Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is typical: it has hundreds of billions of stars, enough gas and dust to make billions more stars, and at least ten times as much dark matter as all the stars and gas put together. And it’s all held together by gravity.
— NASA
As we look up to mesmerizing views of the Milky Way Galaxy from dark sky areas in the Berkshires and its environs, our appreciation is enhanced by seeing our home galaxy from an astronaut’s perspective. Viewed from a porthole window on the International Space Station, we appreciate Don Pettit’s photograph, above, of the Milky Way with Earth’s atmosphere in the foreground. Familiar to Berkshire Edge readers since introduced to Mr. Pettit as presenter at the regional Northeast Astronomy Forum, we return to his images from space, prompted by the current feature in The New York Times: “1 Astronaut, Many Cameras and 220 Days of Amazing Images from Space: Don Pettit brought a photographer’s eye to orbit, capturing the artistry of the cosmos and our planet.”
Closer to home, with cosmic connections, astronomer and writer Bob Berman was introduced to “Eyes to the Sky” readers many years ago. As I put my pen to paper in celebration of the Milky Way, I found that Mr. Berman published a comprehensive guide earlier this week, on the 22nd. Go to the online Almanac to find “Milky Way Stargazing Guide: Best Time, Places, and Tips.”
At dusk, in forested locations, evening stars appear to the hooting repertoire of barred owls. We hear a duet that sounds like: “Who Cooks for You? Who Cooks for You All?” Then, there may be a series of barks, coughs, and gurgles. See and hear an introduction to the birds courtesy of Audubon.
Sunrise 6:37 a.m. today, the 27th, and 6:51 a.m. on October 10. Sunset 6:34 p.m. today, the 27th, and 6:11 p.m. on October 10.
The diagram shows celestial relationships on September 27. Observe the changing positions of the stars close to the south-southwest horizon through mid-October, when Antares, outstanding at 1.0 magnitude (the smaller the number the brighter the celestial object), and with it the Scorpion, disappear from the evening sky.
