02/04/2016 – Ephemeris – Orion is visible from everywhere

Ephemeris for Thursday, February 4th.  The Sun will rise at 7:58.  It’ll be up for 9 hours and 56 minutes, setting at 5:55.   The Moon, half way from last quarter to new, will rise at 5:21 tomorrow morning.

The constellation of Orion the hunter is now due south at 9 p.m. It is an upright rectangle of bright stars, the shoulders and knees of this giant.  In the center are three stars in a straight line, his belt, and from his belt hangs a sword.  Orion is the most famous of all constellations world-wide, due to its bright stars, and straddles the celestial equator, so that it is visible at least in part from pole to pole.  It contains the closest star forming region to us, the Great Orion Nebula seen easily in his sword with binoculars or small telescope.  The Horse Head Nebula is found below the left belt star, but only in photographs.  Another photographic feature is Barnard’s Loop, the partial shell of an ancient supernova to the left of Orion.

Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Orion from mid latitudes north of the equator. Orion would be upside down if viewed south of the equator. Created using Stellarium.

Orion from near the north pole. Created using Stellarium.

Orion from near the south pole. Created using Stellarium.

The nebulae in Orion including the Great Orion Nebula in the sword, the Horse Head Nebula below the leftmost star of Orion’s Belt named Alnitak. Barnard’s loop is the big arc on the left. Just above Alnitak is the Flame Nebula, I neglected to mention it in the program. It can be spotted in a telescope, especially if Alnitak is moved off the edge of the field of view. Credit Rogelio Bernal Andreo, via Wikipedia.

Note the nebula at the lower right.  It’s the Witch’s Head Nebula, which I believe is shown brighter than it actually is.  It’s being illuminated by the blue giant star Rigel to the left of it.