Identifying Objects in the Night Sky

I’ve been having a serious fondness in taking night sky photographs lately. Of course, my photos can’t keep up with those of the pros. But why should I compare when I just want to have fun?

Last time I posted night sky photos. Recently, I tried identifying constellations in those photos. Since I was unfamiliar with the names and shapes of the constellations, I looked at night sky maps online.

Sketching constellations and naming stars in the photos were fun. I felt like a kid again. My passion for astronomy came back.

Six constellations appear in the photo above. Imagine how the ancient people saw the skies. They must have seen these patterns. After I finished sketching these patterns, I was simply in awe. The ancients would have seen a charioteer (Auriga), twins (Gemini), a small dog (Canis Minor), a unicorn (Monoceros), and a hunter (Orion) who appears to be chasing a bull (Taurus). 

During these months Jupiter appears to be the brightest object in the sky after the moon, and it appears near Aldebaran, a red giant in the constellation Taurus, and Pleiades, a star cluster also known as the Seven Sisters. 

This next photo was taken shortly after 9pm (facing northeast) while power was still out. 

Canis Major is also known as the dog, and it appears to trail behind the hunter (Orion). The following photos were taken at different times and different angles. 

Facing the south around 8:30pm on February 13, 2013, gave me this view. Look at the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, and the second brightest star, Canopus. Note that Sirius is part of Canis Major. 

Taking pictures of the night sky isn’t just for people with expensive gear. Check your point-and-shoot 

camera if it has a long exposure mode. I’m using a point-and-shoot camera that has a manual mode, which allows me to adjust the shutter speed and ISO to get shots I want. The letdown is image noise, but even that doesn’t keep me from trying.

My next goal is to capture the band of the Milky Way, which is impossible to see or photograph from the city. I need to go somewhere where skies are darker and stars glow brighter.