OK, I asked this a lil while back and was told to post a more detailed question so here goes. I am in North Louisiana and the time is about 3:30 AM. I am facing East. Assuming that directly above me is 0 degrees at about 5 degrees in front of me is the Little Dipper. Just about directly above me. Going down in a straight line from the Little Dipper, still facing East, at about 45 degrees I get to the Big Dipper. Continuing down in a straight line from the Big Dipper I get to a very bright star right above the treetops at about 70 degrees. The Little Dipper, Big Dipper, and this star are all lined up with the Little Dipper being about half again as far from the Big Dipper as this star is. Also going down this imaginary line this bright star is the first bright star below the Big Dipper. Can someone tell me the name of this star (or possibly planet)?
2006-10-04 17:48:09 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It's 3:30 AM when they're lined up this way, not right now.
2006-10-04 17:57:21 · update #1
I've tried looking at star charts but without knowing other star names to orient myself it's hopeless.
2006-10-04 17:59:16 · update #2
I used the program Starry Night Pro to try to figure this out. I set the latitude to 35 degrees north, which should be close enough. At about 3:30 AM today, the Plieades are almost directly at your zenith. Are you sure you saw the little dipper above you and not the Plieades? The little dipper is half the size of the big dipper, the plieades are roughly the same size as the full moon. Also, the big dipper was half way below the horizon. So I'm afraid I can't really help you much.
2006-10-05 04:28:23 · answer #1 · answered by kris 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since the little dipper contains the North Star (Polaris), the only way the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor) can be above you is if you are at the North Pole. If you are in North Louisiana, and you are facing the Little Dipper, then you are also facing the North Star, and MUST be facing North, not East.
Further, at 3:30AM in Early October, the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) would be almost due east of the Little Dipper in the NorthEastern sky at the same distance above the Horizon as the Little Dipper and the North Star.
But, assuming you are following a line from Polaris through the Big Dipper at that time of the morning, you should be following the 12 hour Right Ascension line. The two possibilities for the bright star you are seeing near that line are either Arcturus in Bootes, or Saturn, which just happens to be currently rising in the NorthEast at about that time of the morning.
2006-10-05 01:22:27 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
How is it 3:30 AM When it's only 10:00 PM in Los Angeles right now?
2006-10-05 00:56:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
google "Star Chart"
2006-10-05 00:57:50 · answer #4 · answered by craig p 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋