Page 112 - BBC Sky at Night Beginners Guide to Astronomy - 2017 UK
P. 112
OBSERVING
THE MILKY WAY
WHEN THE NIGHTS DRAW IN AND DARKER SKIES BECOME THE NORM,
TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW THE MILKY WAY IN ALL ITS GLORY
Our position inside the Galaxy evenly spread around the sky. late winter and early spring of our Galaxy. More dust, more
allows us to see the stars that If we look in the direction of are not the best time to see gas and more stars create a
make up the other arms of the the constellations of Orion and the Milky Way. river of light here, making it
Milky Way as a band arcing Monoceros, we are looking However, in the opposite bigger and brighter. Autumn
across the heavens. But since out of our Galaxy’s plane into direction, towards Sagittarius evenings are the best time to
we’re well away from the centre empty space. This means that and Scorpius, we are looking view this celestial stream.
of the Galaxy, the arc isn’t in the UK the dark nights of directly into the teeming centre
The river of light that is the
Milky Way and, inset, an
artist’s impression of the
Sun’s place in the Galaxy
Location of the Sun
PETE LAWRENCE X 6, WILL GATER X 7
112 skyatnightmagazine.com 2012
