Monday,  October 8, 2012 • Vol. 13--No. 83 • 15 of 28 •  Other Editions

(Continued from page 14)

Dragon in all his starlit majesty. Look for Eltanin and Rastaban somewhat high up in the northwestern sky at nightfall and early evening.
Big and Little Dippers: Noticeable in northern sky
• Altair and Vega point to Draco the Dragon's Eyes
• If all else fails, use the signpost Summer Triangle to locate the Dragon's eyes. The Summer Triangle shines high in the south to overhead at nightfall. Draw an imaginary line from the star Altair through the star Vega to locate Eltanin and Rastaban, the Dragon's Eyes.
Summer Triangle: Vega, Deneb, Altair
• The modest Draconid meteor shower usually only puts out a handful of meteors per hour, though elevated levels are always possible. If you're game, lie down in a reclining lawn chair this early evening, with your feet pointing northward. As you watch for the Draconid meteors on this moonfree evening, see if you can locate the Dragon's Eyes and the radiant point of the Draconid meteor shower.
• For binocular astronomers: If you're familiar with the Summer Triangle asterism, try your luck star-hopping to the Coathanger asterism. See more at Coathanger: Looks like its name

The constellations Draco the Dragon and Ursa Minor the Little Bear. Image credit: Old Book Art Image Gallery

© 2012 Groton Daily Independent • To send correspondence, click here.