08/18/2015 – Ephemeris – The autumn queen is rising

Ephemeris for Tuesday, August 18th.  The Sun rises at 6:48.  It’ll be up for 13 hours and 55 minutes, setting at 8:44.   The Moon, half way from new to first quarter, will set at 10:31 this evening.

A look to the northeast at 10 p.m. or later will reveal a letter W pattern of stars.  This is the constellation of Cassiopeia the queen.  Cassiopeia is so far north that it never sets for us in Michigan.  It is opposite the pole star Polaris from the Big Dipper.  So as the Big Dipper is rotating down the sky in the northwest, Cassiopeia is rotating up in the northeast.  The pivot is the star Polaris, the north star.  There’s a dim star that appears above the middle star of the W which turns the W into a very crooked backed chair.  Above Cassiopeia is a dim church steeple shaped constellation of Cepheus the king.  The Milky Way flows through Cassiopeia and a corner of Cepheus and up through Cygnus, and on to the south.

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

Addendum

Cassiopeia and nearby constellations mentioned in the above program. Created using Stellarium.

09/10/2012 – Ephemeris – The constellation Cepheus the king

Ephemeris for Monday, September 10th.  The sun will rise at 7:16.  It’ll be up for 12 hours and 45 minutes, setting at 8:01.   The moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 2:25 tomorrow morning.

The stars of autumn are taking over the eastern evening sky as the equinox approaches.  Looking to the northeastern sky at 10 p.m. we find the W shaped constellation of Cassiopeia the queen.  It is opposite the pole star Polaris from the Big Dipper.  Above Cassiopeia is a dim church steeple shaped constellation of Cepheus the king.  The steeple is toppled to the left.  It also lies on the line between the bright star Deneb, the northeastern most star of the Summer Triangle and Polaris.  Cepheus is a king and the husband of the more notorious Cassiopeia.  The Milky Way flows through a corner of Cepheus.  One of its stars is Delta Cephei is the first of a type of variable star that have allowed us to measure distances to the galaxies.

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

Addendum

The constellation Cepheus at 10 p.m. September 10th. Created using Stellarium.

Click image to enlarge.