They’re back!
6 am on September 9th
I woke up early and looked outside in the still dark dawn and saw a large and beautifully bright light in the eastern sky. I wondered what planet it could be. I knew it wasn’t Venus, since she is still setting soon after the Sun. And I knew it wasn’t Jupiter, since he is rising in the east around 10pm at night. He should be moving toward the west right now, getting ready to set. Sure enough I found him, still pretty high in the sky, but very visible. So, was it Mercury? Surely Mercury wouldn’t be that bright. And it was sparkling. And I always heard that planets don’t sparkle, only stars. So, it was a star? That bright?
I came to my computer and turned on trusty Stellarium to find out what this bright light could be, and lo and behold, it is Sirius, the dog star! I ran out front again and looked more carefully, and sure enough, I could see his whole body, and even higher in the east was Orion! I was amazed, since it seemed not so long ago I blogged about how they were leaving the winter sky, and I would miss them. Well, winter must be getting closer than I think, because they are back! Only at this time in the early morning sky. So, if you are up early, before dawn, look to the east and you will see that bright light that is Sirius. From there you can find both constellations. Sirius is the closest star to our solar system, and the one many people think that it is from Sirius that aliens come to earth. It is the star that was the harbinger of the rising of the Nile. And when you see Jupiter, about the same brightness, what you can’t see is the planet Uranus, right next to Jupiter, but too far away to see with the naked eye. Might be time to get a telescope.