This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 13 – 21


"... Betelgeuse is rebrightening. After bottoming out at about V magnitude +1.64 in early to mid-February, Orion's Betelgeuse was up to +1.3 as of March 8th, and the brightening seems to be speeding up a bit. The change from minimum is quite clear now to the eye; use Orion's other shoulder star, Bellatrix, as a comparison. During Betelgeuse's minimum brightness they appeared essentially equal. See The Fall and Rise of Betelgeuse. ... Saturday, March 14. Right after dark, five carnivore constellations stand upright in a row, from the northeast to south. They're all seen in profile with their noses pointed up and their feet (if any) to the right. They are Ursa Major the Big Bear in the northeast (with the Big Dipper as its brightest part), Leo the Lion in the east, Hydra the Sea Serpent in the southeast, Canis Minor the Little Dog higher in the south-southeast (lit by Procyon), and bright Canis Major the Big Dog lower in the south (lit by Sirius). ..."
Sky & Telescope

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