Get to Know the Summer Sky

The Summer Triangle

The summer triangle is not a constellation, but an celestial asterism made up of three bright stars, Vega, Danube and Altair. They  appear during late spring, but are the most visible in the sky for the summer months.  

The brightest star, Vega, will appear at nightfall in the eastern sky and in the constellation Lyra. This constellation, which looks like a small harp,is associated with the myth of the Greek musician Orpheus, who was known for charming many beings with his music. After the Orpheus died, Zeus sent an eagle to retrieve the small harp, or lyre, from the river, and then placed them both in the sky. 

Denab, the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus, will appear to the lower left of Vega. The constellation of Cygnus, is a swan shape and has many myths on its location and importance in the sky. One myth from the Greeks says that Orpheus, who was murdered by the Thracian Maenads, was then transformed into a swan and placed next to his small harp in the sky. 

To the right of Vega you will find the star Altair, making up part of the constellation of Aquila. It represents the eagle that carried Zeus’ thunderbolts, and also brought the mortal shepherd boy, Ganymede, to the heavens to serve as Zeus’ cupbearer. 

Scorpius 

The Scorpius constellation lies in the southern sky. It represents the scorpion and is associated with the story of Orion in Greek mythology.  As summer progresses, it will rise higher and higher in the sky.  The main star in the Scorpius constellation is the bright red giant Antares. It is a cool, red supergiant star, about 604 light-years away. It is 9,000 times more luminous than and about 700 times the diameter of our sun. 

Along the back of the scorpion’s back, you can use binoculars to find some other celestial objects on a clear night. A globular cluster, M4, appears west of Antares, and can be seen as a white ghostly presence. 

There are many myths to go along with the constellation, Scorpius. The most famous is that this constellation represents the creature that stung Orion the Hunter.  To honor the scorpion, the gods placed it in the sky opposite Orion. It is believed that Orion is allowed to hunt freely during the winter, but as summer approaches the scorpion arises and chases the hunter away.

The Tea Pot 

In the constellation Sagittarius, that can be seen in the lower summer sky, there are nine stars that make the shape of a teapot.  This asterism, or group of stars, has a handle to the left, the spout to the right, and a lid on the top. When you find the teapot, you will also be looking in the direction of the center of the Milky Way galaxy!

For more information on the Summer Sky:

https://www.npr.org/2018/06/26/621935519/how-to-find-the-summer-constellations-360-video

https://www.highpointscientific.com/ten-best-things-in-the-summer-sky

Find the North Star with the Summer Triangle with this video

By Christine Lightsey