ASTR 110L

Major Constellations & Bright Stars - Fall 2009 Semester

• You are responsible for knowing the location and general shape of the following constellations,  asterisms,  clusters, and * bright stars listed in CAPITAL letters after each one is introduced "in the field" as the semester progresses. Memorize the CAPITAL Western names; Hawaiian names will be used for extra credit. Lower-case names belong to constellations and stars that are relatively faint or minor; they too are optional.

·Constellations are listed very roughly in the order that we will encounter them during the semester (roughly in order of increasing right ascension): • visible only at start of semester: "Arc to Arcturus" / Kaiwikuamo'o ("the spine/backbone') navigational north-south star line:

Begin at the Big Dipper ... its handle arcs to Arcturus ... speed on to Spica ... [not visible: catch Corvus ... and cross over to the Southern Cross].

 

  CONSTELLATION

  Hemisphere of

  Zodiacal?

  Comments

 

  BRIGHT STARS

 

 

 

 

  Sky

 Plane of Milky Way?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* POLARIS = Hokupa'a ("fixed star") = The

 

 

 

 

 

 

   North Star = The Pole Star (blue-white; 49th_

 

 

 

 

 

   brightest star in night sky)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 • Polaris located (very nearly) at celestial

• navigation: Polaris is (nearly) motionless,

 

 

  Ursa Minor (UMi)

  far northern sky

 

      north pole

   directly above "due north" on horizon

 

 

 

 

 

      

  • navigation: Polaris's altitude (elevation) above

 

 

 

 

 

                horizon = observer's northern latitude

 

 

 

 

 

 

   A The Little Dipper (seven stars, Polaris at

 

 

 

 

 

end of handle)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  A The BIG DIPPER = Na Hiku ("the seven")

 

 

  URSA MAJOR (UMa)

  far northern sky

 

 

  • "Pointer" stars lead to Polaris, then Cassiopeia

 

 

 

 

 

 • Arc of handle arcs to Arcturus, then Spica, ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

    (Kaiwikuamo'o navigational north-south star line)

 

 

  northern/

 

 • Polynesian navigation: Arcturus passes

* ARCTURUS = Hokule'a ("star of joy")

 

 

  Bootes (Boo)

 

 

     through zenith in Hawaii

   (orange giant; 4th-brightest star in entire night

 

 

  equatorial sky

 

 

sky)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Virgo (Vir)

  equatorial sky

  zodiacal

 

  * SPICA = Hikianalia (blue-white)

 

 

 

  SCORPIUS (Sco)

  southern sky

  zodiacal;

 • also known as "Maui's Fishhook" =

 * ANTARES = Lehua-kona ("southern lehua

 

 

 

 

  bulge of MW

 "Ka Makau Nui 0 Maui" or Manaiakalani

                 flower") (red supergiant)

 

 

 

 

 

  SAGITTARIUS (Sgr)

  southern sky

  zodiacal;

 • looks like "teapot" with "steam" rising

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  center & bulge of MW

   from spout & nearby "teaspoon"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 • nicknamed the "Northern Cross"

* DENEB

 =

Pira'etea

(blue-white)

-

 

  CYGNUS (Cyg)

  northern sky

  plane of MW

 • Cygnus the Swan is flying (roughly)

northeastern

corner

of

A SUMMER

 

 

 

 

      south

TRIANGLE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 • looks like small, faint parallelogram

* VEGA = Keoe

(white; 5th-brightest star in sky)

 

  LYRA (Lyr)

  northern sky

 

 

night

 

-

northwestern

corner

of

 

 

 

 

 • contains variable star ~ Lyrae

   SUMMER TRIANGLE

 

 

 

 

  Aquila (Aql)

  equatorial sky

  plane of MW

 

 * ALTAIR = Humu (white) - southern corner

 

 

 

 

 

   of SUMMER TRIANGLE

 

 

 

ASTR 110L

 

 

 

 

 

 • 5 bright stars form distinctive W shape

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 • on opposite side of Polaris from Big

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  CASSIOPEIA (Cas)

  far northern sky

  plane of MW

    Dipper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 • also known as 'Iwa Keli'i ('Iwa, the

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    chief)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  PEGASUS (Peg)

  northern sky

 

 • attached to tip of Andromeda's "V"

 A GREAT SQUARE of Pegasus = Ka Lupe 0

 

 

 

 

 

 • sides of Great SJquare are nearly NSEW

Kawelo ("the kite of Kawelo")

 

 

 

 

  CEPHEUS (Cep)

  far northern sky

  near plane of MW

 • contains variable star () Cephei

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 • long, curving V shape

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  ANDROMEDA (And)

  northern sky

  near plane of MW

 • tip of "V" is attached to Great Square of

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Pegasus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 • contains Andromeda Galaxy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  PERSEUS (Per)

  far northern sky

  plane of MW

 

  * Algol = "The Demon Star"

 

 

 

 

 

  AURIGA (Aur)

  northern sky

  plane of MW

 • attached to tip of Taurus's northern horn

* CAPELLA

=

Hokiilei

(bright

white;

6th_

 

 

 

 

 

 

brightest star in entire night sky)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 * ALDEBARAN (orange giant; eye of Taurus

 

 

 

 

 

 • tip of northern horn is attached to

the Bull)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   The HYADES (wide cluster: V-shaped head of

 

 

  TAURUS (Tau)

  equatorial sky

  zodiacal;

  Auriga

Taurus the Bull)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   near plane of MW

 • Polynesian navigation: Pleiades passes

   The PLEIADES = Nil Makali'i = The Seven

 

 

 

 

 

    through zenith in Hawaii

       Sisters = Subaru (small cluster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   visible to naked eye)

 

 

 

 

 

 

  equatorial sky

 

 • also known as Ka Hei-hei 0 Nil Keiki

* BETELGEUSE (reddish) = Kauluakoko

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* RIGEL (bluish-white) = Puanakau

 

 

 

 

  ORION (Ori)

  (Orion's Belt

  near plane of MW

("Cat's Cradle"/children's string game)

* Bellatrix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   lies on celestial

 

 

   ORION'S BELT (3 stars)

 

 

 

 

 

 

   equator)

 

 • middle "star" of Sword is Orion Nebula

  ORION'S SWORD (3 "stars")