Meade 4504 Instruction Manual download pdf (Page 46)

page 46

A Roadmap to the Stars

The night sky is filled with wonder and

intrigue. You too can enjoy exploring

the universe simply by following a few

pointers on a roadmap to the stars.

First, find the Big Dipper which is part of

the constellation Ursa Major. The Big

Dipper is usually easy to locate year

round in North America.

Extending directly out from the far side

of the Big Dipper’s cup is the

constellation Orion. One of the most

exquisite areas of the winter sky, Orion

is distinguished by Orion’s belt, which is

marked by three stars in a row. The

Orion Nebula is located South of the

belt and is one of the most observed

deep-sky objects by amateur

astronomers.

Extending from the “pointer stars” of the

Big Dipper’s cup is Polaris, the North Star. Extending from Polaris is the Great Square

shared by the constellations Pegasus and Andromeda.

The Summer Triangle is a notable region in the sky to the left of the handle of the Big

Dipper. The triangle is made up of three very bright stars: Vega, Deneb, and Altair.

By drawing an imaginary line outward from the handle of the Big Dipper, you reach

the southern constellation “Scorpius.” Scorpius curves to the left like the tail of a

scorpion in the sky, or like letter “J.”

Amateur astronomers commonly use the phrase “Arc to Arcturus and spike to Spica”

to refer to the area directly off the arc in the handle of the Big Dipper. Follow the arc

to Arcturus, the second brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere, then spike down to

Spica, the 16th brightest star in the sky.

Star Locator

The chart below lists bright stars with their R.A. and Dec coordinates, along with the

Northern Hemisphere season when these stars are prominent in the night sky. This

list aids the observer to find alignment stars at various times of the year. For example,

if it is a midsummer evening in the Northern Hemisphere, Deneb in the constellation

Cygnus would be an excellent alignment star, while Betelgeuse could not be used

because it is in the winter constellation Orion and thus, below the horizon.

Season Star Name

Constellation

R.A. Dec

Spring Arcturus Bootes 14h16m 19° 11"

Spring Regulus Leo 10h09m 11° 58"

Spring Spica Virgo 13h25m -11° 10"

Summer Vega Lyra 18h37m 38° 47"

Summer Deneb Cygnus 20h41m 45° 17"

Summer Altair Aquila 19h51m 08° 52"

Summer Antares Scorpius 16h30m -26° 26"

Fall Markab Pegasus 23h05m 15° 12"

Fall Fomalhaut

Pisces Austrinus s

22h58m -29° 38"

Fall Mira Cetus 02h19m -02° 58"

Winter Rigel Orion 05h15m -08° 12"

Winter Betelgeuse Orion 05h55m 07° 25"

Winter Sirius Canis Major 06h45m -16° 43"

Winter Aldebaran Taurus 04h35m 16° 31"

Orion

Gemini

Andromeda

Pegasus

Aquila

Lyra

Cygnus

Boötes

Virgo

Scorpius

Leo

“Big Dipper”

“Summer

Triangle”

Polaris

Betelgeuse

Rigel

Pollux

Castor

“Sickle”

Regulus

Deneb

Vega

Antares

Altair

Arcturus

Spica

Fig. 37: Roadmap to the stars.

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Meade 4504 Instruction Manual Page 46

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