The Hindu : Delhi sky this month

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 01, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Delhi sky this month

THE SKY map here shows the sky as seen from Delhi at 10 p.m. at the beginning of the month, or at 9 p.m. in the middle of the month, or at 8 p.m. at the end of the month.

To use the map, it has to be held overhead, face down, so that the cardinal directions (N, E, W, S) are correctly oriented. When held in that position, the centre of the map marks the zenith, the point in the sky directly overhead. When the map is correctly oriented, the constellations can be easily recognised by their brighter stars.

One can also use the map by holding it vertically and facing the direction shown below a particular horizon on the map. For example, when looking South, one should hold the map with its southern horizon at the bottom. Similarly, while looking North, the northern horizon should be at the bottom. For observers down south of Delhi, some of the northern constellations will appear lower in the northern horizon, while the southern constellations will appear higher over the southern horizon. Similarly, for viewers in eastern parts of India the constellations will appear to rise earlier than when viewers in western parts of the country will see them rise.

The faintest stars shown in the map are of magnitude 5 and shown as the smallest dots. The brighter stars and the bright planets are shown as larger dots.

The constellation names are marked in their standard abbreviated forms. Cassiopeia appears low in the north-western horizon. Bisect the larger angle formed by the five stars of Cassiopeia to pin down the Pole Star, giving you the direction of North.

The constellations of Gemini would be right overhead. The two stars Castor and Pollux (the brighter of the twins) are readily visible. In Hindu astrology, these are called Punarvasu -- a nakshatra to mark the apparent path of the moon. Among other prominent nakshatras are Ardhra (Betelguese), the brightest star of Orion, and Rohini (Aldebaran) belonging to Taurus. Saturn now sits at the feet of Gemini!

On a clear and moonless nights try to locate the beehive cluster visible a little west of Jupiter with a binocular.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi

News Update

Stories in this Section

No privatisation of water, says CM

Some glimpses of the other face of war

Pledge to continue the task of slain social workers

U.K. to fund poverty removal schemes

Jobs go online at XLRI

Delhi sky this month

KMC gears up for jubilee celebrations

Fond farewell to Gupta

Exams are here, so is Disha

Stay one step ahead of trouble, says new police chief

Around the City

Briefly

In the Capital Today