Finding Polaris, the North Star

D Moreno

What makes the North Star so special? Well, it is the only object in the sky that does not appear to move and is noticeably the brightest star visible to the naked eye. Polaris is probably one of the most famous and useful stars in the heavens. Of the thousands of stars visible to the naked eye, it ranks a respectable 45th in brightness. It is bright enough to appear in polluted city skies and on clear nights, it is visible to most of Earth's humans. Polaris is a unique star as it sits within a single degree of the celestial pole, the precise motionless spot in the sky around which everything pivots. And for all practical purposes, is precise, showing us true north. It is no ordinary star; it's a giant. At about 440 light-years away, it lies four times farther than the Big Dipper's two pointer stars that guide our eyes to it. Polaris shines so bright; it emits the light of thousands of Suns. Even more remarkable is that Polaris's north rotation pole is located dead center to our observations. This means that we are its "north star"! So how do we find Polaris the North Star? The easiest way to find it, is to first locate the Big Dipper. It is visible throughout the year-highest up to spring and quite low in autumn. The Big Dipper has a curved handle and a bowl. Find the two stars at the edge of the bowl that's farthest from the handle. Follow a line from the star at the base of the bowl through the star at the top of the edge onward to a single star that's the same brightness as they are- that's Polaris!

farmers' almanac (2022) https://www.farmersalmanac.com/

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1viprR_0iWNkDT100
The North StarAdobe stock

Read full story in "NewsBreak" App
# New Mexico# Stars# interesting reads# North Star

Comments / 0

Published by

I write a variety of local, unique and historical articles. Military wife, Mother of two.

Roswell, NM
535 followers

More from D Moreno

Louisa County, VA

The Courage of Henry Box Brown

Born and enslaved in about 1815 he grew up with his parents and seven siblings in Louisa County, Virginia. In 1830 their master died and what happened next was all too common in the lives of slaves in the American South. The families got split up. Everything that brought young Henry Brown love and comfort in his life, was instantly destroyed. This would not be the last time that Henry would feel disappointment and sadness. Most of the siblings were sent to live in various plantations. Henry and one of his sisters became the property of their previous master’s son, William Barret. Henry would labor in Barret’s rich tobacco factory; his sister became Barret’s “keep Miss,” or mistress. Life would eventually settle down, and in 1836 Henry would marry a woman named Nancy. Nancy was owned by a different master. Together, Henry and Nancy would have three children. They joined a Baptist church and Henry sang in the choir. He would earn money working extra time in the factory so his family could be set up in a rented house. In the summer of 1848, Henry Brown and his own family were well situated as slaves could be. One morning in August he left for work, as usual, but when he was gone, his pregnant wife Nancy and their three children were taken from their home. They were put on the auction block and sold and waited for transport to their new home in South Carolina. This was the life of a slave; it didn’t matter how well to do they were in those days. He had a wife and kids; he was able to earn money and have a home for his family and live somewhat independently. His master treated him kindly, but his master still kept Henry in a state of slavery. Your body still was not your own and neither was your marriage or your family. Henry had felt betrayed, he had paid his wife’s owner money so that he would not sell her to anyone, and now she was gone. When he was going to take some items to her and his children while they were waiting transport, a friend came to him and told him that there were plans for Henry to get seized too. In desperation Henry went to his own master and begged him to purchase his family but his owner, a “God fearing man,” turned him away and would not purchase his family. His owner would tell him, “Go back to work.” For the second time in his life, Henry Brown would lose everything.

Read full story
Taos, NM

Taos, New Mexico

Taos, New Mexico, situated in the north central region of New Mexico, got its name from a phrase in the indigenous Tiwa language meaning “place of the red willows.” In 1540, Spanish explorers searching for the fabled “Seven Cities of Gold” came upon the Taos Pueblo, a cluster of adobe dwellings, some five stories tall, that have housed the Tiwa for more than 1,100 years and constitute the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States. Following Spanish conquest, a settlement grew, and the mission church of St. Francis of Assisi was built, which still stands today. At first relations between the Spanish and the Natives were amicable, however with the resentment of meddling by missionaries, the relations deteriorated, this would eventually lead to the 1680 pueblo revolt. With continuing tensions, adobe fortifications erected at the town’s center in 1796, which is now known as the Taos Plaza. American acquisition of New Mexico in 1847 triggered yet another insurrection at Taos. The region achieved territorial status in 1850, with Taos becoming known as the home of western scout Kit Carson. At the turn of the 19th century the town’s blend of native pageantry and Spanish tradition began attracting artists and writers, including D.H. Lawrence, Willa Cather and Georgia O’Keeffe. They would draw inspiration from the natural beauty of Taos. The mountains are rugged and beautiful. The nearby Rio Grande Gorge which descends about 800 feet, offers incredible rafting. Taos remains a vibrant center of creative expression, cultural diversity and is rich with spiritual traditions.

Read full story
3 comments

A Holiday Tradition of a Sweet Treat

As the Christmas season approaches, it is a reminder of the celebration of our faith, family, and traditions. One of the most popular Christmas traditions in Northern New Mexico is Las Posadas. Las Posadas is a nine-day celebration of religious observance beginning every year on December 16th and ending on the Christmas Eve, December 24th.

Read full story
1 comments
Chimayo, NM

A Sacred Church in New Mexico

El Santuario de Chimayo is one of America’s most visited and beloved Holy sites. An adobe church situated within the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Chimayo, New Mexico, has been a place of worship for many generations. Before its construction in 1813, the Native American Indians, Hispanic, and other people of faith traveled to the sacred site of El Santuario to ask for healings and offer prayers of petition and thanksgiving for favors received. El Santuario is now one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage centers in the United States and one of the most beautiful examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in New Mexico. This sacred place is known as the Lourdes of America and attracts over 300,000 pilgrims from all over. During the Holy Week, thousands of pilgrims will walk to El Santuario from Santa Fe and other starting points.

Read full story
2 comments

The Apache Warrior

Geronimo-was known as a fierce and brave warrior that only legends are made of. Personal tragedy would shape his lifelong hatred for anyone who attempted to subject him or his people. Born to the Bedonkohe tribe of the Chiricahua Apache's in the month of June in 1829, near the headwaters of the Gila River, present day Arizona. There within the mountainous canyons, and scattered valleys, where fields of boundless prairies lie, he would train to be a warrior, shooting the bow, caring for the horses, and learning to make tools. By the time he was ten years old he was hunting and by the age of fourteen, he was being trained for war. He was given the birth name Goyahkla (Goth-lyka) which in Apache means “One who Yawns”. He was not called the name “Geronimo” until much later in his life, after the Mexicans would call out to St. Jerome when faced with him in battle. Geronimo is Jerome in Spanish. After the Mexicans called him that during a battle, the name stuck and afterwards everyone, including the Apache’s, called him by Geronimo.

Read full story
4 comments
Lincoln County, NM

The Lincoln County War and Billy the Kid

The Lincoln County War was a war that began between two rivals in the New Mexico Territory in 1878. It became famous because of the participation of old West gunslingers, dishonest sheriffs, cattle ranchers, lawyers, and businessmen. There was lawless violence, and ambitious men that used and misused power to retain their fortunes.

Read full story
3 comments
Marfa, TX

The Mystery Marfa Lights of Texas

Weird mysterious lights in west Texas, known as the “Marfa Mystery Lights”, have been seen since the 1800s. Robert Reed Ellison, a young cowboy, reported sighting the lights in 1883. Robert Reed was driving cattle through Paisano Pass when he saw the lights, and he wondered if it was the campfire of the Apache Indians. Other settlers told him they often saw the lights, but that when they investigated, they found no ashes or other evidence of a campsite. The lights range in color, from yellow-orange, green, blue, and red. What is interesting, is that these lights have become so common with sightings, that in 2003 there were monitoring stations put in place. The Marfa Lights have become somewhat of an attraction, that tourists come to eagerly to witness this phenomenon. Is it UFOs and space aliens? Some skeptics will say the lights are the headlights of a car, but since these lights have been seen since the 1800s, that might not the case. The designated view to park for the lights is on the roadside south of U.S. Route 90 about 9 miles east of Marfa. Interestingly enough, the Marfa Army Airfield was once active in the area where American and Allied pilots were trained between 1942 and 1947. It was then used as a regional airport. Could that have anything to do with the lights? Some may even say it is just a mirage caused by sharp temperature gradients between cold and warm layers of air. Would you like to see the lights? These lights are visible on many clear nights between Marfa and Paisano Pass as one looks towards the Chinati Mountains. Gazing out over the wide plain, the Mitchell Flat, that empties southward into the dark mountains of Mexico on U.S route 67, off U.S Highway 90. The truth may very well be out there!

Read full story
6 comments
Roswell, NM

Spheres Bubble Show is coming to Roswell Nov 5-6

Bubbles, bubbles, and more bubbles, you may have seen him on America’s Got Talent, Blaise Ryndes, brings a fusion of art, science, and magic. What began as a hobby in 2010, turned into a bubble profession when the artist Blaise Ryndes received a magic kit for his 9th birthday. He quickly mastered all the tricks and longed for more. He convinced his father to take him to a magic shop in their hometown of Tampa, Florida. Blaise began to immerse himself in all things magic. He acquired new tricks, attended seminars and conventions. After about 9 months of practice and serious dedication, Blaise started to perform small magic shows for friends and family. It was so well received that he was hired on several occasions to do birthday parties for kids in the neighborhood.

Read full story

October's partial solar eclipse

Six days before Halloween, on Tuesday Oct 25, 2022, the moon will pass in front of the sun creating a partial solar eclipse. The sun will appear as if a huge bite has been taken from it, depending on where you live. The partial eclipse will be visible in the northern hemisphere in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United Kingdom and will be the most extreme in the north pole and Russia. Unfortunately, for those of us that live in North America, we won't be able to see it.

Read full story
2 comments

Stories of Witches and Fireballs in New Mexico

October brings spooky stories and haunted reads, tis the season to tell those scary tales of witches and ghosts. If you are a native New Mexican, then surely you grew up hearing many stories of the sorts. Especially stories of the witches (brujas). Witches have been a facet of the rich cultural traditions of New Mexico, going as far back to the ancient times of the Native Americans. The Native American traditions believed witches could send evil to a person and cause them disease. Known to use their powers for sinister purposes. There was a cave 50 miles north of Albuquerque, near Peña Blanca, that was thought to house and teach new witches, and the instructor was the devil himself! However, this supposed cave disappeared, and has never been found.

Read full story
2 comments
Roswell, NM

East Grand Plains and the schoolhouse

Today, it is a much different view but just a short distance east of Roswell, NM is where the dairies, and farmland of alfalfa, chili, pecan orchards and cornfields all lay. However, these same “East Grand Plains” as they are called were all once used by none other than Mr. John Chisum for his cattle to graze on. Yes, that same John Chisum we are all thinking of, the Lincoln County wars. Chisum loved the area, there he could look out to the grand plains, no trees in sight, only the low red hills east of the Pecos River.

Read full story

Where does the legend of La Llorona come from?

We have all heard the story as children to never be alone at night by a river or the weeping lady will come get you, the La Llorona. The legend of La Llorona is Spanish for the weeping woman, has been part of Hispanic culture in the Southwest since the days of the Conquistadors. The tall thin spirit is said to be blessed with natural beauty, with long flowing black hair, wailing into the night and searching for children to drag screaming to a watery grave. Not long after her death her restless spirit began to appear walking the banks the river when darkness fell. Weeping and wailing became a curse at night and people became afraid to go out after dark. She was said to be drifting along the shoreline or floating on the water current with her long white gown. Crying out weeping for her children. And so, they didn’t speak of her as Maria, but as La Llorona.

Read full story
8 comments
Alamogordo, NM

The Lodge and the legend of Rebecca

In 1890 the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad had arrived in the new founded town of Alamogordo and the railroad was intending to extend farther north. This would require more timber, so in 1898 a crew went into the Sacrament Mountains and discovered a summit to harvest the forest. The forest was vast and beautiful that they believed that it would be a great area to attract visitors. By 1899, the railroad would reach up to Cox Canyon, NM and then the visitors would journey the rest of the way to what is now Cloudcroft, about 13 miles. Cloudcroft New Mexico is in the heart of the Sacramento Mountains surrounded by rugged steep slopes and would become a popular destination. The original Cloudcroft Lodge, built in 1899, would become “one of the greatest summer resorts in the West.”

Read full story
Ruidoso, NM

Celebrate AspenFest in Ruidoso, NM

Ruidoso New Mexico has always been a place to escape the desert heat and have a good time. Summers are for horseracing, winter for the skiing, but in Autumn the celebration of the changing seasons and the mountain cool crisp air.

Read full story
Roswell, NM

New Mexico's First African American Settlement

It was the late 1890’s, in the years after the Civil War, where racial edges and meanings were blurred, a Georgia man named Frank Boyer witnessed a white man kill a black barber for nicking him while shaving. The white man was eventually arrested and charged with murder, however during his trial he was acquitted by an all-white jury in less than 10 minutes. “After all,” they said, “he had been nicked twice.” This had infuriated black Georgians all over the state. Many had lived through the terror of slavery and the Civil War and were witnesses to all that was to follow. It was a stressful time and may had been one of the most dangerous times for the African Americans, as there was still the threat to keep them in social and political weakness. With the new segregation laws and more dangerously new social organizations, the South felt like a place that would never be safe.

Read full story
24 comments
Albuquerque, NM

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, Celebrating the Big 50!

What had started as a small gathering of balloon enthusiasts in 1972, has turned out to be one of the largest balloon events in the world, and undisputedly, the most photographed event. The gathering was only 13 balloons, and it was held in the parking lot of Coronado Center Mall in Albuquerque, NM. The following year 13 countries took part in the “First World Hot Air Balloon Championship”. You can say, “the rest is history”, and now hundreds of thousands of people visit the Fiesta and thousands more watch it live.

Read full story
Roswell, NM

The Eastern New Mexico State Fair is coming to town!

Every year every child waits for this moment, and once again it is that time again. The fair is coming to town! It all begins with a parade, a time-honored tradition when the community comes together to see the precession of decorated floats and marchers smiling and waving at the crowds down main street Roswell. This year the fair in Roswell, NM will be rather special; as it will be celebrating 100 years of nostalgic entertainment of rides, sideshows, games, exhibits and of course sweet cotton candy to fill the air.

Read full story
1 comments

Comments / 0

Community Policy