September

To many astronomers in the Northern Hemisphere, the arrival of The Pleiades and the constellation of Orion mark the oncoming of winter. Perhaps two of the most famous sights in the sky, these will start to become more accessible now as the weeks draw on.

Ask someone of a non-astronomical nature to name a constellation and chances are it would be either Ursa Major (Plough/Dipper) or Orion. It is not by pure chance that this is so. Both constellations are instantly recognisable, and cover a large amount of the visible sky.

Orion, named after The Hunter, is very much a winter constellation, and holds a fantastic prize to those with a large pair of binoculars or a modest telescope, not to mention the potential of great images to be had. Certainly the most well known of Orion’s features is M42- the Orion Nebula. This large molecular cloud is rich in star formation, and is over 1000 light years away from Earth. To locate M42, you first need to find Orion’s Belt, the famous three stars that make up the asterism in the ‘centre’ of the constellation. Immediately down from this is Orion’s Sword, three fainter stars, the centre of which is actually M42.

Orion is still a late riser this month, at around 3.30am in the East, however it will become more accessible as the weeks draw on.

The Pleiades (or Seven Sisters/ M45) is a rare sight in the night sky. It is one of the few deep sky objects that is easily visible with the naked eye, and makes quite a spectacle through a pair of binoculars.

The hot young stars that make up The Pleiades number around 400, however seven is the most that can be seen without optical aid. Within the star cluster is rich nebulosity, which can easily be recorded through a tracking telescope and a long exposure. The Pleiades rises at around 11pm in the East at the middle of the Month, and is located in the northern reaches of the bull constellation- Taurus.

Finally, those with a telescope may want to seek out the Comet 103P Hartley, which is located moving from northern Pegasus into Cassiopeia during the month. At its brightest it will be no more than mag. +5, so a 4 inch telescope will be needed to make it out. Be sure however, to track it down before the end of September, as the bright moon will hamper any attempts from then on.

Cumbrian Astronomy