morning Big Dipper: getting higher

Event Date: September 5th
Time: 6:00 AM

Brief

  Shortly before Sunrise at this time of year, the Big Dipper's "cup" makes a return in the low northeast skies, while its handle becomes more visible with each passing morning.  Depending on how much obstruction there is towards your horizon, we may see the Dipper before Sunrise as early as mid-August.  When looking from a high elevation such as a mountain at mid-northern latitudes, the circumpolar asterism never sets at all.  Because of atmospheric pollution however, it isn't as easy to see when low towards the horizon, so many viewers don't really take notice of it until it starts to stand on its handle. 
Here is the Dipper during twilight, shortly before its stars are washed out by the Sun's light.  The north celestial pole is marked also, to show the Dipper's northern declination.

Detailed

   The more north a viewer is, the more hours (s)he sees the Dipper easily.  From the celestial equator, the Dipper spends about half the day below the horizon.  The further north one goes of mid-latitudes, the longer it can be seen.  Now that we have longer nights as we approach the September equinox, it gives plenty of chances to enjoy viewing the Dipper and--if dark enough with no Moon in the way--dim galaxies with a powerful enough telescope nearby it.  When we start having the Dipper higher in the sky during fall mornings and later Sunsets, I will pick an evening to label those.
This second image is at the same time as the first, although this time, I will take away the landscape, showing only the horizon line and celestial grid.  I will also label two stars of the Dipper--Dubhe and Merak--that point almost directly to Polaris: the brightest star of the Little Dipper, and parent constellation Ursa Minor, being the bear's tail. 

click on images to enlarge: courtesy of Starry Night Pro Plus, version 6.4.3, by Simulation Curriculum Corp.

   Dubhe and Merak get some good attention this way; they are often the first stars to learn about when trying to (1) distinguish Polaris from other similar magnitude stars in that part of the sky, and (2) finding as close to north as possible.  Since Polaris is about 40 arc-minutes away from the north celestial pole (labels overlap), it is not precise, yet close enough.  More on Polaris and the north celestial pole tomorrow, when I zoom in on the surrounding star field.