A Guide to Distinguishing Between Stars and Planets in the Night Sky
The night sky is illuminated with millions of stars and other celestial bodies, but identifying them can be challenging.
Distinguishing between stars and planets can be done through several techniques, one of which is observing the celestial objects over multiple nights.
Identifying Stars
Accurately identifying stars requires practice and experience, making a star chart your go-to tool. A star chart is an outline of the sky that displays only visible stars and constellations that can be observed with the naked eye. Not only that, but a chart also helps locate other celestial bodies such as planets or objects in our solar system.
Stars in the night sky form constellations, which are groups of stars that form patterns in the sky. Some are always visible while others only visible during certain times or conditions. Orion’s belt and The Big Dipper are two prominent constellations but there are dozens more to discover.
If you’re new to astronomy, it can be challenging to distinguish between stars and planets in the night sky. To make things simpler, use a star chart and observe in dark skies for easier identification.
One way to tell the difference between stars and planets is by looking at how they rise and set in the sky. Stars in Orion’s belt, for instance, rise close to true east and set near true west; other constellations also follow similar patterns.
Another trick is to search for stars that appear to rise in a straight line across the sky or that follow an irregular pattern. This phenomenon, known as “twinkling effect”, can indicate both the position of planets in the night sky and other objects nearby.
If you want a clear view of the night sky, take some time to observe with binoculars or a telescope. A small telescope will enable you to observe many more stars than what can be seen with the naked eye and it also magnifies some fainter nebulae – clouds composed of gas and dust which contain young stars.
Identifying Planets
The night sky is filled with stars and planets. Some can even be seen with the naked eye, while if you have a telescope they can be magnified many times over. But to truly take advantage of all that the sky has to offer, it’s essential to know how to distinguish between stars and planets.
Stars are dim and appear as points of light in the night sky. Their twinkle is caused by turbulence in Earth’s atmosphere.
Planets are brighter and more distinct than stars, making them easier to spot with the naked eye. However, for best views, use binoculars or a small telescope for closer examination.
To identify a planet, you must first understand its position and brightness in the sky. These may change over time depending on when you observe it and your position on Earth (if in either northern or southern hemisphere) can also serve as a guide.
Planetary visibility can range from a few weeks (in the case of Mercury) to over two years depending on when and where it occurs. The apparition period varies significantly across locations, being earlier in the eastern hemisphere or later in the western hemisphere.
Mercury will be visible several times a year in 2015, with its most prominent periods occurring between September and December. Positioned near the Sun for most of the year, you can spot Mercury during its apparition periods during early morning and evening twilight.
Jupiter will be a bright star in the predawn skies throughout 2015 and best observed before sunrise as it rises from low in Leo. A small telescope at magnifications above 20x will enable you to observe its distinctive elliptical shape when observed close-up.
Saturn will be in opposition this spring, rising in the night from late April and becoming a bright point of light at 1am in the south-west sky. You can also spot it during early evening twilight throughout the spring; its highest and brightest point will be on 10 May at around 1:00am.
Identifying Constellations
Identification constellations in the night sky is done through star charts. A star chart is a map that displays where each star is relative to another, making it invaluable if you are unfamiliar with the night sky and don’t know which constellations to search for.
Another method is to use a smartphone app that recognizes stars and constellations. This app is user-friendly, offering numerous features to make identifying constellations even simpler.
Star charts can also be found on websites such as Google Sky or AstroViewer. These apps let you view a star chart from your phone or tablet and point it at a star. The app will identify the star and give you a description of it.
Many astronomers find the best way to learn about constellations is to look at them in the night sky, but some people prefer to use star maps or charts.as National Geographic, NASA and Norton. These sites offer high quality data and atlases which are free to download and print.
Some of the more prominent constellations are easy to spot and can be observed from all around the world. One such star, Ursa Major, can be observed year-round from most Northern Hemisphere regions. This constellation features a distinctive belt of three aligned stars which you can spot on dark nights as well as two bright stars (Alpha Orionis/Rigel and Beta Orionis/Betelgeuse) forming a hunter’s bow and arrow formation.
The Big Dipper is a constellation that can be observed across much of the Northern Hemisphere. Consisting of seven main stars that resemble bowls with three additional stars on either side, this constellation points towards Polaris – our North Star.
Gemini and Taurus are two prominent constellations that can be observed during wintertime, easily identified by their distinctive “V”-shaped asterisms. Like a bull, Taurus’ stars have their heads bunched together; five of these stars lie close to Aldebaran.
Gemini can be easily identified by its two stick figure twins with arms extended and touching. To locate them, begin by finding two bright stars that serve as their heads; from there, follow the rest of the pattern for easy navigation.
Next time you’re out and about on a clear night, try to identify the constellations listed above. Doing this will give you more insight into the night sky and help you become an avid stargazer!
Identifying Star Clusters
Star clusters are collections of hundreds to millions of stars that give astronomers invaluable information about stellar evolution through comparisons of their ages and compositions. There are two primary types of clusters: open and globular.
Globular clusters are older, spherical groups of stars containing from a few thousand to millions. These stable, tightly bound formations tend to be associated with galaxies; examples include 47 Tucanae and Omega Centauri.
Open clusters are typically smaller and younger, containing from hundreds to thousands of members. Over time they tend to lose their gravitational hold on each other and spread out, becoming loosely clustered. Open clusters may become disrupted by other star clusters or giant molecular clouds due to changes in atmospheric pressure.
On a clear night, observers can spot numerous open clusters in the night sky, including Pleiades and Hyades in Taurus. Other young open clusters can be observed within the Milky Way galaxy as well.
To identify these clusters, you’ll need a telescope with an expansive field of view. Selecting the correct telescope is crucial because you want to get an accurate representation of the entire cluster instead of just focusing on one part of it.
The Pleiades are an easily identified target in the night sky, but you must be aware of their shape and size. They formed from a vast cloud of interstellar gas and dust that collapsed under gravity’s weight; once formed, this gas absorbs much of their light output.
Hubble’s infrared instruments allow us to observe these young clusters at longer wavelengths than what a traditional camera can capture, providing invaluable information about these vibrant galaxies.
They are easier to observe partially than globular clusters, as more stars become visible with magnification. For example, the Owl or ET Cluster (NGC 457) makes for a great target in any scope; you can easily make out chains of stars running through its center and a red star on its northern edge.
For a close-up view of NGC 457, you’ll need a small telescope with an appropriate focal length and manual mode on your camera; this allows for recording ultra-long exposures of at least two minutes each.