The United States’ 250th birthday is almost here, so why not take a break from the fireworks and explore four America-themed wonders hidden in the summer night sky?
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Our divine travel goals walk alone Stars And constellation To historic lunar sites and an extraterrestrial shape nebula – some of which will require a small telescope or camera to really appreciate.
If you’re new to the night sky, you might want to check out our roundup of the best stargazing smartphone appsWhich will help you reach specific goals using augmented reality technology.
Apollo 11 landing site
One of America’s finest moments came on July 20, 1969 apollo 11 Astronaut Neil A. armstrong And Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. Mankind took the first steps on the surface of Earth’s Moon. Here’s how to see with the naked eye the area of the Moon that contains the Apollo 11 “Tranquility Base” landing site. full moon.
First, find the dark expanse of Mare Tranquillitatis that is darkening a section of the moon’s eastern side near the equator, where ancient lava flows filled a network of impact basins before solidifying to form vast basaltic plains.
The Apollo 11 landing site is located on the southwestern coast of the Sea of Tranquility, between the Sabine and Moltke impact craters, which can be seen with the aid of a small telescope. You can also search for Apollo 11 backup landing sites using Our handy guideOr even try to figure out where each Apollo era mission lands on moon’s surface.
Spica
The United States’ relationship with the night sky dates back to its founding. After all, the stars depicted on the country’s early flags were intended to symbolize the birth of a new constellation, each representing one of the 13 original colonies that formed the initial union, According to the Smithsonian Institution.
You can honor that spirit on the nation’s semicentennial anniversary by searching for the star whose light first came out at approximately the same time that the United States declared its independence!
The blue-white double star system Alpha Virginis – known as Spica – is located about 250 light years away Earth In constellation virgo. Thus, light emitted from its surface about 250 years ago is now reaching Earth, having traveled through the near vacuum of space for centuries. speed of light – Fast 186,282 miles per second (299,791 kilometers per second).
To find Spica, you first need to locate seven bright stars big Dipper The constellation appears above the northwestern horizon after sunset, and trace an imaginary line along the curve of the Big Dipper’s handle. Do this, and you will come across a bright orange star arcturusThe fourth brightest star in the night sky. Continue that arc beyond Arcturus and the next bright blue-white star you find will be Spica!
constellation aquila
Next, we have Constellation aquila, “eagle”who shines with shining ribbons galaxy At the beginning of summer. This constellation reflects the shape of a great bald eagle, which was adopted as a national symbol In the United States in 1782. Aquila itself has been associated with an eagle for thousands of years and was first cataloged by the ancient Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD.
A good way to find Aquila is to search for the brighter star AltairIt can be seen shining in the left half of the southern sky for viewers in the US around midnight in the early summer. Altair, along with the nearby stars Alashan and Tarazed, represent the head of the great eagle, while the body and raised wings of the celestial bird are depicted in a cross formation of stars below.
North America Nebula
Our final stop is the North American Nebula – a spectacular emission nebula whose vast glowing clouds of interstellar hydrogen resemble the outline of North America.
The North America Nebula is so faint that it cannot be seen with the naked eye. However, a pair of 10×50 binoculars or a small telescope The star-forming region should appear as a faint glow in the galaxy’s band from a dark sky spot less than five degrees away from the bright star Deneb, which shines above the eastern horizon after sunset.
Its structure can be best seen through long exposure photography, which will help reveal the dusty filaments and chaotic cosmic clouds that make up the nebula. read our A Beginner’s Guide to Photographing the Milky Way For more information!
Do you want to see the night sky up close? Then be sure to check out our roundup best binoculars And Telescope Join us for stargazing Expert tips for starting your amateur astronomy journey.
editor’s Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com readers, please send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
