Sky this Week April 27 to May 3, 2008
by Vern on Apr.29, 2008, under Astronomy, Sky this Week, Video
The following is a summary of just a few of the many objects that may be seen in the sky, this week April 27th to May 3rd, 2008.
International Space Station
On Fri May 2 the ISS appears in the south at 4:57 am and disappears in the east at 5:02 am MDT (magnitude -0.4)
On Sat May 3 the ISS appears in the southwest at 5:19 am and disappears in the northeast at 5:25 am MDT (magnitude -2.3)
Sun
No active regions are currently visible on the solar disk as of Sunday.
On Sunday April 27th sunrise occurred at 6:07 am and set at 7:53 pm MDT
On Saturday May 3rd, sunrise is at 6:00 am and sunset is 7:59 pm MDT
Moon
The moon is at third quarter phase on Monday April 28 at 8:12 am MDT. It transitions to new on Monday May 5th.
Planets
Mercury is visible in the western sky after sunset in the constellation Taurus. It sets later each day from about 9 pm on Sunday to 9:34 pm on Saturday. On Sunday it is magnitude -1.2 in brightness and is in constellation Aries. By Saturday it dims to magnitude -0.7 and will be in the constellation Taurus. In the telescope it appears as a very small first quarter moon.
Mars is visible in the early evening (9pm) about half way up in the sky toward the west. It is in the northern part of Gemini about 5 degrees to the left of Pollux. It is now 5.7 arc sec in diameter, 90% illuminated, and magnitude +1.2 in brightness. It is about 153 million miles from Earth.
Saturn is visible nearly straight south in the early evening as well. It is in the constellation Leo. It is +1 magnitude in brightness and the disk is 18.6 arc sec in diameter. It is 864 million miles from earth. While you are out Saturday locate Saturn’s moon’s Tethys, Rhea, Dione, Titan in your scope. (Titan is 2 arc min to the lower right of the disk).
Jupiter rises shortly after 1 am in the constellation Sagitarrius in the southeast. It is magnitude -2.2 in brightness and 41.4 arc sec in diameter. It is 443 million miles from earth.
Jupiter’s great red spot (grs) crosses the center of the disk at the following times this week.
Mon April 28 at 02:32 am
Wed April 30 at 04:11 am
Sat May 2 at 05:49 am
The GRS is visible for about an hour before and after the central meridian crossing times above.
Asteroids
In the early evening there are 3 asteroids visible that are brighter than magnitude +10.
1 Ceres is in the constellation Taurus it is magnitude +8.9
41 Daphne is in constellation Virgo and is magnitude +9.7
7 Iris is in the constellation Corvus and is magnitude +9.9
Comets
17P Holmes is in constellation Auriga. On May 3rd it will be moving through open cluster M38. It is about magnitude 5.8 in brightness and the coma is about 1 degree diameter. Binoculars or wide field scope will be needed to see it.
C/2007 W1 Boattini is in constellation Hydra. It is magnitude 7.7 in brightness; the coma is 9 arc min in diameter.
C/2008 C1 Chen-Gao is in constellation Orion and is magnitude +10.4 in brightness; the coma is 2.9 arc min in diameter.
C/2006 Q1 McNaught is in the constellation Antlia and is magnitude +10.9 in brightness; the coma is about 1 arc min diameter.
26P/Grigg-Skjellerup is in the constellation Delphinius and is magnitude +11.2 in brightness.
Dark Sky Objects
This weekend we get 6hrs and 34 minutes of astronomical darkness as the moon rises at 4:30 am which is after astronomical twilight ends (4:17 am).
M51 in Canes Venatici is an impressive object in scopes 10 inches and larger. Try tracing the multiple spiral arms of M51. If you have a really large scope you might try to see the plumes or horns north of its companion NGC 5195.
M101 in Ursa Major is another great object to view especially in larger telescopes. Look at it with UHC filter to locate 3 or 4 of its bright HII regions in the arms. If you are working on the Astroleague Arp observing club, observe that some of its spiral arms appear bent with straight segments. Locate the bright knot NGC 5462 that Halton Arp reported in his notes.
NGC 3242, the "Ghost of Jupiter" in constellation Hydra. Center your finder on Mu Hydrae and then slew south not quite 2 degrees. It bright at magnitude 8.4 and 35×30 arc sec across and so about the same size as the planet Jupiter, hence its name. It has a blue or bluish-green color even in smaller scopes. The magnitude 12.1 central white dwarf star may be seen with moderate aperatures. The central star is surrounded by a small circular dark area and a diffuse outer nebulous region with distinct edges elognated in NW to SE. Observe it with UHC or OIII filter to increase the contrast.
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