Phoenix Mission - Mars WeatherStargazing
Williams Lake, British Columbia
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| Sunrise | 5:18 |
|---|---|
| Sunset | 21:10 |
| Ceiling | unlimited |
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BookmarkUpdated:Thursday July 24 2008,11:00 PDT - Williams Lake Airport
Clear Sky Forecast
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Clear
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Wind SE 5km/h
Moon Phases
July 25
August 1
August 8
August 16
This Week in the Sky
The Eyes of the Swan - Alberio
This week Cygnus, the Swan constellation -also known as the Northern Cross - climbs ever higher on its trek towards the southeastern evening sky. While brilliant Deneb pins down her tail, sweep to its right toward the faintest of the stars at the foot of the cross and you will find Alberio, marking the eye of the Swan.
Shining modestly with a distinct golden yellow hue, Alberio sits about 385 light years away from Earth - a dying star 700 times more luminous than our own Sun. Small backyard telescopes and even steadily held binoculars easily reveal Alberio to be a magnificent double star.
The fainter companion is a beautiful sapphire-blue coloured gem that lies more than 630 billion kilometers away from neighbouring Alberio- that is more than 100 times the distance between the Sun and Pluto. The striking contrast in colours makes this stellar duo one of the most beautiful celestial sights in the entire sky.
