A faint, fuzzy peak to the Top 10 list

And now -- drum roll please -- number 10 on our list of "Top Ten" things to see in the night sky, and sorry folks, but this is another "faint fuzzy" (actually two of them) as were most of the rest of them but it is easier to find.

Be outside at your favorite dark-sky place at least one and a half to two hours after local sunset with your binoculars looking north.

I think no one will have any trouble finding the Big Dipper. Right now the bowl is upside down with the handle extending out to the right. Weather lore holds that the bowl is upside down to give the spring rains to earth.

The end star of the handle is called Alkaid and that is our target. Technically its name is Eta Ursa Majoris and is the third brightest star in the constellation. It is three times the radius of our Sun and has more than 1,000 times its luminosity. It is also one of the brightest stars in the sky.

Ok, now that we are out here, what next. Well, put Alkaid just inside the 8 o'clock position in your field of view (FOV) and at the 2 o'clock position will be a grand faint fuzzy -- M 51, the Whirlpool Galaxy. At eighth magnitude it may be a stretch for your binoculars, but I think they will make it.

Now, for an extra added attraction, move Alkaid to the 3 o'clock position and look to the 8:00 position and budge the view slightly left for another grand fuzzy, M 101, the Pinwheel Galaxy. It is slightly brighter than M57.

Since you know where they are, now you can come back with a telescope for a grander view.

Since we are in the area, lets go back to the handle of the dipper again. Now is a great to play the "Arc to Arcturus" game. I think you remember how it is played.

Follow the arc of the handle over to the right to find the bright star Arcturus in the constellation Bootes, the Herdsman. So called because he is supposed to be herding the two celestial bears, Ursa Major and Minor.

If you continue following that line a little farther you will find another bright star, Spica in the constellation Virgo, the Maiden.

SKY WATCH: First quarter moon today, Wednesday, April 13. Jupiter is a very bright object about halfway up the sky above the eastern horizon. Another bright object to the southwest is Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Orion is sinking fast toward the western horizon and Leo is riding high in the south these warming spring evenings. Looking west about anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes after local sunset the planet Mercury is hanging just above the horizon. Binoculars will pick it out of the sunset afterglow. If you want more planets you will need to wait until after midnight when Mars and Saturn will be just rising in the east. More about them in another column.

NEXT WEEK: Letters from home and more astronomical blathering