Big Dipper Dominates On A Cool Summer Night

Perhaps the most recognized formation of

bright stars in our skies, the "Big Dipper" dominates this view of the northwest sky around 11:12 PM, Tuesday, June 28, 2011. The Big Dipper is actually an asterism--that is, a prominent group of stars not making up the entire constellation (in this case Ursa Major). This view looks over Bowman Woods Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and was a 45-second exposure shot at f/3.5, 500 ISO and a 18mm focal length. A thin bead-string of stars can be seen at right center, pointing to the 2 o'clock position of this image. From left, they are: 4 Draconis, Kappa Draconis, 6 Draconis and HIP61564. Of these, Kappa Draconis is the brightest, shining at a 3.84 magnitude.