Find Corona Borealis in Late Fall

The stellar hunting season for Corona Borealis (CrB), site of an anticipated recurring nova, slowly transitions from cool fall evenings to cold winter mornings. The good news is that the nights are longer near the December solstice.

Look toward a western horizon after sunset to find the U-shaped constellation as fall winds down. The Big Dipper is sitting upright in the northwest, with CrB to its left. If you frame the scene so the bright star Vega (a corner of the Summer Triangle) is in the upper left corner of your cell phone camera's field of view, CrB will be below and slightly right. Star hop from Vega through the "keystone" of the constellation Hercules onward to CrB.

While the bright star Alphecca (a.k.a. Gemma) may remain prominent, you start losing the other six stars in the muck of atmosphere near the horizon. In its initial outburst phase, the nova may peak near the second-magnitude brightness of Gemma before it rapidly dims.

Through November, Corona Borealis is left of the Big Dipper above the horizon. View is from Lake Michigan shoreline October 25 at 10:22 p.m. EDT.

Between the "keystone" of Hercules (near the top of the frame over the central bridge span) and the right pair of bridge uprights is Corona Borealis. View is from Louisville, KY, October 26, at 8:33 p.m. EDT.

By late fall the constellation dips below the WNW horizon during early nighttime hours, so you must either grab your photo while CrB is low after sunset or wait for it to reappear in the ENE about an hour before sunrise. There can be crossover between viewing opportunities as you play the weather forecast and your sightlines. In December, bundle up and then start your day early and energized.

CrB emerges in the morning sky, appearing as a backwards C, at year's end. View is from near South Bend, IN, on December 12 at 6:47 a.m. EST.

Happy hunting!