The Sky This Month
Welcome to our night-time sky.
Please enjoy this monthʼs tidbits
of knowledge. We are lucky to
live in a dark-sky area where the
heavens can shine through. I hope
you enjoy the sky and perhaps
learn a thing or two. Happy star
gazing!
An Eye Test – There is an
ancient expression which says that your eyes are good
if you can split Mizar. Mizar is the star in the bend of the
handle of the Big Dipper. Take a walk outside on any
night and look closely. You should be able to discern
that the star is actually composed of two stars, very close
together. If you have trouble, or want to be absolutely
sure, grab your binoculars. The companion star is called
Alcor. These two stars are not true binaries. They do
not revolve around each other. Rather, they are optical
binaries. They appear to be close to each other from our
vantage point. The two stars are actually about a lightyear apart from each other. What is more interesting is
that Mizar is itself a binary star. The two components
are called Mizar A and Mizar B. Further, Mizar A and B
are both binary stars (although their components are too
close to discern visually). And finally, Alcor was recently
determined to be a binary star. So there are actually six
stars in this complex system within the Big Dipper!
Autumn Arrives – At 8:21am on September 22nd.
Hop on a plane to Ecuador, and the Sun will be directly
overhead at noon – pretty cool. Unfortunately, most of
us are a little short on cash to travel to the equator on
the autumnal equinox. Nevertheless, we can still see the
effects here in Arizona. Both the day and the night will be
about 12 hours long.
The Virgin Departs – Virgo the virgin leaves us in
September. The Virgo constellation and astrological sign
has been in the night sky for many months. Look west just
after sunset and you will see a bright star, Spica, which
represents a sheave of wheat that Virgo is carrying in her
left hand. As the month wanes, Virgo sets with the Sun
and disappears over the horizon into the night. She leaves
us wondering what she is doing with her evenings.
– Brian Biggs
Amateur Astronomer
Expires: 9-30-16
Joel Dean, Licensed Independent Broker
928.277.6123
11888 E. Stirrup High Drive East, Unit B
in the Prescott Country Club
[email protected]
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September 2016 pccnews