I
awakened this morning just after 4 am and out of habit went to make a small pot
of coffee to help get things going. Also out of habit, I glanced out the window
over the sink, first to look at the outside temperature (28 degrees) and then
to see if the sky was clear.
Just on
the western horizon lay Orion, although this morning it sat on his right side,
slowly moving toward the treeline. In truth, only the two bright stars that
form his shoulders, Betelgeuse and Bellatrix plus the trio of the belt stars
were really visible, but even so the familiar pattern was recognizable.
Given
my viewing last evening at 5:30 and this morning’s at 4:00, I suppose the best
time to view Orion in total would be midnight. The constellation would then be
nearly at zenith, which is the optimal place for star gazing, as the light from
the distant stars passes directly through the atmosphere. On horizon, the light
is more filtered through the air, reflected and refracted ever so slightly that
the twinkling is more pronounced. Midnight is best for Orion in January, but
who wants to brave that hour in the cold?
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