SUNDAY, oCTOBER 16, 2011
Some certificates require that an amateur astronomer know some key stars in
constellations or know a number of the brightest stars. I've picked up a handful
over the years. And I'm learning more in chasing doubles. Again, the following
list itemises stars that I can pick out of the sky or if someone asks, "Hey,
where's such-n-such?," I can likely point to the correct object.
Initially, this list did not include the closest star to Earth...
- Sol - our Sun!
- naked eye (briefly or during sunrise and sunset)
- white light projection
- white light baader filter 8"
- white light baader filter 4" off-axis
- white (orange) light 3½" Questar filter
- Coronado Personal Solar Telescope Hydrogen-alpha
- Coronado Personal Solar Telescope Calcium K-line
- Coronado SolarMax 60mm on TV101
- imaged with SolarMax 60mm on TV101 and MallinCam HC
- welder's glass #14
- through a tinted sunroof
- Albireo - Cygnus
- Alcor - Ursa Major
- Aldebaran - Taurus
- Alderamin - Cepheus
- Alfirk - Cepheus
- Algieba - Leo
- Algol - Perseus
- Alkurhah - Cepheus
- Alphecca - Corona Borealis
- Alpheratz - Andromeda
- Alnitak - Orion
- Alnilam - Orion
- Altair - Aquila
- Antares - Scorpius
- Arcturus - Boötes
- Bellatrix - Orion
- Betelgeuse - Orion
- Capella - Auriga
- Castor - Gemini
- Cor Caroli - Canes Venatici
- Deneb - Cygnus
- Denebola - Leo
- Dubhe - Ursa Major
- Graffias / Acrab - Scorpius
- Fomalhaut - Pisces Austrinus
- Izar - Boötes
- Meissa - Orion
- Mintaka - Orion
- Mizar - Ursa Major
- Polaris - Ursa Minor
- Pollux - Gemini
- Procyon - Canis Minor
- Rasalgethi - Hercules
- Regulus / Cor Leonis - Leo Major
- Rigel - Orion
- Sadr - Cygnus
- Saiph - Orion
- Sirius - Canis Major
- Spica - Virgo
- Tarazed - Aquila
- Thuban - Draco
- Vega - Lyra
- Zubenelgenubi - Libra
- Zubenelschamali - Libra
It's funny. It occurred to me as I created this list (in December 2006) that
I knew a couple of other stars by the constellation (e.g. Betelgeuse is in Orion)
but I couldn't tell you either where the asterism is or where these stars are
inside the constellation! And I knew a couple of other stars (e.g. Capella) from
various references but I didn't knew where they are at all...
I've since learned how to pronounce Zubenelgenubi in Libra!
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