Fomalhaut a Bright Beacon in the Dark Celestial Ocean

As the Earth orbits the sun, those of us in the northern hemisphere will see the bright constellations of summer drift to the west and the constellations of fall appear in the southeast.  

The fall constellations that are along the southern horizon are fairly dim, almost like looking into a deep ocean.  Indeed, the constellations of the southern Fall sky all have a water theme.  From Capricornus (the sea-goat) to Aquarius (the Water Bearer) to Pisces and Cetus, all of these constellations have some connection to water.

These constellations are composed of very dim stars, none are brighter than 2nd magnitude, with the exception of one.  The star Fomalhaut is the brightest star in the constellation Pisces Austrinus (The Southern Fish).

The star Fomalhaut (pronounced Foh-muhl-ho) is the southern most first magnitude star visible from most of the northern hemisphere.  This brightness is due to two factors.  First, the star is highly luminous type A star, meaning it is very hot and puts out a lot of energy per second.  Second, Fomalhaut is only 23 light years away, fairly close in astronomical terms.  

As September progresses Fomalhaut will rise 4 minutes earlier each night.  It will be easy to spot as it is the only bright star in that part of the sky, a lonely beacon in the dark of the celestial ocean. 

Star Fomalhaut in Pisces Austrinus, Created with Stellarium