Astronomy - February 2014

38 ASTRONOMY t FEBRUARY 2014

STAR

DOME

Sirius

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

STAR

MAGNITUDES

STAR COLORS

A star’s color depends
on its surface temperature.

• The hottest stars shine blue


• Slightly cooler stars appear white


• Intermediate stars (like the Sun) glow yellow


• Lower-temperature stars appear orange


• The coolest stars glow red


• Fainter stars can’t excite our eyes’ color
  receptors, so they appear white unless you
  use optical aid to gather more light

How to use this map: This map portrays the

sky as seen near 35° north latitude. Located

inside the border are the cardinal directions

and their intermediate points. To find

stars, hold the map overhead and

orient it so one of the labels matches

the direction you’re facing. The

stars above the map’s horizon

now match what’s in the sky.

The all-sky map shows

how the sky looks at:

10 P.M. February 1

9 P.M. February 15

8 P.M. February 28

Planets are shown

at midmonth