A story about the constellation of the spring sky for school. Constellations of the spring sky
Page 18 of 30
STARRY SKY IN SPRING
1. Connect the stars so that the constellations Cassiopeia and Leo are obtained.
2. Names of constellations and stars in the spring sky
- Constellations: Cassiopeia, Leo, Big Dipper, Ursa Minor.
- Stars: Regulus, Polaris, Sirius.
The constellation we managed to see in the spring sky: Libra
See photo. (constellation Leo)
3. Write a story about one of the constellations in the spring sky
constellation lion
Leo is a very important constellation, which is the main figure of the night spring sky.The arrangement of bright stars really resembles a recumbent lion, whose head and chest represent the well-known asterism "Sickle", similar to a mirrored question mark.
The Leo constellation is very rich in various interesting objects that are very easy to see with a small telescope and even with the naked eye. It can be observed from February to March in the southern part of the night sky.
Regulus - is the most important object of the constellation Leo. It is located almost in the center of the constellation and is often associated with the heart. This is the brightest star, the brightness of which is 160 times higher than that of our Sun. This star is located 85 light-years away, which explains its high apparent brightness.
Denebola is the second brightest object that belongs to Leo. This is the extreme star, which is often referred to as the tail.
How dark it is, this spring starry sky! Three and a half months ago, at the same hour of the day, the southern half of the sky was adorned with seven of the brightest stars. And now our attention is attracted only by three stars of the first magnitude, shining alone surrounded by a few and dim spring stars.
April 15, 11 p.m. Slightly to the right of the celestial meridian, almost halfway from the south point to the zenith, the constellation Leo is visible, in which the silhouette of the mane and body of the "king of beasts" is easily guessed. The main star of this constellation is Regulus.
Two bright stars are visible in the southeast. The one that is taller and brighter is the orange star Arcturus, the brightest of the spring stars, the main one in the constellation Bootes. Below and to the right of Arcturus is the bluish Spica, heading the constellation Virgo. Leo, Bootes and Virgo are the chief and most expressive of the spring constellations (see Appendix V).
To the right of Leo is the constellation Cancer, and above Leo is the unremarkable tiny constellation Leo Minor. To the right of Boötes, the constellations Canis Hounds and Veronica's Hair are visible, and to the right and below Virgo, an irregular quadrangle of stars of almost the same brightness forms the constellation Raven. In the long constellation of Hydra, it is easy to find only a relatively bright star α (2 m). On the other hand, the Chalice and the Sextant, enclosed between the Lion and the Hydra, are so inexpressive that it is simply not possible to outline their clear contours. To the left and below Spica, two stars (2.8 m and 2.6 m) are visible low above the horizon - α and β from the constellation Libra.
The origin of the names of some of the spring constellations is very curious. For example, in the constellation Leo, the very ferocious Nemean Lion is forever imprinted, the victory over which was one of the twelve labors of the popular mythical hero Hercules (Hercules). By the way, right there in the spring sky we will find another victim of Herculean power - the Lernean Hydra. In the battle with this nine-headed monster, Hercules showed considerable ingenuity, and, despite the help of Hydra from the gigantic Cancer (and he is also immortalized in the spring starry sky), in the end, the victory went to the hero.
With the mythical story of Bootes, the son of Callisto, we are already familiar. The origin of the constellation Virgo is not entirely clear. According to one of the ancient versions, this is the goddess of the harvest, Ceres. In any case, the old ones star charts the celestial Virgin holds in her hands a ripe ear, marked with the star Spica (this is her name and means "ear").
Funny legend associated with the constellation Hair of Veronica. The Egyptian king Ptolemy Everget (3rd century BC) had a beautiful wife, Queen Veronica. Especially magnificent were her luxurious long hair. When Ptolemy went to war, his saddened wife swore an oath to the gods to sacrifice her hair if only the gods would keep her beloved husband safe and sound.
Soon Ptolemy returned home safely, but when he saw his shorn wife, he was quite upset. The royal couple was somewhat reassured by the astronomer Konon, declaring that the gods lifted Veronica's hair to heaven, where they are destined to decorate spring nights forever.
The constellation of Libra is also one of the oldest, but the motives that prompted the ancients to place this simplest measuring instrument among the stars are not entirely clear. It is possible that the constellation of Libra and Virgo (with Kolos) reflected the economic interests of the ancient merchants and farmers.
On the old star charts, the Raven and the Chalice are placed on the Hydra. For some reason, the raven pecks at the Hydra, and the Chalice looks very unstable, ready to fall. What does this strange combination of completely dissimilar objects mean? All traces of the origin of these ancient constellations have been erased from human memory. True, one far from reliable story has come down to us that supposedly in this place of the sky the raven that Apollo sent with a bowl for water to perform a religious ritual is imprinted. The raven did not fulfill the request of Apollo, for which, together with the cup, as a punishment, he was forever placed on the back of a serpentine celestial monster.
The remaining three constellations of the spring sky - Leo Minor, Hounds Dogs and Sextant - are of very recent origin. They were introduced in the 17th century. Hevelius, whose ingenuity in this matter, in the complete absence of any serious argument, we have previously noted.
The Lesser Leo was placed in the sky based on an astrological character. Astrologers attributed a bad influence to the two heavenly Bears and Leo, and in order not to violate traditions, Hevelius placed an animal with the same "bad influence" between Leo and Ursa Major - a lion cub or, which sounds more respectable, Lesser Leo.
In the place that is now occupied by the constellation Canis Hounds, Hevelius painted a pair of dogs rushing to Ursa Major. Since Hevelius put the leashes of these dogs into the hands of Bootes, it turned out that the son of Callisto for some reason poisoned his mother with dogs. This strange invention of Hevelius looks more like mischief than like an action that has any logical justification.
And already out of place at the feet of Leo, Hevelius placed the Sextant - a goniometric instrument. However, in this case, remaining true to himself, Hevelius brings the following "solid" base under his invention. “It is placed here,” writes the famous Polish astronomer, “not because the arrangement of the stars reminds of this instrument, and not because it turned out to be especially appropriate here, but it served me from 1658 to 1679 to check the positions of the stars, and malice human destroyed it, along with my observatory and everything that I had, putting it all in the flames of a terrible fire.So I placed this work of Vulcan in honor and glory of Urania, and astrologers will find that this monument is right there in its place, between Lion and Hydra, beasts of a ferocious disposition."
One should not, however, blame Hevelius too much. He enjoyed the right of any discoverer, the right to give any names to the discovered object, and he was hardly worried about the fear that the motives put forward by him might not seem entirely convincing to posterity.
a lion
First of all, get acquainted with Regulus, the main star in this constellation. In the list of the twenty brightest stars in the sky, Regulus is in last place. This white hot star with a surface temperature of about 14,000 K is 140 times more luminous than the Sun. Placed at a distance from Sirius, Regulus would have seemed 6 times brighter than the brightest of the stars in the earth's sky. But since in fact Regulus is almost 10 times farther than Sirius, its apparent brightness is only 1.3 m.
Regulus is a large star, 2.8 times larger than the Sun in diameter. And in this star, the telescope detects a strange retinue. At an angular distance of 177 "a yellow asterisk 7.6 m can be seen, which is very similar in physical properties to the Sun. Although the orbital motion of the star has not yet been discovered, the commonality of the proper motions of Regulus and its sun-like companion makes us think that both stars are physically connected. But Regulus also has a second satellite - a weak star 13 m, apparently, a white dwarf like the Puppy already known to us. Three completely different stars are united for some reason into a single physical system. The mysteries of such strange communities are still far from permissions.
But the double star γ Leo is quite ordinary. The orange and yellow stars 2.6 m and 3.8 m are separated by a gap of about four seconds of arc. In the system, orbital motion has long been discovered and studied, which occurs with a period of 619 years.
In a shorter period (181 years), the common center of mass is circled in the system of the binary star ι Leo. The distance between the components, hot bluish-yellow stars, is only 45 AU here. That is, less than the distance from the Sun to Pluto.
There are interesting galaxies in the constellation Leo, but they are practically inaccessible to observation in school telescopes.
Small Lion
In this constellation, which, at the behest of Hevelius, united two dozen faint stars, there is not a single object that could attract our attention.
Virgo
The main star of the constellation, called Spica, is brighter, hotter and much larger than Regula. Only 600 suns could simultaneously create the same radiation flux as one Spica. Next to her, our star seems small and insignificant.
Although Spica is farther than Regula (almost 190 light-years before it), its apparent brightness, however, is somewhat larger (1.2 m). The telescope does not see any satellites around Spica, but photoelectric measurements have noticed insignificant in amplitude (0.1 m) and strictly periodic in nature fluctuations in brightness. Spica is one of the eclipsing variable stars. This pair is very close, with a period of only four days.
Virgo's γ is interesting (Fig. 58). This binary star consists of two yellowish-white twin stars that are almost indistinguishable in physical characteristics from each other. The angular distance between them is close to 5", and already Bradley in 1718 studied this pair in detail. Since then, the stars have managed to make almost one and a half revolutions around the center of mass, since the period of revolution in this physical system is 172 years. The centers of the stars are separated by a gap at 44 AU, and this pair of suns is almost 10 pc away from us.
In the upper part of the constellation Virgo, in the region of the sky, approximately limited by the stars ε, δ, γ, η, β, ο, a huge number of galaxies are concentrated. Here, in powerful telescopes, a "system of systems" is visible - a grandiose cloud of galaxies, which includes about two and a half thousand "stellar islands" similar to ours. The center of the cloud is 12 million parsecs away from us, and the cloud itself as a whole is carried away from us, obeying the famous "redshift" law, at a speed of 1200 km / s, that is, a thousand times faster than a bullet!
The constellation Virgo is also notable for the fact that it contains the brightest of the quasars, designated ZC 273. It is located not far from the star 8 Virgo, and with the help of maps it can be found among the faint stars of 12-13 stars. values * . For these searches to be successful, you need not only a transparent sky, but also a refractor with a lens diameter of at least 15 cm. However, with sufficient skill, you can try to find this amazing object with smaller tools.
* (See the map in the book: Kulikovsky P. G., p. 192.)
All quasars are far beyond our Galaxy, and even the closest of them - the quasar 3C 273 from the constellation Virgo is 1.5 billion light-years away from Earth.
By observing quasars, we see the most ancient objects in space, and if you manage to find the ZC 273 quasar in your telescope, you will see what happened one and a half billion years ago, when all the main groups of animals and the first terrestrial plants only arose on Earth.
Many quasars (including 3C 273) noticeably change their apparent brightness over short periods (months and weeks). Total number quasars available for observation in modern powerful telescopes is estimated at 100,000. All of them, obeying the law of "redshift", move away from the Earth at colossal speeds (the speed of the 3C 273 quasar, for example, is close to 48,000 km / s). These speeds are a direct consequence of the expansion of the three-dimensional space of the Universe.
Quasar 3C 273, like many other objects of this genus, has a complex structure. It consists of a 12.6 stellar object. magnitude and a small prolate nebula. Involuntarily, an analogy arises with another remarkable object in the constellation Virgo - the radio galaxy Virgo A, a powerful source of radio waves. A strange ejecta is visible near the core of this galaxy. Is there, besides the external resemblance to the quasar ZS 273, some deeper internal connection? Astronomy has not yet found the answer to these questions.
The Virgo A galaxy (aka M 87) is already visible through 10x prism binoculars. Its coordinates (for the epoch 1950.0) are α= 12h28m12s, δ = 12°40", and its brightness is 8.7 magnitude. In a school telescope with a 20x magnification, you can even see the shape of this unique object.
The mass of the M 87 galaxy is about a billion (1012) solar masses. This most massive known galaxy contains over 400 globular star clusters. The "ejection" observed near the galaxy is grandiose - its length is at least 300 light years and it consists of several condensations.
In the constellation Virgo is one of the most powerful clusters, or clouds, of galaxies. According to J. Vaucouleur and other astronomers, it is this cloud that is the core or center of the Supergalaxy, in which star systems play the role of stars. The distance to the cloud in Virgo is 12 megaparsecs, and our Galaxy around this "core" revolves over a period of no less than 100 billion years. Thus, in the modest, dim constellation of Virgo, perhaps, is the center of the largest of the material systems that modern humanity is trying to imagine.
Bowl
This constellation, bordering the constellation Virgo and uniting twenty stars visible to the naked eye, does not contain anything remarkable.
Crow
Of the four stars δ, β, ε and γ that make up the contour of the constellation Raven, the first of them (З m) is double. In a large school refractor at a distance of 24 "from it, you can see a satellite - a red star 8 m. The brightest star γ - 2.6 m. This is a hot white giant located at the same distance from us (about 40 pc) as very star similar to it in physical properties δ.
Sextant
There is nothing in this constellation of 25 stars to draw our attention.
Bootes
The main star of the constellation Bootes - Arcturus - was the first star to be seen during the day with a telescope. This was done in 1635 by Galileo's contemporary French astronomer Morin. In those days, the professions of an astronomer and an astrologer were often combined in one person. Just such a son of his age was Morin, one of the last astrologers of France, who compiled the horoscope for Louis XIV.
Morin's observations can now be repeated by anyone - if only the position of Arcturus in the daytime sky was known with sufficient accuracy. Arcturus is a very bright star (0.2 m). In the list of the brightest stars in the earth's sky, it ranks sixth. Characteristically, the orange coloration of Arcturus catches the eye of even a novice observer.
Compared to the Sun, Arcturus is huge (26 times larger in diameter), and therefore can be called an orange giant. It is somewhat colder than the Sun (5000K on the surface), but its proximity to the Earth (11 pc) and significant size allow Arcturus to successfully compete in visible brilliance even with such giants as Capella.
The proper motion of Arcturus is very significant - an angular distance equal to the apparent diameter of the Moon, this star passes through the sky in about 800 years. It is not surprising, therefore, that Arcturus was the first star in which Halley, back in 1717, discovered a clear movement in space.
In those days, the refutation of the false idea of the immobility of the stars was not only of purely scientific, but also of great philosophical significance.
There are several interesting double stars in the constellation Bootes. V. Struve, the founder of the Pulkovo Observatory, considered the bright star ε to be the most beautiful of the double stars. Indeed, the bright yellow main star 3 m has a bluish companion 6 m next to it at a distance of about 3 ". The main star is also a spectral binary, and therefore here we have a system not of two, but of three suns.
The star π Bootes consists of two hot blue stars (4.9 m and 5.8 m), separated by a gap of 5.6 ". Each of them, judging by the spectrum, is in turn a double - a new example of a "four-fold" star.
The beautiful double ξ of Bootes is easily separated in a telescope. The main orange star 4.9 m has a red companion 6.8 m at a distance of 5.3 ". In this pair, the components are separated by a distance of only 32 AU, and the period of revolution is 150 years.
The double ξ of Bootes is quite unique. Two hot blue stars 4.6 m revolve around a common center of mass with a period of 123 years in an unusually elongated orbit (its eccentricity is 0.96). Unfortunately, both components are only 1.2" apart, so you can't see them separately with a school telescope. There is a reddish star 5m next to e Bootes, marked with the letter W. Some observers claim that sometimes its brightness drops to 5 ,4 m Others did not notice any changes in its brightness. So, the question is still not resolved, is it a variable or a stationary star? Could you help, reader, to solve this problem?
Scales
In the small constellation of Libra, look out for two sights. The first of them is the α star, the second brightest after the β star of this constellation. Even with binoculars it is perfectly clear that the main hot blue star 2.8 m at a great distance (5 minutes of arc) has a yellowish companion of 5.3 stars. quantities. Both stars have similar proper motions, but the huge distance between the components still casts doubt on the physical connection of these stars.
The star δ Libra is a well-studied eclipsing variable. We can tell the reader some interesting details about it. Both components are almost the same in size - their radii are 2.4 and 2.5 million km. But the smaller of them is a hot blue giant, 2.7 times more massive than the Sun, and the larger one is a yellow giant, similar to Capella, only 1.2 times the mass of the Sun. The centers of stars are separated by an average distance of only 8.6 million km, and the period of revolution is 2.33 days. An earthly observer sees how sometimes the brilliance of ggb Libra weakens from 4.8 m to 5.9 m. Since the yellow star has a lower luminosity than the blue one, a secondary minimum with a depth of about 0.1 m is also observed.
Hounds Dogs
The reader has more than once been convinced of the arbitrariness of the names of some constellations. As already mentioned, the star a in the constellation of the Hounds of the Dogs was named by Flamsteed the Heart of Charles II! Yes, it was the same English king Charles II, who, as best he could, took revenge on Cromwell's supporters for the execution of his father. This vengeful "heart" was placed in the sky by the monarchically minded Flamsteed, and on his initiative, on the star maps of that time, under the "tail" of the Big Dipper, a crown crowning the heart is depicted.
Flamsteed's invention did not last long, but the star he named so ornately deserves the closest attention. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most remarkable stars known to terrestrial astronomers. First of all, α Canis Hounds is one of the most beautiful double stars. The main star - a hot blue giant 2.9 m at a distance of about 20 "has a yellowish companion 5.4 m. Each of these stars, in turn, is a spectral binary with a period of several days. But the most curious thing is that α Hounds Dogs is magnetically variable star.
Relatively recently, a very powerful and, moreover, variable magnetic field was discovered in this star during a fine analysis of its spectrum, the strength of which varies from -4000 to +5000 oersted*. For comparison, let us report that the intensity of the Sun's total magnetic field does not exceed 50 oersteds.
* (The sign marks the direction of the field.)
In popular books on astronomy, where galaxies are discussed, along with the Andromeda nebula, they usually give a photograph of another galaxy - the nebula from the constellation Canis Hounds (see Fig. 5). Listed in the Messier catalog at number 51, it is very effective. We see this gigantic spiral "flat", and, despite the static nature of the photograph, the very structure of the galaxy gives the impression of something dynamic. But a strange thing, at the end of the branch of the galaxy, directed downwards in the photograph, some strange clot is visible, some kind of appendage, clearly spoiling the harmony of the overall picture.
As already mentioned, the famous Soviet astronomer B. A. Vorontsov-Velyaminov managed to prove that here the photographic plate recorded not one, but two galaxies connected by a common branch. In the depths of the Metagalaxy, B. A. Vorontsov-Velyaminov discovered many more binary and interconnected galaxies, strikingly reminiscent of M 51. This means that what we see in Fig. 5 and 59, not a game of chance, but some regularity - a certain stage in the evolution of (though not all) galaxies.
Rice. 59. "Double" of the galaxy M 51
Other interconnected and interacting galaxies are very far from the Earth and are accessible only to powerful telescopes. But M 51 is relatively close to us (it is "only" 7000 kpc before it), and its apparent total "integral" brightness is 8.9 m . It is worth looking for this double galaxy in the sky, and although school telescopes, of course, will not show the details that you see in fig. 5, it is interesting just to notice in the field of view of the telescope a faint hazy speck, the light of billions of stars sent by them over 22 million years ago!
And here are some more interesting details about this pair of galaxies. The main one has a diameter five times smaller than that of our Galaxy. In the sky, both M51 galaxies are visible as a hazy speck with a diameter of 14 ", which is almost half the apparent diameter of the lunar disk. The double galaxy M51 is carried away from us at a speed of 546 km / s, which again manifests the law of "red shift" already mentioned by us.
Hounds of the Dogs has (α = 13h37m.6, δ = 28°53") a relatively bright (7.2 m) globular cluster MZ. Its apparent diameter is 22, and its distance from us is close to 14 kpc. The lines in the spectrum of the cluster are shifted towards the violet end, that is, the M3 cluster is approaching us, and rather quickly, at a speed of 150 km / s.
Veronica's hair
It makes sense to carefully consider this constellation first with the naked eye, and then with binoculars. In its right half, a large group of faint stars forms something resembling a "jamb" of flying cranes. Perhaps, like Konon, one can also see here a shock of luminous luxurious hair of the beautiful Veronica. But we would like to note that inside this "jamb" and along its outskirts, powerful telescopes detect a huge number of galaxies. Here, in the constellation Coma Veronica, there is another "cloud of galaxies". It is somewhat inferior in number to the cloud in Virgo: there are about 2500 star systems, here about a thousand. But it is possible that we simply do not see many galaxies in the cloud from the Coma of Veronica constellation because of the insignificance of their apparent brightness, because the described cloud is 25 million parsecs away from the Earth. As it should be according to the law of "redshift", it runs away from us at a breathtaking speed of 7400 km/s!
After this grandiose picture (alas, fully accessible only to powerful telescopes), let's pay attention to the star α of the constellation under consideration. Very close to this modest star of the fifth magnitude in school telescopes, you can find the globular star cluster M 53. Its integral brightness is 8.7 m, and the apparent diameter is 16 ". The cluster is moving away from the Earth at a speed of 100 km / s, and in the present era separates us 20 kpc.
Hydra
Below Spica, at a distance of about 10 °, two stars of almost the same brightness (about 3 m) are sometimes visible, and sometimes only one, brighter. The one that is brighter is Hydra's gγ, and the one that is not always visible to the naked eye is the long-period variable R of the same constellation.
This giant, very cold star with bright emission lines in the spectrum is very similar in its physical properties to the World of the Whale. The brightness variation amplitude R of Hydra is very large - from 3.5 m to 10.9 m . From one brightness maximum to the next one, a somewhat more terrestrial year passes - 387 days. We repeat that Hydra's R is a typical long-period variable, and everything that has been said about the reasons for the fluctuations in the brightness of Mira Ceti can well be attributed to Hydra's R.
Near the star μ Hydra there is a planetary nebula. However, due to its low brightness (9.7 m) and tiny visible diameter (only 0.7 m), it makes sense to observe it only in telescopes that are large enough. In school telescopes, at best, a barely noticeable hazy bright point is visible here.
Cancer
The ancient writer Pliny the Elder has the following lines: "In the sign of Cancer there are two small stars called Donkeys, and among them is a small cloud called the Manger." The poetic fantasy of the ancients attributed to the heavenly Donkeys a completely earthly appetite - it was widely believed that sometimes the heavenly Donkeys feed from the heavenly Manger.
The manger was considered in antiquity a good indicator of the weather, and one ancient poet emphatically advises:
"Watch the Manger: like a light fog They float in the north in the domain of Cancer. Their borders are two faint stars, Then two Oslenki, separated by a Manger, Which in a clear clear sky Sometimes suddenly disappear, two stars As if approaching each other. Meadows then the bad weather will not moisten; When the Manger is dark and the Donkeys Shine invariably, it will rain!
Far from considering the described method acceptable for modern meteorology, we will still find the celestial Donkeys and their feeding trough - the Nursery (their position is indicated on the map of Appendix V).
Donkeys - the stars γ and δ of Cancer - are among the brightest stars in this vast but faint constellation. Between them and slightly to the right, the naked eye clearly distinguishes some kind of foggy star. No matter how sharp-sighted you may be, this strange nebulous star, denoted by the letter ε, will not show you any details.
And yet, ε Cancer is not a star, but one of the most remarkable open clusters of the earth's starry sky, even in time immemorial called the Manger. Only Galileo managed to unravel what is hidden behind the deceptive appearance of the "foggy star" - in the field of view of his telescope, the nursery broke up into many faintly luminous stars (Fig. 60).
Look at this swarm of stars through binoculars or a telescope (at low magnification) and you will understand the delight of Galileo, who could not find words to describe this magnificent spectacle.
A manger is a typical open star cluster (designated M 44). It is only a little further than the Pleiades - up to the Manger 160 pc. A hundred stars forming a nursery occupies a region in space with a diameter of about 5 pc. The telescopes in the Manger show stars from 6 m to 11 m , mainly hot white giants with some admixture of cooler stars similar to the Sun. Both of these star clusters in terms of their spatial density (the number of stars per unit volume) cannot be compared with very dense, especially in the center, globular star clusters. In the constellation of Cancer, there is another open star cluster M 67. It is located slightly to the right of α Cancer, and it will not be difficult to find it using a star map.
Here is the "passport data" of this stellar swarm. Distance - 800 pc, diameter about 4 pc. The composition of M 67 includes 80 stars from 10 m to 14 m, and, as in the Manger, these are mainly hot white giants.
The nursery and M 67 are two twins. But how different their appearance is for an earthly observer! The nursery is perfectly visible to the naked eye as a 3.7 m nebular star, M 67 has an integral brightness of 7.3 m and seems to be a luminous bright spot in school telescopes. The reason is the difference in distances: the nursery is almost 6 times closer to us than M 67.
In the constellation of Cancer, the multiple star ζ is remarkable. The ancients considered it a single, unremarkable asterisk 5 m. In 1656, Tobias Meyer, whose name we have already mentioned in connection with the Andromeda nebula, "doubled" ζ Cancer. Since 1781, after the observations of William Herschel, ζ Cancer was considered a triple star. Now we know that the outwardly modest asterisk ζ Cancer is actually a complex system of five stars!
The main yellow star A (5.7 m), similar to our Sun, at a distance of 1.2 "has a hot blue companion 6.0 m (star B). At a distance of 6" from star A, an asterisk 6 m (star C) is visible , which in turn has a satellite of 7.8 m (star D). Finally, spectral analysis shows that star B also has a companion (star E).
This whole complex system of five stars has been carefully studied, and we are well aware of the periods of revolution in its various pairs. For example, stars A and B revolve around a common center of mass in 60 years. Star C circles around them with a period of 1137 years, circulating simultaneously with D around a common center of mass with a period of 17.6 years. That's the complexity behind the outward simplicity!
Try pointing your telescope at this most complex of spring stars visible to the naked eye. What do you think you will be able to see in the field of view?
constellation overview
Chapter 5 Constellations of the spring sky.
In the spring sky, a host of interesting constellations. Today we will talk about the constellations Canis Hounds, Northern Crown, Bootes, Coma Veronica, Leo, Leo Minor, Virgo, Raven, Chalice, Sextant, Hydra and Libra. Of these, three zodiacal - Leo, Virgo and Libra. Let's start with an overview map -
Now let's talk about each of the constellations separately.
If you look down from the extreme star of the Ursa Major bucket, then there you will see a fairly bright star. This is Arcturus, the alpha constellation Bootes, one of the brightest stars in our sky, the fourth brightest. The brightness of Arcturus is -0.05 magnitude. The constellation Bootes itself contains 90 stars visible to the naked eye and in area it occupies 907 square degrees. There are many double stars in Bootes, there is a radiant of the Quadrantid meteor shower.
East of Bootes you can see a bright star - this is Gemma, the alpha of the constellation North Crown. Its brightness is 2.2 magnitude. Together with several other stars of 3-4 magnitudes, it makes up a semicircular figure, similar to a diadem. The small constellation of the Northern Crown contains 20 stars with a brightness of up to 6 magnitude and occupies 179 square degrees in area. There are interesting variable stars in the constellation, several double stars.
To the right (west) of Bootes, directly under the handle of the Big Dipper bucket lies the constellation Beagle Dogs. Its alpha, Cor Caroli, at magnitude 2.9, is itself a curious double star. The constellation contains 30 stars brighter than magnitude 6, and its area is not large - 465 square degrees. Hounds of the Dogs contains variable and double stars, a large globular cluster M3 accessible to a small telescope, and many galaxies, some of which are quite capable of small instruments.
Directly below the Hounds of the Dogs is the constellation Veronica's hair. Most of the constellation is occupied by a vast star cluster of the same name with the constellation. Coma Berenices contains interesting binaries, a globular cluster, and many galaxies (part of the famous Virgo Cluster of galaxies), some of which are accessible to amateur instruments. Also in Veronica's Hair is the North Pole of our Galaxy. In the constellation there are 50 stars accessible to the naked eye, and under the square Coma Veronica is slightly less than the Hounds of the Dogs - 386 square degrees.
This is how the constellations of Bootes and Coma Veronica are presented in the atlas of Jan Hevelius "Uranography" -
If we continue the straight line formed by the stars alpha and beta Ursa Major down, then there we will find a large star trapezoid - these are the contours of the constellation lion. The brightest star in the constellation is Alpha Leo, named Regulus. Its brilliance is 1.4 magnitude. Leo contains 70 stars visible to the naked eye and is quite large in area - 947 square degrees. The constellation has double and variable stars, many interesting galaxies, including those accessible to small telescopes. The radiant of the Leonid meteor shower is located there.
North of Leo is Small Lion. This small constellation covers an area of 232 square degrees and contains only 20 stars visible to the eye. Unlike previous constellations known since antiquity, it was introduced by Jan Hevelius in 1687.
To the south of Leo is a small constellation sextant. It was also introduced in 1687 by Jan Hevelius and named after the device of the same name. Contains only 25 stars up to the sixth magnitude. In area, it occupies 314 square degrees. In the constellation there are a couple of binary and several galaxies, of which, perhaps, only one can be found in a small device.
This is what the constellation Leo looks like in the atlas of Jan Hevelius -
Below the constellation of Bootes with Arcturus, we will find another of the brightest stars in the Northern sky - Spica. This is the alpha constellation Virgin. It has the brilliance of the first magnitude. This large (1294 square degrees) constellation contains 95 stars brighter than the sixth magnitude. There are many binaries here that are suitable for observation with amateur instruments, and most importantly, there are a great many galaxies in Virgo. The famous Virgo cluster of galaxies is located here. Some of them are quite capable of an amateur device. This is what Virgo looks like in the atlas of Hevelius -
Just below and west of Spica lies the constellation Crow. Its main stars make up a quadrilateral by which this small constellation can be identified - it occupies only 184 degrees in area. There are only fifteen stars visible to the naked eye. However, there are a couple of binary stars here, as well as a couple of galaxies that are accessible to the average amateur device.
West of the Raven is Bowl. This is also a small constellation - 282 square degrees and 20 stars to the naked eye.
This is how our ancestors saw both of these constellations -
To the left (east) of Spica we will find the ancient constellation Libra. Libra has 50 stars visible to the naked eye. In terms of area, it can be attributed to the average - 538 square degrees. The constellation contains curious variables and binary stars, as well as a small globular star cluster. Here is Libra in an old star atlas -
And the constellation stretching along the horizon closes our view Hydra. This highly elongated constellation occupies an area of 1303 square degrees in the sky. It contains 130 stars visible to the naked eye. You can find the alpha of the Hydra, which bears the name Alphard, by laying to the south a straight line connecting gamma and alpha Leo. Alphard has a brilliance of the second magnitude. Hydra has interesting double and variable stars, a few nebulous objects accessible with a small instrument.
We will consider these constellations in more detail in a series of separate posts. A detailed map will be added to each of them.
to be continued…
Answer left Guest
How dark it is, this spring starry sky! Three and a half months ago, at the same hour of the day, the southern half of the sky was adorned with seven of the brightest stars. And now our attention is attracted only by three stars of the first magnitude, shining alone surrounded by a few and dim spring stars.
April 15, 11 p.m. Slightly to the right of the celestial meridian, almost halfway from the south point to the zenith, the constellation Leo is visible, in which the silhouette of the mane and body of the "king of beasts" is easily guessed. The main star of this constellation is Regulus.
Two bright stars are visible in the southeast. The one that is taller and brighter is the orange star Arcturus, the brightest of the spring stars, the main one in the constellation Bootes. Below and to the right of Arcturus is the bluish Spica, heading the constellation Virgo. Leo, Bootes and Virgo are the chief and most expressive of the spring constellations (see Appendix V).
To the right of Leo is the constellation Cancer, and above Leo is the unremarkable tiny constellation Leo Minor. To the right of Boötes, the constellations Canis Hounds and Veronica's Hair are visible, and to the right and below Virgo, an irregular quadrangle of stars of almost the same brightness forms the constellation Raven. In the long constellation of Hydra, it is easy to find only a relatively bright star α (2m). On the other hand, the Chalice and the Sextant, enclosed between the Lion and the Hydra, are so inexpressive that it is simply not possible to outline their clear contours. To the left and below Spica, two stars (2.8m and 2.6m) are visible low above the horizon - α and β from the constellation Libra.
The origin of the names of some of the spring constellations is very curious. For example, in the constellation Leo, the very ferocious Nemean Lion is forever imprinted, the victory over which was one of the twelve labors of the popular mythical hero Hercules (Hercules). By the way, right there in the spring sky we will find another victim of Herculean power - the Lernean Hydra. In the battle with this nine-headed monster, Hercules showed considerable ingenuity, and, despite the help of Hydra from the gigantic Cancer (and he is also immortalized in the spring starry sky), in the end, the victory went to the hero.
With the mythical story of Bootes, the son of Callisto, we are already familiar. The origin of the constellation Virgo is not entirely clear. According to one of the ancient versions, this is the goddess of the harvest, Ceres. In any case, on the old star maps, the celestial Virgin holds a ripe ear in her hands, marked with the star Spica (this is her name and means "ear").
Funny legend associated with the constellation Hair of Veronica. The Egyptian king Ptolemy Everget (3rd century BC) had a beautiful wife, Queen Veronica. Especially magnificent were her luxurious long hair. When Ptolemy went to war, his saddened wife swore an oath to the gods to sacrifice her hair if only the gods would keep her beloved husband safe and sound.
Soon Ptolemy returned home safely, but when he saw his shorn wife, he was quite upset. The royal couple was somewhat reassured by the astronomer Konon, declaring that the gods lifted Veronica's hair to heaven, where they are destined to decorate spring nights forever.
The constellation of Libra is also one of the oldest, but the motives that prompted the ancients to place this simplest measuring instrument among the stars are not entirely clear. It is possible that the constellation of Libra and Virgo (with Kolos) reflected the economic interests of the ancient merchants and farmers.
On the old star charts, the Raven and the Chalice are placed on the Hydra. For some reason, the raven pecks at the Hydra, and the Chalice looks very unstable, ready to fall. What does this strange combination of completely dissimilar objects mean? All traces of the origin of these ancient constellations have been erased from human memory. True, one far from reliable story has come down to us that supposedly in this place of the sky the raven that Apollo sent with a bowl for water to perform a religious ritual is imprinted. The raven did not fulfill the request of Apollo, for which, together with the cup, as a punishment, he was forever placed on the back of a serpentine celestial monster.
The remaining three constellations of the spring sky - Leo Minor, Hounds Dogs and Sextant - are of very recent origin. They were introduced in the 17th century. Hevelius, whose ingenuity in this matter, in the complete absence of any serious argument, we have previously noted.
The Lesser Leo was placed in the sky based on an astrological character. Astrologers attributed a bad influence to the two heavenly Bears and Leo, and in order not to violate traditions, Hevelius placed an animal with the same "bad influence" between Leo and Ursa Major - a lion cub or, which sounds more respectable, Lesser Leo.
In the place that is now occupied by the constellation Canis Hounds, Hevelius painted a pair of dogs rushing to Ursa Major. Since Hevelius put the leashes of these dogs into the hands of Bootes, it turned out that the son of Callisto for some reason poisoned his mother with dogs. This strange invention of Hevelius looks more like mischief than like an action that has any logical justification.
Pleshakov had a good idea - to create an atlas for children, by which it is easy to determine the stars and constellations. Our teachers picked up this idea and created their own key atlas, which is even more informative and visual.
What are constellations?
If you raise your eyes to the sky on a clear night, you can see a lot of sparkling lights of various sizes, which, like a scattering of diamonds, adorn the sky. These lights are called stars. Some of them seem to be collected in clusters and after a long examination they can be divided into certain groups. These groups are called "constellations". Some of them may resemble the shape of a bucket or the intricate outlines of animals, however, in many ways, this is just a figment of the imagination.
For many centuries, astronomers tried to study such clusters of stars and gave them mystical properties. People tried to systematize them and find a common pattern, and so the constellations appeared. For a long time, the constellations were carefully studied, some were broken into smaller ones, and they ceased to exist, and some were simply corrected after clarification. For example, the constellation Argo was divided into smaller constellations: Compass, Carina, Sail, Korma.
The history of the origin of the names of the constellations is also very interesting. To facilitate memorization, they were given names united by one element or a literary work. For example, it was noticed that during heavy rains the Sun rises from the side of certain constellations, which were given the following names: Capricorn, Whale, Aquarius, the constellation of Pisces.
In order to bring all the constellations to a certain classification, in 1930, at a meeting of the International Astronomical Union, a decision was made to officially register 88 constellations. According to decision constellations do not consist of groups of stars, but are sections of the starry sky.
What are the constellations?
Constellations differ in the number and brightness of the stars that make up its composition. Allocate 30 most noticeable groups of stars. The largest constellation in terms of area is Ursa Major. It consists of 7 bright and 118 stars visible to the naked eye.
The smallest constellation located in the southern hemisphere is called the Southern Cross and cannot be seen with the naked eye. It consists of 5 bright and 25 less visible stars.
The Little Horse is the smallest constellation in the northern hemisphere and consists of 10 faint stars that can be seen with the naked eye.
The most beautiful and brightest constellation is Orion. It consists of 120 stars visible to the naked eye and 7 of them are very bright.
All constellations are conventionally divided into those located in the southern or northern hemisphere. Those who live in the southern hemisphere of the Earth cannot see the clusters of stars located in the northern hemisphere and vice versa. Of the 88 constellations, 48 are in the southern hemisphere and 31 are in the northern. The remaining 9 groups of stars are located in both hemispheres. The northern hemisphere is easy to identify by the North Star, which always shines very brightly in the sky. She is the extreme star on the handle of the Ursa Minor bucket.
Due to the fact that the Earth revolves around the Sun, which does not allow seeing some constellations, the seasons change and the position of this luminary in the sky changes. For example, in winter, the position of our planet in the circumsolar orbit is opposite to that in summer. Therefore, only certain constellations can be seen at any time of the year. For example, in the summer, a triangle formed by the stars Altair, Vega and Deneb can be seen in the night sky. In winter, there is an opportunity to admire the infinitely beautiful constellation Orion. Therefore, sometimes they say: autumn constellations, winter, summer or spring constellations.
The constellations are best seen in the summer and it is advisable to observe them in open space, outside the city. Some stars can be seen with the naked eye, while others may require a telescope. The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, as well as Cassiopeia, are best seen. In autumn and winter, the constellations Taurus and Orion are clearly visible.
Bright constellations that are visible in Russia
The most beautiful constellations of the northern hemisphere visible in Russia include: Orion, Ursa Major, Taurus, Canis Major, Canis Minor.
If you peer into their location and give free rein to your imagination, you can see a hunting scene, which, like an ancient fresco, has been depicted in the sky for more than two thousand years. The brave hunter Orion is always depicted surrounded by animals. Taurus runs to his right, and the hunter swings a club at him. At the feet of Orion is the faithful Great and Lesser Dogs.
Constellation Orion
This is the largest and most colorful constellation. It is clearly visible in autumn and winter. Orion can be seen over the entire territory of Russia. The arrangement of its stars resembles the outlines of a person.
The history of the formation of this constellation originates from ancient Greek myths. According to them, Orion was a brave and strong hunter, the son of Poseidon and the nymph Emvriala. He often hunted with Artemis, but one day, for defeating her during a hunt, he was hit by an arrow of the goddess and died. After his death, he was turned into a constellation.
The brightest star in Orion is Rigel. It is 25 thousand times brighter than the Sun and 33 times its size. This star has a bluish-white glow and is considered supergiant. However, despite such an impressive size, it is much smaller than Betelgeuse.
Betelgeuse adorns Orion's right shoulder. It is 450 times the diameter of the Sun, and if you put it in the place of our luminary, then this star will take the place of four planets before Mars. Betelgeuse shines 14,000 times brighter than the Sun.
The constellation Orion also includes a nebula and asterisms.
Constellation Taurus
Another large and unimaginably beautiful constellation of the northern hemisphere is Taurus. It is located northwest of Orion and lies between the constellations Aries and Gemini. Not far from Taurus are such constellations as: Charioteer, Keith, Perseus, Eridanus.
This constellation in mid-latitudes can be observed throughout almost the entire year, with the exception of the second half of spring and early summer.
The history of the constellation goes back to ancient myths. They talk about Zeus, who turned into a calf in order to kidnap the goddess Europa and bring her to the island of Crete. This constellation was first described by Eudoxus, a mathematician who lived long before our era.
Aldebaran is the brightest star not only in this constellation, but also in other 12 groups of stars. It is located on the head of Taurus and used to be called the "eye". Aldebaran is 38 times the diameter of the Sun and 150 times brighter. This star is located at a distance of 62 light years from us.
The second brightest star in the constellation is Nat or El Nat (bull horns). It is located near the Auriga. It is 700 times brighter than the Sun and 4.5 times larger than it.
Within the constellation are two incredibly beautiful open clusters of stars Hyades and Pleiades.
The age of the Hyades is 650 million years. They can be easily found in the starry sky thanks to Aldebaran, which is perfectly visible among them. They include about 200 stars.
The Pleiades got their name from the nine parts. Seven of them are named after seven sisters Ancient Greece(Pleiades), and two more - in honor of their parents. The Pleiades are very visible in winter. They include about 1000 stellar bodies.
An equally interesting formation in the constellation of Taurus is the Crab Nebula. It was formed after a supernova explosion in 1054 and was discovered in 1731. The distance of the nebula from the Earth is 6500 light years, and its diameter is about 11 light years. years.
This constellation belongs to the Orion family and borders on the constellations Orion, Unicorn, Canis Minor, Hare.
The constellation Canis Major was first discovered by Ptolemy in the second century.
There is a myth that Big Dog used to be Lelap. It was a very fast dog that could catch up with any prey. Once he chased a fox, which was not inferior to him in speed. The outcome of the race was a foregone conclusion, and Zeus turned both animals to stone. He placed the dog in heaven.
Constellation big dog very visible in winter. The brightest star not only in this, but in all other constellations is Sirius. It has a bluish luster and is located quite close to Earth, at a distance of 8.6 light years. In terms of brightness in our solar system, it is surpassed by Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon. The light from Sirius reaches the Earth after 9 years, and it is 24 times stronger than the sun. This star has a satellite called "Puppy".
Sirius is associated with the formation of such a thing as "Vacation". The fact is that this star appeared in the sky during the summer heat. Since Sirius in Greek is called "canis", the Greeks began to call this period holidays.
Constellation Canis Minor
Small Dog borders on such constellations as: Unicorn, Hydra, Cancer, Gemini. This constellation represents the animal, which, together with Big Dog follows the hunter Orion.
The history of the formation of this constellation, if you rely on myths, is very interesting. According to them, the Small Dog is Mera, the dog of Ikaria. This man was taught to make wine by Dionysus and this drink turned out to be very strong. One day his guests decided that Ikaria decided to poison them and killed him. The mayor was very sad for the owner and soon died. Zeus placed it in the form of a constellation in the starry sky.
This constellation is best observed in January and February.
by the most bright stars of this constellation are Portion and Gomeis. Portion is 11.4 light-years from Earth. It is somewhat brighter and hotter than the Sun, but physically differs little from it.
Gomeisa is visible to the naked eye and glows with a blue-white light.
Constellation Ursa Major
Ursa Major, shaped like a bucket, is one of the three largest constellations. It is mentioned in the writings of Homer and in the Bible. This constellation is very well studied and is of great importance in many religions.
It borders on such constellations as: Waterfall, Leo, Hounds Dogs, Dragon, Lynx.
According to ancient Greek myths, Ursa Major is associated with Callisto, a beautiful nymph and beloved of Zeus. His wife Hera turned Callisto into a bear as punishment. One day, this bear stumbled upon Hera and their son, Arkas, with Zeus. To avoid tragedy, Zeus turned his son and nymph into constellations.
The big bucket is formed by seven stars. The most striking of them are three: Dubhe, Alkaid, Aliot.
Dubhe is a red giant and points to the North Star. It is located 120 light years from Earth.
Alkaid, the third brightest star in the constellation, expresses the end of the tail of Ursa Major. It is located at a distance of 100 light years from Earth.
Alioth is the brightest star in the constellation. She represents the tail. Because of its brightness, it is used in navigation. Alioth shines 108 times brighter than the Sun.
These constellations are the brightest and most beautiful in the northern hemisphere. They can be perfectly seen with the naked eye on an autumn or frosty winter night. The legends of their formation allow fantasy to roam and imagine how the mighty hunter Orion, along with his faithful dogs runs after prey, and Taurus and Ursa Major are watching him carefully.
Russia is located in the northern hemisphere, and in this part of the sky we manage to see only a few of all the constellations that exist in the sky. Depending on the season, only their position in the sky changes.