1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,240 Howdy star gazers and welcome to this episode of Star Trails. 2 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:18,200 I'm Drew and I'll be your guide to the night sky for the week starting January 26th through 3 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:20,480 February 1st. 4 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:26,160 This week's winter sky offers up some familiar favorites and with Orion prominent in the 5 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:32,480 sky we're going to take a closer look at the celestial treasures of this familiar constellation. 6 00:00:32,480 --> 00:00:38,440 I'll tell you how to find its notable nebula and will tour its brightest stars. 7 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:44,040 So grab a comfortable spot under the night sky and let's get started. 8 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:49,220 We begin this week with the moon in a waning crescent phase with the new moon arriving 9 00:00:49,220 --> 00:00:51,520 on January 29th. 10 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:58,560 The moon is essentially invisible making this an excellent period for deep sky observations. 11 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,940 There's still a bit of a parade of planets happening. 12 00:01:01,940 --> 00:01:07,520 You aren't likely to catch Mercury as it's very close to the sun, but Venus and Saturn 13 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:12,000 are still dominating the southwest sky just after dusk. 14 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:17,240 Look for Venus, the brightest object in that portion of the sky, with Saturn a good bit 15 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:21,080 dimmer hanging out below and to the left. 16 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:26,840 Saturn's rings look amazing right now and you should be able to make out its moon, Titan, 17 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:31,440 and even some cloud bands with a decent instrument. 18 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:36,640 Look towards the south to catch Jupiter already rising high after dusk. 19 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:42,960 It will be visible in Taurus near the red star Aldebaran until about 3am when it finally 20 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:45,760 dips below the western horizon. 21 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:51,800 A keen observer may be able to spot a moon or two with good binoculars, but in a small 22 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:57,920 telescope you should be able to see all four Galilean moons along with some cloud bands 23 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,120 on the Jovian surface. 24 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:04,200 The real standout continues to be Mars. 25 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:09,760 Having reached opposition the week before last, it's still big and bright in Gemini. 26 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:14,260 Look for it as a bright, ruddy star near Caster and Pollux. 27 00:02:14,260 --> 00:02:19,080 If you can observe it with a higher powered scope, you're likely to see a polar ice cap 28 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:28,800 in contrast to its red color. 29 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:34,800 We often mention several of the prominent constellations, Orion, more on him later, 30 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:36,880 Gemini and Taurus. 31 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:44,120 For something different, check out Canis Major, the big dog, and Canis Minor, the little dog. 32 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,720 Canis Major is low in the southeast in the early evening, but will rise throughout the 33 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:49,720 night. 34 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:55,200 Follow Orion's belt of three stars downward until you see a bright star. 35 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,320 That's Sirius, the brightest star in our night sky. 36 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:04,720 The deep sky object, M41, is also located nearby. 37 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:11,520 It's an open cluster just southeast of Sirius and is a good target in binoculars. 38 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:17,760 Look roughly 10 degrees to the west of Sirius to encounter Procyon, a bright star in Canis 39 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:29,560 Minor forming the winter triangle with Sirius and Betelgeuse. 40 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:34,720 It's hard to think of a more recognizable constellation than Orion. 41 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:41,080 With its three distinct belt stars and easily recognizable shape, it's a familiar sight 42 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:46,600 in the winter, even to non-astronomers, who are probably familiar with at least some of 43 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:48,320 its lore. 44 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:54,960 Known to many cultures as a mighty hunter or warrior, Orion is a treasure trove of astronomical 45 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:56,400 marvels. 46 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:03,040 From brilliant stars on the verge of stellar death to newborn suns still swaddled in glowing 47 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:04,040 nebula. 48 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:09,600 We'll journey through the mythological roots, the bright stars, the sprawling nebula, and 49 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:14,560 the star-forming secrets of this mighty constellation. 50 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,240 Orion has captured imaginations for millennia. 51 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:22,160 In Greek mythology, Orion was a gifted hunter. 52 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:27,280 So skilled, he boasted he could slay every creature on Earth. 53 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:32,640 Depending on the version of the legend, his fate was sealed by a scorpion sent by the 54 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:39,760 Earth Goddess Gaia, or by Artemis, in a tragic twist of events. 55 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:47,280 In many retellings, Orion and Artemis shared a mutual love of hunting and became companions. 56 00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:53,720 Some versions of the story hint at a romantic or at least a very close bond, one that concerned 57 00:04:53,720 --> 00:05:01,600 Apollo, Artemis' brother, who worried Orion might threaten Artemis' vow of chastity. 58 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:07,120 In one account, Apollo tricked Artemis into shooting an unidentified figure swimming far 59 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:11,960 out at sea, claiming it was a villain she needed to slay. 60 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:17,920 Only after losing her arrow did Artemis realize she'd killed Orion. 61 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:24,320 In other versions, Gaia, or Earth, grew angry at Orion's boast that he could kill every 62 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,880 animal, and she sent a scorpion to dispatch him. 63 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:35,640 This scorpion killed Orion, and Artemis placed him among the stars to honor his hunting prowess 64 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,060 and her fondness for him. 65 00:05:38,060 --> 00:05:45,200 In the sky, Scorpius, the scorpion, now rises in the east just as Orion sets in the west, 66 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,560 ensuring the two never share the heavens. 67 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:54,920 Many other cultures also recognized Orion's distinctive pattern, the ancient Egyptians 68 00:05:54,920 --> 00:06:01,560 associated Orion's belt with the god Osiris, and the three stars of the belt relinked to 69 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,920 the pyramids on the Giza Plateau. 70 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:12,360 In China, parts of Orion formed various asterisms used in astrology and folklore, while the Norse 71 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:17,400 saw Orion as a reminder of their heroic tales. 72 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:21,400 Let's survey the brightest stars of Orion. 73 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:26,920 Beetlejuice, or Alpha Orionis, marks Orion's shoulder. 74 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:34,000 It's a red supergiant more than 700 times the diameter of our sun, and among the largest 75 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,040 visible stars in the night sky. 76 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:43,120 Beetlejuice is nearing the end of its life, destined to explode as a supernova, though 77 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,720 it could be in a hundred thousand years or more. 78 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:53,440 Its brightness is also variable, sometimes it dims noticeably, reminding us that star 79 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,960 behavior can be surprisingly dynamic. 80 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:04,640 Directly opposite Beetlejuice in Orion's foot, or knee, is Rigel, Beta Orionis, a blue-white 81 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:06,480 supergiant. 82 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:12,000 Despite its beta designation, Rigel is often the brightest star in Orion. 83 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:18,280 It emits tens of thousands of times more light than our sun and represents a star still burning 84 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,480 its fuel at a furious rate. 85 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:28,000 Rigel's intense luminosity makes it a valuable anchor for navigators in the southern hemisphere. 86 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:35,760 Bellatrix, Gamma Orionis, or the Amazon star, is another blue giant, though smaller and 87 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:37,640 dimmer than Rigel. 88 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:40,520 It forms Orion's other shoulder. 89 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:47,040 The name Bellatrix translates from Latin as Female Warrior, which seemingly conflicts 90 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:50,000 with Orion's masculine persona. 91 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:55,480 No one really knows why, but over centuries astronomers adopted a grab bag of ancient 92 00:07:55,480 --> 00:08:02,600 medieval and Renaissance naming conventions, and perhaps ages ago, this star's relationship 93 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:07,640 to Orion wasn't perfectly aligned with the Greek mythos. 94 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:13,920 At the lower right corner of the constellation, diagonally opposite Beetlejuice is Syif, Kappa 95 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:19,040 Orionis, another brilliant blue supergiant. 96 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:24,760 Though it shines less brightly to the naked eye than Rigel, Syif's luminosity is enormous 97 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:31,720 by stellar standards, just partially veiled by distance and interstellar dust. 98 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:37,280 But perhaps the most famous part of Orion is the trio of stars that form his belt. 99 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:41,440 Alnatak, Alneelum, and Mentaka. 100 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:47,040 Lined up in a near straight line, these stars serve as a cosmic signpost. 101 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:54,360 They can guide observers to brilliant Sirius and Canis Major, or to Aldebaran and Taurus. 102 00:08:54,360 --> 00:09:00,240 Each belt star is, in fact, a large, luminous star in its own right. 103 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:05,400 Alnatak, for instance, is another hot, young, blue supergiant. 104 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:11,520 At the heart of Orion's visual splendor lies a vast and complex region of dust and gas 105 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:15,880 called the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. 106 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:21,280 This colossal structure is home to some of the sky's most photogenic nebula and active 107 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:24,120 star-forming zones. 108 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,440 Look just below Orion's belt. 109 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:32,640 You'll spot Orion's sword, an asterism made of a few bright stars and the glowing Orion 110 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,920 nebula, M42. 111 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:42,160 Even to the unaided eye, under decent skies, this region can appear slightly fuzzy or cloudy 112 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:44,760 hinting at the nebula's presence. 113 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:52,000 In astrophotos, swirling clouds of magenta and violet hydrogen gas cradle young stars. 114 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,040 Check it out in binoculars or a telescope. 115 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:59,080 Even in light-polluted skies, you can see details. 116 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:05,280 At its heart lies the trapezium cluster, a group of hot, massive stars whose intense 117 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:09,240 ultraviolet radiation illuminates the nebula. 118 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:14,960 The Orion nebula is one of the closest and most active star-forming regions to Earth, 119 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:20,600 giving us a direct window into how stars and planetary systems are born. 120 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:28,480 Just north of M42, and technically part of the same cloud, is M43, DeMarin's nebula, 121 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,640 separated by a dark lane of dust. 122 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:37,640 While it often gets overshadowed by its more famous neighbor, M43 is a wonderful emission 123 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:43,040 region in its own right, another cradle for newly forming stars. 124 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:49,480 The horsehead nebula is perhaps the most iconic dark nebula in the sky. 125 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:55,920 The nebula, also known as Bernard 33, is a small, horse-shaped silhouette set against 126 00:10:55,920 --> 00:11:00,440 the bright emission nebula IC-434. 127 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:06,880 Located near the leftmost belt star, Alnatak, this target typically requires a telescope 128 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:12,960 with good filters or a long exposure photograph to really see the characteristic horsehead 129 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:14,720 shape. 130 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:22,720 Also near Alnatak is the flame nebula, NGC 2024, a region of hydrogen gas and dark dust 131 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:24,040 lanes. 132 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:29,520 The bright glow is largely due to ionization from a nearby young star. 133 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:35,600 In images, it appears like a cosmic bonfire, living up to its evocative name. 134 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:41,000 A bit farther north is M78, a reflection nebula. 135 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:45,520 Unlike the emission nebula that glow with their own light, reflection nebula shine by 136 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:49,320 reflecting the light of nearby stars. 137 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:55,920 Through a modest telescope, M78 appears as a patchy, luminous cloud with a few embedded 138 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:57,520 stars. 139 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:03,120 Spanning much of Orion is a vast, faint arc called Bernard's Loop. 140 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:08,320 It's believed to be a remnant of supernova explosions and powerful stellar winds from 141 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:12,280 massive stars formed in Orion's past. 142 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:17,960 In long exposure images, Bernard's Loop forms an elegant semi-circle framing many of the 143 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,040 constellation's other features. 144 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:29,440 Just north of the Orion Nebula lies the Running Man Nebula, NGC 1977, another region of mixed 145 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,360 emission and reflection. 146 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:37,320 Astrophotographers often note a dark shape in the gas that resembles a running figure, 147 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:40,040 hence its name. 148 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:43,920 Orion is a stellar nursery on a colossal scale. 149 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:50,160 The Orion Molecular Cloud Complex houses massive clouds of hydrogen gas and interstellar 150 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:51,640 dust. 151 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:57,160 Under the force of gravity, these clouds can collapse, heating up and eventually igniting 152 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:01,240 nuclear fusion to form new stars. 153 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:06,920 This process is vividly on display in the Orion Nebula where astronomers have catalogued 154 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:13,120 proplets, protoplanetary disks swirling around young stars. 155 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:19,320 These disks may one day coalesce into fully formed solar systems, offering us a live-action 156 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:26,200 look at the same processes that shaped our own sun and planets billions of years ago. 157 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:31,440 Even if you have modest gear, Orion is an astrophotographer's paradise. 158 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:36,480 You can effectively photograph the entire Molecular Cloud Complex with something as 159 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:45,000 simple as an 85mm lens on a DSLR or mirrorless camera, using stacking techniques. 160 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:49,200 You'll have better success with long, guided exposures. 161 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:55,360 With such a setup, you can capture the glow of Orion's belt and sword and under dark conditions, 162 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,560 you might even catch hints of Bernard's loop. 163 00:13:58,560 --> 00:14:06,360 A mid-level telephoto in the 135-200mm range can frame the belt stars, Horsehead Nebula, 164 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:11,320 Flame Nebula, and Orion Nebula all in one shot. 165 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:14,840 Through a small telescope, M42 is stunning. 166 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:20,680 With filters like an H-alpha or UHC filter, the nebula's intricate structure becomes 167 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:22,920 more apparent. 168 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,920 Exposure stacking and various processing techniques are often used to preserve the 169 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:33,240 bright core around the trapezium, while still capturing enough data to bring out faint outer 170 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,000 details. 171 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:41,240 If you're beginning your journey in astrophotography, M42 makes a captivating first target. 172 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:46,480 I'm planning to talk more about some of these techniques in a future episode. 173 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:52,320 For strictly visual observers, Orion is full of challenges and rewards. 174 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:57,880 To the naked eye, under moderately dark skies, the Orion Nebula appears as a faint patch 175 00:14:57,880 --> 00:14:59,320 in the sword. 176 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:05,680 A small telescope at low power reveals at least four bright stars in M42's heart, the 177 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:07,520 trapezium. 178 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:12,400 With excellent seeing conditions and a larger telescope, you can spot additional fainter 179 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:15,080 members. 180 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:18,000 Finding the flame nebula can be tricky. 181 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:23,720 Try using a narrowband filter and keep the bright star on the tack just outside the field 182 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,520 of view to reduce glare. 183 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:31,440 For an additional challenge, try logging Betelgeuse's variability. 184 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:35,240 Make note of its brightness changes over weeks or months. 185 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:39,720 You'll want to compare it to other stars of known magnitudes to estimate its current 186 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:42,400 brightness. 187 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:48,160 Orion is sort of a universe in miniature and delivers one of the richest and most awe-inspiring 188 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,800 experiences the sky has to offer. 189 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,640 There's something here for everyone. 190 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:59,720 It's one of the most studied and photographed areas of the entire sky, and for good reason. 191 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:05,800 It's a grand cosmic stage where stars are born, live their brilliant lives, and eventually 192 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:12,120 die in spectacular fashion. 193 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:16,720 If you found this episode helpful, let me know and feel free to send in your questions 194 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:18,560 and observations. 195 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:24,520 The easiest way to do that is by visiting our website, startrails.show. 196 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:27,920 This is also a great way to share the show with friends. 197 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:32,080 Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the night sky. 198 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:49,120 Clear skies, everyone.