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10/31/2022 – Ephemeris – The perfect Halloween star
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Halloween, Monday, October 31st. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 13 minutes, setting at 6:32, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:20. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 12:02 tomorrow morning.
Not all the ghosts and goblins out tonight will be children. One is out just about every night because it’s a star. Its name is Algol, from the Arabic for Ghoul Star or Demon Star. It’s normally the second-brightest star in the constellation Perseus the hero, visible in the northeast this evening. The star is located where artists have drawn the severed head of Medusa, whom he had slain. Medusa was so ugly that she turned all who gazed upon her to stone. Algol is her still glittering eye. The star got the name before astronomers discovered what was really wrong with it. They found out that it does a slow wink about every two days, 21 hours because Algol is two stars that eclipse each other. Her next evening wink will be dimmest at 10:25 p.m. November 19th.*
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hours). They may be different for your location.
Addendum
*For the broadcast, the source for the Algol minimum brightness time was the Stellarium app. For whichever date the sky is displayed for and Algol is clicked on, among the data for the star that is displayed is next minimum light. However, in double-checking the times with those posted in Sky & Telescope magazine after I recorded the program, it turns out to be 3 hours 46 minutes early, so minimum light would be at 1:36 am on November 17th. At the time given then, the eclipse would just be starting. The actual first eclipse minimum in the evening in November would be at 10:25 pm on the 19th. I hope it’s clear on the night of the 16/17th to see which prediction is right. In the past, S&T was accurate, or accurate enough.
Perseus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda with Algol finder animation for Autumn evenings. Click on the image to enlarge it. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
Perseus and the head of Medusa from the 1690 Uranographia by Johannes Hevelius. Note that the captions in the image are as seen in a mirror. Early star representations were painted on a globe, a celestial sphere, so the stars and constellations were shown as seen from the outside. A God’s eye view. Early printed star charts simply kept the convention. I reversed the image, so it is seen from inside the celestial sphere. An Earthly view to match the sky as we see it. The image was found with the article on Algol on Wikipedia.
Animation of an eclipsing binary star like Algol. Credit: Wikimedia Commons h/t Earth and Sky
09/27/2022 – Ephemeris – Finding the constellation of Perseus the hero
This is Ephemeris for Tuesday, September 27th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 54 minutes, setting at 7:30, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:37. The Moon, 2 days past new, will set at 8:28 this evening.
Close to the horizon, but rising in the northeast in the evening, is the constellation of Perseus the Greek hero, holding as his prize the severed head of Medusa. To me, the stars don’t seem to match the figure in the stars. It’s either the Greek letter pi (π) tilted to the left or the cartoon roadrunner running up the sky. Perseus’ brightest star is Mirfak in the middle of the top of the letter π, or back of the roadrunner. Using a pair of binoculars to look towards Mirfak, one can see many more stars, just below naked eye visibility near it. It’s a very loose star cluster called the Alpha (α) Persei Association, α Persei being a catalog designation for Mirfak. And Mirfak is actually in the association. Unlike some bright stars, who are just foreground stars.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hours). They may be different for your location.
Addendum
For my take on the mythology featuring Perseus, see The Great Star Story of Autumn. It’s way too long for my short radio program. For Hollywood’s treatment of the story, see Clash of the Titans.
Perseus finder using the animated GIF to show the star field, constellation lines and names, and Perseus as art. Cassiopeia is included as a means to find the dimmer Perseus below it on autumn evenings. Algol, another important star and the second-brightest star of Perseus, is also labeled. I normally cover it around Halloween, but if you can’t wait, type Algol in the search box at the upper right. Created using Stellarium, LibreOffice Draw, and GIMP.
The Alpha Persei Association. The brightest star is Mirfak (Alpha Persei). This is a small section of a photograph taken February 18, 2017, Canon EOS Rebel T5, 121 seconds, f/3.5, 18 mm fl., ISO 3200. Credit Bob Moler.
10/28/2021 – Ephemeris – The spookiest star in the sky
This is Ephemeris for Thursday, October 28th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 21 minutes, setting at 6:36, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:17. The Moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 12:31 tomorrow morning.
We are getting down to the spookiest time of the year, with Halloween on Sunday, so it’s time to talk about the spookiest star in the sky, Algol the Ghoul or Demon Star. It’s in the constellation of Perseus the hero, now rising in the northeastern sky. The constellation itself looks like the Greek letter pi, or like the cartoon Roadrunner with its long legs. Algol is the second brightest star in the constellation, near the Roadrunner’s leading foot. That’s where the eye of the severed head of Medusa, that Perseus is carrying. It’s still winking, once every 2 days and 21 hours*. Tonight it will be in the deepest part of its wink at 8:43 pm. It will take about three hours to recover its usual brightness. I recall that the ancient Chinese weren’t fond of that star either.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hours). They may be different for your location.
* More specifically, 2 days, 20 hours, 49 minutes on average and altered by Earth’s changing distance from the star due to its orbit of the Sun.
Addendum
Algol Finder Animation for around 8 pm in the later part of October and early November (7 pm after the EST time change on the first Sunday in November). Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
Algol is an eclipsing binary star, where one star eclipses the other.
Animation of an eclipsing binary star like Algol. Credit: Wikimedia Commons h/t Earth and Sky
11/13/2020 – Ephemeris – Finding Perseus the hero in the stars
This is Ephemeris for Friday, November 13th. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 38 minutes, setting at 5:16, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:39. The Moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 6:41 tomorrow morning.
About a third the way from the east northeastern horizon to the zenith at 8 p.m. and below the letter W shaped constellation of Cassiopeia the queen is Perseus the hero. It’s kind of an odd shape for a hero, To me it looks kinda like the cartoon roadrunner. To those who’re mathematically inclined its shape is also like the Greek letter pi on its side. It’s two brightest stars are Mirfak and Algol the demon star, the still winking eye of Medusa. Look at the area around Mirfak with binoculars and a large group of stars just below naked eye visibility will appear. It’s called the Alpha Persei Association. That’s because Mirfak is also known as Alpha Persei. The group is about 560 light years away, which means, though close, are farther away than the Pleiades, which is below and to the right of them.
The event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Perseus finder animation for 8 pm November 13, 2020. The star Mirphak in the image is generally spelled Mirfak and is also designated Alpha Persei.
The Alpha Persei Association. The brightest star is Mirfak (Alpha Persei). This a an extreme crop from a photograph taken February 18, 2017, Canon EOS Rebel T5, 121 seconds, f/3.5, 18mm fl., ISO 3200. Credit Bob Moler.
10/30/2020 – Ephemeris – The spookiest star in the sky
This is Ephemeris for Friday, October 30th. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 6:33, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:20. The Moon, 1 day before full, will set at 8:08 tomorrow morning.
With the COVID virus around probably the only spooky thing out tomorrow night will be the star Algol. It’s out every night actually. It’s name, Algol, is from the Arabic for Ghoul Star or Demon Star. The Chinese had a name for it that meant “piled up corpses”. It’s normally the second brightest star in the constellation Perseus the hero, visible in the northeast this evening. The star is located where artists have drawn the severed head of Medusa, whom he had slain. Medusa was so ugly that she turned all who gazed upon her to stone. Algol is her still winking eye. The star got the name before astronomers found out what was wrong with it. They found out that it does a slow wink every two days, 21 hours. That’s because Algol is two stars that eclipse each other. Her next evening wink will be at its dimmest at 12:11 am November 13th. Remember, daylight time ends on Sunday.
The event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Algol at 7:30 p.m. on Halloween, in a modern portrayal. Created using Stellarium.
Animation of an eclipsing binary star like Algol. Credit: Wikimedia Commons h/t Earth and Sky
Algol Minima through November 24th 2020. Click on the image to enlarge. Eclipses are about 10 hours long with 5 hours of dimming and another 5 hours to regain brightness. Source: Insula Astra http://www.astropical.space/algol.php.
10/31/2019 – Ephemeris – The perfect Halloween star
Ephemeris for Halloween, Thursday, October 31st. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 14 minutes, setting at 6:33, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:20. The Moon, half way from new to first quarter, will set at 9:22 this evening.
Not all the ghosts and goblins out tonight will be children. One is out every night, because it’s a star. Its name is Algol, from the Arabic for Ghoul Star or Demon Star. It’s the second brightest star in the constellation Perseus the hero, rising in the northeast this evening. The star is located where artists have drawn the severed head of Medusa, whom he had slain. Medusa was so ugly that she turned all who gazed upon her to stone. Algol is her still glittering eye. Astronomers finally found out what was wrong with Algol. It does a slow 6 hour wink every 2 days 21 hours because it is two very close stars that eclipse each other in that period. It’s next nighttime minimum will be 1:46 a.m. on November 12th.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Perseus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda with Algol finder animation for Autumn evenings. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
Animation of an eclipsing binary star like Algol. Credit: Wikimedia Commons h/t Earth and Sky
Here is a web sit where you can calculate the minima of Algol and other eclipsing stars: http://www.astropical.space/algol.php
10/30/2018 – Ephemeris – Algol the spookiest star in the sky
Ephemeris for Tuesday, October 30th. The Sun will rise at 8:18. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 16 minutes, setting at 6:34. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 11:53 this evening.
Not all the ghosts and goblins out tomorrow night will be children. One will be out every night because it’s a star. Its name is Algol, from the Arabic for Ghoul Star or Demon Star. The Chinese had a name for it that meant “piled up corpses”. It’s normally the second brightest star in the constellation Perseus the hero, visible in the northeast this evening. The star is located where artists have drawn the severed head of Medusa, whom he had slain. Medusa was so ugly that she turned all who gazed upon her to stone. Algol is her still glittering eye. The star got these names before astronomers found out what was wrong with it. They found out that it does a slow wink every two days, 21 hours. That’s because Algol is two stars that eclipse each other. Her next evening wink will be dimmest at 8:10 p.m. November 13th.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
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11/14/2017 – Ephemeris – The constellation of Perseus the hero
Ephemeris for Tuesday, November 14th. The Sun will rise at 7:38. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 37 minutes, setting at 5:15. The Moon, half way from last quarter to new, will rise at 4:29 tomorrow morning.
About half way up from the east northeastern horizon to the zenith at 9 p.m. and below the letter W shaped constellation of Cassiopeia the queen is Perseus the hero. It’s kind of an odd shape for a hero, To me it looks like a maybe the cartoon road runner running along the road. To those who’s imagination doesn’t run to Loony Tunes, its shape is also like the Greek letter pi. It’s two brightest stars are Mirfak and Algol the demon star. Look at the area around Mirfak with binoculars and you will see a large group of stars just below naked eye visibility. It’s called the Alpha Persei association. That because Mirfak is Alpha Persei. The group is about 557 light years away, which means, is quite close, but farther away than the Pleiades, below and right of them.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Perseus with Cassiopeia and Andromeda in the northeast at 9 p.m. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
10/30/2017 – Ephemeris – Halloween preview: The Ghoul Star
Ephemeris for Monday, October 30th. The Sun will rise at 8:17. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 15 minutes, setting at 6:33. The Moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 3:50 tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow night is the spookiest night of the year, so lets preview the spookiest star of all. It’s Algol, from Ghoul Star or Demon Star. The Chinese had a name for it that meant ‘piled up corpses’. It’s the second brightest star in the constellation Perseus the hero, rising in the northeast this evening. The star is located where artists have drawn the severed head of Medusa, whom he had slain. Medusa was so ugly that she turned all who gazed upon her to stone. Algol is her still glittering eye. Astronomers finally found out what was wrong with Algol. It does a slow 6 hour wink every two days 21 hours, because it is two stars that eclipse each other. It began to dip this morning just before sunrise and it will again centered on 11:41 p.m. Friday night.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Perseus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda with Algol finder animation for Autumn evenings. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
Animation of an eclipsing binary star like Algol. Credit: Wikimedia Commons h/t Earth and Sky
10/31/2016 – Ephemeris – What’s a Halloween sky without the Ghoul Star
Ephemeris for Halloween, Monday, October 31st. The Sun will rise at 8:20. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 12 minutes, setting at 6:32. The Moon, 1 day past new, will set at 7:28 this evening.
Not all the ghosts and goblins out tonight will be children. One is out every night, because it’s a star. Its name is Algol, from the Arabic for Ghoul Star or Demon Star. The Chinese had a name for it that meant ‘piled up corpses’. It’s the second brightest star in the constellation Perseus the hero, rising in the northeast this evening. The star is located where artists have drawn the severed head of Medusa, whom he had slain. Medusa was so ugly that she turned all who gazed upon her to stone. Algol is her still glittering eye. Astronomers finally found out what was wrong with Algol. It does a slow 6 hour wink every 2 days 21 hours because it is two very close stars that eclipse each other in that period. It did so this morning at 5:53 a.m.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
To run an app to calculate times for the minima of Algol click here: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/celestial-objects-to-watch/the-minima-of-algol/ courtesy of Sky and Telescope Magazine.
Perseus with Cassiopeia and Andromeda in the northeast at 8:30 p.m. on Halloween. Created using Stellarium and GIMP.
Animation of an eclipsing binary star like Algol. Credit: Wikimedia Commons h/t Earth and Sky
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 