Night Sky Photography -- 01-20-2026 -- Jupiter Inside The Winter Circle

Late last night -- or early this morning, depending on how y'all look at it -- at about 90 minutes after midnight I captured a lovely shot of Jupiter inside the Winter Circle (also known as the Winter Hexagon) in the southwestern night sky.

Finding Jupiter for stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere will be easy this year. The 5th and largest planet in our Solar System will remain inside the Winter Circle in our night sky for the rest of winter 2026 in North America as its orbit will take it further inside the circle and will remain a part of the Constellation Gemini the Twins with the bright stars Castor and Pollux nearby.

Night Sky Photography -- 01-30-2025 -- Mars & Jupiter With The Winter Circle Constellations

Good evening fellow stargazers!

As I close out the month of January 2025, I want to begin my wishing my readers a Happy Lunar New Year -- or the Year of the Wood Snake to this blog's fans across the Pacific.

Lunar New Year begin officially in 2025 on the evening of Wednesday, January 29th and into the morning hours of Thursday, January 30th here in North America with a moonless night time, or New Moon Phase.

It is on this moonless night that I was able to capture a wonderful photo of the planets Mars and Jupiter overhead at midnight. Both planets are quite bright compared to the larger but more distant giant stars nearest to them. Beautiful red Mars is of course still quite close to Earth in its orbit; while Jupiter, the largest planet on our Solar System, is easily visible overhead close to the reddish star, Aldebaran, in the Constellation Taurus the Bull.

Not only was the sky dome overhead clear of Lunar moonlight, but the cloudless sky made it easy for me to capture a really clear image of both planets and all the major stars that form the Winter Circle (or Winter Hexagon) asterism, and the six constellations that make them up.

The first is the original photo showing the position of the planets Mars and Jupiter in the sky overhead. A nearby power line pole was used in the foreground to provide an idea what the sky looked like standing and looking up. 

The other two shots are the same photo, but with the first outlining the positions of the constellations: Gemini, Canis Minor, Canis Major, Orion, Taurus, and Auriga overhead; and the final shot showing the Winter Circle and Winter Triangle asterisms as they appear. Jupiter is just outside of the Winter Circle in the vicinity of Taurus The Bull, while Mars is inside the Winter Circle in the Constellation Gemini.

The month of February 2025 will also be bringing some more opportunities for astronomical photography, God willing good weather and clear skies, of course. Until then have a wonderful Dixie evening and be sure to keep your eyes to the night skies, fellow stargazers!

Night Sky Photography -- 11-09-2023 -- The Crescent Moon & Venus & The Winter Circle Stars

Good evening and salutations, fellow amateur stargazers and night sky enthusiasts.

Here in North America, the month of November brings with it the return to the late night/early morning sky of the Winter Circle (Winter Hexagon) Constellations.

The following are the photos I took early in the morning of the brightest stars of the Constellations Orion, Canis Major, Canis Minor, and Taurus -- as well as all the bright stars of the great Winter Circle asterism.

Orion The Hunter can be seen overhead accompanied by his faithful dogs: Canis Major and Canis Minor once again chasing down their adversary, Taurus The Bull.

This heavenly struggle is easily spotted by locating the stars of the "Orion's Belt" asterism which (as I've noted in previous night sky posts) can help any novice stargazer locate the position of the Constellation Orion and how they point in a direct line between the bright stars, Sirius (The Dog Star) in Canis Major and the equally bright red giant star, Aldebaran (The Eye of the Bull) in Taurus.

The Winter Triangle asterism connects the Hunter with his Dogs with the three points of the Triangle being Sirius (the brightest star of Canis Major) and Procyon (the brightest star of Canis Minor) with the star Betelgeuse, the shoulder of Orion.

The vast Winter Circle (or Winter Hexagon) asterism encircles Orion the Hunter and can be spotted by finding the seven major stars: Procyon, Castor, Pollux, Capella, Aldebaran, Rigel, and Sirius.

As the autumn months here in North America give way towards the end of the calendar year and the coming winter season, the Winter Circle and its constellations will begin to appear in the evening skies. 

In addition, I was also able to capture these really good shots of the crescent moon and the bright planet Venus -- now a "morning star" -- in the eastern sky overhead.

Night Sky Photography -- 02-31-2023 -- The Moon & Mars Inside The Winter Circle

Good evening, fellow stargazers!

For my last night sky offering for this month, I was able to capture a good shot of our planetary neighbor, Mars, with the Waxing Gibbous Moon inside the Winter Circle (or Winter Hexagon) asterism late in the evening as they began to set towards the west. I was unable to capture all of the stars of the Winter Circle because the bright, blue-white supergiant star, Rigel, in the Constellation Orion The Hunter, was already past the tree line and setting in the west; but I was able to get all the rest of the stars perfectly.

At present, Mars is fading in its brightness daily as it our Earth moves farther away from it in our closer orbit of the Sun. Soon the Red Planet will blend in with the other 1st-magnitude stars in the night sky. Mars will remain inside the Winter Circle for some time.

Our lovely Moon however, will continue to glow in brightness and continue its Waxing Gibbous phase until it becomes the Full Worm Moon (March Full Moon in the Northern Hemisphere) on Tuesday, March 7th. The Moon will also remain inside the Winter Circle for two more days, traveling higher until it meets with the star, Pollux in the Constellation Gemini The Twins on Thursday, March 2nd.

Night Sky Photography -- 12-18-2022 -- Mars Just Outside Of The Winter Circle

Good evening, fellow stargazers!

If any of y'all are still looking to find Mars in the evening skies, y'all can easily spot it as it will still continue to appear as a bright orange-reddish bright star near the red giant star, Aldebaran (the Eye of the Bull) in the Constellation Taurus on the edge of the Hyades Star Cluster.

At present, the position of Mars in the night sky puts it just above and between both the Hyades and Pleiades Star Clusters just outside of the Winter Circle (or Winter Hexagon) asterism as you can see in the photos I took earlier this evening and labeled.

You can easily find the stars of the Winter Hexagon by first finding the Winter Triangle asterism connecting the bright stars: Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse. These three stars connect the Constellation Orion the Hunter with his two "dogs" the Constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor.

Using Sirius as a starting point, draw a line to the bright star, Rigel, in the Constellation Orion, then another line to Aldebaran and then another line north to the bright star, Capella in the Constellation Auriga the Charioteer -- the sixth brightest star in the night sky.

From there circle back around eastward drawing another line from Capella to the two twin stars Pullox and Castor in the Constellation Gemini the Twins, and then back down to Procyon at the start of the Winter Triangle and you have the Winter Circle/Hexagon.

For the rest of the year, Mars will appear just outside of the Winter Hexagon, but close enough to be an unofficial 8th star of the asterism.

Well I hope y'all enjoyed my photos for this evening. Please be sure to leave a comment, and as always have a wonderful evening and be sure to keep your eyes to the night skies, y'all hear.

Night Sky Photography -- 03-06-2022 -- The Constellations And Major Stars Of The Winter Circle In One Shot!

Good evening fellow stargazers!

Happy March everyone! The month that sees the winter season give way to the renewal of the spring equinox on Sunday, March 20th.

In the evening and night sky dome the six main constellations that make up the Winter Circle (or Winter Hexagon) will continue to be visible in clear skies even as they continue to move west following the setting sun as winter gives way to spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

As I've mentioned in previous Night Sky Photography posts on this blog, the Winter Circle consists of seven bright stars in six separate constellations:

Pollux and Castor in the Constellation Gemini the Twins
Procyon in the the Constellation Canis Minor the Lesser Dog
Sirius in the Constellation Canis Major the Greater Dog
Rigel in the Constellation Orion the Hunter
Aldebaran in the Constellation Taurus the Bull
Capella in the Constellation Auriga the Charioteer

With the exception of the star Castor in the Constellation Gemini, the Winter Circle stars are all 1st-magnitude with Sirius (the Dog Star) being among the brightest stars in our sky. Castor is slightly fainter 2nd magnitude star, though still very bright and visible next to its companion twin, Pollux.

This evening, I was able to capture virtually all the major stars of five of the six constellations of the Winter Circle with one exception. Though I was able to capture the bright star Sirius, the Constellation Canis Major unfortunately would not completely fit in the frame from the only angle I was able to pick up all the stars of the other constellations with.

The following are the photos I was able to take, the first of the major stars in the Winter Circle (outlined in blue) and then the second photos outlining the constellations themselves in white with the Winter Triangle (outlined in red) inside the Winter Circle itself.

Oh and for those of y'all wondering, that small orb-like thing on the bottom right of the photographs is NOT a UFO! It's just the road light that blew out in my front yard recently that the folks at the power company has yet to fix. Thankfully the blown bulb allows for both some foreground scale, and for less light pollution where I didn't have to drive a few miles away to some open field for the shot, so no complaints there at all.

The Winter Circle will still remain fully visible throughout the rest of the month of March with our lovely moon passing between Aldebaran and the Pleiades Star Cluster this week on Tuesday, March 8th and Luna beginning her march through the Winter Circle phasing to First Quarter beauty on Thursday, March 10th. Y'all be sure to check that out -- God and clear skies willing that is.

Night Sky Photography -- 09-28-2021 -- The Constellations Taurus The Bull & Auriga The Charioteer

Hello fellow night sky watchers!

Well y'all I had to stay up extra late this evening (about two hours after midnight) to capture several really good shots of the brightest stars of the Constellations Auriga The Charioteer and Taurus The Bull rising in the east with the beautiful Last Quarter Moon.

In the first photo, using the moon as a guide, you can see the constellation's brightest stars Capella and Aldebaran, along with the bright star, Elnath, which connects both constellations together in the sky dome.

Capella is the brightest star in the constellation Auriga -- the sixth-brightest star in the night sky -- and the third-brightest in the northern celestial hemisphere after Arcturus and Vega.

Capella is the Latin word for nanny goat, and this bright star is often called the Goat Star. The mythological charioteer character, Auriga, is often depicted in mythology holding a female goat and her kids, along with the reins of a chariot.

Relatively close to us at about 42.9 light-years from the Sun, Capella appears to the naked eye to be a single star. In fact that bright point of light is made up of four separate stars, two of which (Capella Aa and Capella Ab) are a binary pair of large type-G yellow giant stars estimated to be anywhere from 10 to 12 times the size of the Sun. The other pair, Capella H and Capella L, are smaller red dwarf stars.

Aldebaran, the Eye of the Bull, is the brightest star in the Constellation Taurus The Bull and generally the fourteenth-brightest star in the night sky. The red giant is 65 light-years from the Sun and measures about 44 times the size of the Sun.

The traditional name Aldebaran derives from the Arabic term al Dabaran meaning "the follower" because it seems to follow the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) in the night sky.

Connecting both constellations is the bright star Elnath (or Beta Tauri). The second-brightest star in the Constellation Taurus the Bull, the B7 giant star is approximately 134 light-years away from the Sun. Elnath is estimated to be about 4.5 times the size of our Sun. The name Elnath comes from the Arabic word meaning "the butting" (or the Bull's horns).

In my second photo, I outlined the constellations as they are depicted. You can also see the Pleiades Star Cluster just above Taurus, which appear as a little dipper of five small, bright stars (two of them were not visible in the shot). You can also see the bright star, Rigel, just above the treetops on the bottom right.

Rigel (Beta Orionis) is a blue supergiant star and the second brightest star of Constellation Orion The Hunter, approximately 860 light-years from Earth. Like Capella, Rigel is a star system made up of at least four stars that appear as a single blue-white point of light to the naked eye.

Together, these bright points of light make up part of the Winter Hexagon (or Winter Circle) asterism that also includes the stars Pollux, Procyon, and Sirius. Capella is the northern most of these stars in the Winter Circle -- highlighted in blue here in my third and final photo of the evening.

Well folks, this concludes my presentation for the evening, my first one of the 2021 autumn season. Hopefully I will be able to bring you more soon, clear skies permitting. Until then, have a wonderful evening and be sure to keep your eyes to the night skies, y'all!

Night Sky Photography -- 04-25-2021 -- The Whole Winter Hexagon In One Photograph!

Good evening everyone!

This evening I went out to the local baseball field -- the biggest open view of the sky close to where I live -- to try and get a photo of Mercury and Venus low in the west toward the sunset.

Unfortunately, both planets were far too low over the horizon for me to get a good shot of them. But it wasn't a total loss. I was able to finally capture the major stars of the Winter Hexagon (Circle) asterism and Mars in a single photo.

The best way to find the Winter Hexagon is to look for the Constellation Orion The Hunter -- the only constellation that is completely encircled in the asterism. Orion is quite helpful in locating half of the stars in the Winter Circle.

The bright star Rigel, one of the feet of Orion, is a starting point. Use either Rigel, or Orion's Belt, in a line to the bright star Aldebaran in the Constellation Taurus The Bull. You can also use Orion's Belt to point out Sirius, the brightest star in both the Constellation Canis Major (The Greater Dog) and the Winter Hexagon.

The star that makes up Orion's right shoulder, Betelgeuse, is one third of the second asterism, The Winter Triangle, along with Sirius and Procyon in the Constellation Canis Minor (The Lesser Dog).

Once you locate these its easy to find the rest of the bright stars in the Winter Hexagon: Pollux, Castor, and Capella.

Mars will continue to remain a part of the Winter Hexagon till at least June 12th of this year when it joins the twin stars Pollux and Castor. The Red Planet will continue to grow fainter as it moves farther away in its orbit from Earth.

Well everyone I hope y'all enjoyed my final night sky photographic offering of this month. Next month promises to have some really exciting moments for night sky observers -- including a Lunar Eclipse on the night of May 25-26th! Hopefully we will be blessed with clear skies for that here in South Carolina.

Until next time have a wonderful Dixie evening and y'all be sure to keep your eyes to the night skies, y'all hear!

Night Sky Photography -- 04-19-2021 -- The Moon & The Twins; Mars Between The Bull's Horns; Orion & His Dogs

Good evening fellow stargazers!

This evening was a beautiful, clear evening for viewing the stars after sunset in the western sky. The beautiful,  crescent moon could be seen overhead alongside Pollux and Castor, the two brightest stars in the Constellation Gemini The Twins.

Thanks to the clear springtime evening sky, I was also able to capture just about all of the brightest stars of all the constellations that make up the Winter Hexagon asterism. The planet Mars can also still be seen in the Constellation Taurus The Bull between the stars Tau Zeta and Elnath -- the bull's horns.

Among the photos I was able to capture a beautiful shot of the Constellation Orion The Hunger and both of his dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor.

I labeled all of the evening skies brightest stars, their constellations, and the Winter Triangle and Winter Hexagon asterisms.

The following are the photos I took.

So I hope y'all enjoyed my evening offerings and as always have a good evening and keep your eyes to the night skies, y'all.

Night Sky Photography -- 03-21-2021 -- Mars Now A Part Of The Winter Circle

Good evening y'all and, as of March 20th, the Northern hemisphere welcomes the spring equinox of 2021!

This evening I was able to capture all of the major constellations and the seven brightest stars of the Winter Circle (or Winter Hexagon) asterism in the night sky on two photographs. Throughout March, Earth's closest celestial neighbor, Mars will unofficially makes up the eighth bright "star" of the Winter Circle. Luna -- now in her waxing moon phase -- can be see just above the Constellation Orion.

I've highlighted the constellations, as well as the Winter Circle and Winter Triangle asterisms.

Capturing the entire Winter Circle in frame in a single photograph is difficult as the asterism is quite large. Procyon, Sirius, and the bright star Betelgeuse in Orion's right shoulder make up the Winter Triangle asterism.

As you can see all of the brightest stars of the constellations and Mars came out very well in both photos, even in the glare of the moon, I was able to just pick up the stars that made up Orion's club.

As I've mentioned before in previous blog posts, the Winter Circle consists of seven bright stars in six separate constellations: Capella (Constellation Auriga the Charioteer), Pullox & Castor (Constellation Gemini the Twins), Procyon (Constellation Canis Minor "The Lesser Dog"), Sirius (Constellation Canis Major "The Greater Dog"), Rigel (Constellation Orion the Hunter), and Aldebaran (Constellation Taurus the Bull).

All but one of the Winter Circle stars are 1st-magnitude -- the brightest stars visible in our sky. Castor is a slightly fainter 2nd magnitude star. Spotting all of these stars are fairly easy if you know where to look as they are among the first to appear about an hour after sunset.

Well folks I hope y'all enjoyed my first night sky photography of the new season. Have a good evening and y'all be sure to keep your eyes to the night skies.

Interesting Facts About The Constellation Orion

 

Greetings fellow night sky fans!

Tonight I thought I'd share something pretty interesting tidbits about the Constellation Orion for y'all.

Named by Western cultures for the hunter in Greek mythology, Orion is probably the most prominent constellation easily recognizable in our sky dome. In the Northern Hemisphere, Orion is most visible in the evening sky from January to March during the winter months. It lies on the celestial equator and is one of the brightest and best known constellations in the night sky. 

Orion is largely made up of eight prominent stars.

The  B-type blue super giant star, Rigel (Beta Orionis) and the red giant star Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis) are the two brightest stars of the constellation respectively. Rigel is the sixth-brightest star in the night sky as seen from Earth. Rigel’s distance is estimated to be around 773 light-years, while the distance to Betelgeuse is estimated to be about 724 light-years away.

The this constellation's most distinctive feature are the three stars that make up the Orion's Belt asterism: Alnitak (Zeta Orionis), Alnilam (Epsilon Orionis), and Mintaka (Delta Orionis). The names of the three stars come from Arabic word Alnilam which means "string of pearls" Looking for Orion's Belt in the night sky is the easiest way to locate Orion.

The other prominent stars that make up Orion are: Bellatrix (Gamma Orionis), Saiph (Kappa Orionis), and Meissa  (Lambda Orionis).

Eight major stars make up the Constellation Orion The Hunter.
The largest of these is Rigel, followed by Betelgeuse, Saiph, Bellatrix, Meissa, and the three stars:
Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka that make up the "Orion's Belt" asterism.

 

In Greek mythology and astrology, Orion the hunter is accompanied by his hunting dogs: the constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor, and is hunting Taurus the Bull.

One can easily find the major stars of each of these three constellation by using Orion as a starting point.

Using Orion's Belt as a straight line an amateur stargazer can easily locate the "dog star" Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky as seen from Earth, to the bottom left.

Going the opposite way, using the upper part of Orion's Belt one can make a line to Aldebaran, the "Eye of the Bull" and the brightest star in the constellation Taurus.

Finally using Betelgeuse as a starting point one can make a straight line to the star Procyon, the brighter of the two stars that make up the "lesser dog" Canis Minor.

Picture here with the Constellation Orion are Taurus The Bull and the two dogs Canis Major
and Canis Minor.
Using a straight line with Orion's Belt as a starting point, finding the bright stars Sirius and Aldebaran are easy.
Procyon can be found using a straight line from Betelgeuse on Orion's left shoulder.

Betelgeuse, along with the stars Procyon and Sirius, also make up the Winter Triangle asterism. These three stars are three of the ten brightest objects, as viewed from Earth, outside the Solar System.

In addition, Orion itself is also a part of and largely surrounded by an even larger asterism, the Winter Circle (or Winter Hexagon) with Orion's brightest star, Rigel, making up one of its six major stars.
 

The major stars of the Winter Triangle and Winter Circle (Winter Hexagon) as seen in the night sky
with the constellation Orion in the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere.

 

The constellation contains several interesting nebulae: the Orion Nebula (Messier 42), De Mairan’s Nebula (Messier 43), the NGC 2068 Nebula (Messier 78), and the famous Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) among others. In addition seven stars in the constellation Orion possess planetary bodies.

In the winter months one can find Orion by looking to the east an hour after sunset. The easiest way to spot it is to find Orion's Belt.

Well folks, I hope y'all enjoyed this presentation. Let me know in the comments section below.

Night Sky Photography -- 01-12/14-2021 -- Constellations Orion & Taurus, The Winter Triangle, & The Winter Circle

Good evening, fellow Stargazers!

Over a couple of cloudless evening this month, I managed to get some really good shots of two of the winter month's most prominent star constellations: Orion The Hunter and Taurus The Bull.

The bright stars Sirius, Betelgeuse, and Procyon (the primary stars in the three constellations of Canis Major, Orion, and Canis Minor, respectively) make a triangle, which I mentioned before in previous blog posts is sometimes called the Winter Triangle asterism in the Northern Hemisphere. Betelgeuse makes up the "shoulder" of the Hunter. Follow the line of the three stars of Orion's belt to find Sirius The Dog Star. Procyon makes up the third corner of the triangle outlined in red in the photo.

Also pictured in the photo are the stars Aldebaran, Rigel, Pullox, and Castor which make up part of the larger Winter Circle (or Winter Hexagon) asterism, which I outlined in yellow. The star Capella which makes up the last star in the Winter Circle, is out of frame. Aldebaran is of course the major star of the Constellation Taurus, also known as the "Eye of the Bull".

These two constellations and the Winter Triangle and Winter Circle asterisms will remain prominent in the night sky throughout the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere. Look for them rising in the east an hour after sunset.

Have a wonderful evening and please keep your eyes on the night skies, y'all!

Night Sky Photography -- 04-01-2020 -- The Constellation Gemini, First Quarter Moon, & Winter Circle

Good evening fellow stargazers!

 

My apologies for not having any night sky photography since February, but March here in South Carolina is pretty cloudy and rainy for the most part. In a way that is a good thing since it helps to wash away the mountains of allergy-inducing POLLEN, but bad because it caused me to miss out on several really awesome heavenly shows. 

 

This evening -- with thankfully clear skies at last! -- I was able to capture some good shots of our beautiful Luna in all her half-lit first quarter phase glory in the vicinity of Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini the Twins.

 

The first shot here shows the two main stars of the Twins above and to the right of Luna. 

 

 

Interesting to note that while Castor appears as a bright pinpoint of light, in reality it’s actually a small system made up of three pairs of binary stars -- six stars centered in a single mass. The two larger visible components in the Castor system are hot, A-type stars. The smaller components are cool, M-type red dwarf stars. In total the mass of all six stars together is about six times that of our sun.

 

This was the first binary system that was recognized in 1802 by the astronomer Frederick William Herschel. 

 

Pollux is slightly brighter than Castor. It shines with a golden glow while Castor appears whiter. Pollux is the 18th brightest star in Earth’s night sky. 

 

In 2006, astronomers discovered a exo-planet orbiting Pollux they named Thestias (Pollux b). The planet is estimated to have at least twice the mass of Jupiter.

 

Despite being "twins" both Pollux and Castor are actually about 18 light-years apart on a cosmic scale. At 34 light-years, Pollux is closer to us while Castor is a further 52 light-years away. Thus Pollux and Castor aren’t bound, but only near each other from our Earthly perspective. Castor and Pollux are about 4.5 degrees apart in the night sky, which helps stargazers estimate separation distances between other stars.

 

According to Greek mythology and stargazer lore, the twins Castor and Pollux were the sons of a mortal mother, Queen Leda; Castor was the mortal brother, born from a mortal father, King Tyndareus of Sparta, while Pollux, a son of Zeus, was the immortal brother. When Castor was later slain in a battle by his cousin Idas (who was then killed instantly by Zeus with a thunderbolt), Pollux was inconsolable and was given the choice by Zeus of spending all his time on Mount Olympus, or giving half his immortality to his mortal brother. He begged Zeus to relieve him of his immortality opting for the latter, thus enabling the twins to alternate between Olympus and Hades. Zeus granted his request, and Pollux and Castor stand reunited in the heavens as a tribute to the power of brotherly love. 

 

The second shot I took is a wide shot of the Twins and was able to just barely get all of the major stars of the Constellation Gemini in the shot. As an added bonus I also managed to get just about all of the major stars that make up the Winter Circle (Winter Hexagon) and the Winter Triangle as well. The only one missing star is Rigel, on the bottom leg of the Constellation Orion, which was below the horizon. 

 

  

Finally, my last photo for the evening is a close-up of the beautiful First Quarter Moon. 

 

 

The reason this moon phase is called a first quarter because it is one quarter of the way around in its orbit of Earth, as measured from one new moon to the next. Although a first quarter moon appears half-lit to us, leading to the erroneous term "half-moon" the illuminated portion we see of a first quarter moon truly is just a quarter of the moon's diameter. We’re now seeing half the moon’s day side, that is. We never see the other side (or "dark side") of the moon, so in reality all we ever see is half-a-moon during a full moon. 

 

During the first quarter moon, the right side of the moon is lit, while the left side of the moon is lit during the last quarter moon later in the month as the moon travels eastward in the skydome. 

 

Well folks, I hope y'all enjoyed my night sky offerings for the evening. My hope is for clearer skies as spring gets up and running and more night sky photography in the coming weeks. Venus will be beginning its conjunction with the Pleiades Star Cluster on the evening of April 3rd. Be sure to check it out, I will try to get some shots -- God and good weather permitting. 

From South Carolina, have a wonderful Dixie evening and keep your eyes to the night skies, y'all!

Night Sky Photography -- 01-23-2020 -- Constellations Orion, Lepus, & Canis Major With The Winter Circle & Winter Triangle In Southern Sky

Good evening fellow stargazers!

This evening at midnight I was able to get some shots of some of the major stars in two of the constellations which make up the Winter Circle, and the Winter Triangle. 

The first photo I took with SC HWY 9 in the foreground to give the constellations in the sky dome some scale. It shows the major stars of the Constellations Canis Major The Greater Dog, Lepus The Hare, and the lower part of Orion The Hunter. The Winter Circle I outlined in red.

The Winter Circle -- or Winter Hexagon as it is sometimes referred -- is an asterism appearing to be in the form of a hexagon with vertices at Rigel, Aldebaran, Capella, Pollux, Procyon, and Sirius. The stars that make up the circle, or hexagon, are parts of six major constellations: Orion, Taurus, Auriga, Gemini, Canis Minor, and Canis Major. 

In my second photo I took a slightly higher and wider shot filling out the three constellations and their major stars. In this photo the Winter Triangle can be clearly seen.

It is an approximately equilateral triangle that shares two vertices (Sirius and Procyon) within the larger asterism. The third vertex is Betelgeuse, which lies near the center of the hexagon. These three stars are three of the ten brightest objects, as viewed from Earth, outside the Solar System. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky and one of the closest stars to Earth at a distance of about 8.6 light-years. Betelgeuse is also particularly easy to locate, being a shoulder of Orion, which assists stargazers in finding the triangle. Once the triangle is located, the larger hexagon may then be found.

Well I hope y'all enjoyed my night sky photography for this evening. Have a wonderful Dixie day and be keep your eyes to the night skies, y'all!