This month we are checking out one of the faintest of the constellations, primarily to offer you the challenge of picking out this obscure group which graces the skies in the region of the Pole Star. During winter evenings, the faint constellation Camelopardalis can be spotted a little to the north of the overhead point. To find it, you first of all need to find Polaris, the Pole Star, shown here on a finder chart which depicts the Plough and Ursa Minor as seen in the northern sky during January evenings. Following a line from Merak, through Dubhe, as shown on the main chart, will lead you to the Pole Star. The stars forming the giraffe can be seen stretching away from the region of Polaris roughly towards the overhead point, and you should be able to pick out the constellation reasonably easily providing the sky is dark, clear and free of moonlight.

The constellation of Camelopardalis is long and straggling and indeed resembles the character it depicts, lying in an area of sky containing no bright stars and which consequently was left blank by Greek astronomers. Camelopardalis was originally devised by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius in 1613 and was first depicted graphically in 1624 by the German astronomer Jacob Bartsch who included it in his star chart published that year. The constellation is thought to represent the animal which carried Rebecca on her journey to Canaan and her marriage to Isaac.

Click to enlarge

The brightest star in Camelopardalis is Beta, a yellowish supergiant around a hundred times the size of our Sun and which shines from a distance of well over 1,000 light years. Slightly fainter is the somewhat-unromantically named CS, a bluish star which lies at a distance of around 4,000 light years. Considerably closer than these two is Gamma, a star whose light set off towards us a little over 300 years ago.

Of particular interest in Camelopardalis is Kemble’s Cascade. Named after the Franciscan Friar and amateur astronomer Lucian J. Kemble, this slightly-meandering chain of unrelated stars is a pretty sight when viewed through binoculars. Also known as the Waterfall, it stretches for a distance equal to around five times the diameter of a full Moon. To locate it, start from a point roughly a third of the way from the star BE towards CS.  Kemble’s Cascade can then be seen as a meandering line of stars roughly in the direction of the star 7, one of the southernmost stars in Camelopardalis. If the sky is fairly dark and moonless, and you sweep the area with binoculars, you should easily pick out this pretty collection of stars.

Although not the topic of mythology that some constellations are, why not take a trip outdoors to check out the stars which form this faint constellation, and give yourself a pat on the back if you manage to identify its major stars! Happy stargazing!

Click here for more astronomy tips from Brian Jones.

Under 16s winner Chloe Hinton says of her winning image, entitled Sunrise Horses, ”the frosty background represents the cold winter we had last year, however the horses look happy and content and don’t seem to mind. The background behind is typical New Forest and I think this is a perfect ‘dream view’. The pony is probably the most common New Forest animal that roams freely.”

This year, to mark the Olympic Games coming to London, the 2012 competition has a special Olympic theme with the categories of gold, silver and bronze – and a wider creative remit with photographs, paintings, sculpturse, stories or poems of the New Forest welcome – so think golden sunsets, sliver light on water, bronze autumn leaves.

For more information on how to enter, visit www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/news/olympics-competition

The exhibition at Moors Valley is on now until 15 January 2011. For more information, and details of their Stargazing Live event in January, visit www.moors-valley.co.uk

Alternative names for this tiny constellation include Delta, or Deltaton, by which it was known to Greek and Roman astronomers due to the resemblance of the constellation to the Greek capital letter Delta (Δ) leading also to ‘Home of the Nile’ or ‘Gift of the Nile’, which names reflected the general shape with that of the Nile Delta. The Latin author Hyginus recorded that the group was considered by some astronomers to have a shape not unlike that of the island of Sicily, home of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture and an island originally known as Trinacria due to its three promontories.

Alpha, along with Beta, were known as Al Mizan, the Scale-beam, to Arabic astronomers.

Triangulum plays host to the spiral galaxy M33, also know as the Triangulum Spiral galaxy or Pinwheel Galaxy. Discovered by the French astronomer Charles Messier in 1764, this object is a member of what is known as the Local Group, a collection of galaxies of which our own Milky Way galaxy is also a member (as is the Andromeda Spiral galaxy featured in last month’s blog). Lying at a distance of around 2.4 million light years, M33 has a tiny nucleus and huge sweeping spiral arms.

M33 has a very low surface brightness and is easily blotted out by moonlight. However, if the sky is really dark and clear, and you have a good pair of binoculars, you may be able to locate the galaxy by following the line of stars from Alpha as shown on the accompanying finder chart. The rule is to look for a faint and extensive patch of light rather than a more concentrated light source. If you can mount your binoculars on a camera tripod that will help in picking out objects such as the Triangulum Spiral.

While you’re looking at Triangulum, check out the much-smaller triangle of fainter stars located just to the southeast of the group. This is Triangulum Minor and was introduced to star charts by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in 1687. This tiny triangle of faint stars is no longer recognised as an individual constellation on modern star charts.

Take a trip to check out what this tiny constellation has to offer and to search for the elusive Triangulum Spiral galaxy! Happy stargazing!

Click here for more astronomy tips from Brian Jones.

According to Greek legend, Pegasus was the son of Neptune and Medusa. When Perseus slew Medusa, Pegasus sprang from her decapitated body and flew away, eventually reaching Corinth where he was found by Bellerophon, the son of Glaucus. Bellerophon tamed Pegasus and used him in his fight against the fire-breathing monster Chimaera. After enjoying many other adventures with Pegasus, Bellerophon eventually decided to try and fly to Olympus, the home of the gods. On the way, Pegasus threw Bellerophon and completed the journey alone. Zeus, the ruler of Olympus and god of sky and thunder, eventually placed the winged horse in the heavens where we see him today.

The constellation contains no really bright stars, although the Square of Pegasus is fairly easy to locate, situated roughly two-thirds of the way up from the southern horizon to the overhead point during mid- to late-evenings in October. Once the Square of Pegasus has been identified, the rest of the group can be picked out towards the west.

The first interesting point to note is that Sirrah, the star marking the north-eastern corner, is actually a member of the adjacent constellation Andromeda (see next month’s blog), and is only ‘borrowed’ to complete the Square of Pegasus on star charts.

Below Sirrah, and denoting the south-eastern corner, can be found Algenib, the name of which is derived from the Arabic for ‘wing’ or ‘side’. Algenib is a blue-white star, similar to Markab which marks the south-western corner of the Square of Pegasus, Markab is found to the west of Algenib and situated in an area of sky devoid of bright stars. It’s name is derived from the Arabic for ‘shoulder’ whilst that of Scheat, located at the north-western corner of the Square, comes from the Arabic for ‘shin’.

Marking the horse’s head is Enif, a name translated from the Arabic for ‘nose’, although Arabic astronomers themselves sometimes referred to this star as the horse’s mouth. Enif is fairly remote, its light having taken something like eight centuries to reach us. Much nearer are Homam, meaning ‘lucky star of the hero’ and Matar, from the Arabic for ‘the fortunate rain’. Homam lies at a distance of a little over 200 light years while Matar is around 360 light years away.

A little to the north-west of Enif can be found the beautiful globular star cluster M15, discovered by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Domenico Maraldi in 1746 and located at a distance of almost 40,000 light years. The accompanying finder chart may prove useful in helping to locate the cluster, although it can be detected by carefully sweeping the area with a pair of binoculars, providing the sky is dark and clear. Once found, the cluster should appear as a small diffuse patch of light, telescopes being needed to resolve any individual stars.

Pegasus lies in a fairly barren area of sky, and it is an interesting exercise to try to count the number of naked-eye stars within the Square. Those with really keen eyesight may be able to spot around two dozen, although dark, moonless skies are essential for the best results.

Pegasus played a prominent role in Greek folklore, and the constellation depicting this wonderful winged horse certainly plays an important part in our autumn night sky. Happy stargazing!

Exmoor National Park has been designated an International Dark Sky Reserve – the first place in Europe to achieve this prestigious award and only the second in the world. The park has been working towards the award for more than two years and has had support and encouragement from many local organisations, including tourism providers who are anticipating an increase in visitors keen to experience the thrill of dark skies full of stars.

In announcing the good news to Exmoor National Park, Rowena Davis from the International Dark-Sky Association said: “I am very happy to inform you that the IDA board has approved Exmoor as the world’s second International Dark Sky Reserve! Congratulations on all your work and outstanding outreach to teach Exmoor’s residents and visitors how to appreciate and conserve this outstanding resource.”

The British Astronomical Association and the Royal Astronomical Society have both supported the bid with funding and local astronomy groups have also provided their support and knowledge. International Dark Sky Reserves are defined as ‘a public or private land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural, heritage and/or public enjoyment mission of a large peripheral area.’

“We are delighted that the importance of dark skies, one of Exmoor National Park’s special qualities, has received this international recognition,” says Dr Nigel Stone, Chief Executive of Exmoor National Park. “We would like to thank all those who have helped in achieving this International Dark Sky Reserve award. We look forward to welcoming many more visitors in the future to enjoy the starlit skies at night as well as the spectacular scenery Exmoor has to offer during the day.”

The National Park Authority will be running a programme of activities for community groups in and around the National Park as part of a nationwide Dark Sky programme this winter. For more, visit www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk

Image of Exmoor sunset by James Cooper.

According to a Greek legend, there was once a talented poet and musician called Arion. He made his fortune in Italy and eventually decided to return to Greece. However, the sailors on board the ship taking him home plotted to kill him and steal his wealth. They did allow Arion a last wish, letting him play some of his favourite music before he died. However, before he had finished, the sailors noticed that a school of dolphins had been attracted to the ship by Arion’s harp. Terrified by the apparent power of his music, they threw him overboard. Luckily, Arion landed on the back of one of the dolphins and was eventually carried to the safety of land. As a reward, Neptune placed the dolphin up among the stars where he can be seen to this day.

A somewhat macabre alternative name for the group is Job’s Coffin, although the origin of this name is obscure. It has also been associated with the whale that swallowed Jonah. To the ancient Chinese the group was known as a gourd. A degree of controversy surrounds the origin of the names given to the two brightest stars in Delphinus. When spelled backwards, Sualocin and Rotanev read as Nicolaus Venator, which is the Latinized version of Niccolo Cacciatore. This gentleman was the assistant to Guiseppe Piazzi, the director of the Palermo Observatory in Sicily during the early 19^th century. Cacciatore succeeded Piazzi as director and these two names first appeared in the observatory’s 1814 star catalogue. To say that this is a rather unusual origin for star names is something of an understatement.

Sualocin is blue-white in colour while Rotanev has a yellowish tint. Binoculars, and really clear skies, will show this colour difference. The two stars are almost identical in brightness. Gamma Delphini is a pretty double star which can be resolved in a small telescope. Both components have a yellowish hue. Gamma lies at a distance of around 100 light years, which means we are seeing it as it was around the time King Edward VII came to the throne.

Delta Delphini is a white star and Epsilon has a slightly bluish tint. Epsilon is sometimes referred to as Deneb, meaning the Tail of the Dolphin. Deneb is a common star name and crops up in many other constellations in one form or another, including Deneb in Cygnus (the Swan), Denebola in Leo (the Lion) and Deneb Algiedi in Capricornus (the Goat).

As we have seen, the constellation Delphinus was known to the Ancient Chinese astronomers as the gourd and, in keeping with this, the rather unusual name they gave to Epsilon was Pae Chaou, the Rotten Melon! Whatever spin you put on the name of this tiny but pretty pattern of stars, it is well worth seeking out in the late-summer night sky! Happy stargazing!

Altair is flanked by two slightly fainter stars, Tarazed and Alshain, which together form a distinctive trio. The rest of Aquila can be seen extending to the lower right of these three stars, the group taking the form of a large cross which can be easily likened to a bird in flight. Down to the south-west of this trio of stars is the blue-white star Delta, which marks the central point of the constellation.

Aquila represents the eagle which, according to a rather gruesome Greek legend, preyed upon the vitals of the hapless Prometheus! The constellation was important to the Romans and was depicted on many Roman coins. The Roman poet Caesius, who lived during the reign of Nero, referred to the group as the Eagle of Military Rome or the Eagle of St John.

Altair is the 12^th brightest star in the sky and shines from a distance of 16 light years. Its colour is white and measurements show that its actual brightness is nine times that of our Sun. Alshain, seen just to the south of Altair, has a slightly yellowish tint that is unlikely to be spotted in the presence of any horizon glow. Tarazed, on the opposite side of Altair, is orange-yellow in colour and lies at a distance of over 300 light years.

If the night is dark and clear you may see the Milky Way running from the northern horizon right across the sky, through the constellation Cygnus (read more in my post on Cygnus) and down towards the south, passing through Aquila on its way. As a result, the area of sky around Aquila is rich in star fields and will repay sweeping with binoculars on really dark, clear nights.

The tail of the eagle is represented by the two stars Zeta and Epsilon, the yellow-orange tint of Epsilon contrasting with the blue-white Zeta. Many of these colour comparisons should be seen in binoculars given clear and transparent skies.

Zeta and Epsilon act as guide stars for the faint but interesting open star cluster NGC 6709. This cluster lies well over 3,000 light years away and can be found a little to the southwest of the stars Zeta and Epsilon. It contains around 40 stars and binoculars will show it as a very faint misty patch of light which may be a challenge to pick out against the background of the Milky Way. The accompanying finder chart shows other stars in the same area, all visible in binoculars, and which should help you track down the cluster.

The late-summer evenings are still fairly warm, so why not seek out the celestial eagle and try to spot its faint open star cluster? Happy stargazing!

Stars from two of these summer constellations feature in an old Japanese legend which tells of two lovers – the beautiful Orihime and the shepherd Hikoboshi. After their marriage, they began to neglect their work to be with each other. This angered the gods who punished the couple by sending them to opposite banks of the heavenly river. They are only allowed to meet on one night – July 7^th – which is celebrated as a holiday by children in Japan.

If you want to see Orihime and Hikoboshi, look high overhead after the sun has set. The first star to appear will be the brilliant Vega, the brightest star in the small but distinct constellation of Lyra and which, according to legend, represents Orihime. Halfway between Vega and the south-eastern horizon will be another bright star. This is Altair, the leading star in the constellation of Aquila the Eagle, and which represents Hikoboshi. If the night is dark and clear you may see the heavenly river stretching between them, running from the northern horizon right across the sky and down towards the south. This heavenly river is in fact the Milky Way.

Our Sun is just one member of a gigantic spiral formation of stars called the Galaxy, and the faint misty band of light we see crossing the night sky is our view as we look down along the galactic plane. The Milky Way is formed from the combined glow of countless thousands of stars, each of which is a member of our Galaxy and all of which lie along the plane of the Galaxy. Although the vast majority of the individual stars within the Milky Way are invisible to the naked eye, their combined light produces the faintly luminous band we see spanning the heavens.

A number of constellations depict birds, and the celestial aviary includes, amongst others, a peacock, a toucan and the legendary phoenix. Not all of these are visible from northern latitudes, although Cygnus the Swan, the most conspicuous of the celestial birds, is. Deneb, the brightest star in Cygnus, can be seen to form a large triangle with Vega and Altair. Known as the Summer Triangle, this formation is very conspicuous and straddles the Milky Way.

Deneb is located to the east of Vega and, depicting the tail of Cygnus, this star marks the top of a large cruciform pattern. From Deneb the rest of Cygnus can be picked out easily, the swan’s outstretched wings and characteristic long neck prominent as it flies along the Milky Way. When seen on a clear, moonless night, the overall effect of this prominent pattern of stars seen against the backdrop of the Milky Way can be quite striking.

Cygnus is associated with many stories. On the Euphrates it was likened to the fabulous Roc of the stories of Sinbad the Sailor. The group also bears the unofficial title of the Northern Cross, and the American astronomer Percival Lowell wrote of it in 1844 that the countless splendours in the sky were ‘crowned by the blazing Cross hung high o’er all’ – praise indeed!

The third and southernmost of the three stars forming the Summer Triangle is Altair, the brightest star in the constellation Aquila the Eagle. Located over the south eastern horizon during summer evenings this constellation, it’s leading star Altair in particular, is fairly prominent. Now that the warm summer evenings are upon us, why not check out the Summer Triangle? We’ve looked at Cygnus and Lyra in previous blogs, although Aquila has yet to feature, so we’ll check this constellation out next month. Until then, happy stargazing!

The early Egyptians knew the group as ‘Many Stars’ while Arabic astronomers referred to it as the ‘Coarse Hair’ or ‘Tuft’ in the tail of the nearby constellation of Leo, the Lion. The group itself is not an ancient one, however, and was only made into an official constellation by the Dutch cartographer Gerardus Mercator in the mid-16^th century. However, the region was noted and observed by ancient star-gazers and there is quite an enchanting legend behind Coma Berenices.

According to the story, King Ptolemy III of Egypt was away fighting a war in Asia. His wife, Queen Berenice II, was worried that he would not return safely home, and she offered to sacrifice her hair to the gods if they safeguarded his return. Ptolemy came back alive and well, and Berenice kept her promise, cutting off her hair and placing it in the temple of Aphrodite at Zephyrium. The gods were so pleased with this that they took the hair and transformed it into a constellation, placing it forever among the stars where we see it today.

The fact that Coma Berenices resembles a large and loosely scattered collection of stars is no illusion. The Coma group is indeed an open star cluster. Containing almost 40 members, it lies at a distance of around 250 light years, making it one of the closest open star clusters in the sky. It is best seen through binoculars, the narrow field of view of telescope being unable to bring out the full beauty of the cluster. The brightest star in Coma Berenices is Diadem, which is not actually a member of the cluster, being located much closer to us at a distance of just over 60 light years. Diadem is in fact a binary star, although the two components are too close together to be seen in anything other than a large telescope. Both stars are similar to our Sun, although somewhat more luminous.

Diadem has a yellowish-white tinge, similar to yellow Beta, a star similar in size to our Sun and located further to the north. Beta shines from a distance of around 25 light years and has an actual luminosity similar to our Sun. This gives us an idea as to how the Sun would appear if viewed from a similar distance. Gamma, lying over 250 light years from us, has a slightly orange hue. These colours are best seen either through good binoculars or a small telescope. Like Diadem, the star Gamma isn’t actually a member of the Coma open star cluster.

Coma Berenices plays host to a large number of faint galaxies, spread out across the southern regions of the group. However, large telescopes are required to bring these out, although there is one interesting object in Coma Berenices which is within the light grasp of a good pair of binoculars. This is the globular star cluster M53, situated just to the north east of Diadem. This vast, spherical collection of stars was discovered by the German astronomer Johann Elert Bode in 1775 and measurements have put the cluster at a distance of around 65,000 light years. Under really clear, dark skies, binoculars will show M53 as a small, diffuse patch of light.

Although not a prominent constellation, Coma Berenices is well worth the attentions of the rambling astronomer, so why not try and seek out Berenice’s starry tresses, now that the evenings are warmer and more inviting? Happy stargazing!