It was a dark, still and early morning

It's dark outside at 4:30 in the morning. Now, before you give me a fish-eyed look like my kids used to do right before they would say, "Well Duh, dad," let me explain.

This dark was different. It was more than just the absence of light, it was a dark that could almost be felt. As I walked out of the house with binoculars in hand to look for the Garnet Star I wrote about recently, there was a feeling, a sort of velvety, or almost silken touch to the air.

And it sounded different too, or I should rather say there was no sound at all except for the chirp of the tree frogs. The crickets and cicada had all gone to bed and there was just this, "feeling."

Usually when a person is outside there are noises. A car door closing or a car passing by, or someone talking a few houses over or, the sound of the big truck engines idling up at the convenience store, or, at least around here in this part of Southwest Nebraska, the ever-present sound of the grain dryers at the elevator down at the south of town.

But this morning it was -- what can I say -- it was still.

I didn't intend on going to my favorite dark-sky place, I was just going across the street to a vacant lot where I could get a clear view to the north to find Cepheus and my target star which were found with no difficulty.

Well, now what? I had accomplished what I came out to do. Sort of like being all dressed up and no place to go. But there were different "places" I could go. Turning around and looking south I saw my very good friend Orion, the Hunter standing upright and bold.

Binoculars showed the fuzzy blob that was M42, the Great Orion Nebula, in the middle of the sword hanging below his belt. Next those three belt stars, Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka, and not to leave out red Betelgeuse and blue Rigel standing at the right shoulder and left knee respectively.

Above Orion was the rectangle of Gemini, the Twins with Castor and Pollux glowing at one end. This time there was a visitor, reddish Mars which has been growing in brightness over the last few weeks on its way to a January 2010 opposition when it will be at its closest and brightest.

Over to Orion's right was the distinct "V" of Taurus, the Bull with bright Aldebaran looking like the eye of the beast. All around was the Hyades star cluster. A little up above Taurus was another old friend, the small formation of the Pleiades star cluster which, in binoculars, looks like a tea cup.

Back down to the left through Taurus and Gemini with a brief stop in Cancer to look at the Beehive star cluster also known as M44, then further down, or east, where dazzlingly bright Venus was just peeking over the horizon.

By this time another old friend I wanted to look at, the Andromeda Galaxy, was already below the western horizon. But, Andromeda is an early evening object so there will be other occasions.

SKY WATCH:

Full moon, Sunday, Oct. 4. The moon and Pleiades will be playing tag on tonight, Oct. 7, in the late evening.

NEXT TIME:

More astronomical blathering.