years earlier, when the tube and mounting of this giant telescope went on display for the general public at the World’s Columbian Exposition in the same city.
Arcturus is a giant star: Although it’s roughly the same mass as our sun, it is about 25 times larger and 170 times more luminous.
Related: The Brightest Stars in the Sky: A Starry Countdown
Say cheese
Just to the west of the zenith (the point located directly overhead) is brilliant Vega in the constellation of Lyra, the lyre. At magnitude +0.03 it is just a trifle fainter than Arcturus, yet its blue-white color makes it appear brighter to many people.
On July 17, 1850, Vega became the first star to ever be imaged, when it was captured by William Bond and John Adams Whipple at the Harvard College Observatory using the daguerreotype process. Vega was also one of the first stars to have its distance measured using a process known as trigonometric parallax, which was calculated by Wilhelm von Struve in the 1830s.
At a distance of only 25 light-years from Earth, it is one of four fairly close stellar neighbors. It’s about twice as massive and two-and-a-half times larger than the sun, and 40 times more luminous.
Among the most dazzling
In contrast, Deneb in the constellation Cygnus, the swan, is perhaps 2,600 light-years away — so far away that its distance can’t be measured trigonometrically.
Nevertheless, Deneb still manages to be ranked among stars of the first magnitude (magnitude +1.25) due to its high intrinsic luminosity, which is about 5,000 times greater than Vega’s, placing it among the visually brightest stars known. It’s the19th brightest star in the sky and is quite similar to many of the hot young stars that illuminate our winter sky, such as Rigel in Orion, the hunter.
An “outstretched” sun
The closest bright star in our current evening sky is Altair, a mere 16.7 light-years away. Fewer than 50 stars and multiple-star systems are known to be nearer.
Altair is the brightest luminary in the constellation Aquila the eagle at magnitude +0.77, and forms the famous Summer Triangle along with Vega and Deneb. It’s nearly twice as massive as our sun and 11 times as luminous.
Interestingly, while our sun takes about 25 days to make a complete turn on its axis, Altair’s rotational period takes just nine hours. As a result of this rapid spin, Altair’s shape is an oblate spheroid and is noticeably flattened at both poles.
A colossal stellar beacon
Low in the southwest, we can see Antares, in the constellation Scorpius, the scorpion getting ready to leave the evening sky. If the sun was at the center of this immense supergiant, Earth’s orbit would be inside the star; it is one of the largest stars visible to the unaided eye.
Antares is quite far away (about 600 light-years) and usually shines at magnitude +0.9, but it can vary by several tenths of a magnitude at irregular intervals.
Lonely and dusty
At the mouth of Piscis Austrinus, the southern fish, lies Fomalhaut, the only bright star in the so-called “watery” part of the sky. The lack of bright stars nearby makes Fomalhaut seem much more conspicuous than its +1.16 magnitude suggests, and is why it’s sometimes referred to as the “solitary one.”
Fomalhaut is 25 light-years away and is nearly twice as large as the sun and about 17 times more luminous. It is also apparently surrounded by a disk of dust and debris, which in 2008 was believed to be an extrasolar planet (designated Fomalhaut b, and later, in 2014, named Dagon).
Here comes winter!
Finally, the harbinger of the brilliant winter parade has made its appearance in the northeast for observers in mid-northern latitudes. If you lie north of +44 degrees, Capella is circumpolar — that is, it never rises or sets but makes a circle around Polaris, the North Star, and is visible throughout the entire year. It is the most sunlike of autumn’s bright stars; an exceedingly close double star whose components are slightly cooler but substantially brighter and more massive than our own star.
Capella is 42.9 light-years away, and at magnitude +0.08 it is only slightly fainter than Vega. In addition, Capella and Vega are on opposite sides of the pole, at about the same distance from it — an imaginary line between the two stars would nearly pass through Polaris. When one star is high, the other is low, and as we turn the corner toward the fall, Vega is high overhead while Capella is only now just emerging into view.
But come three months from now, when it will certainly be much colder, it will be Capella near the top of the frosty skies during mid-evening, while Vega is about to drop out of sight in the northwest.
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmers’ Almanac and other publications. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
[ad_2]
Original Post
Generally I don’t read post on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do it! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thank you, quite great post.
I likewise conceive therefore, perfectly pent post! .
Thank you for helping out, good information. “You must do the things you think you cannot do.” by Eleanor Roosevelt.
hello!,I like your writing so a lot! percentage we keep in touch more approximately your article on AOL? I need a specialist in this house to solve my problem. Maybe that is you! Taking a look forward to peer you.
I’m very happy to read this. This is the type of manual that needs to be given and not the accidental misinformation that is at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this greatest doc.
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my blog thus i came to “return the favor”.I’m trying to find things to enhance my website!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
This design is steller! You definitely know how to keep a reader entertained. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Great job. I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!
Nice post. I study something more challenging on completely different blogs everyday. It’ll all the time be stimulating to read content from different writers and observe a little one thing from their store. I’d want to use some with the content material on my weblog whether or not you don’t mind. Natually I’ll offer you a link on your web blog. Thanks for sharing.
It’s exhausting to search out knowledgeable individuals on this matter, but you sound like you know what you’re speaking about! Thanks
What i do not realize is in truth how you are not really a lot more well-appreciated than you may be now. You’re so intelligent. You recognize therefore considerably in relation to this topic, produced me individually believe it from so many numerous angles. Its like women and men aren’t involved except it is something to do with Girl gaga! Your personal stuffs great. Always maintain it up!
Hello there! This is kind of off topic but I need some guidance from an established blog. Is it very hard to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty quick. I’m thinking about making my own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have any tips or suggestions? Many thanks
We’re a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your site provided us with valuable information to work on. You’ve done a formidable job and our whole community will be thankful to you.
Just wish to say your article is as surprising. The clearness in your post is just spectacular and i can assume you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please carry on the rewarding work.
Hi there, I discovered your web site via Google even as searching for a comparable matter, your site got here up, it seems to be great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Great awesome things here. I?¦m very happy to look your post. Thanks a lot and i’m having a look ahead to touch you. Will you please drop me a mail?
I used to be suggested this web site via my cousin. I’m now not certain whether or not this put up is written through him as nobody else understand such particular approximately my difficulty. You’re amazing! Thanks!
I simply could not leave your web site before suggesting that I actually loved the usual info a person supply for your guests? Is gonna be back frequently to inspect new posts
Thank you for sharing superb informations. Your site is very cool. I am impressed by the details that you’ve on this web site. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for extra articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found simply the information I already searched everywhere and simply could not come across. What a great site.
I’m not sure why but this website is loading very slow for me. Is anyone else having this issue or is it a issue on my end? I’ll check back later and see if the problem still exists.
Thank you for every other informative web site. Where else may I get that kind of information written in such a perfect manner? I have a mission that I am simply now working on, and I have been at the glance out for such information.
Wow! Thank you! I permanently wanted to write on my website something like that. Can I take a portion of your post to my site?
I?¦ll right away grab your rss feed as I can’t to find your e-mail subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Please allow me understand so that I may subscribe. Thanks.
Your style is so unique compared to many other people. Thank you for publishing when you have the opportunity,Guess I will just make this bookmarked.2
There is noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made certain nice points in features also.
You can certainly see your expertise in the work you write. The sector hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to mention how they believe. Always follow your heart.
Hello. fantastic job. I did not expect this. This is a fantastic story. Thanks!
Aw, this was a really nice post. In concept I would like to put in writing like this moreover – taking time and actual effort to make an excellent article… however what can I say… I procrastinate alot and on no account appear to get one thing done.
Thanks for another wonderful article. Where else could anyone get that type of information in such a perfect way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such info.
I am really impressed together with your writing skills and also with the structure in your blog. Is that this a paid subject matter or did you modify it yourself? Anyway keep up the excellent high quality writing, it is rare to look a nice blog like this one these days..
Very nice info and straight to the point. I don’t know if this is truly the best place to ask but do you folks have any ideea where to hire some professional writers? Thanks 🙂
Really excellent information can be found on blog.