Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Look directly overhead in Summer during August and early September and you will spot Vega. The fact that it will easily be the brightest star straight over your head is what makes many mistake it for the North Star. In truth, the North Star, Polaris, marks that point in the sky directly over the Earth̵7;s North Pole. Vega will have a slight bluish tint to it as it gleams in the heavens.
Search the nearby sky for two other bright stars that will complete an asterism known as the Summer Triangle. An asterism is a grouping of stars that form a familiar shape or pattern. Move your eyes from Vega to the east and you will observe Deneb in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. Looking southwards from Deneb you will encounter Altair, the bright star highlighting the constellation Aquila the Eagle. These three form a triangle you cannot miss, as no other really bright stars lie in that part of the sky.
Walk outside in December right before Christmas at five in the morning and look to the Northeast to see Vega. The star will just be visible as it comes up over the horizon. If you live in mid-northern latitudes, on a par with such cities as Chicago and New York in the United States, you have the ability to see Vega at some juncture during every night of the year. Remember that the position of stars in the sky does not change. The always-rotating Earth moves to different point of its orbit about the Sun, which makes the stars seem to move in the sky even though it is you as an observer on the ground that actually moves.
Face east in late April around two in the morning to see Vega, along with the rest of the Summer Triangle. Vega will not yet be straight overhead as it will be later in the Summer. Another star that outshines even Vega will be nearly in that position. This will be Arcturus, in Bootes the Herdsman.
Gaze to the west-northwest in October around ten at night to see Vega. No longer right over your head, Vega will still be easily visible over the horizon. If you live in southern latitudes, Vega will stay out of sight below the western horizon for a longer period than if you were further north. However, you can still see Vega in the west at this time of year, even in places like Houston and Atlanta.