Stargazing: Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador

Current Weather Updated: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 20:30 NST - Gander Airport

-2

°C

Light flurries

Feels Like: -9
Wind: W 28km/h
Wind gusts: 41km/h
Sunrise: 7:10
Sunset: 16:33

Relative Humidity: 69%
Pressure: 101.88 kPa
Visibility: 24.0 km
Ceiling: 3500 ft

Clear Sky ForecastUpdated: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 19:30 NST

Wednesday Overnight

-3

°C

Mainly clear

P.O.P.: 10%, Wind: W 20km/h

Thursday Evening

°C

Variable cloudiness

P.O.P.: 30%, Wind: W 15km/h

Moon Phases

Nov. 16

New Moon

Nov. 24

First Quarter

Dec. 2

Full Moon

Dec. 8

Last Quarter

Click here to calculate the sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset times and the seasonal calendar.

This Week in the Sky

Cepheus - The Celestial King

Perched high in the northern skies in mid-November is the regal constellation of Cepheus. It isn’t the brightest collection of stars but because it is located in a rather barren part of the heavens near the North Star (Polaris), it is not too difficult to find even in suburban skies. Look for the pentagon or ‘house’ shaped Cepheus lying between the bright neighbouring constellation Cassiopeia on one side and Polaris on the other.

In ancient Greece, Cepheus was the old hapless king of Ethiopia, husband to the vain Cassiopeia, and father to beautiful Andromeda. Chinese myths know him as Tsao Fu, the famous charioteer, while Persian legends envisioned a shepherd with his dog and sheep.

This king is so close to the North Star he never seems to set under the horizon for folks living in mid-latitude regions. Since Earth wobbles on it axis as it spins, our North Star will shift from present day Polaris to a star within Cepheus in a matter of a few thousand years.

- Andrew Fazekas