e re sk y When to use the map

ph NOR TH Early August – 10 p.m.

Late August – 9 p.m.
is
19 h
Early September – 8 p.m.

m Late September – Dusk

α Deneb
M92

he NE
22 h
M29
CYGN
γ

US
δ
ε

LYRA
Vega
α π 3
M1
16 h The chart is also useful in late April
at 5 a.m., late May at 3 a.m.,
and late June at 1 a.m.
ε β
NW
rn
M57 ζ IS
AL A
β ES O RE ON
L B O R S
β

CU C E
the

R T
M27 VULPECULA δ HE Ö
O

α
B
DE
LP β
HI
NU SAGI
TTA

us
S γ

ur
α
sou

ct
M α

Ar
15 Altair γ
PE

EN )
RP UT
α

S
E α

α
GA

Q S
ε

AQU

SE AP
U ILA U
U DA) CH
SU

C
L (C A U E N S β

(
E η δ IU
SERP
ζ
S

U
S PH

α
O
θ M11

M5
α

12
M2

M δ
P IS C E

0
M1
SC UT UM ε E Q
α
AQ

U A
S

Moon M1
UAR

M2 7 η ζ T O
β
CA

Sept 9 5 M2
3 Moon R

β
IUS

M2
PR
δ

2 Sept 5
σ
ICO

LIB RA
Moon M8

τ Antares
Moo

VIRGO
RN

Sept 13 SA n

SC OR PIU S
GI Sept
U

TT 2

M6
S
EAST

AR

δ
δ

WE ST
IU
P IS C IS

M4
S ε

α
M7

π
E C L Ven

ε
I P T us
CO RO NA

µ
I C
Foma

AUST

σ
AU STR AL IS
α

Spica
1 h

S
13
γ

M
lhaut

α
PIU

PU
Mer
R IN U

h
α cury
CETUS

CO A

LU
ES
L RM
GR

IN TE
SCU

DU NO
US

α β
β

S
LPT

γ
ARA

θ
η
β
OR

α
α β

VUS
β

A
PAVO
α US

COR
CIN

DR
LUM CIR
α

TU NGU α
T R IA S T R A L E γ

HY
CA
NA AU ω
ε

S
β
RU
PH

APUS
U

β OCTA
O

TA

47 T NS
EN

uc κ
N
γ

S
IX

CE

Mag mall
γ

Ac
ell β β
he X
rn Clo anic U γ
ar ud CR
FO

α HYD CA α
MUS δ
RN

α RUS
AX

ER
ID CH AM AE LE ON λ
AN
γ
US ω θ
SE
θ Large η
HO
RO RET Magellanic VO LA NS SW
LO ICUL
UM Cloud β
GI
UM υ
10 h

A
4

30 Dor
EL
h

V
DOR β 7h
ADO
The map is plotted for
α INA
CAR 35° south latitude (for example,
PICT OR Sydney, Cape Town, Buenos Aires).
Times listed above are Standard Time.
SOU TH

J ust as interesting as objects unseen by northerners

are the different perspectives available from the Southern
Hemisphere. The most obvious of these on Septem-
By Fred Schaaf Swan, flying up from below the horizon. Pegasus,
ber evenings is the overhead Sagittarius Milky Way.
There, hovering around the zenith, the virtually undimmed
sights of M6, M7, M8, M11, M17, M22, and other Messier
objects blend into a long “mmmm” of satisfaction.
Other September far-south perspectives
Vega is highest, Arcturus is already setting. Low in the north to
either side of Vega, we see Hercules upright and Cygnus, the
the Winged Horse, is rearing up in the northeast.
In this sky the vast aquarium of water constellations rang-
ing from Capricornus to Cetus is bordered by an uninterrupt-
ed aviary of southern and fantastic birds: Grus, the Crane;
Phoenix, the Phoenix; Tucana, the Tou-
ne ula
r
te

la
se eb

are not necessarily superior, just different can; Pavo, the Peacock; and Apus, the
xy us

bu
Ga ular r
Op ble tar

e
Gl clu r

ffu y n
en sta
ob st

la cl
u s

from those seen from the north. When Bird of Paradise.

Di ar
Do able

Star magnitudes
et
an
ri

–1 0 1 2 3 4
Va

Pl

106 September 2000 Sky & Telescope ©2000 Sky Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.