The Heart and Heat of Summer with the Galaxy Rising

Last time in Spring we talked of standing “on” the flat disc of our Milky Way Galaxy looking out into dark and almost faint sky. Now our Milky Way has risen in the east and with it our lovely summer triangle made up of the brightest stars in three different constellations. All three in the white mists of billions of stars and other celestial objects called our Milky Way Galaxy.

Let me take you outside for a look. After all it’s warm and wonderful out there at night under those beautiful stars and as it cools with night even the mosquitoes will go away. Come on out, bringing me along in this article, and a comfortable chair that leans back to show you the sky. Remember where your sun rises? That’s east, put it to your left. And where it sets? That’s west put it to your right. You’re feet are now facing south. So get comfortable and look up. Hope you have a friend, spouse or child with you.The Milky Way is rising in the east [your left]. It starts from over our head in the north arching high in the east and ending close to our feet in the south. In the south you’ll notice the Milky Way bulging and brightening, that is the center of our Milky Way Galaxy that we live in. That very center is in the constellation: Sagittarius, the archer or tea pot. It’s above your feet, a little left or east, and really looks like a tea pot. A handle on the left is made of a trapezoid of four stars, and a spout on the right, of three stars, out of which seems to flow the Milky Way’s milk! There’s even a triangular top. In July bright Jupiter is close to the upper left and above it is a small configuration of stars that is the tea spoon for the tea pot. It’s even right side up with the handle to the left. To the right of all this is Scorpio, still very much in the bulge of the Milky Way. See the bright and reddish star, the “Rival of Mars,” it’s called Antares. It’s the middle of three stars sort of diagonally horizontal and to their right is another three in a row vertical stars. Imagine the first three the arching body of the scorpion; the right hand vertical three in a row make the shoulders of the outstretched claws. Hey, the 3/4 size moon joins Scorpio on July 13th, right between and below these two trio’s of stars! To the lower left of Antares, and probably going to or below the horizon line, is a line of stars that sweep down to the left and up again ending in two small stars close together. That’s the scorpion’s stinger, look out! When you finally figure out all this constellation I think you’ll be amazed at how “accurate” it is. How much like a scorpion. So July 13th might be a good night to do this star/constellation looking or in August go out the night of the 12th/13th and see meteors too! [See below.] A valuable technique for finding the right stars is to squint a bit blocking out the confusion of lesser stars leaving only the bright ones, which these constellations are mostly made of.OF SPECIAL NOTE Well the most exciting time of the night sky each year is August 12 for me. Like clockwork the Perseid Meteor Showers grace our night skies. The showers are active from July 17th – August 24th but crowning night of August 12/13 is the best. Perseids are fast, bright and leave a persistent trail most often. The radiant is in the north east below the “W” of Cassiopeia in Perseus. They are good after midnight and best predawn but any time will get you some if you’re patient. So if you’re still in your chair facing south try to lean way back to see all the sky especially the north over head where perseus is. One more thing to consider if you go out early in the morning to see the show: you’ll be seeing the winter sky up there! Yes, early mornings show you a sky that is about a season or two later, actually predawn in August is actually a November sky. So notice Orion and even the dog star Sirius rising in the east before dawn. This is why the ancients called this hot weather the Dog Days of summer! I can imagine them trudging out to the fields in the cool of early dawn and seeing Sirius rising. Wouldn’t you do a lot of your work then before the heat of day?July’s full moon, the Hay Moon or Thunder Moon, is on the 18th and August’s full moon, the Grain Moon, or Green Corn Moon is on the 16th. I’ve been calling these moons by the month in which they appear but really they are seasonal moons. Three sets for each of the four seasons. We publish every two months so it doesn’t come out “right.” So I just call them, a bit inaccurately, by the month. I hope you’ll forgive me.[[illustration suggestions: Sagittarius or both Sag. & Scorpio. Could be the Milky Way too. Or even the constellations IN the Milky Way. Thank you Carole!