Hobbies And Interests
Sirius
Only the Sun, the Moon, Venus and Jupiter eclipse Sirius, the brightest star seen from the northern hemisphere. According to EarthSky.com, Sirius appears bright because it lies only 8.6 light years away and gives off more than 26 times the amount of heat and light as the Sun.
Winter evenings constitute the best time to view Sirius, which is easily found by locating the conspicuous winter constellation, Orion, the hunter. The hunter rises high in the southern winter sky and can be identified by the three bright stars aligned at its belt and two more luminous stars at its right armpit and left foot. To locate Sirius, trace the three belt line stars to the lower left of your field of vision; Sirius is the brightest star in the area.
Canopus
A veritable giant, Canopus has a diameter that can accommodate 65 suns, according to the EarthSky website. Canopus never rises above 37 degrees north latitude, meaning many regions in the northern hemisphere never see the second brightest star in the sky. Even though Sirius appears brighter, Canopus actually would be brighter if both were placed at the same distance from Earth. Canopus is so bright that it once was used for night navigation. Once you spot Sirius in the southern sky, lower your gaze down to the next brightest star, and you will be looking at Canopus, which gives off 15,000 times the light of the Sun.
Arcturus
At its present state, Arcturus is at its closest to the Sun; within a half-million years from now, the star will hardly be viewable from Earth. As noted at the SolStaion website, Arcturus may have actually formed in an adjacent galaxy but became incorporated into the Milky Way galaxy when the two galaxies collided and became one.
The Legg Middle School Planetarum in Michigan gives good directions for finding Arcturus. Find the Big Dipper first. Face north, and in a region relatively devoid of bright stars, you will see seven stars laid out like a ladle, with four stars forming the bowl portion and three extending into the handle. According to the memory aid, "Arc to Arcturus, then speed to Spica," by extending the arc of the handle several lengths, you will reach the brilliant Arcturus.
Alpha Centauri
Actually made of a complex of two stars, Alpha Centauri forms a part of the constellation Centaurus, the centaur. Alpha Centauri's brightness stems from its closeness to the Sun. According to EarthSky.com, if you face south, Alpha Centauri will appear low on the horizon when you see Arcturus high above your position. However, anyone living north of Florida or Egypt will not be able to see it.
Vega
Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the lyre, forms one of the three vertices of the "Summer Triangle." SolStation.com explains that if you face north on late spring evenings, you will observe Vega rising above the horizon at your right. During the evenings of autumn months, Vega will have already risen high overhead. About 12,000 years ago, bluish Vega was the "North Star," the designated star that sits almost directly above Earth's North Pole; currently, that designation belongs to the much dimmer Polaris.
Capella
People living in the United States and Europe can see Capella all year round. Capella is made up of two stars whose surface temperatures approximate that of the Sun but are a bit larger. According to EarthSky.com, Capella, meaning "nanny goat" in Latin, lies near three dimmer stars that astronomers designate "the Kids." To find Capella, locate the Big Dipper. Follow the line of the two stars at the top of the bowl and extend the line connecting the stars to point directly at Capella, notes the Legg Middle School Planetarium website.
Rigel and Betelgeuse
Rigel and Betelgeuse belong to the constellation Orion, with the former sitting at Orion's left foot and the latter forming his right armpit. According to the Arnold Lesikar, astronomers designate Betelgeuse as the alpha star, or brightest star, in Orion, even though Rigel shines brighter. This naming mistake may have been made because Betelgeuse fades and brightens, shrinks and swells in cycles, at times appearing brighter than Rigel. Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star 650 times bigger than the Sun, is in its final stage of demise; astronomers believe that Betelgeuse will go supernova, or explode, imminently. Bluish Rigel is 40,000 times brighter and 60 times larger than the sun.