Astronomy Picture of the Day 11-06-02

NASA ^ | 11-06-02 | Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell

[petuniasevan]

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2002 November 6

The Winter Hexagon
Credit & Copyright: Jerry Lodriguss

Explanation: Some of the brightest stars form a large and easily found pattern in the winter sky of Earth's northern hemisphere. Dubbed the Winter Hexagon, the stars involved can usually be identified even in the bright night skies of a big city. The six stars that compose the Winter Hexagon are Aldebaren, Capella, Castor, Procyon, Rigel, and Sirius. Rolling your cursor over the above image will identify them. The Winter Hexagon asterism engulfs several constellations including Orion and Canis Major.

[petuniasevan]

Yep, it's another one of those mouseover images that FR's HTML protocol won't support.
Click the LINK to visit the mouseover image.

Astronomy Fun Fact:

The star marked "Castor" is really a SIX star system. Three pairs, to be exact.

The bright red smudge in the upper right is NGC 1499, the California Nebula.

Sirius and Procyon are binaries; each has a white dwarf companion.

[petuniasevan]

[EggsAckley]

I've been seeing this every night from my hot tub. It rises in the east for me (left coast) and is spectacular. Been wondering what it was. Thanks!

[petuniasevan]

Oops. The bright red smudge NGC 1499 California Nebula is at the middle right edge of the image.

[RightWhale]

It rises in the east for me

If this changes at all, please let FR know immediately. :)

[EggsAckley]

Har-de-har-har....