December 27

Kepler's Birthday

By Mihir Kulkarni

One of the greatest scientists of his time, German astronomer Johannes Kepler changed the way people thought about the solar system. Despite strong pushback from the Church, Kepler solidified the heliocentric theory that the Earth rotates around the Sun. He was also the first to discover that planets orbit elliptically around the Sun, and made several other discoveries about how telescopes function. Kepler’s work paved the way for future scientists to discover more about our solar system, and he is now regarded as one of the founders of celestial mechanics. Since his birthday is on Dec. 27, as an honor, The Howler compiled a list of constellations and celestial objects for your stargazing pleasure.

Orion’s Belt

Orion’s Belt is a collection of three stars called Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka, which form a straight line that can be easily seen in the sky. The ancient Greeks associated the belt with Orion, a mythical hunter whose enemy was Scorpius. The constellation can be found by looking to the East in the night sky around 9:00 p.m.

Venus

The planet Venus is the closest in size compared to Earth. If you don’t like the cold, Venus is the place for you with a pleasant 864 degrees Fahrenheit as its average surface temperature. Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love, and it can be seen by looking southwest at around 5:00 p.m.

North Star

Polaris, more commonly known as the North Star, is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. The star, at the end of the constellation Ursa Minor, or the Little Dipper, has been used by sailors for centuries to tell what direction was north, as it is easy to spot and does not move much in the sky. The best viewing time for Polaris is around 10:30 p.m.

Big Dipper

A ladle-shaped pattern of seven stars, the Big Dipper is one of the easiest constellations to find in the sky and is part of the constellation Ursa Major. In England, it is actually known as the “Plough.” It can also be used to describe the tall friend you have that always leaves parties early. The Big Dipper can be seen many times throughout the night, but the best time to view it is just before sunrise at by looking nNorth around 6:00 a.m.

Little Dipper

The Little Dipper, like the Big Dipper, is shaped like a ladle or scoop. It makes up part of the constellation Ursa Minor, or Little Bear. The Little Dipper used to be part of the wings of Draco, but in 600 B.C., it was given a constellation prize and separated by Greek mathematician Thales. You can see this constellation for several hours, but the best times to see it are by looking north around 6:00 p.m and 10:00 p.m.

Draco

The constellation Draco is one of the largest in the sky with 14 stars. It symbolizes a dragon who guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides, and was eventually killed by the Roman warrior Heracles. Fun fact: Draco Malfoy of the Harry Potter books gets his name from this constellation. The best time to see this constellation is around 5:30 p.m by looking northwest.

Mars

Also known as the Red Planet, this close neighbor has been a subject of interest for centuries. The planet gets its name from the Roman god of war, and has two small moons named Phobos and Deimos. Mars is a great place to go hiking since it has the tallest mountain in the solar system. You can see Mars by looking southeast at around 5:50 a.m.

Mercury

Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system and also the closest to the Sun. One year on Mercury is only 88 days, and the planet gets its name from the Roman messenger god. Mercury suffers from intense mood swings, so the side facing the Sun can be around 801 °F while the dark side can reach -279°F. The best way to see Mercury is to look southwest at around 5:50 a.m.

Aquarius

Aquarius is a constellation that represents water. It was found by the Greek mathematician Ptolemy in the second century, and is also one of the 12 zodiac constellations. Aquarius is surrounded by other constellations relating to water, so this part of the sky is called “the sea.” If you stare continuously at this constellation for 30 seconds, it may start raining uncontrollably. The best way to see this constellation is by looking southwest at around 7:00 p.m.

Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, and it gets its name from the supreme god of the Romans. It also makes for a pleasing lock screen on your phone. Jupiter has a massive storm called the Great Red Spot, which has been ongoing for over 100 years. Jupiter can be seen by looking southwest at around 5:00 p.m.