EYES TO THE SKY: Mars, Scorpius, Omicron, moon mornings; Mercury joins Venus evenings – theberkshireedge.com

Look for reddish Mars with the aid of binoculars, if needed. Brighter, red Antares, the heart star of the Scorpion, may be seen with the naked eye at the center of Scorpius. Image courtesy EarthSky.org

December 27, 2021January 9, 2022

MOUNT WASHINGTON A boon for stargazers, the unusually long, dark mornings that follow the winter solstice reward the curious who venture outdoors at dawn. The solstice-time Sun rises at 7:22 a.m. this week through January 9, 2022. Mornings continue dark as afternoons are increasingly brighter: todays sunset is at 4:28 p.m.; sundown on January 9 is 4:39 p.m.

While familiar constellations of the winter season travel the sky at night, the celestial dome at dawn is painted with spring and summer stars, a crescent moon this week and enter planet Mars. Mars rises at 5:24 a.m. tomorrow morning and, climbing higher every day, 5:18 a.m. on January 9. Around the winter solstice, quintessential summer star patterns, Scorpius the Scorpion and the Summer Triangle, rise in the morning sky along the southeast and northeast horizon, respectively. At summer solstice they are in the exact same positions when they rise in the evening sky. Recall where on the skyline the Scorpion and the Triangle rise in June, and we are reminded of balmy summer evenings while stargazing on frosty mornings.

Referring to the diagram above, spring stars are higher in the sky at dawn, having preceded summer. At the top of the sky, the Big Dipper a fragment of its curved handle at the top of the schema points toward orange Arcturus, the second brightest star in northern skies. Arcturus rises in the evening sky on the vernal equinox. Blue Spica and vivid Corvus the Crow are not far behind.

How did Omicron Ophiuchi, 5.12 magnitude, not visible with the naked eye, come to my attention? When working on StarryNight7 software to compose the star chart, a slip of the cursor into the space around Mars brought Omicron into view. Intrigued, I read the description attached to the star, a double star, part of a multiple star system. Although the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is simply named for the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, I had in mind reports that the number of mutations is much higher than weve seen in previous variants. My interest in the multiple aspect led me to discover that in astronomy, Omicron is used to designate the 15th star in a constellation group, prompting more questions.

Turning to the evening sky, the long-lasting presence of brilliant planet Venus at dusk is drawing to a close. By January 10, Venus will set with the Sun, having disappeared from the evening sky days before. To see Venus and Mercury together, look within the hour after sunset in the days before the New Year.

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EYES TO THE SKY: Mars, Scorpius, Omicron, moon mornings; Mercury joins Venus evenings - theberkshireedge.com