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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 10 things to know for Friday They got algorithm Posters about missing teen will be distributed Competition keen at first city chili cookoff Alice Hardesty shares healing memoir Education Ashland schools expand chicken pox exclusion rules Students go behind the scenes at hospital Ashland robotics team aims to build a winner AHS ranked No. 7 by Niche College debt load balloons: What could, should be done? Environment The top five conservation success of 2014 Protestors want Keystone pipeline plans stopped New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon Turning fire fuel threat into wood stove heat Ashland watershed trails would change under proposal Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Cadillac Escalade Brammo bought by Polaris They have a plan Ashland coffee roasters win nationwide honors Chamber's Business Resource Portal offers tools for success Politics and elections Chief Holderness retiring, wants to help find successor State News New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon Police officer shoots armed driver near Reedsport Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Elizabeth Hope Garrett Death Notices Harry Theodore Hertz Death Notices Marvin Leo "Bud" Gettling Shareable Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Sports Latest Stories Respect: sock it to him A Grizz sweep Heisman winner Mariota says he's going to the NFL Comets press past Grizzlies Buckeyes won title behind line play, Elliott and Jones High school A Grizz sweep Comets press past Grizzlies Raiders put on a show Graham sparks Grizzly rout Ashland drops MWL opener to Marist Southern Oregon University Heisman winner Mariota says he's going to the NFL Buckeyes won title behind line play, Elliott and Jones Sayre says character key to SOU's success Ducks grounded Raiders put on a show Opinion Latest Stories Kent Bush: Capital punishment raises questions Our View: A matter of survival Letters to the Editor, Jan. 16 Other Views: Get GMO rules right Editor's Notes: We were wrong Editorial Our View: A matter of survival Other Views: Get GMO rules right Our View: No benefit from LNG pipeline Our View: Putting slash to work Our view: Protect Ashland's crown Letters Letters to the Editor, Jan. 16 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 14 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 5 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 31 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Bikes, hikers/equestrians need separate watershed trails Guest Opinion: SOU biomass burner would be big mistake Guest Opinion: City hiring policy is fair, unbiased Another view: Cheney defends nation's journey into darkness Herb Rothschild Jr.: Fury impedes justice Revels Latest Stories Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Cardenio' Best Bets: Jan. 15-22 A look at the life and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. 'Spotlight' highlights Orbison's life, music 'Selma' struggle remains relevant today Theater Insights into the gifts theater offers off the stage Theater is an act of co-creation ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Music Jeff Kloetzel at Belle Fiore The Farr Side: Top 10 album count-up for 2014 Visual Art Schneider winter exhibits on tap: 'Baker's Dozen' and 'New Works' First Friday kicks off a new year Movies Movie review: ‘Blackhat’ is a frustrating 404 error Movie review: ‘A Most Violent Year’ is a gritty look at oily dealings in ’80s New York Movie review: Clint Eastwood shines as director in ‘American Sniper’ 'Selma' struggle remains relevant today Interview: Bradley Cooper discusses working with Clint Eastwood on ‘American Sniper’ Food and Drink Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Cadillac Escalade Dr. Jeff Hersh: Heart test causes undue alarm Dr. Murray Feingold: How reliable is the medical information we read? Looking Up: Comet passes by the Pleiades Suzette Martinez Standring: Chance advice was eerie Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW Our View: A matter of survival ... Posters about missing teen will be distributed ... Brammo bought by Polaris ... Our View: A matter of survival ... Posters about missing teen will be distributed ... Brammo bought by Polaris ... Looking Up: Comet passes by the Pleiades Comment By Peter Becker More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Peter Becker More Content Now Posted Jan. 16, 2015 @ 2:00 am Updated at 7:59 AM By Peter Becker More Content Now Posted Jan. 16, 2015 @ 2:00 am Updated at 7:59 AM » Social News One of the gems of the winter night is the Pleiades star cluster. Glittering fairly bright, the principal stars are compacted close together and unmistakable to the unaided eyes. As if that weren't enough, over the next few nights, a nice comet visible in binoculars is passing just west of the star cluster. From mid-northern latitudes, the Pleiades will appear quite high in the sky as darkness falls. Look up to the right of the famed Orion constellation. You can likely find the Pleiades even on a moonlit night or if there is moderate light pollution. New moon is on Tuesday, Jan. 20, so for the next week we will have dark night skies. The Pleiades are often called the "Seven Sisters" from Greek mythology. Most people, however, can discern only five Pleiades stars without using binoculars or a telescope; some will be able to see six. There are numerous fainter stars in the cluster; with binoculars you can decide which one should be the seventh and then check how good your eyesight is. The Pleiades travel together, bound by mutual gravitation. The cluster is about 444 light years away. The cluster's light you see tonight left the stars in 1671. The cluster is shaped like a small dipper, but don't confuse it with the Little Dipper. The latter star pattern is much larger and is in the north sky, the North Star marking the tip of the handle. If you have binoculars, try to find Comet Lovejoy. Scan about eight degrees (probably just over the width of the binoculars' field of view) to the west, or right of the Pleiades. On Saturday, January 17th, look to the right and a bit down. The comet is slowly moving to the upper right. By the night of Jan. 19-20, the comet will be due west (right) of the star cluster. Comet Lovejoy will appear as a +4th magnitude "fuzzy spot" with binoculars, without any evidence of a tail. If your sky is reasonably dark and you let your eyes adjust to the darkness, you may be able to barely see the comet with unaided eyes. Brightness of stars, planets and other sky objects are measured by magnitude. A +6th magnitude star is usually the dimmest you will see with unaided eyes on a dark, clear night. While +4th magnitude is brighter than that, in the case of the comet the light is spread out on its fuzzy disc making not quite as easy to pick out as if it were a point-like star. Send your reports to [email protected]. Keep looking up! By Peter Becker More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Peter Becker More Content Now Posted Jan. 16, 2015 @ 2:00 am Updated at 7:59 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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