The second star in the Winter Circle

Now on to our second star in the Winter Circle, or Hexagon. Beautiful orangish-red Aldebaran (al-DEB-a-ran), the brightest star in the zodiacal constellation Taurus, the Bull.

Its name in Arabic means "follower" probably because it seems to follow the Pleiades (PLEE-a-deez) star cluster across the sky rising at about the same place on the eastern horizon. It is a red giant star with a diameter about 36 times greater than our sun.

If placed where the sun is its size would reach out past the orbit of Mercury and Venus almost to the orbital distance of Earth.

From a relatively dark-sky place look almost directly south between 8 and 9 p.m. MST for a "V" shaped group of stars looking like the horns of a bull. The bright star looking like the eye of the bull is our target.

The horns are an open star cluster called the Hyades (HI-a-deez) the nearest distinct cluster of stars to Earth lying at about 150 to 153 light years away. Aldebaran only looks like it belongs with the cluster. It lies along our line of sight toward the Hyades and is about half way there at 65 to 68 light years.

If you have trouble locating Aldebaran, go back to our old friend Orion and locate the three stars of his belt.

Start on the left side (as you are looking at it) and extend a line along the belt up and to the right a little more than the width of two clenched fists to find Aldebaran.

In binoculars the Hyades are a lovely sight of many twinkling stars with bright Aldebaran in the middle of them.

While we are in the area turn your attention to the other star cluster associated with Taurus, the Pleiades which can be found up and right of Aldebaran a little more than the width of one clenched fist held at arms length. It lies at about 370 to 400 light years away.

This little gem is an absolutely astounding sight in binoculars. The common name for the cluster is the Seven Sister which we visited at Halloween.

From a dark-sky place using just your eyes the tiny cluster looks almost like a small, fuzzy cloud. In binoculars they spring to life with hundreds of stars in view. A sight not to be missed.

If it is not too cold and you feel up to a binocular challenge go back to Aldebaran and look in the same field of view up and slightly left at about the 10 o'clock position for another small, much dimmer star cluster NGC1647. Not as bright or flashy as the Hyades or Pleiades, but a nice object to look for.

SKY WATCH:

Saturday, first quarter moon; Jan. 24, moon and Pleiades, best view at about 8 a.m. MST in the southwest; Keep your Mars watch going. Right now Mars is visible in the east at 8-9 p.m. MST between Leo and Cancer very near the Beehive (M-44) star cluster; Mars will be at opposition on Saturday, Jan. 29, the closest and brightest it has been to Earth in two and a half years. ISS Passes: Two good passes of the International Space Station this week. The first on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CST until 6:36 p.m. from NW to ESE almost overhead. The second Saturday from 6:51 p.m. CST to 6:58 p.m. CST from WNW to SE again almost overhead. These will be good passes to observe.

NEXT TIME:

We will take a ride in the chariot Auriga with Capella, and more astronomical blathering.