StarWatch for the greater Lehigh Valley
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JANUARY  1997
019    JANUARY 5, 1997:   Orion Nebula
About 8 p.m. find the three belt stars of Orion in the east. Scan with the eye to the right, and slightly below the belt for three faint stars close together. These stars form the Sword of the Hunter. Now look with binoculars, and you will notice that both ends of the sword are really composed of several stars, but the middle star is not a star at all. It should appear fuzzy. You are observing the Orion Nebula, composed of mainly hydrogen and helium. It is a birthing place for stars in our galaxy, 16 light years across and 1600 light years distant. To be continued...
 
020    JANUARY 12, 1997:   Betelgeuse
About 8 p.m. find the three belt stars of Orion. Observe the brighter of the two stars to the left and right of the belt. They are respectively Betelgeuse and Rigel, and they contrast sharply in color. Betelgeuse is a cool red giant star, hundreds of times the diameter of the sun, with "one foot already in the grave." Millions of years ago, it was shining with nearly the same blue luminescence as Rigel, a star 60,000 times brighter than our sun, and soon to follow in the footsteps of its red giant sister. Both stars will die in violent supernova explosions.
 
021    JANUARY 19, 1997:   Lunar Highlands and Basins
Examine with binoculars or the unaided eye the various tonal shadings on the moon’s surface. The lighter regions are called the highlands, and they contain the majority of craters and mountains. The darker basins or seas appear circular. They are waterless, lower, and smoother. The basins were formed about 4 billion years ago by large meteorites which created huge craters. During the next billion years these craters were filled in by darker lava. Lack of many craters in the basins shows that not much has happened to the moon in the last 3 billion years.
 
022    JANUARY 26, 1997:   Get Serious About Comet Hale-Bopp
Comet Hale-Bopp will be the biggest astronomical event of the year, perhaps even the decade. It will surpass the brightness of C. Hyakutake, but because of H-B’s more compact size, H-B’s tail should be readily viewed from urban locations. If you are serious about Hale-Bopp, consider dusting off those binoculars in the dresser drawer or purchasing an inexpensive unit. Telescopes are not necessary, but binoculars will add a new dimension of enjoyment to your viewing experiences. Contact Tim at Dan’s Camera City 434-2313 or the Planetarium at 820-2204 for more information about what to look for when purchasing binoculars. The Hale-Bopp map is courtesy of the Comet Observation Home Page
 
Comet Hale-Bopp finder chart

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