Astronomy

The Night Sky

This extra special edition of our monthly astronomy guide will hopefully answer some questions for all of you who are new to this amazing interest something which has been a passion for me since coming to France over six years ago. Whether you have been treated to a first telescope at Christmas, have invested in a new pair of astronomy binoculars, or simply wish to begin to gaze up at the wonders of our beautiful sparkling skies, read on and I hope, over the coming months, to provide a few pointers to get you started

THERE ARE SO MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS TO SEE IN OUR STUNNING GLISTENING DARK SKIES HERE IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD

Beginning a small tour of the night sky with only your eyes is such a rewarding way to start learning. With only your eyes to observe the sky it will be possible to explore the positions and patterns of different constellations throughout the year. One of the first, easiest, and most dynamic star patterns you can look for is known as 'Orion'. Also known as the 'Hunter', at this time of year Orion can be seen perched high in the night sky, in a southerly direction. The central and very bright three stars form 'the belt' of this pattern. With your eyes or binoculars you will be able to see the beautiful 'Orion Nebula' which is positioned in the area below 'the belt'. With binoculars or a telescope you can begin to observe the great variety of colours in the stars across the night sky. One of the most stunning is the star Betelguese in Orion. This bright red star can be found at the top left of the star pattern. With the aid of binoculars or a telescope, it is dazzling. Throughout the month, of course you will be able to observe our natural satellite, the Moon. It can be seen rising at a different time every night (or day). Binoculars or a small telescope will reveal more details on the surface of the Moon. You can look for craters, flat-seeming 'seas', or gigantic mountain ranges. During the last six years I have learnt to navigate a little around the celestial plane. The ever-changing view of the Stars and Planets has been observed, named, charted, and catalogued since ancient times. Since the times of the Greeks, Babylonians and Egyptians, humans have continued to search for, order, and learn about our place in the Universe. This is a search that continues in our own time and it always amazes me to think of those who throughout our history have also gazed up at the same skies.

This Year's Astronomy Highlights

This year we have many stunning events to look forward to and mark in our 2022 calendars. A number of Planets will appear close together in the night skies. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be at their best and the Geminid Meteor shower will put on a beautiful show. The Perseids are also worth looking out for although, with a full moon brightening the sky, they will be a little harder to see. From mid-February to mid-April it will be possible to observe Mars dancing around both Venus and Saturn. On March 16th Mars will be seen at its closest to Venus and early during the mornings of March the 27th to the 1st of April you can see Venus, Mars, and Saturn within the same binocular view. The 16th of May will depending on your location - offer the chance to see a partial Lunar eclipse, and on the 25th of October a partial Solar eclipse will be visible around midday. At my own location about 7% of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon. The further west you are based, the more of the Sun will be covered. It is NOT SAFE to look directly at the sun with your eyes, binoculars, or a telescope. I will provide details later in the year on how to observe this event safely. On the 19th of August you will be able to observe the Moon, the Pleiades star cluster, and Mars forming a beautiful triangle rising in the eastern skies just after midnight. This rare sight can be seen in the same field of view through binoculars. It will be a sight which is well worth staying up late for. The planet Jupiter will be 'at opposition' on the 26th of September. This is when it will be on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun and therefore easier to observe. It will be easy to see with the unaided eye or binoculars, and through a small telescope you will be able to spot the four largest of Jupiter's moons. While a Comet's visibility is extremely difficult to predict it may just be possible that we are in for an observing treat with the newly discovered Comet named C/2021 03 (PanSTARRS). It was discovered last year, is brightening as it travels closer to the Sun, and may be visible to the naked eye from the second half of April. Through binoculars or a telescope this would also be a spectacular sight. I will provide more details about the possibility of viewing this Comet nearer the time as its fate approaching the Sun is not certain.

Observing Tip for the Month

When you are planning to go out and observe the dark skies, you can see even more when you give your eyes a chance to become accustomed to the darkness. As your eyes become used to a change in the light source they adjust a little. When you first go outside at night it may seem that you can't see very much at all. Perhaps you will be able to see one or two of the brightest stars, a planet or two, and possibly the Moon. However, the longer you wait, allowing your eyes to make an adjustment, more and more stars and details will appear. After about 20 -30 minutes you will be amazed at how your skies will begin to sparkle with thousands of distant stars.

A little bit of science…

The first stars are thought to have appeared over 200 million years ago. These were immense objects, much bigger than our Sun (possibly 100-1000 times bigger!!!!) and were made completely of Hydrogen and Helium.

Meteor Showers this month: The Quadrantids

This shower of meteors will be active in the first few days of the new year and will last until the 12th. What better way to start your observing for 2022! The Quadrantids are one of the best of the year. They are caused when dust particles associated with the comet known as 2003EH (an exciting name, I know!) burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. The 'peak' will be on the 3rd this year. This is the time when the meteor shower is at its most active. According to N.A.S.A the average number we could spot will be 80 per hour, although the rate will range from 40 to 120! The best way to catch a few shooting stars is to look up to a wide open view of the sky. The Quadrantids will all emanate from a north-easterly part of the sky around the Constellation known as Bootes. Wrap up, lie back, and enjoy a really relaxing time under the stars. Making a wee wish when you spot your first meteor of the year isn't out of the question either!

New Feature: Star of the Month - 'Betelgeuse'

In this new monthly feature I hope to shine a light on the huge array of stars we can explore in our skies. First up, and easy to spot at this time of year, is the famous 'Betelgeuse'. Often pronounced beetlejuice, but more correctly known to astronomers as bettel-gouze, you will find this amazing bright red star at the top right-hand side of the Orion constellation. This star is a 'red supergiant' and it is the lead star in Orion. It changes in magnitude over a period of six years. It is one of a very few stars which has actually been measured having a diameter of up to 1,000 times that of our own Sun. As a red supergiant star it is in the last phase of its life. Eventually, and any time within the next 100,000 years, Betelgeuse is expected to explode as a 'supernova'. The star collapses, explodes and releases huge amounts of energy. This would be easily visible from Earth. As Betelgeuse is over 600 light years away from us it would take over 600 years for the light from this explosion to reach our eyes. So there's a chance that this bright star has already gone 'supernova'! Wishing you a very Happy Year of Stargazing and 'Clear Skies'!

By Claire Wardlaw

Claire Wardlaw, originally from Edinburgh, lives in the Charente with her husband. Since their move nearly 6 years ago, Claire has become passionate about astronomy

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