# SEASONS OF THE DESERT

**Autumn -- Studying the Heavens**

Humans have been studying the skies for thousands of years. We can
imagine them sitting around their campfires, connecting the stars into
patterns, and making up stories about them. The Greeks and Romans named
many of the 88 constellations we know today; others were added in the
1600's -- 1700's.

Autumn is an excellent time to study the skies. Evening temperatures are
usually comfortable, and skies are generally clear. The following
constellations are relatively easy to find. The months given are the
best times to view them, although they may be visible at other times.

[Ursa Major, the Great Bear]{.underline} (year-round)

The brightest stars in the Great Bear form the Big Dipper. It is helpful
to learn to recognize the Dipper since it is the starting point to find
many other constellations. Look high in the northern skies April --
July, and near the horizon August -- March.

[Ursa Minor, the Little Bear]{.underline} (year-round)

The two stars at the front of the Big Dipper's bowl point to the North
Star at the end of Ursa Minor's tail. This constellation is also known
as the Little Dipper. Because it is made of fairly faint stars, the
North Star (Polaris) may be all you can see.

### [Orion, the Hunter]{.underline} (January)

This is the brightest constellation in the winter sky. Look in the
eastern sky for an hourglass shape. The central three stars form his
belt.

### [Taurus, the Bull]{.underline} (January)

A line drawn up Orion's belt points toward Taurus. The orange-red star,
Aldebaran, marks his eye. Also located in Taurus are two star clusters,
the Hyades and the Pleiades.

[Leo, the Lion]{.underline} (April)

Drill a hole in the bowl of the Big Dipper and the water will fall on
Leo's back. The stars in his head form a backward question mark, and the
stars in his hindquarters form a triangle.

[Boötes, the Herdsman]{.underline} (June)

### Follow the arc of the Big Dipper's handle to Boötes, which looks like an ice cream cone. To the left of the cone is a scoop of ice cream that has fallen off; this is Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown.

[Scorpius, the Scorpion]{.underline} (July)

The handle of the Big Dipper points toward the Scorpion, which actually
looks like its name.

[Sagittarius, the Archer]{.underline} (July)

Sagittarius chases Scorpius across the southern sky. Part of the
constellation looks like a teapot. If you look where tea would pour out
of the spout, you are looking toward the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

[Pegasus, the Flying Horse]{.underline} (September)

Look for a large square of stars (almost directly overhead in autumn).
The Horse extends off the southwest side of the Square.

The northeast star in the square is Andromeda's head. By her "waist" is
the Andromeda Galaxy. At about 2.1 million light years away, it is the
most distant object visible to the naked eye.

### [Cassiopeia, the Queen]{.underline} (November)

Draw a line from the bowl of the Big Dipper past the North Star to
Cassiopeia. This constellation revolves, and may look like an M or W.

**The Zodiac**

The Sun and planets move across the sky along a regular path, known as
the ecliptic (where eclipses occur). The constellations they travel
through are the zodiac - Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus,
Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, and Sagittarius.

# The Planets

As you become more familiar with the night sky, you will see very bright
objects that seem to move about in relation to the stars. These
wandering bodies are the planets. Planets can be distinguished from
stars because they have a definite shape; stars are too far away to see
anything but a point of light. In addition, planets do not twinkle, and
they are always found near the ecliptic.

Of the nine major planets, only five are visible to the naked eye.
Mercury is difficult to see, since it is so close to the Sun; Jupiter is
more than 45° from the Sun. Mars is red; Saturn is yellow. Venus is
often the brightest thing in the sky. Viewed through a telescope,
Jupiter has moons, and Saturn has rings.

## The Milky Way

On any clear night, a great path of light can be seen stretching across
the sky. The Milky Way is like a huge belt encircling the heavens and is
at its brightest during the summer. It is made up of countless little
stars very close together.

The Greeks thought this was the road to the Palace of Heaven; the
Chinese pictured it as a silvery river full of little fish.

**Eclipses**

Sometimes the moon comes between us and the Sun, cutting off the Sun's
light, or eclipsing it. There are eclipses of the Moon, too. These occur
when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon. It's okay to look at
the Moon, but [never]{.underline} look directly at the Sun. It can
damage your eyes.

**Why can't I see the stars where I live?**

Nearly 80% of the world's population can no longer see the Milky Way at
night. This is largely due to unnecessary or improper use of outdoor
lighting. Experts estimate that each year \$2 billion in energy is
wasted in this country alone! The National Park Service and other
agencies are trying to create an awareness of the night sky as a
vanishing resource, and educate the public on what can be done to solve
the problem. For more information, there are a number of agencies to
contact, such as the International Dark Sky Organization.

**Where can I learn more?**

There are a number of excellent books and websites on astronomy.
Skyandtelescope.com has news articles, as well as basic information and
customized star charts. Dustbunny.com/afk has information for kids. Two
excellent books for kids (and adults) are [The Stars: A New Way to See
Them]{.underline} and [Find the Constellations]{.underline} by H.A. Rey.

You don't need expensive equipment to view the sky, just a moonless
night, and a chart to show the constellations. Try to get away from
bright lights, and give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness. If you
need a flashlight to read your star chart, cover the lens with red nail
polish or red cellophane.