Thursday, November 21, 2024

Moonlight Tolerant Stars (evening)

Only the brightest stars are visible to our unaided eyes on moonlight-flooded nights. Early on Thursday evening, November 21, the very bright star Vega in the constellation of Lyra the Harp will be descending the western sky. At magnitude 0.0, it's the 5th brightest star in the entire sky (not counting our sun). The star Altair in Aquila the Eagle shining several fist diameters to Vega's left has a magnitude value of 0.75, making it the 13th brightest star. Deneb in Cygnus the Swan will be located above and between the other two, rounding out the trio of hot white stars that form the Summer Triangle asterism. At magnitude 1.25, Deneb ranks 20th in brightness. Observers with a very low southwestern horizon might be able to see Fomalhaut, ranked 18th, in Piscis Austrinus the Southern Fish. Over in the east, very bright yellowish Capella (ranked 6th) in Auriga will be shining to the upper left of reddish Aldebaran (ranked 14th), marking the eye of Taurus the Bull.

(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
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