The reappearance of the Milky Way

Remember last May when we talked about how the Milky Way was all around the horizon? Remember how we said if we come back in a few months we would see it overhead?

Well, since we are already outside, look toward the southeast horizon to find a faint trail of stars that marks the Milky Way.

Follow it up and overhead then back down to the northwest horizon where you will find Cygnus, the Swan setting

The Milky Way can also serve as a guide for finding constellations, for example, starting in the southeast the Milky Way runs past Canis Major with very bright Sirius. A little higher and it passes the left side of Orion, the Hunter (as you are looking at it) with the reddish star Betelgeuse marking his shoulder.

Continuing up we go between Gemini on the left and the "V-shape" of Taurus, the Bull, then smack dab through the middle of Auriga, The Charioteer. It is an oddly shaped pentagon with the very bright star Capella on the top side.

It is located directly overhead.

Auriga is a good place to pause (especially since we have our telescope or binoculars) to pick up three very nice open star clusters the comet hunter Charles Messier put in his famous list of thing that were not comets.

If your location is truly dark, then you will be able to see the three clusters without any optical aid.

The first is just below the constellation's imaginary bottom line, the next directly above, and the third above the second one. All three in an almost straight line.

The cluster just below Auriga's bottom line is M37, the one above it is M36, and above it is M38. If you are using binoculars the top and middle one will be in the same field of view as will the middle and bottom one. M37 is the brightest of the three.

Continuing our journey, we pass Perseus, go through the middle of Cassiopeia, pass Cepheus on the left, and straddle Cygnus and end at the northwestern horizon.

If you are dressed warmly enough, and can be outside in the cold for a while, it is well worth the effort to pause at each of these constellations along the way to examine it because there are many little treasures along the way.

SKY WATCH: Full moon on Saturday, Jan. 23. January 26, look above the eastern horizon for the moon hanging just above Jupiter. The next evening the moon will be below Jupiter.

NEXT WEEK: More objects to look for and more astronomical blathering.