Manchester City Library

When I was growing up, especially in my teenage years, I spent a lot of time stargazing. I imagine that if I had been better at math then I might have tried to become an astronaut or a professional astronomer.  On many a hot summer evening I would head out to the back field armed with bug spray, a blanket, my star charts, binoculars and a special flashlight with a red light bulb affixed to it for easier chart reading.  Granted, I did brashly foray outside to star gaze in the winter time as well, but summer nights are very pleasant for star gazing. The heat of the day has waned, and you can comfortably stay outdoors for as long as you wish.  Add some fireflies to the canopy of jeweled stars and under this spell you will fall into the filmy gauze of Milky Way Galaxy, and you are off, lost in the beauty of the night.  So set up your star gazing spot, apply some mosquito repellant, and look to the east.  By late evening, the Summer Triangle has risen well above the horizon and dominates the Eastern sky with it’s brilliantly bright stars. The Summer Triangle is comprised of three very bright stars: Vega, Altair, and Deneb. They are the 5th, 12th, and 20th brightest stars in the night sky and this is one of the easiest constellations to locate. Perfect for beginners and experienced stargazers alike!

A neat bonus in late July and early August is the legendary Perseid meteor shower.  The Perseid meteors will appear to “rain” into the atmosphere from the constellation Perseus, which rises in the northeast in mid-summer. The Perseids are the oldest and brightest of the meteor showers that fall on and past the earth as she makes her orbital dance around the sun.  We know this because early Chinese writings dating as far back as 36 AD note the beauty of the Perseids. The shower is visible from mid-July and August of each year, with the peak in activity between the 9th and 14th of August, depending on the particular location of the stream. During the peak, the rate of meteors can reach 60 or more per hour and they can be seen shooting across the night sky.

Whether your goal is to view some meteors or locate the summer constellations, you can be sure that there are plenty of books available for your stargazing needs here at the Manchester City Library, AND we also have a telescope that you can borrow, too!

So when you venture out in the evenings this summer, look up at the night sky and enjoy the summer stars.