Labour Day ForecastStargazing
Dawson Creek, British Columbia
Current Weather
Current Weather
12°C
| Sunrise | 5:46 |
|---|---|
| Sunset | 20:24 |
| Ceiling | m |
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BookmarkUpdated:Thursday August 21 2008,19:00 PST - Dawson Creek
Clear Sky Forecast
Cloudy periods
P.O.P. 10%
Wind SW 5km/h
Clear
P.O.P. 0%
Wind S 5km/h
Moon Phases
August 23
August 30
Sep 7
Sep 15
This Week in the Sky
Teapot Treasures
Filled with some of the richest astronomical hunting grounds, the southerly constellation Sagittarius and its star-studded Teapot hold some great deep sky gems. The main attractions in the mythical centaur include the numerous colourful gas clouds, or giant star factories scattered within our Milky Way galaxy.
Perfect for binoculars and backyard telescopes, the faint fuzzy glow of the Lagoon Nebula can even be glimpsed with the unaided eye far from the city lights. Located about 6500 light-years from Earth, the nebula hides a small cluster of young stars at its centre. Lying just above the Lagoon is the 9000 light-year distant Trifid Nebula. Smaller and much dimmer, it appears as two small hazy spots, slightly smaller than the full Moon.
Finally, a major showpiece in Sagittarius is the 5000 light-years distant Swan nebula, named for its distinctive elegant avian shape. This bright swirling mass of red hot gas is 40 light-years across, making the Swan one of the biggest stellar nurseries ever recorded.
