Latest news with #Dipper
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How to see the 'Horse and Rider' in the Big Dipper's handle this summer
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. At around 10 p.m. local daylight time on these warm June evenings, face north and look overhead to see the seven stars that compose the famous Big Dipper. At this time of the year, the handle appears to stand almost straight up while the bowl appears tilted down; draining its unknown contents toward the right. The Dipper is not a constellation in of itself, but an asterism, a prominent pattern or group of stars, typically having a popular name, belonging to a specific constellation. For most sky gazers, the Big Dipper is probably the most important group of stars in the sky. For anyone in the latitude of New York (41 degrees North) or points northward, it never goes below the horizon. It is one of the most recognizable patterns in the sky and thus one of the easiest for the novice to find. Of greatest importance is the ability to utilize the Big Dipper to locate Polaris, the North Star. This is made possible by the two bright stars that mark the outer edge of the bowl of the Big Dipper. These two stars — Dubhe and Merak — are known as the Pointers, because they always point to Polaris. Just draw a line, in your imagination, between these two stars and prolong this line about 5 times, the way our map shows; this line will ultimately hit a moderately bright star. That will be Polaris. Even those who live well south of the equator can see the Big Dipper now. During autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, it appears to hover upside-down above the northern horizon for those down to about latitude 30-degrees south. That includes the northern two-thirds of South America and virtually all of Africa. In his classic constellation guide, "The Stars — A New Way to See Them," author H.A. Rey sketched a cute cartoon on page 24 of a mother kangaroo and its joey above the caption: "The Dipper? Never seen it ..." And yet for the northern two-thirds of Australia, during April, May and June, the Dipper is plainly visible hanging low above the northern horizon. The middle star in the Dipper's handle is Zeta Ursae Majoris; the Greek letter is the given name, and the possessive of the Latin name of its constellation. In this case Ursa Major, the Great Bear — is its family name. But this particular star is far better known as "Mizar," derived from the Arabic meaning for "wrapping" or "cover." With just your eyes alone, if you look carefully, you'll notice that Mizar appears to have a fainter companion by the name of Alcor, also derived from the Arabic, meaning "faint one." The Persian Al Kazwini stated during the 13th century that people "tested their eyesight by this star." TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to see Alcor and the other stars of the Big Dipper? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Mizar and Alcor were known as the "Horse and Rider" to the ancient Arabs and the Arabian writer Al Firuzabadi, in the 14th century referred to Alcor as Al Sadak, "The Test" or "The Riddle." So, when the ancient Arabs remarked: "He can see Alcor," they were alluding to someone who had normal vision. Why not test your own eyesight by looking for Alcor tonight? Alcor is one-fifth as bright as Mizar and the two stars are separated by roughly one-third of the apparent diameter of the moon. Both stars are located about 83 light-years away and recent observations suggest that Alcor is traveling around Mizar in a wide orbit that takes 750,000 years to complete. Binoculars provide a better view of this pair, but there's more to see here than many skywatchers realize. As an example, Mizar, is in itself a true binary star; one of the first to be observed and identified as a binary pair by astronomers in the 17th century. A binary star is two or more stars that are physically connected with each other and are "locked" or connected together by gravity. They actually orbit each other in a fashion similar to the Earth and the planets orbiting the sun or the moon orbiting the Earth. To see the companion of Mizar you'll need a small telescope and an eyepiece providing a magnification of at least 50-power. Between Mizar and Alcor and a little to their south is an 8th-magnitude star that was once mistaken for a new planet. In December 1722, the German professor Johann Georg Liebknecht announced that this object had just moved into its present position. He christened his "planet" Sidus Ludoviciana — Ludwig's Star — to flatter his local sovereign Ludwig V of Hesse-Darmstadt in hopes of being granted money. The object never moved again. Liebknecht disappeared in a hail of ridicule, but amazingly the name of the "faux" or "ersatz" planet remains to this very day! If you draw a line east from Mizar through Alcor, you'll come across a 5th-magnitude star, glowing with a distinct ruddy hue. That's 83 Ursae Majoris, a red giant star roughly 80 times larger and about 1,300 times more luminous than the sun. It's located at a distance of 580 light-years from us. If you continue onward along the same line at about twice the distance past 83, you'll come to the big, but dim galaxy M101. Under a dark sky M101 appears in 7 x 50 and larger binoculars in much the same way that its discoverer Pierre Méchain described it in 1781: "very obscure and pretty large." It is popularly known as the "Pinwheel Galaxy," and at 21 million light years, it is one of the closer spiral galaxies to our Milky Way. But in order to perceive its spiral structure, you'll need a rather large telescope, very dark skies and a low-power eyepiece. Finally, our familiar Dipper will not last forever. Of the seven stars that make up this pattern, five apparently belong to a loosely joined swarm of stars, all hurtling through space at roughly the same speed and the same direction. These five range in distances from 78 to 84 light-years from Earth. Two of the stars, however — Dubhe (the northern Pointer) and Alkaid (the star at the end of the handle) — are not part of the swarm and appear to be rushing at even greater speeds in the opposite direction. Alkaid is 101 light-years away, while Dubhe is 124 light-years distant. These opposing motions will slowly alter the form of the Big Dipper. In short, the Dipper is slowly going to pieces. The bent handle will bend still more as time wears on, while the bowl will spread. Granted, it will still remain a fairly convincing dipper for about the next 25,000 years, but 50,000 years (or 2,000 generations) from now it will be hopelessly out of shape. If you're looking for a telescope or binoculars to observe the night sky, our guides for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals now can help. Our guides on the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can also help you prepare to capture the next skywatching sight. Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope and other publications.
North Wales Chronicle
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Artist paints Mike Peters while watching his funeral
Tanja Durrant, 54, who paints under the name of Gigsketch Art, grew up in North Wales and was inspired by The Alarm as a teenager. She first saw the band perform while supporting U2 at Cardiff Arms Park in the 1980s - the first-ever gig that she travelled to at the age of 16. The experience left a lasting impression on her as a young Welsh music fan. Years later, Tanja crossed paths with Mike Peters again - this time through the Love Hope Strength Foundation, the cancer charity he co-founded after his own health battles. Tanja joined Snowdon Rocks 2 to raise money for the charity and also in memory of her mother, a keen walker who died of leukaemia in 2005, nine years after her diagnosis. Tanja painting a tribute to Mike during the livestream of his funeral (Image: Tanja Durrant) Tanja, who has a 14-year-old son, said: "I remember it being a wet and windy midsummers day but that didn't dampen our spirits. I remember Mike singing before the walk, halfway up and on the summit. He was such a friendly, down to earth and humble man and took time to chat to us all. I took some photographs at the time from the summit, which was shrouded in low cloud and thought at the time, what a good painting it would make. I never did do that painting but over the years, I have focussed on drawing and painting at live gigs and performances and am now building my business as a full time freelance live event painter [Gigsketch Art]. "On learning of the open funeral at Dyserth for Mike, I wanted to attend but I live in Cornwall and couldn't make the journey so I decided to watch the livestream. I wanted to pay tribute to Mike and my memories of him so I did a painting of him whilst watching the funeral. Tanja painted the art from memory and by using photo references (Image: Tanja Durrant) "I hope to raise funds for Love Hope Strength by doing a limited edition print run of the painting, donating a percentage of the profits to the charity." Tanja, who usually paints live - at gigs, festivals and weddings and uses mainly acrylic paint for her art, painted the art from memory, photo and video reference. She said she felt "very connected" to Mike whilst doing the painting. The painting includes the bird that perched on Mike's guitar; The bird, identified as a Dipper - a short-tailed, stout bird, made its appearance when James Chippendale, co-founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation, was paying tribute to his friend during the funeral service. Tanja said: "Just watching the funeral and remembering Mike in The Alarm and when they supported U2 made me feel very connected to Mike when I was painting. Mike Peters with Tania; Tania met Mike at Snowdon Rocks 2 (Image: Tanja Durrant) "It was memories too from Snowdon Rocks 2. Mike was playing the guitar and we were singing along, It was a very special moment." Tanja, who has painted three murals at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, first got into sketching bands through a personal connection to Jools Holland; she knew one of his band members from a previous job with a touring cabaret theatre troupe. She said: "Having not seen my friend for a few years, I made some calls and blagged my way into a Jools Holland gig in Cardiff in 1999. I got to know them all and ended up travelling and sketching on the road with them after asking if I could sketch from the wings at a Llandudno outdoor gig the following year. "I ended up moving to London to caretake Jools's recording studio for a spell, meeting other Welsh greats such as Stereophonics and Tom Jones, and I was lucky enough to sketch at some of the later shows." Thousands of fans descended on Dyserth on Thursday, May 29 for Mike's funeral which was held at Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan. A large screen was set up outside the church. The funeral, broadcast on The Alarm's YouTube, has been watched by more than 100,000 people. Mike died aged 66 on April 29 from blood cancer. The musician was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) at the age of 36. Anyone interested in purchasing a print of the painting can contact info@ Readers can also search Gigsketch Art on Facebook and Instagram @gigsketch_art
Rhyl Journal
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Artist paints Mike Peters while watching his funeral
Tanja Durrant, 54, who paints under the name of Gigsketch Art, grew up in North Wales and was inspired by The Alarm as a teenager. She first saw the band perform while supporting U2 at Cardiff Arms Park in the 1980s - the first-ever gig that she travelled to at the age of 16. The experience left a lasting impression on her as a young Welsh music fan. Years later, Tanja crossed paths with Mike Peters again - this time through the Love Hope Strength Foundation, the cancer charity he co-founded after his own health battles. Tanja joined Snowdon Rocks 2 to raise money for the charity and also in memory of her mother, a keen walker who died of leukaemia in 2005, nine years after her diagnosis. Tanja painting a tribute to Mike during the livestream of his funeral (Image: Tanja Durrant) Tanja, who has a 14-year-old son, said: "I remember it being a wet and windy midsummers day but that didn't dampen our spirits. I remember Mike singing before the walk, halfway up and on the summit. He was such a friendly, down to earth and humble man and took time to chat to us all. I took some photographs at the time from the summit, which was shrouded in low cloud and thought at the time, what a good painting it would make. I never did do that painting but over the years, I have focussed on drawing and painting at live gigs and performances and am now building my business as a full time freelance live event painter [Gigsketch Art]. "On learning of the open funeral at Dyserth for Mike, I wanted to attend but I live in Cornwall and couldn't make the journey so I decided to watch the livestream. I wanted to pay tribute to Mike and my memories of him so I did a painting of him whilst watching the funeral. Tanja painted the art from memory and by using photo references (Image: Tanja Durrant) "I hope to raise funds for Love Hope Strength by doing a limited edition print run of the painting, donating a percentage of the profits to the charity." Tanja, who usually paints live - at gigs, festivals and weddings and uses mainly acrylic paint for her art, painted the art from memory, photo and video reference. She said she felt "very connected" to Mike whilst doing the painting. The painting includes the bird that perched on Mike's guitar; The bird, identified as a Dipper - a short-tailed, stout bird, made its appearance when James Chippendale, co-founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation, was paying tribute to his friend during the funeral service. Tanja said: "Just watching the funeral and remembering Mike in The Alarm and when they supported U2 made me feel very connected to Mike when I was painting. Mike Peters with Tania; Tania met Mike at Snowdon Rocks 2 (Image: Tanja Durrant) "It was memories too from Snowdon Rocks 2. Mike was playing the guitar and we were singing along, It was a very special moment." Tanja, who has painted three murals at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, first got into sketching bands through a personal connection to Jools Holland; she knew one of his band members from a previous job with a touring cabaret theatre troupe. She said: "Having not seen my friend for a few years, I made some calls and blagged my way into a Jools Holland gig in Cardiff in 1999. I got to know them all and ended up travelling and sketching on the road with them after asking if I could sketch from the wings at a Llandudno outdoor gig the following year. "I ended up moving to London to caretake Jools's recording studio for a spell, meeting other Welsh greats such as Stereophonics and Tom Jones, and I was lucky enough to sketch at some of the later shows." Thousands of fans descended on Dyserth on Thursday, May 29 for Mike's funeral which was held at Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan. A large screen was set up outside the church. The funeral, broadcast on The Alarm's YouTube, has been watched by more than 100,000 people. Mike died aged 66 on April 29 from blood cancer. The musician was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) at the age of 36. Anyone interested in purchasing a print of the painting can contact info@ Readers can also search Gigsketch Art on Facebook and Instagram @gigsketch_art
North Wales Chronicle
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Bird lands on Mike Peters's guitar during his funeral
The bird, identified as a Dipper - a short-tailed, stout bird, made its appearance when James Chippendale, co-founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation, was paying tribute to his friend during the service at held on Thursday, May 29 at the Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan in Dyserth. Mike's wife Jules and Love Hope Strength both shared a reflective post on social media which said: "At Mike Peters' funeral James Chippendale, Mike and Jules' great friend and co-founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation, spoke about the hope Mike gave people. Just at that point in the service a dipper bird flew into the church and perched on a guitar near James. That particular guitar was one of Mike's favourites. "It's been suggested that a bird flying into a church during a funeral service is 'a positive omen, a sign of the departed soul's journey to peace'. Rather wonderfully, some of those watching the bird suggested it seemed to be dancing when Dafydd Iwan sang 'Yma o Hyd'. "In addition, when Jules and family were at Mike's grave, a robin appeared. In Celtic Mythology, 'birds are considered intermediaries between the earthly and spiritual worlds. The robin, in particular, was believed to carry messages from deceased loved ones, bridging the gap between life and death'. "Whether you believe in the symbolism of birds at funerals or not, given Mike's love of nature and the outdoors this was a beautiful addition to a memorable day. "The day had been planned carefully, but this dipper bird has captivated the imaginations of many, showing that sometimes it's the things over which we have no control that have the power to make a moment in time feel even more special." Thousands turned out for The Alarm frontman's funeral on Thursday and more than 100,000 people have watched the celebration of Mike's life on YouTube. Many fans took to Facebook to share their thoughts on the bird, with many saying they hoped it had brought the family comfort. RELATED STORIES: One person said: "There was a big gasp in the crowd outside when the bird flew in and settled there - a wonderful moment." Another person wrote: "I totally believe in nature, especially birds, bridging the gap between loved ones. I hope it has bought comfort." David Weeks said: "The day before, a bunch of us did the waterfall hike and there was a dipper bird that just sat there while we were in the bridge. I was expecting it to fly away when we got closer but he didn't." Another said: "I noticed immediately while watching on YouTube - it was a sign, it had meaning, it had a purpose." The talented and beloved frontman of The Alarm died aged 66 from blood cancer on April 29. Mike, along with James, co-founded the Love Hope Strength Foundation, which raises funds and awareness for cancer centres around the world through music-related events and promotions and registers donors for the International Bone Marrow Registry. James said: "Mike didn't just sing strength, he built a movement around it. He instilled it in the boys, he lived it."
Rhyl Journal
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Bird lands on Mike Peters's guitar during his funeral
The bird, identified as a Dipper - a short-tailed, stout bird, made its appearance when James Chippendale, co-founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation, was paying tribute to his friend during the service at held on Thursday, May 29 at the Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan in Dyserth. Mike's wife Jules and Love Hope Strength both shared a reflective post on social media which said: "At Mike Peters' funeral James Chippendale, Mike and Jules' great friend and co-founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation, spoke about the hope Mike gave people. Just at that point in the service a dipper bird flew into the church and perched on a guitar near James. That particular guitar was one of Mike's favourites. "It's been suggested that a bird flying into a church during a funeral service is 'a positive omen, a sign of the departed soul's journey to peace'. Rather wonderfully, some of those watching the bird suggested it seemed to be dancing when Dafydd Iwan sang 'Yma o Hyd'. "In addition, when Jules and family were at Mike's grave, a robin appeared. In Celtic Mythology, 'birds are considered intermediaries between the earthly and spiritual worlds. The robin, in particular, was believed to carry messages from deceased loved ones, bridging the gap between life and death'. "Whether you believe in the symbolism of birds at funerals or not, given Mike's love of nature and the outdoors this was a beautiful addition to a memorable day. "The day had been planned carefully, but this dipper bird has captivated the imaginations of many, showing that sometimes it's the things over which we have no control that have the power to make a moment in time feel even more special." Thousands turned out for The Alarm frontman's funeral on Thursday and more than 100,000 people have watched the celebration of Mike's life on YouTube. Many fans took to Facebook to share their thoughts on the bird, with many saying they hoped it had brought the family comfort. RELATED STORIES: One person said: "There was a big gasp in the crowd outside when the bird flew in and settled there - a wonderful moment." Another person wrote: "I totally believe in nature, especially birds, bridging the gap between loved ones. I hope it has bought comfort." David Weeks said: "The day before, a bunch of us did the waterfall hike and there was a dipper bird that just sat there while we were in the bridge. I was expecting it to fly away when we got closer but he didn't." Another said: "I noticed immediately while watching on YouTube - it was a sign, it had meaning, it had a purpose." The talented and beloved frontman of The Alarm died aged 66 from blood cancer on April 29. Mike, along with James, co-founded the Love Hope Strength Foundation, which raises funds and awareness for cancer centres around the world through music-related events and promotions and registers donors for the International Bone Marrow Registry. James said: "Mike didn't just sing strength, he built a movement around it. He instilled it in the boys, he lived it."
