This week is a superb time to take a look at the Summer season Triangle, one of many best-known asterisms within the northern sky.
Credit score: Giuseppe Donatiello/Flickr
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This week is a superb time to take a look at the Summer season Triangle, one of many best-known asterisms within the northern sky. An asterism is an unofficial sample of stars that isn’t one of many 88 formally acknowledged constellations that cowl the sky.
The Summer season Triangle will get its identify from the truth that it’s seen all night time throughout summertime within the Northern Hemisphere. Now, it’s lastly seen after sundown, rising within the east as night time falls.
The Summer season Triangle is made up of three shiny blue stars: Deneb (magnitude 1.3) in Cygnus, Altair (magnitude 0.8) in Aquila, and Vega (magnitude 0) in Lyra. Beginning at Vega, Altair sits 35° to the southeast. From Altair, look 38° north to Deneb, which additionally sits east of Vega.
The area inside (and simply exterior) of the Summer season Triangle is filled with deep-sky wonders. Highlights embody the North America Nebula in Cygnus, the well-known Double Double Star (Epsilon Lyrae) in Lyra, and the planetary nebula NGC 6781 in Aquila.
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