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Posted by Kelly Whitt May 21, 2008 |
I let my son stay up extra late tonight to look at the stars. It was beautifully clear, something he noticed this evening as we were playing in the yard, and he wanted to look at the stars with me tonight. How could I say no?
Technically, his bedtime is 8 pm, but he is usually awake well past 9. He is one of those strange creatures who operates on little sleep. At 9 pm I looked outside and it was still light out. The sun may have set but the sky was not truly dark. We looked for Mercury setting near the sun's remaining glow but it was not to be. It has grown too faint for us to catch anymore. Capella nearby sparkled prettily.
Mars, with its distinct reddish color, was easy to spot. As was bright Saturn and Regulus above. We tried binoculars on Mars in the not-quite-dark sky but I was unable to see the Beehive. So I decided to drag my telescope out. Then the cluster easily popped into view next to the little orange orb. We gazed at this scene for about 10 seconds before Saturn pulled our attention away.
Saturn steals just about any stargazing scene. Through a telescope, even a small one (like mine), it is a beautiful sight. And this was confirmed by my son's words as he first looked at it and whispered, "It's a beauty."
Saturn looks like it's practically standing on end at the moment, with the rings looking thin but still clearly seen. Titan was just beyond them at the bottom of our view. If you already have a telescope, it's a free show, appearing nightly.