by jamie kelly
illustrations by ken barnedt

To plan for your night under the stars this winter, download the free astronomy software Stellarium at stellarium.com. Also, try Google Sky Map for Android or Star Walk for iPhone/iPad. To see the astronomical friendliness of the weather, visit cleardarksky.com.

Photo: Constellations in the winter sky looking north in the Northern Hemisphere.

High and dry” is the rule if you want to see the full glory of the winter’s night sky in western Montana, which offers stunning views of nebulae, galaxies and the rise of the constellation Orion when conditions are just right.

Trouble is, said University of Montana astronomy professor Diane Friend, winter has a distinct knack for hiding its own celestial bounty.

And it isn’t just cloud cover that blocks the Big Sky.

Constellations in the winter sky looking south in the Northern Hemisphere.

“We have a lot of moisture because of the air flow west of the Divide,” said Friend, who also has plenty of advice for stargazers and amateur astronomers to enjoy the heavens this winter.

Sky watchers may have to be either a little or a lot patient to get unmolested views of the thousands upon thousands of visual treats the universe has to offer.

Patience pays off, however. On a dry and still winter night, far away from city lights and above the earthly haze, the view of the heavens can humble a person living in the Northern Hemisphere.

“The beauty of it is that when we have long winter nights, and the air is still, it can be beautiful and even spectacular,” said Friend, who also helps run the Blue Mountain Observatory.

Though the observatory is closed in the winter, people don’t need much more than a pair of binoculars to see some exquisite details of creation. Even a mere set of decent eyeballs can spy some grand celestial objects – including star-birthing nebulae.

The importance of escaping light pollution can’t be overstated. And that means driving to places that are far from city lights and freeways, and preferably high up.

Lolo Pass is often mentioned among amateur astronomers.

So, it’s a rare dry, clear and still night in Missoula. You’ve got your eyes, perhaps your binoculars are a decent telescope.

What should you look for?

Well, among constellations, Orion is not just a mythical Greek hunter, but a rock star.

“Orion is the top thing, and it’s always fun to see if you can separate the four trapezium stars in the center,” said Bill Elison, treasurer of the Western Montana Astronomical Society, an informal collection of astrophiles.

Orion’s brilliance in the night sky makes it popular, as does the presence of the Orion nebula, which can be seen with the naked eye as it gives birth to stars. The nebula’s gasses and dust can be seen in some detail with a decent telescope. Look for Orion to rise in the east and ascend to its full height and glory around midnight in the southeast.

Jupiter, situated above and slightly to the east of Orion, will also be particularly brilliant this winter. Look for the gas giant to appear in the southern sky shortly after dark and then slowly settle to the western horizon.

“Jupiter will be quite interesting because it will be quite high,” said Elison. “And the higher it is the better because you’ll have a better chance of seeing surface features.”

Mars will rise in the east this winter around midnight and make a slow, diagonal arc to the south over the night.

Saturn won’t be far behind Mars, rising around 1 a.m. This year, astronomers should be able to get a good view of its rings – and the Cassini Division between them – because it will be tilted around 14 degrees, said Elison.

Look also for the Andromeda galaxy on a clear night, whose form is more discernible the more powerful the telescope.

Winter will put on quite a show, celestially, if the weather cooperates, said Friend. So be prepared for that rare occasion.

“High is good, and dark is good,” she said. “And on the driest night possible.”

Jamie Kelly is a Missoulian reporter. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .