Finally! After what seems like ages, I finally got out stargazing! I actually had two sessions on Monday evening (the 20th), the first with my 10×50 binoculars whilst waiting to pick up the kids from Scouts/Cubs, and then later with the scope from the back garden. Oddly, even though it wasn’t quite dark when I was scanning the sky with the binoculars, the earlier session was the better of the two. I wasn’t expecting much, because it was still so bright, but the 10x50s really delivered.
The binocular session took in views of Mars, Aldebaran and the Hyades, the Pleiades, and several other bright stars (Sirius, Betelgeuse, and those of the Big Dipper and Leo). However, it was viewing Orion that the brought a real surprise. The wide angle field of view of the 10x50s means that all three ‘belt’ stars fit in, and just below them I noticed two bright orange stars: HIP 26108 and 31 Orionis. I was amazed, to say the least. How was it possible, after so many viewings of Orion, that I could miss two bright orange stars such as these? The former is a 5.9 magnitude orange giant lying 611 light years away, and the latter a 4.67 magnitude orange giant 508 light years away.
I couldn’t find out much about the former star, but the latter is quite well known. Its radius, for example, has been calculated as 35.03 times bigger than the Sun. The Sun’s radius is 695,800km, so 31 Orionis’ radius is an estimated 24,373,461.98km. This means that were it at the centre of our solar system, it would extend almost to the orbit of Mercury.
31 Orionis is thought to have a companion star, separated by 12.7 arc seconds. The neighbor appears to be a class A8 dwarf of perhaps 1.7 solar masses, and the orbital period appears to be around 40,000 years. Needless to say, I didn’t spot it with my bins!
Feeling optimistic after the binocular session, I picked up the kids, rushed home, and got the large telescope out to let it cool. I was aware that comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák is close by at the moment, and I’d had a look for it with the binoculars earlier in the evening. I’d almost convinced myself that I’d seen it, but wasn’t totally sure. That would be my main target for the evening with the scope. However, although the sky sparkled with stars, try as I might I couldn’t find it. The task of tracking down the tiny, magnitude 7.6 comet made all the more difficult by its position at near zenith. It was all very disappointing.
I then tried my hand at some galaxies: The Leo Triplet (M65, M66 and NGC 3628), the Whale (NGC 4631), and the Crowbar (NGC 4656). I found all of them relatively easily, but all appeared washed out and lacking in detail. I think that the combination of a little light pollution, and a buildup of moisture in the atmosphere obscured all but the brightest objects. Oh well, there’s always next time.
Before I ended the session I had a quick glance at the binary star Cor Caroli, in Canes Venatici. This was a real treat, the yellow/blue colours of the pair very evident.
So, a bit of a mixed bag.
What’s up?
All of the above, plus the Virgo/Coma Berenices supercluster, and Jupiter! Lots to look out for. The next New Moon is on the 28th of March, First Quarter on the 3rd of April, and the next Full Moon is on the 11th. Something for your calendar/diary, the middle of April sees the return of the Lyrid meteor shower. Beginning on the 16th, and peaking on the 23rd, we should expect to see around 18 meteors per hour, on average. April’s New Moon on the 26th means the sky should be nice and dark for viewing them.
Clear Skies!
Kevin Quinn is an amateur astronomer living in Piddletrenthide. He is the proud owner of a ten-inch reflector, a small refractor, a case of eyepieces, and a couple of pairs of binoculars. He tweets via @CerneAstro, and blogs (occasionally) via theastroguy.wordpress.com.
© Kevin Quinn
