Globe at Night 2018 Hercules and Third Crux Campaigns Begin June 4

Summary: The Globe at Night 2018 Hercules and third Crux campaigns begin Monday, June 4, in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere, respectively.

The distinctive, quadrangular Keystone asterism, or star pattern, forms the Roman mythological hero's body (or head, as visualized by the Curious George series' creator, 20th century German-born American author-illustrator Hans Augusto "H.A." Rey) in Hercules the Hero constellation: Winchester SciCentre @WinSciCentre, via Twitter Aug. 30, 2016

The Globe at Night 2018 Hercules and third Crux campaigns begin Monday, June 4, and finish Wednesday, June 13, to check light pollution effects on visibility of Hercules the Hero constellation in the Northern Hemisphere and on Crux the Cross in the Southern Hemisphere.

The June campaign is the first of Globe at Night’s two 2018 campaigns concerning Hercules the Hero constellation. Globe at Night's second 2018 Hercules campaign takes place in July. The Roman mythological hero’s constellation rates as the fifth largest of the 88 modern constellations.

Constellation Hercules extends northward on astronomy’s Northern Celestial Hemisphere to border the northern circumpolar constellation of Draco the Dragon. Hercules the Hero’s southern boundary touches the equatorial constellation of Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

Hercules the Hero’s southward reach also includes two additional equatorial constellations as neighbors. Aquila the Eagle and Serpens Caput the Serpent Head spill across the celestial equator to sidle alongside Hercules and Ophiuchus.

The figure of Hercules appears upside down relative to the Hero's surrounding constellations. The three equatorial constellations crown the Hero's head and upper torso. Circumpolar Draco the Dragon lurks beneath a foot and a knee of the kneeling hero.

Five fully Northern Celestial Hemisphere constellations frame Hercules the Hero's sides. Bootes the Herdsman (or Plowman) stretches alongside Corona Borealis the Northern Crown to join Draco the Dragon at Hercules's flexed foot. On the Hero's other side, Sagitta the Arrow rests atop Aquila the Eagle to support Vulpecula the Little Fox and Lyra the Lyre.

Globe at Night’s website suggests finding Hercules by way of Vega. The bluish-white star is the brightest star in Lyra the Lyre constellation. A north-facing observer locates the quadrangular shape of Hercules's distinctive Keystone asterism, or star pattern, to the west of Vega. EarthSky Tonight’s lead writer, Bruce McClure, describes the distance between Vega and the Keystone as equivalent to the width of the observer's extended fist.

Globe at Night conducts the Northern Hemisphere 2018 Hercules campaign simultaneously with the third 2018 Crux campaign for Southern Hemisphere participants. While Hercules the Hero reigns as the fifth largest of the 88 modern constellations, Crux the Cross constellation holds last place, as the smallest.

Globe at Night conducts the June Crux campaign as the last of three 2018 Crux campaigns. The first 2018 Crux campaign ran from Friday, April 6, to Sunday, April 15. The second 2018 Crux campaign ran from Saturday, May 5, to Monday, May 14.

Southern circumpolar constellation Crux claims only two neighbors in its starry location in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere. Centaurus the Centaur, also a southern circumpolar constellation, surrounds Crux on three sides, resting along Crux’s eastern, western and northern borders. Musca the Fly comprises Crux’s southern neighbor.

Globe at Night’s website suggests locating Crux the Cross constellation by way of Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri in Centaurus the Centaur. The two brightest stars in Centaurus are known as the Southern Pointers for their clear, helpful pointing toward Crux the Cross constellation’s Southern Cross asterism.

Reference to Globe at Night’s seven magnitude charts guide Hercules and Crux campaign participants in determining the faintest visible stars for their latitude. Charts range from magnitude zero for cloudy sky to magnitude seven for a star-filled sky. Results of participants’ observations reveal the effects of light pollution on the visibility of the two constellations for Earth-based stargazers.

Globe at Night’s website (www.globeatnight.org) encourages citizen scientists around the globe to participate in 2018’s monthly campaigns. The year’s first campaign began Friday, Jan. 6. The last campaign finishes Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018.

Southern Hemisphere campaigns focus on six constellations. Closed campaigns comprise Orion the Hunter, conducted in January and February, and Canis Major (“Greater Dog”), held in January, February and March.

After Crux closes in June, Scorpius the Scorpion begins in July, with a second campaign in August. Sagittarius the Archer’s first campaign takes place in September, followed by a second campaign in October. Globe at Night conducts two Grus the Crane campaign. The first Grus campaign runs from Tuesday, Oct. 30, to Thursday, Nov. 8; the second begins Thursday, Nov. 29, and finishes Saturday, Dec. 8.

Northern Hemisphere campaigns cover nine constellations. Closed campaigns comprise Orion the Hunter (January, February, March), Taurus the Bull (January), Gemini the Twins (February), Leo the Lion (March, April) and Bootes the Herdsman (May).

Three constellations succeed July’s second Hercules campaign in the Northern Hemisphere. Cygnus the Swan has two campaigns, with the first in August and the second in September. Pegasus the Winged Horse campaign takes place in October. Globe at Night’s two Perseus the Hero campaigns run simultaneously with the Southern Hemisphere’s Grus campaign.

The takeaway for the Globe at Night 2018 Hercules and third Crux campaigns, which begin Monday, June 4, is that the Northern Hemisphere’s June Hercules campaign occurs as the first of two 2018 Hercules campaigns, while the Southern Hemisphere’s Crux campaign in June takes place as the last of three monthly Crux campaigns in 2018.

Contact details for Globe at Night:

email: globeatnight@noao.edu
website: https://www.darksky.org

Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri, two brightest stars in Centaurus the Centaur constellation, point to the ninth largest modern constellation’s neighbor, Crux the Cross, which is the smallest of the 88 modern constellations: Mark Mighell, via Facebook Dec. 21, 2014

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

The distinctive, quadrangular Keystone asterism, or star pattern, forms the Roman mythological hero's body (or head, as visualized by the Curious George series' creator, 20th century German-born American author-illustrator Hans Augusto "H.A." Rey) in Hercules the Hero constellation: Winchester SciCentre @WinSciCentre, via Twitter Aug. 30, 2016, @ https://twitter.com/WinSciCentre/status/770697834471550976

Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri, two brightest stars in Centaurus the Centaur constellation, point to the ninth largest modern constellation’s neighbor, Crux the Cross, which is the smallest of the 88 modern constellations: Mark Mighell, via Facebook Dec. 21, 2014, @ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205461313829125;
Mark Mighell, via Facebook Dec. 21, 2014, @ https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10205461313829125&set=a.10205461264587894l
Mark Mighell @WizzardMighell, via Twitter Dec. 21, 2014, @ https://twitter.com/WizzardMighell/status/546934171692589056

For further information:

EarthSky @earthskyscience. “Vega is your guide to Hercules, its Keystone and a famous star cluster #easyfind.” Twitter. May 22, 2014.
Available @ https://twitter.com/earthskyscience/status/469510329396101121

Mark Mighell. "The Southern Cross or Crux is a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere." Facebook. Dec. 21, 2014.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205461313829125

Mark Mighell @WizzardMighell. "The Southern Cross or Crux is a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere." Twitter. Dec. 21, 2014.
Available @ https://twitter.com/WizzardMighell/status/546934171692589056

Marriner, Derdriu. "Curious George Co-Creator Hans Rey Drew Keystone as Head of Hercules." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, July 9, 2014.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/07/curious-george-co-creator-hans-rey-drew.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Four Star Keystone Asterism Contains Hercules Globular Cluster.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/09/four-star-keystone-asterism-contains.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Globe at Night 2018 Bootes and Crux Campaigns Happen in May.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, May 9, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/05/globe-at-night-2018-bootes-and-crux.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Keystone Asterism Identifies Hercules the Kneeling Hero Constellation.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/09/keystone-asterism-identifies-hercules.html

McClure, Bruce. “Find the Keystone in Hercules.” EarthSky > Tonight. May 13, 2018.
Available @ http://earthsky.org/tonight/vega-guide-star-to-the-keystone-and-hercules-star-cluster

Rey, H.A. The Stars: A New Way to See Them. Enlarged World-Wide Edition. New York NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997.

Winchester SciCentre @WinSciCentre. "Stargazing Guide: Can you spot Hercules? Look for the ‘keystone’ of four stars that form his torso! #Stargazing." Twitter. Aug. 30, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/WinSciCentre/status/770697834471550976