Shapes in the Sky

Morning very cold and a dark, clear sky presents a perfect moment for stargazing. I step outside the studio and immediately see Saturn shining brightly through the trees and east over Weatamo Ridge.  The star Vega is also bright and clear over the Acteon Ridge to the north. The constellation Cassiopeia scribes its “W” across the sky to the east, and close by the  the Twins, their heads the stars Castor and Polux, look back at me. The Charioteer also keeps watch nearby with its bright eye, the star Capella.  Below, the twinkling-red Betelgeuse rests on Orion’s shoulder and is also a part of this cluster. I look above and to the North and there is Polaris, the North Star, wagged by Little Bear’s tail (or the Little Dipper’s handle, take your pick) nosing its way toward Big Bear, Ursa Major.  Below the bears the star Regulus, which marks the the foot of the Lion, is bright and helps me make the fainter form the constellation.

I am not dressed for the cold — the temperaure hovers at zero Fahrenheit — so I return to the studio.