Sun rises at 6:28am
Sun sets at 6:19pm
Moon phase: first quarter, waxing
Moon rises at 4:20am
Moon sets at 2:45pm
Evening stars: Venus and Mars
In honour of the visiting sailors of the Heineken Regatta, we look south after sunset to see the Southern Cross rising just east of due south. The Southern Cross is famed in legend, song, and many a flag around the nations of the southern hemisphere. Watch it rise, through the evening hours Saturday night, cresting low on the horizon, about 12 degrees above the due south mark around 1:45am, then proceeding on to sink just west of south about 4:30am.
Sailors may also enjoy finding the constellations of Vela and Carina. Vela represents the sail of a ship while Carina marks the keel of that same vessel. Carina can be identified by the very bright star Canopus which is about 19 degrees above due south at sunset, with Vela extending off to the left or Eastward. Canopus can be thought of as the bow wave’s brilliant sparkle as the ship heads upward into the sky. Near the top of Vela is a pulsating star; if the night is clear, you may see it vary in intensity like a heartbeat.
The Southern Cross constellation is an important reference point for ocean sailors seeking navigational guides. Don’t be fooled by the “False Cross” in Vela. Two bright “pointer stars” rise after the Southern Cross and help distinguish the true cross. There is also a tiny fifth star in the true Southern Cross. It sits at a 4 o’clock position in the cross’s 9-12-3-6 clock-face positions.
About 20 degrees above Canopus shines the brightest star of all, Sirius. Both of these stars are well known beacons to sailors and dwellers of the tropics and the southern hemisphere, and have been for centuries, each culture giving them different names and meanings throughout history.
Sirius is one of the stars in the Winter Circle which graces our skies at this time of year. To locate the Winter Circle, look high in the sky, just to the southwest after sunset for seven bright stars. You’ll likely notice Orion with its three-star belt. Orion’s shoulder is at Betelguese and this star marks the center of the circle. His foot (or perhaps knee) is marked by Rigel which is a good starting point to go around the circle. Moving clockwise, we encounter Sirius, known as the dog star which pairs up Procyon, the little-dog star. The circle comes around to Gemini’s twin stars, Castor and Pollux on the eastern edge and the star Capella on the north. Aldebaron, which marks Taurus’ horn, is very close to the crescent moon this Saturday night.
Thank you for keeping up with the Night Sky articles. If you are out later on in the week, each star rises about four minutes earlier each day than written here, and the moon rises 50 minutes later. Night Sky is researched and compiled by Lisa Davis-Burnett. Earthsky.org is a key resource for information and images. Questions or comments? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
