Explore the Night Sky with Google Sky

[johncena]

http://www.google.com/sky/#latitude....00&WMAP=0.00&Cassini=0.00&slide=2&mI=1&oI=0"
as the title indicates what is that thing near moon?

 

[sylas]

http://www.google.com/sky/#latitude....00&WMAP=0.00&Cassini=0.00&slide=2&mI=1&oI=0"
as the title indicates what is that thing near moon?

I don't see the moon anywhere there, but the google sky image is centered on the bright star Spica -- also "Alpha Virginis"; the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo. It's the 16th brightest star in the sky.

Postscript. Now let's really have fun. There's something else in that google sky image well worth a closer look... a MUCH closer look.

Starting from that sky image, go across to your right. It is at about "12 hr 40min" on the horizontal axis, and -11deg 37' on the vertical scale -- almost aligned with Spica, vertically. There's a star, which might look a bit fuzzy.

Double click on it to zoom in... the impression of fuzzyness should increase.
And again -- definitely something of a blob. Keep clicking; you're in for a treat.

This is the Sombreros galaxy; one of the really beautiful spiral galaxies, with very dusty lanes and a large bright center. Either try finding it yourself starting out from Spica in the link above, or you can jump right there with this link

 

[johncena]

click the image of moon...you will see moon near to that star

 

[sylas]

click the image of moon...you will see moon near to that star

Thanks -- found it! I guess it is not placed there by default because it keeps moving against the stars.

 

[johncena]

Is sun a star in any constellation?

 

[fatra2]

Hi there,

I am not a pro in constellation, but the Sun is not part of or into a constellation.

You have to understand where the idea of constellation comes. When our ancesters were looking at the sky (at night) they thought that it was a roof with stars hanging from it. They also noticed that these stars were "motionless" from one another. Therefore, they thought of arranging and defining the sky from the different shapes the stars were forming. Enough of this history bull crap.

The Sun being part of (and the center) our solar system, it's relative position in the skye will keep on changing compared to the stars. Therefore, the sun will eventually cross the constellation from the ecliptic (for which there are twelve), but that's it.

Cheers

 

[johncena]

thanks...