Driving east on Interstate 70 this evening, the sun set as I crossed from Colorado into Kansas. Within another hour, beneath a clear sky, I found myself heading toward Orion, the Hunter, as it began to rise above the southeast horizon. By the time I reached Hays, my overnight destination, this winter constellation was well above the horizon but the Hunter's faithful dog, Sirius (the brightest star from Earth) had not yet cleared the atmospheric ground haze and city lights.
Like almost all constellations in the night sky, Orion, with his belt and sword, is purely a product of our vantage point in the Universe; in fact, his component stars vary greatly in their distance from the Earth. But the constellation's name is fitting, both for the configuration of its stars and the season during which it graces the night sky. The Hunter will dominate the southern sky throughout the cold winter months of the Northern Hemisphere, a time when natural predators enjoy a distinct advantage.
The High Plains province of North America is certainly a great place for stargazing and, on this crystal-clear night, I stopped once to enjoy the spectacle. There are no views more humbling from Planet Earth.
See also: Sirius and Omen in the Sky
Like almost all constellations in the night sky, Orion, with his belt and sword, is purely a product of our vantage point in the Universe; in fact, his component stars vary greatly in their distance from the Earth. But the constellation's name is fitting, both for the configuration of its stars and the season during which it graces the night sky. The Hunter will dominate the southern sky throughout the cold winter months of the Northern Hemisphere, a time when natural predators enjoy a distinct advantage.
The High Plains province of North America is certainly a great place for stargazing and, on this crystal-clear night, I stopped once to enjoy the spectacle. There are no views more humbling from Planet Earth.
See also: Sirius and Omen in the Sky
