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imogen
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« on: 16 October 2007, 08:22:10 » |
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Hi, I'm new here, and I hope this is OK but I'll be honest and say I am just looking for an answer to one question. On a holiday to South America (Peru) in September, I found a beautiful constellation just slightly to one side of the milky way, about (guessing) 10 or 15 stars in the shape of an almost perfect heart. I would love to know if this constellation has a name. I've tried googling for it but can't find it, I can only find heart shaped galaxies but I don't think it's a galaxy. It means a lot to me specially because I fell in love with a guy I met there! I'd be very grateful if anyone knows the constellation I'm thinking of and can tell me about it. Thankyou!
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Ant
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« Reply #1 on: 16 October 2007, 08:29:05 » |
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Welcome to SGL,
Someone may well know this straight away...
Some information would help me try and find out for you.
When did you see it (month and rough time would be ok). Which direction was it in (N S E W) and roughly how high up?
I can then feed this into Starry night (tonight) and try and find out.
Cheers
Ant
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themos
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« Reply #2 on: 16 October 2007, 09:04:27 » |
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Imogen, can you tell us anything about the location and the date/time? How high in the sky was it? If you could see the milky way at the time, was it to the right or the left of the milky way? Next time, take one of those with you! http://www.meade.com/mysky/index.html
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Whippy
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« Reply #3 on: 16 October 2007, 18:59:35 » |
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Welcome to SGL Imogen  . Even if we can't help you, that's a great story! Tony..
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Astroman
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« Reply #4 on: 16 October 2007, 19:12:01 » |
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If it was to the right of the Milky Way in September, it may have been Centaurus, as that constellation has several bright stars arranged roughly as you describe. It's just a guess, because it's hard to know what you yourself see in the sky without being there and seeing it with you. As the others suggested, some more information would be good, too. How large compared to your hand, which directio were you facing, which side of the MW and how far away?
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imogen
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« Reply #5 on: 18 October 2007, 19:29:13 » |
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Hi everyone! thanks for the welcome and all the replies. Now i'm taxing my brain trying to answer these difficult questions, made more confusing by my not being used to the sun going the other way across the sky in the southern hemisphere..... OK. I THINK the constellation was in the west. westish. As you faced it, it was just to the left of the milky way, which was offcentre towards the right/north if i'm figuring the whole east/west sun thing correctly. The constellation's right edge was almost touching the milky way. It was high in the sky, maybe about 60 / 70 degrees up. (Sorry i don't know the correct terminology, ways of measuring etc). I saw it about 7 - 9 pm on 6th, 7th, and 8th September, and probably before and after that too, it was reliably present! I didn't imagine either, I pointed it out to other people who could see it too 
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Astroman
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« Reply #6 on: 18 October 2007, 20:23:33 » |
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It's not Centaurus, then. I can see a heart shaped asterism, (which is what you saw is called), in the area between Cygnus the Swan and Delphinus, the Dolphin.
Aside from that, it's nearly impossible to be sure. HTH.
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imogen
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« Reply #7 on: 18 October 2007, 21:19:42 » |
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an asterism? oh, i never heard of one of those before. so does that mean it wouldn't have a name? thanks anyway! could you suggest where i could find a good picture online that might help me identify it?
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Astroman
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« Reply #8 on: 18 October 2007, 23:05:20 » |
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Yes, an asterism is a collection of stars that are perceived to be of one shape or another. The Plough (or Big Dipper) is one, it is part of the constellation Ursa Major. A picture may be tricky, because astrophotographers usually go after either smaller, faint stuff such a s galaxies, or big, wide angle areas. Wide field shots tend to "go deep", showing many more stars than you can see with your eyes, and thus obscuring what you'd see naturally. You might try the library or ask around for a view of some star charts that might show what you saw.
Anyone else?
Hey! Where's that 7th magnitude free star charts someone posted?
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themos
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« Reply #9 on: 18 October 2007, 23:24:19 » |
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I tried with Celestron's "The Sky" software. Lima, Peru : 7 Sep : 8pm I thought that it was Scorpio and Jupiter. But I just realized that you could not have been mistaken, because Scorpio is on the other side of the milky way, the right. No, what's on the left side is ... Sagittarius and the asterism is known in the UK as "The Teapot"! It's tilted just right to look like a heart at that time and place.  Let's see who agrees
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themos
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« Reply #11 on: 18 October 2007, 23:30:17 » |
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There's also Corona Australis just under Sagittarius. That looks like the left half of a heart. I'm pretty sure I got the right area, anyway.
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themos
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« Reply #12 on: 18 October 2007, 23:32:40 » |
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Gaz O'C
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« Reply #13 on: 18 October 2007, 23:39:12 » |
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There's also Corona Australis just under Sagittarius. That looks like the left half of a heart. I'm pretty sure I got the right area, anyway.
That would be my guess, with the tip of Sagittarius and Scorpio.
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Kaptain Klevtsov
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« Reply #14 on: 19 October 2007, 10:24:57 » |
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Like this?  (click to enlarge) Kaptain klevstov
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imogen
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« Reply #15 on: 19 October 2007, 21:18:55 » |
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yes!!  i reckon that's it, the one labelled ngc6729, altho it was a lot clearer in real life. so is this one and the same as corona australis and/or, ahem, the teapot?
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Gaz O'C
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« Reply #16 on: 19 October 2007, 21:22:56 » |
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The left of the heart is Corona Australis, the top of the heart is the bottom of Sagittarius and the right of the heart is the bottom of Scorpio.
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Astroman
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« Reply #17 on: 19 October 2007, 22:26:26 » |
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Mystery solv-ed! A three constellation asterism. 
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barkis
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« Reply #18 on: 19 October 2007, 22:36:15 » |
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Well done guys. a great piece of celestial police detection there. And you helped a lady in love. Now, if that don't make you feel great, Then I recommend a check for life signs. Ron.
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imogen
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« Reply #19 on: 20 October 2007, 16:55:56 » |
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thanks guys! you're awesome. altho i confess that "ngc6729" is a rather less romantic label than i was hoping for xx imogen
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themos
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« Reply #20 on: 20 October 2007, 17:03:18 » |
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not to worry, ngc 6729 is just a very faint nebula (invisible to the naked eye) near one of the stars. The heart shape you saw is pretty much the entire Corona Australis, "southern crown". It doesn't get much better than that, you know.
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themos
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« Reply #21 on: 20 October 2007, 17:11:07 » |
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the coordinates seem to be Declination 39 degrees South , Right Ascension 19 hours.
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themos
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« Reply #22 on: 20 October 2007, 17:12:08 » |
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Try putting into a Google Earth...
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imogen
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« Reply #23 on: 20 October 2007, 19:13:27 » |
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not to worry, ngc 6729 is just a very faint nebula (invisible to the naked eye) near one of the stars. The heart shape you saw is pretty much the entire Corona Australis, "southern crown". It doesn't get much better than that, you know.
oh cool! thanks!
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imogen
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« Reply #24 on: 20 October 2007, 23:24:34 » |
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ps. and i've learnt some things while i was here too
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