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!

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!

With upgraded and newly-linked bridleways, better surfacing, more signs and environmental improvements the Black Harry Trails cross the moors between Great Longstone and Stoney Middleton. Trail-bikers and 4x4s are being deterred from certain sections where motorised users have no legal rights.

Voluntary help was vital to its success, with around 100 days’ work contributed by The project, carried out by the Peak District National Park Authority in partnership with Derbyshire County Council, residents, user-groups, local organisations and businesses, was kick-started with a £13,000 grant from the Derbyshire Aggregates Levy Grant Scheme. This compensated local communities for the impact of quarrying, but closed in March this year under Government cutbacks.  Additional funding brought the total expenditure to £20,000.

Black Harry: Not your average recreational trail user

“Longstone Edge has long been scarred by quarrying which may have deterred some people in the past,” says National park access officer Sue Smith, “but it offers magnificent panoramic views which we’d like more people to enjoy. Black Harry is part of our local heritage who is still with us in the names of Black Harry Lane and Black Harry Gate. We thought it was a memorable name for what we hope will be a memorable project.”

For more information visit www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/blackharry

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!

Following the river Rye from Nunnington, the first walk takes place at 2pm on Saturday 2 July. The focus of the walk is grasslands with guide Phil Lyth talking about their important role as habitats for a wide range of plants and animals, as well as the work undertaken to conserve them.

Then on Sunday 17 July at 2pm, Ted Hartley will lead a walk looking at the distinctive geology around Ampleforth including the impressive Coxwold-Gilling Gap – a mile and a half wide valley formed by two parallel faults. Find out about the violent upheavals that created this stunning landscape and why ammonites are often found around Gilling.

In the eighteenth century Joseph Foord used the area’s unique topography to bring water from the North York Moors to the dry villages of the limestone Tabular Hills. Starting from Hutton-le-Hole, a walk led by Peter Turton on Sunday 21 August at 2pm takes in a number of sites where parts of Foord’s water courses still remain.

To book a place and for information on where to meet, please call 01439 772738. The walks are free of charge and have been organised as part of the Lime & Ice Project – a Heritage Lottery Funded project created in 2008 to deliver new access, interpretation and conservation initiatives in the southwest corner of the North York Moors National Park and the northern part of the Howardian Hills AONB.

Image by Phil Catterall via geograph.org.uk

RWH has received hundreds of responses since it asked people to send in their memories of past holidays in no more than 65 words. Regular customer Paul Coe said he always enjoys feeling “completely alone to wander, yet close enough to know and feel that you are being looked after and in great company.” Kathy says: “It’s wonderful to see how much RWH has touched thousands of peoples’ lives over the past 65 years. Thank you for your continued support.”

Email your 65-word tributes to info@ramblersholidays.co.uk with ‘65 word challenge’ in the subject and check our special series of RWH anniversary blogs.

Stretching from The Wash to the shores of Dorset, the Ridgeway traces the outline of history itself. A massive band of chalk forming the backbone of England’s oldest road network, this geologically defined artery has provided a favourable route for travellers through the ages – from Neolithic stonecutters and Iron Age chieftains to Roman legions and Saxon hordes. Coursing through nearly a dozen counties, it bisects the south-eastern part of the British mainland, offering sturdy, free-draining terrain. Often elevated, and affording views of the surrounding landscape, it was also a safe passage in more dangerous times – giving warning of bandits and approaching armies.

Today, the only opposition you’re likely to encounter is the many walkers, trekkers, cyclists, horse riders and other users who flock to the various trails along the Ridgeway. The myriad tracks that formed the Greater Ridgeway have coalesced into four main trails. In the north, the Peddars Way National Trail follows a Roman road from Hunstanton to Knettishall, and will this summer celebrate its 25th anniversary. In central England, the Icknield Way (recently expanded, thanks to the efforts of Suffolk Ramblers) joins up with the 139km/87-mile Ridgeway National Trail. And from the south coast, the Wessex Ridgeway winds north from Lyme Regis. But something is missing – and its location makes its absence even more of a mystery.

A missing link
If you look at a map of the Ridgeway National Trail, you’ll see that it ends abruptly as it passes Avebury, pointing directly south towards Stonehenge. As Friends of the Ridgeway chairman Ian Ritchie points out, it’s baffling that these two national monuments aren’t linked via a clear trail – especially as it’s likely that they once were.

“The Ridgeway National Trail we’re associated with is a fairly arbitrary bit in the middle,” he admits. “Our ultimate aim is to have the whole of the Ridgeway opened as a superb 360-mile walking route across the entire country, from the south coast to East Anglia. When you look at it, the bit that’s missing – quite incredibly – is the section from Avebury to Old Sarum, via Stonehenge. There’s this classic area between the two great stone circles that isn’t really a defined walking route at the moment.”

And so he hopes the creation of the 61km/38-mile Great Stones Way, using existing footpaths and rights of way, will finally plug this most scenic of gaps. The exact route is still to be decided, but the Ridgeway has always been a braided collection of tracks and trails that changed with the seasons, so it’s less a case of finding the definitive route than picking out the one that works best. Modern travellers reaching the end of the current Ridgeway National Trail at Overton need only cross the A4 to continue along the chalk escarpment. But our exploration of the proposed route of the Great Stones Way begins a mile and a half to the northwest, at one of the sites that gives the trail its name.

The stone circle at – and indeed around – Avebury is the largest in the world, stretching out from the present-day high street in a great ring around the eastern edge of the village. Setting off from the centre, I head south to retrace the footsteps of the ancients up the West Kennet Avenue (above), believed to have been one of two ceremonial entrances to the site. Avebury’s stones may be smaller and more spaced out than their more famous relatives to the south, but it’s a unique feeling to walk alone among them. Indeed, the 17th century re-discoverer of the site, John Aubrey, wrote that Avebury “does as much exceed in greatness the so renowned Stonehenge, as a cathedral doeth a parish Church”.

Passing the even more ancient Sanctuary stone circles, which date from 3,000BC, I rejoin the modern world at East Kennet and pick up the route that will lead south from the Ridgeway. As the trail rises on to a chalky uphill section and the surrounding landscape falls away, it’s easy to see why these ancient byways might have appealed to travellers of old. In the distance, Avebury’s abrupt stones suddenly leap out of the landscape, while to their southwest the ancient mound known as Silbury Hill rises like a beacon. It makes navigation easy, but before long it’s time to bid these prehistoric markers farewell and head south. A beautiful section of wooded road at the top of the hill feels like a division between two worlds, and when the view opens up again I find myself looking over the Vale of Pewsey.

Detours and diversions
Descending into the sunshine and then ascending to skirt the Neolithic long barrow known as Adam’s Grave, my path affords stunning views to the south. A proposed circular route would branch out from this fascinating section, taking in the Wansdyke and one of the eight white chalk horses that dot the hills and give the White Horse Trail its name. Picking up part of this 145km/90-mile circular trail, I carry on south before meeting the Kennet & Avon Canal at Honeystreet. Though it’s been highly recommended, The Barge Inn here is currently closed, undergoing final preparations for the summer, so I head off along the towpath, making do with a granola bar instead. From the canal, the proposed route winds through farmland, villages and endless bridleways overflowing with spring blossom, before climbing up to the edge of Salisbury Plain. It’s here that matters get complicated for the Great Stones Way’s planners, as negotiations continue with the MoD to decide the best way to skirt the military ranges.

As Ian Ritchie explains, “We all have to accept that in times gone by the Great Ridgeway would have gone straight across the centre of Salisbury Plain. But we’re never going to get a 365-day-a- year trail across the centre of the plain because the Ministry of Defence runs exercises there – and fires some rather dramatic ordnance across the route. So we’re talking to them about a permissive path around the eastern edge.”

For now, I leave the eerie silence of the empty downs and make my way down into the Avon Valley. As dusk falls, a solitary hawk seems to beckon me down from the sun-orange hills on to an overgrown bridleway that leads towards civilisation. After the strange emptiness of the hills, the cosy thatched cottages, pubs and inns along the river offer a welcome break – it’s this area that could form an alternative route on the eventual Great Stones Way. The next morning dawns clear and bright and, as I set off, the sun dances on the River Avon, illuminating gurgling waterfalls and spiders’ webs in the dewy grass. It seems a shame to leave the riverside and join a tank track to head back towards the military range, but
duty calls. An Apache attack helicopter roars overhead as if to encourage (or perhaps discourage?) me and I’ve soon completed the dull but traffic-free approach to Woodhenge. Though less well known than its stony cousin, this low-key monument and the mysterious Durrington Walls to its north make a fitting warm-up for the main event.

Silence and stones
Having – like far too many of us – only glimpsed it from a passing car on the A303, I’m genuinely excited to at last be nearing Stonehenge. As with much of the walk so far, I find myself completely alone in the landscape as the path traces its way past little tracts of woodland. At the edge of one such pocket an unassuming sign tells me I’m standing at the edge of the Cursus, a vast manmade causeway stretching a full three miles to the west. Looking across to the gap in the distant trees that marks its far edge feels like gazing back across the millennia, and I wonder what sort of scene would have greeted a traveller arriving here 3,000 years earlier.

Now well and truly transported into the past, I round the last few bends and, suddenly, there it is. Though small and distant, Stonehenge still has the power to stop me in my tracks. It looks like a tiny, postcard-perfect model set on the landscape, and from a distance the tourists and tour buses are too small to detract from the first impression. As I open the final gate and start down the ancient avenue that leads to the henge – and the route that was most likely used to transport the stones – I can’t help but think that walking this final stretch should be a mandatory part of the experience. As it is, the spell is broken by a fence that surrounds the site, barring my path for the first time on my walk. If English Heritage’s plans to close the A344 and reconnect the circle with an ancient processional avenue come to fruition, future visitors will be able to enjoy a more authentic experience of Stonehenge. Combined with the Great Stones Way – which Ian Ritchie hopes will launch later this year – it should make a breathtaking finale to an unforgettable walk, experiencing an epic landscape the way our ancient ancestors once did.

Photography: Steve Morgan

TIME/DISTANCE: Allow at least two days to walk the entire 61km/38-mile route from Avebury to Old Sarum. Apart from a few muddy bridleways, the walking is generally very easy, with no steep ascents or scrambles.

MAPS: OS Explorer 130 and 157; Landranger 173 and 184.

TRAVEL TO: Nearest mainline train station is Swindon (✆ 0845 748 4950, www.nationalrail.co.uk). Bus number 49 runs from Swindon bus station to Avebury hourly Monday to Saturday and every two hours on Sundays and Bank Holidays (✆ 0871 200 2233, www.traveline.info). Salisbury train station is just south of Old Sarum.

GUIDEBOOK: The Friends of the Ridgeway are currently working on a dedicated guidebook for the Great Stones Way. For onward walks either side, read The Greater Ridgeway by Ray Quinlan (£12.95, Cicerone, ISBN 9781852843465).

FURTHER INFO: www.ridgewayfriends.org.uk/greatstonesway.html.

Mark Thomas
£11.99, Ebury Press,
ISBN 978 0091927806

For a comedian who relishes causing political controversy, it seemed inevitable that Mark Thomas would one day be drawn to explore the world’s most controversial and politically fraught country, Israel. But what’s surprising is that his initial motivation to walk the 750km length of the Israeli-built wall around the West Bank is born out of a genuine rambler’s desire to discover the region’s ‘perfect walk’. At one point in this angry, funny and frequently moving account of his journey, the comedian imagines that the wall will one day become the route of The Palestinian Way – one of his many brazenly subversive jokes. Humour aside, the book is an ingenious, humane and well-researched insight into an impenetrably messy situation. Dominic Bates