Calling all Earthlings!
Take a few minutes to get involved in the GLOBE at Night campaign to preserve dark skies!
GLOBE at Night is a citizen-science campaign open to people all over the world to raise awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting citizen-scientists to measure their night sky brightness and report their observations to a website from a computer or smart phone. Light pollution threatens not only our “right to starlight”, but can affect energy consumption, wildlife and health. Through 2011, people in 115 countries contributed 66,000 measurements, making GLOBE at Night one of the most successful light pollution awareness campaigns to date.
Please join us to participate in the 2012 campaign an hour after sunset til about 10pm January 14 through 23, February 12 through 21, March 13 through 22, and April 11 through 20.
For information and resources, visit us at www.globeatnight.org.

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Constance E. Walker, Ph.D.
director, GLOBE at Night campaign (www.globeatnight.org)

Constellation of the Month: Auriga
 (by Anne Neave)

High in the winter sky the constellation Auriga forms a lovely multi-sided figure of stars. The brightest star in Auriga is Capella and this can be found by drawing a straight line from Orion's belt up between his shoulders to the brightest star overhead. Auriga has been known since ancient times as a charioteer carrying a goat on his shoulder. The goat star, Capella, is the sixth brightest star in the night sky. It is unusual in that it is formed of two yellow companion stars and a pair of red dwarf stars.

To the right of Capella, also visible by eye, is Epsilon Aurigae. Also known as Almaaz, this is a white super giant star which eclipses once every 27 years when a mysterious companion passes in front of it. The eclipse lasts about two years, the most recent beginning in 2009 and ending in the spring of 2011.

Auriga is home to three star clusters which you can observe through binoculars. M36 is an open star cluster of about 60 young blue and white stars. Have a look through the cluster for numerous double stars.

M37 is the best open star cluster in Auriga with about 170 bright stars forming a rough trapezoid shape.

M38 is the dimmest of the three clusters in the centre of Auriga and has been compared in shape to the Greek letter pi.

Here's a list of the major meteor showers for 2012 (as borrowed from Sky And Telescope online)

Shower Radiant and direction, Morning of maximum, Predicted Hourly rate
Quadrantid Draco (NE), Jan. 4,  60-120 per hour
Lyrid Lyra (E), Apr. 22, 10-20 per hour
Aquarid* Aquarius (E), May 5, 20-40 per hour
Boötid Boötes (NW) June 27, 10-40 per hour
Aquarid* Aquarius (S) July 28, 20 per hour
Perseid Perseus (NE) Aug. 12, 60-80 per hour
Orionid Orion (SE) Oct. 21, 10-20 per hour
Leonid Leo (E) Nov. 17, 10-20 per hour
Geminid Gemini (S) Dec. 14, 100 per hour
* Moonlight will wash out fainter meteors in these showers.