Sky this Week
Sky this Week for March 29 to April 4, 2009
by Vern on Mar.31, 2009, under Sky this Week, Video
Sky this Week for March 15 to March 21, 2009
by Vern on Mar.16, 2009, under Sky this Week, Video
Sky this Week
by Vern on Feb.25, 2008, under Astronomy, Sky this Week, Video
Summary of some things to check out in the sky during the week of Feb. 24 to Mar. 1, 2008
Note the planetary diameters are stated in the video as being “arc minutes” across; they should of course be “arc seconds” across!!!
International Space Station
If you get up early around 5:40:41 am MST on Saturday morning you should see a bright, magnitude -1.1 pass of the ISS. It appears in the SSW and disappears in the ENE at 5:45:48 am MST.
Sun
For those of us around 40 deg. north latitude, the Sun rose today, Sunday, at 6:45 am and it set at 5:47 pm . On Saturday morning, the Sun will rise at 6:35 am and set at 5:55 pm. No active regions were visible on the solar disk today.
Moon
The Moon is in the third quarter phase at 7:18 pm on Thursday.
Planets
Mars is in the constellation Taurus and is +0.2 magnitude in brightness and 9.1 arc sec across
Saturn is in constellation Leo and is +0.6 magnitude in brightness, 20 arc sec across the disk. Saturn is at opposition today, Feb 24th.
Jupiter is in constellation Sagitarrius. It is -1.8 magnitude in brightness and 34.4 arc sec across. Mercury is in constellation Capricornus. It is +0.3 magnitude, 7.5 arc sec across
Venus is in the constellation Capricornus also. It is -3.81 magnitude, 11.3 arc sec across.
Comets
17P/Holmes is 4.8 magnitude and 100 arc min across in constellation Perseus 46P/Wirtanen is 9.5 magnitude and 4.3 arc min across in constellation Aries 29P Schwassman-Wachmann is magnitude 11.5 magnitude and 16 arc sec across (will appear stellar). It is in constellation Auriga.
C/2008 C1 (Chen-Gao) is magnitude 12.3 and 55 arc sec across (will appear stellar) and is in constellation Perseus
C/2007 T1 (McNaught) is magnitude 9.9 and becomes visible for us this week in constellation Columba (below Canis Major)
Dark Sky
We can get lots of time out in the dark this weekend! On Saturday, Mar 1, the moon doesn’t rise until 3:37 am Sunday morning. That leaves lots of time to explore dim galaxies and nebulas. The constellation Cancer is in the southern sky in the early evening around 9-10 pm. It contains several very nice objects to view, such as:
- Messier 44 is one of the largest and brightest open clusters and has been known since ancient times. It spans over 1.5 degrees so is a great object for binoculars or widefield telescope. Many of the brighter stars are distinctly yellow or blueish-white
- Messier 67 open bright cluster with over a hundred 9th to 14th magnitude stars visible
- NGC 2775 is a type SA spiral galaxy that is magnitude 10 in brightness. To locate it, find the 3rd mangitude star Zeta Hydra and then look 3-1.4 degrees east and then slightly north. In a telescope it has a bright mottled halo about 3′ by 1.5′ in size with a large, bright central nucleus. Images of NGC2775 show that it has a smooth central bulge with amazingly complex spirals surrounding it.
Sky this Week
by Vern on Feb.19, 2008, under Astronomy, Sky this Week, Video
The following is a brief list of some things to see in this sky, this week Feb 17 to Feb 23, 2008.
International Space Station
No bright passes this week.
USA 193
Sun Feb 17 at 5:56:59 appears in the SE and disappears in the ESE at 5:58:24, magnitude 3.8
Mon Feb 18 at 5:49:02 appears in the South and disappears in the ENE at 5:52:17, magnitude 3.1
Iridium 32
Flare at the Eclipse, Feb 20 7:28:22 pm, magnitude -4, essentially straight north (2 deg azimuth), altitude 52 degrees.
MOON
There is a total eclipse of the Moon this week on Wednesday, Feb 24th. The eclipse begins when the pale outer fringe of the Earth’s shadow touches the Moon’s edge at 6:05 PM MST. The shading will be subtle and won’t be very noticeable until the Moon reaches the Earth’s inner shadow at 6:43 PM. From about 7:30 to 8 PM is perhaps when the lunar eclipse will be the most impressive. The curved dark edge of Earth’s shadow will be seen creeping minute by minute across the lunar landscape. The Earth’s shadow will totally engulf the Moon from 8:00 to 8:52 pm MST. After totality ends at 8:52 PM, events unwind in reverse order; the Moon’s edge reappears in sunlight and gradually returns to full at 11:17 PM.
SUN
The Sun rises at 6:53 am on Sun Feb 17th and sets at 5:53 pm for those of us at 40 degrees north latitude. On Saturday, Feb 23rd it rises at 6:45 am and sets at 5:45 pm. There are no active regions visible on the solar disk.
PLANETS
The planet Mercury is visble low in the southwestern sky about an hour before sunrise. It is in constellation Capricornus; it brightens in magnitude from +1 to +0.5 and is 8.4 arc sec across.
The planet Venus is visible to the lower right of Mercury in the constellation Capricornus. It is -3.8 magnitude and 11.5 arc sec across.
Jupiter is visible in the morning sky as well. It is in the constellation Sagitarius and is -1.8 magnitude in brightness and 33.9 arc sec across.
The planet Mars is high overhead in the southwest in the constellation Taurus early in the evening. It is dims this week to magnitude +0.02 and is 9.7 arc sec across.
The planet Saturn is in the constellation Leo. It will be at opposition on Sunday Feb 24th. It is visible in the eastern sky as soon as it is dark. It is +0.56 magnitude in brightness and the disk is 20 arc sec across.
DOUBLE STARS
Our view of dark sky objects such as galaxies and nebulas is restricted during bright moon lit nights. Thats no reason to leave your scope in the basement. You can still observe the planets and double stars. For example, over in the constellation Orion double stars include Beta Orionis or Rigel, Mintaka or Delta Orionis, Iota Orionis, Zeta Orionis or Alnitak and Lambda Orionis or Meisa. Sigma Orionis is a triple system and Theta1 Orionis has 4 components. There are of course, many others. Check the Astroleague Double Star Club for a list of some great double and multiple stars to observe.
