You say VAY-guh, I say VEE-guh, let’s just call it Vega

When I was a kid and supposed to be in bed sleeping, I’d stand up on the mattress and look out the north window of my bedroom on clear nights. The North Star was always there, but during March and … Continue reading →

Vega raises its head above the trees, still leafless in Duluth, around 10 o'clock. Photo: Bob King
When I was a kid and supposed to be in bed sleeping, I’d stand up on the mattress and look out the north window of my bedroom on clear nights. The North Star was always there, but during March and April Vega twinkled low in the northeastern sky above the leafless trees. The star has been a steady friend ever since and a reminder that summer’s coming soon.
I still smile inside as an adult when I watch it return every April. This tiny explosion of light brings in the new season. Another reason for its warm persona is its position in the Summer Triangle, a group of three bright stars that dominate the southern sky from July through September. Vega is the brightest of the three and the first to rise in the east for northern hemisphere sky ...