The Night Sky
February 2019
If you look around a clear night sky during February, you will see that most of the bright stars are looking south-west (from Embsay, over the quarry). Observers are often drawn to Orion and its Nebula but two of the more iconic, rewarding but challenging objects are just below the left-hand star of Orion’s belt - the wondrous Horsehead Nebula and Flame Nebula.
The horsehead shape is caused by thick, dark dust and we are able to see it because of the red glow of hydrogen gas behind. At the base of its neck is a young nursery for stars just beginning their life. The light has taken 1,500 years to reach your eyes. That was about the last time Britain ‘brexited’ but this was from the Roman Empire! Whilst I could have shown you a wonderful Hubble telescope image or one from a multi-million ground- based telescope in Hawaii, I’ve decided to include one that I took from Embsay, showing how lucky we are not to have too much light pollution! (albeit when our very bright LED street lighting goes off). Very close by is the Flame Nebula which is part of this complex of star forming gasses, containing many young stars. As the name suggests, the region resembles a flame. See it for yourself in the image. The image has been inverted and converted to black and white so you can see it more clearly! You can attempt to observe this area for yourself but you will need binoculars at least and a steady hand or tripod.
To see planets this month your best bet will be mid-February (18th) at about 6am, looking south-east. You will probably be wondering, what on earth is that very bright object? You are being treated to a great view of Venus and very close, just below, Saturn. As if that wasn’t enough, Jupiter is to the right. A real treat, 3 planets all at once! On the 19th we have the second of three Supermoons this year(when the moon is closest to the earth) but the one this month is special because it is the closest. In fact, the moon won’t get any closer for another eight years.
If you are wanting to get more into astronomy there are so many good free computer-based aids to help you find you way around the night sky. My favourite is Stellarium. Download and install it to give you an excellent way of exploring the night sky even when its cloudy (which is far too often!) It will display a simulated and realistic view of the night sky for any day in the past or future and is absolutely free.
For those not really into computers or want a simple guide that will help you find your way around the night sky, get a Planisphere. They are very easy to use and just consist of two circular discs, one larger than the other, linked together at the centre. Around the outside of the large one is the date and around the inside one is the time. All you have to do is to line up the date with the correct time. By holding the disc so that word Planisphere is facing towards North, the lower part shows you what the sky would look like in the south. At the time of writing they cost about £8 from a good book store. If you are practically inclined and want to make one, there are sites on the internet. Just type ‘Making a Planisphere’. But of course that will involve using a computer!
Milan Davidovic
Comments