Everyone knows New York City is a premiere place for spotting established stars of all kinds: actors, musicians, photographers, even child-actors-turned-NYU-students. Don’t forget, though, while you’re living in the Big Apple, to check out the rising stars around you. If you follow Neil deGrasse Tyson’s catchphrase advice to “keep looking up,” you might catch the following stars, galaxies, and constellations on a clear fall night in NYC.
According to Constellation Guide, Hercules is the fifth largest constellation, named for the Roman god that also inspired everyone’s favorite 90s Disney movie (okay, maybe not everyone’s favorite, but definitely in most 90s kids’ top five). Check out the stick-figure-person-shaped constellation in the northwest part of the fall sky.
The Andromeda galaxy is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way at a distance of 2.5 billion light years. You can spot it with the naked eye near the Andromeda constellation, shaped like two curved lines meeting at a point. Find it slightly southeast of being directly overhead in the fall.
Deneb is the brightest star in the Cygnus constellation, which is close to directly overhead during the fall season. Depending on how you look at it, Cygnus can take the shape of a swan or a tilted cross— look for Deneb at the swan’s head, or the tip of the cross.
Famous for being the source of the annual Perseid meteor shower, this constellation is named for the Greek mythology hero Perseus, who slayed Medusa. While the meteor shower is an August event, this constellation can still be seen in the north east part of the night sky this season.
The Sagittarius constellation lives in the far southwest part of the sky in the fall. Looking in the direction of this constellation points you toward the object at the center of our galaxy— Sagittarius A*, pronounced “Sagittarius A Star.” This bright source of radio waves is not a star, but is believed to be the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, about 26,000 light-years away. While you won’t be able to see it with your naked eye or even a stargazing telescope, knowing which direction to look can orient you to where Earth is in relation to the rest of the Milky Way.
You can find a map of these astronomical objects and where to see them each season at Starry Night. More information about each constellation, its namesake, and how to view it can be found on Constellation Guide’s website. Happy stargazing!
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