Let's start an astronomy club

Well, if you have been looking at the evening sky you may have noticed that the champion of the winter sky, the constellation Orion, has disappeared for the next few months. Meanwhile, the spring constellations are much higher in the sky now and that the summer constellations are starting to make their appearance in the late evening. If you are an early riser you may have even seen the autumn constellations -- a sneak preview of the evening sky for September or October.

This is just another example of the rich panoplay of the sky that is available for anyone who chooses to look at what is there.

Speaking of looking, number three on our top ten tips for stargazers is find some astronomically minded friends. While stargazing can be a solitary, contemplative pursuit for some, I feel it is better to go observing with friends or a group of other stargazers (or in my case stargeezers). The more eyes the merrier.

Of course, out here on the prairie, finding other like-minded folks when it comes to astronomy may not be very easy. I have connections with astronomy groups in Kearney, Hastings, and Denver and some friends in Benkelman, McCook, Cambridge, Imperial and Bird City who are stargazers, but getting together is often difficult if not downright impossible.

Speaking of Bird City, did you know there is a homemade six-inch refracting telescope under an observatory dome in Bird City? Boy, the things you find out when you ask.

Anyway, that is why I have been thinking about starting an astronomy club for this area. If you are interested or think you would like to find out more about the night sky contact me at vjwhet@bwtelcom.net or call me at (308) 423-5389 in the evening. You don't even have to own a telescope, just have an interest in the night sky.

The sky is an ever changing vista. The constellations are constantly moving with the old ones going off to the west and new ones replacing them from the east. If there aren't planets and the Moon to look at there are meteor showers and, of course, the thousands of man-made stars, satellites, that are traveling across the dome of the sky.

There is always something new to view in the night sky.

SKY WATCH: The Moon will be at third quarter on June 8. That is also the day that Venus is at its greatest eastern elongation from the Sun. That means it is as far from the Sun as it will get on the eastern (evening) side. Look for the Moon and Mars to be in conjunction on the morning of June 10. They will be about five degrees (about the width of your fist held at arms length) apart. The Moon will be a slender crescent in the east. The pair will be right under Pegasus, the celestial flying horse. On Tuesday. June 12, Venus will be one degree away from the Beehive star cluster (M44). It will be a great sight in binoculars. Look about an hour after sunset. Keep watching Venus as it moves closer to Saturn. The Moon, Venus, and Saturn will be together on the evening of June 18, and Saturn and Venus will be less than one-half degree apart on June 30.

That is about the width of the full Moon. That is something to mark your calendars for. Watch to see if the Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on June 8 carrying Nebraska's first astronaut. If it does, check out the Heavens Above Web page to see when it passes over this area.

Next time: more Top Ten tips for stargazers.