Stars over Sisters

Keep your eyes on the sky in October, as the upcoming autumn nights will offer a number of celestial treats. Mark your calendars to catch a glimpse of a total lunar eclipse, a partial solar eclipse, and a shower of meteors.

Situated between the zodiacal constellation of Aquarius, Pegasus the winged horse, and Delphinus the dolphin lies the small stellar figure of Equuleus, Latin for "little horse," or foal. Little indeed, as it is very inconspicuous and ranks as the second-smallest constellation of the 88 modern constellations. It contains no stars brighter than the fourth magnitude. The diminutive equine rides high above the southern horizon in the evening.

Set your alarm clocks to wake up in the early hours of October 8, because at 3:27 a.m. the full moon will become entirely eclipsed. At that time the moon will turn a dark red color as it enters the earth's umbral shadow. The duration of totality will last about 55 minutes. Because the eclipse occurs only two days after perigee this month (the closest point the moon will be to earth), the moon will appear 5.3 percent larger than it did during the previous lunar eclipse, which happened earlier this year in April.

The opportunity to glimpse a few Orionid meteors exists throughout much of October. These meteors seem to be sourced from the constellation Orion, which is just beginning to rise in the east at around 11 p.m. The shower will be most active on October 21. At its peak, viewers should be able to see about 20 meteors per hour with the naked eye. Find a place that's out of town and dark, settle in with a blanket or two and watch the light show from just after midnight until dawn. The slender waning crescent moon won't cause much light interference.

The meteors occur because every year the earth intersects the orbit of Comet Halley. On its journey around the sun the comet leaves behind debris, which then enters our atmosphere and is vaporized due to the heat of friction. The steaks of light will appear all over the sky, but when traced backward they appear to emerge from the same area of the sky, which in this case is near the constellation Orion. Identify the warrior by the three stars that form his belt, his shoulders made up of Betelgeuse and Bellatrix, and his right foot Rigel. These are all bright stars that should guide you to the right viewing place. Look low in the sky to the southeast, just east of Orion.

On October 23, expect to see a partial solar eclipse. The eclipse occurs when the moon moves directly between the sun and the earth as the moon casts its shadow onto the earth's surface. In this case the shadow will cover an area on the earth that includes much of Canada and the United States. For those of us in Central Oregon, the eclipse begins at 1:43 p.m. and will end at 4:27 p.m. The eclipse will be at its maximum at 3:08 p.m. when about 50 percent of the sun will be obscured.

To spot the planets this month, look to the southwest just after sunset to see Mars and Saturn. While Saturn will be low in the sky and may be hard to see, Mars should be decently visible above the constellation Scorpius and bright star Antares, appearing to the upper left of Saturn. For the really early birds, Jupiter will also be quite visible before sunrise in the

southeast.

If you wish to learn more about the night sky, consider attending the next Stars over Sisters starwatch Saturday, October 18, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Sisters Park & Recreation District. After a brief presentation, visitors will be invited to view the wonders of the night sky through telescopes provided by the Sisters Astronomy Club.