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4 weeks ago
15
If you're a fan of stargazing, make sure you have your eyes to the skies this week.
A leading astronomer has uncovered six brand new constellations over Britain – and they're all named after delicious party foods.
Eagle–eyed viewers will be able to spot The Sausage Roll, The Chicken Nugget, and The Prawn Ring, according to Mark Thompson.
In the right conditions, the expert says you might also see The Cheese on a Stick, The Pig in Blanket, and The Mini Pizza.
For your best chance of seeing the celestial snacks, look up on Thursday night, when a 'Micro New Moon' will appear – offering the perfect conditions for stargazing.
'Whether it's the Pig in Blanket in Gemini, or the Prawn Ring in the Winter Hexagon, there's now a whole festive buffet twinkling overhead,' Mr Thompson explained.
'This Thursday's Micro New Moon is the perfect moment to take a break from the Christmas chaos, wrap up warm, and look up.
'With the gentle glow of moonlight, the stars will still be dazzling, the perfect time to spot these tasty new additions to the heavens.'
A leading astronomer has uncovered six brand new constellations over Britain – and they're all named after delicious party foods
Eagle–eyed viewers will be able to spot the The Sausage Roll, The Chicken Nugget, and The Prawn Ring, according to Mark Thompson
The Moon orbits the Earth on an elliptical path, which means one side is closer to our planet than the other.
The closest point in the orbit is called perigee – which creates an unusually large 'supermoon' – while its farthest point is called apogee, creating a micromoon.
As Thursday's micromoon is a New Moon, the side of the Moon facing the Earth will not be illuminated be the Sun.
This will make our lunar satellite almost invisible in the night sky – creating the perfect, dark conditions to see the stars.
To celebrate the rare occurence, Mr Thompson has teamed up with Iceland Foods to highlight some of the most interesting constellations to look for.
The Chicken Nugget
The Chicken Nugget constellation includes the stars of Orion – Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Mintaka, Rigel, Saiph and Alnitak.
For your best chance of seeing it, Mr Thompson advises looking south–southeast at around 10pm on Thursday night.
Like The Chicken Nugget, the Prawn Ring is best seen by looking south–southeast at around 10pm
The Mini Pizza is formed by the main stars of Auriga – including Capella, Al Kab, Elnath, Theta Aurigae, and Menkalinan
The new constellations and where to see them
- The Chicken Nugget – south southeast
- The Prawn Ring – south southeast
- Mini Pizza – southeast
- Pig in Blanket – east to southeast in early evening, south by midnight
- Sausage Roll – south to southeast
- Cheese on a Stick – north
Prawn Ring
Two rings of stars form the Prawn Ring constellation, according to the astronomer.
'The outer ring links Capella, Aldebaran, Rigel, Sirius, Procyon and Pollux, while the inner portion connects Alhena, Tejat Posterior, Zeta Tauri and Betelgeuse,' he explained.
Like The Chicken Nugget, the Prawn Ring is best seen by looking south–southeast at around 10pm.
Mini Pizza
The Mini Pizza is formed by the main stars of Auriga – including Capella, Al Kab, Elnath, Theta Aurigae, and Menkalinan.
'Look in the southeast in the evening to spot it,' Mr Thompson said.
Pig in Blanket
The Pig in Blanket constellation if formed by the stars of Gemini – Castor, Tau Geminorum, Mebsuta, Tejat Posterior, Alhena, Mekbuda, Wasat and Pollux
Finally, the Cheese on a Stick constellation uses stars from both Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
It's a festive favourite, and now fans of Pigs in Blankets can spot the snack in the night sky.
This constellation if formed by the stars of Gemini – Castor, Tau Geminorum, Mebsuta, Tejat Posterior, Alhena, Mekbuda, Wasat and Pollux.
Mr Thompson advised: 'Look east to southeast in the early evening, or directly south by midnight.'
Sausage Roll
The stars of Leo – Algieba, Eta Leonis, Regulus, Chertan and Zosma – make up the Sausage Roll constellation.
For your best chance of seeing it, look south to southeast in the evening.
Cheese on a Stick
Finally, the Cheese on a Stick constellation uses stars from both Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
'The cheese is formed by Dubhe, Merak, Phecda and Megrez in Ursa Major (the Big Dipper/Plough), with the stick extending into Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper/Little Bear) via Kochab,' Mr Thompson explained.
To spot it, look north in the night sky.
HOW DO STARS FORM?
Stars form from dense molecular clouds - of dust and gas - in regions of interstellar space known as stellar nurseries.
A single molecular cloud, which primarily contains hydrogen atoms, can be thousands of times the mass of the sun.
They undergo turbulent motion with the gas and dust moving over time, disturbing the atoms and molecules causing some regions to have more matter than other parts.
If enough gas and dust come together in one area then it begins to collapse under the weight of its own gravity.
As it begins to collapse it slowly gets hotter and expands outwards, taking in more of the surrounding gas and dust.
At this point, when the region is about 900 billion miles across, it becomes a pre-stellar core and the starting process of becoming a star.
Then, over the next 50,000 years this will contract 92 billion miles across to become the inner core of a star.
The excess material is ejected out towards the poles of the star and a disc of gas and dust is formed around the star, forming a proto-star.
This matter is then either incorporated into the star or expelled out into a wider disc that will lead to the formation of planets, moons, comets and asteroids.
