Constellations, planets, meteor showers etc. on show this month. |
The night sky this month
The night sky in October 2019
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st: 07.09 31st: 07.05 Sunset 1st: 18.46 31st: 16.39 Astronomical darkness 1st: 20.45 to 05.14 31st: 18.37 to 05.08 British
Summer Time ends on Sunday 27th at 02.00, and for the next 5 months we
have proper time, with the Sun at its highest point in the sky at 12
noon. Full Moon; 13th at 22.07 New Moon: 28th at 03.38 October's
full Moon is known as the Hunters' Moon, because this was the time for
hunting animals then preserving the meat to last over the winter. Other
names are the Dying Grass Moon and the sometimes confusing Blood Moon
or Sanguine Moon. Lunar apogee: 10th at 18.30 (405901km) Lunar perigee: 26th at 10.42 (361314km) Highlights Still
not much to shout about despite the longer nights. On 1st we have eight
and a half hours of astro darkness increasing to ten and a half hours
on 31st, when it begins at 18.37 (GMT). The naked eye planets are all
very low and the one major meteor shower will be adversely affected by moonlight. However we have several minor showers and a chance of bright
fireballs. And, by month end, the best constellation of all, Orion, is
above the horizon by midnight. Constellations The Summer Triangle, made up of Vega in Lyra, Deneb in Cygnus and Altair in Aquila, is losing its dominance in the night sky. It is still visible during the first part of October high in the south west but by the end of the month all three constellations will have set by 4am. It's place in the southern sky is being taken by the Great Square of Pegasus, autumn's signature constellation. The beautiful star cluster the Pleiades (also known as the Seven Sisters) followed by the rest of Taurus, will be visible by 11pm in early October and by 8pm (now back to GMT) at month end. By the end of October Orion will be easily visible by midnight, with Sirius just above the eastern horizon at this time. Perseus and Andromeda are still high in the sky for most of the night, making it a good time to look for M31, the Andromeda galaxy. If you are at a very dark sky site, it should be visible to the naked eye, especially when using averted vision. Cassiopeia is now high in the sky for most of the night, so the Plough, on the opposite side of the North Celestial Pole, is low in the north. Planets Mercury: in Virgo, mag -0.2 An
evening object but hardly visible this month. On 1st it sets at 19.07,
only 20 minutes after the Sun. It's at aphelion (furthest point in its
orbit from the Sun) on 3rd, when it is at a distance of 0.47AU. It
moves into Libra on 10th and reaches greatest eastern elongation on
20th, when the angular separation is 24.6 degrees but, because of the
very shallow angle of the ecliptic at this time, it is still very low,
barely on the horizon as the sky darkens. On 31st it sets at 16.58,
has faded to mag 0.4 and is 2 degrees below the horizon at dusk. Venus: in Virgo, mag -3.9 Another
evening object very low in the sky but, because it is so bright, might
be visible in the evening twilight. On 1st it is on the horizon as the
sky darkens, setting at 19.10. It appears to move away from the Sun
during the month but remains very low. It moves into Libra on 16th and
on 23rd the thin crescent Moon is just under 3 degrees below the
planet. On 30th Mercury and Venus are very close with Venus 2.6 degrees
to the north, but very difficult to see as they are so low. On 31st it is 2 degrees above the horizon at dusk and
sets at 17.19.Mars: in Virgo, mag 1.8 Now
a morning object, starting the month very close to the Sun. On 1st it
rises an hour before the Sun but appears only 9 degrees from it. The
separation increases during the month, on 13th it is 2 degrees above the
horizon at dawn. On 31st it rises 2 hours before the Sun and gets to 7
degrees in the east before the sky begins to brighten. Jupiter: in Ophiuchus, mag -2.1 Now
very low as the sky darkens. On 1st it should be visible for a short
time soon after 7pm when it will be 11 degrees above the southern horizon. On 3rd the
30% Moon passes about 1.8 degrees NW of the planet. They are also close
on 31st, separated by just over one degree in daylight and visible,
slightly further apart, at around 18.00 at 9 degrees above the SW
horizon. On this day Jupiter sets at 18.44 and will have faded to mag
-1.9. Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.5 Best
seen in early October, on 1st it should be visible, 13 degrees above
the southern horizon at around 19.30, setting at 23.16. On 5th the
planet and the first quarter Moon are only one degree apart at 22.30,
but very low. Saturn sets at 23.01 on this day. On 31st it is at 13
degrees in the south as the sky darkens around 17.30, setting at 20.24. Uranus: in Aries, mag 5.7 The
best positioned of the planets. On 1st it rises at 19.24 and should be
visible from 10pm, when it is 21 degrees above the eastern horizon,
culminating at 02.44 when it reaches 49 degrees in the south. On 15th
at 1am the Moon passes 5 degrees south of the planet. It is at
opposition on 28th when it is at its highest point at 23.49. On 31st it
reaches 48 degrees in the south at 23.37, setting at 06.54 a few
minutes before sunrise. While it is theoretically a naked eye object it
isn't easy, a very dark sky site and good eyesight are needed. For all
others, binoculars are necessary, or a scope to show the small blue/green
disc. Neptune: in Aquarius, mag 7.8 Still
quite high for most of the night, especially in early October. On 1st
it culminates, 30 degrees in the south, at 23.39, setting soon after
5am. On 10th, around midnight, the Moon passes about 4.5 degrees to the
south. On 31st it culminates at 20.39, slightly lower at 29 degrees,
setting at 02.11. It might be possible to spot it through binoculars if
you're at a dark sky site and know exactly where to look. A reasonable
sized amateur scope should show the small blue disc. Dwarf Planets Ceres: in Ophiuchus, mag 9.1. The
only one of the 5 which orbits in the (relatively) nearby asteroid belt
is not well placed at the moment. On 1st it is only 11 degrees above
the horizon as the sky darkens, setting at 20.51. On 31st it is at 10
degrees at dusk and sets at 18.24. Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 14.7. Too
low for imaging reaching a maximum altitude of 14 degrees. Because it
appears to move so slowly round the ecliptic - it takes 248 years to
orbit the Sun - it will be about 20 years before its position begins to
improve, and a further 20 before it gets high enough to be succesfully
imaged from our latitude. Makemake: in Coma Berenices, mag 17.1. Still
very low, on 1st it rises less than 3 hours before the Sun and sets
almost 4 hours after it. However it is very low in both the dawn and
dusk sky for most of the month. On 31st it rises at 02.15 and reaches
26 degrees above the eastern horizon before the sky brightens. Haumea: in Bootes, mag 17.4 On
1st it is 18 degrees above the horizon at dusk, setting at 22.18. It
is at Solar conjunction, on the opposite side of the Sun to the Earth,
on 20th. Like Makemake last month, because its orbit is highly inclined
to the ecliptic, it passes about 29 degrees above the Sun. On 31st
it rises at 04.17 and sets at 19.21 but doesn't get higher than 10
degrees above the horizon. Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.8 The
most distant dwarf planet, way out in the Kuiper belt, takes nearly 558
years to orbit the Sun. It's also by far the faintest, so very
difficult to image even by the best amateurs, even though it is
currently reasonably high. On 1st it culminates at 02.17, at 34
degrees, it reaches opposition on 17th, when it culminates at 01.13, and
on 31st reaches that altitude at 23.14. A couple of asteroids are at opposition in October: 13th:
29 Amphitrite, in Pisces, mag 8.7. This passes only 1.41AU from Earth
and reaches 48 degrees in the south at 00.50. It should be visible in a
moderate sized scope. The bad news is that the full Moon is also in
Pisces on this day. 26th; 9 Metis (not
to be confused with the innermost moon of Jupiter, which has the same
name) in Cetus, mag 8.6, slightly closer at 1.16AU. and culminates at
01.00, at 42 degrees in the south. You may have heard about an asteroid which will pass 'very close'
to Earth on Thursday 3rd. It's about 19 metres across but don't worry -
2019 SP3 will pass us at a distance of 231,690 miles, which is 97% of
the Earth - Moon distance. I think we're quite safe. Comets There
are quite a few around, several circumpolar or almost so, which are
above the horizon for most of the night. However there is nothing very
bright, or likely to be even within range of binoculars (Probably. Estimates of magnitude vary considerably). However comets are very
unpredictable so you never know. C/2017 T2
(PANSTARRS) in Taurus, mag around 8 or 9. Visible in the late evening.
On 1st it rises at 20.59 and reaches its highest point of 63 degrees
just before dawn. It moves northwards during the month, crossing the
border into Auriga on 7th. On the nights of 27th to 30th it passes
about 1 degree to the east of open cluster M36. On 31st it culminates
at 03.05, higher at 71 degrees. C/2018 W2
(Africano) in Pisces, mag around 8. On 1st it culminates, 39 degrees above the southern horizon, at 23.56. Moving southwards, into Aquarius
on 4th then getting too low to be visible. Goes into Piscis Austrinis
on 15th and by month end is in the southern constellation of Grus, the
crane and is below the horizon at all times. C/2018
N2 (ASSASSN) in Triangulum, mag 11. High in the sky during the hours
of darkness throughout October. Culminates on 1st at 02.25 at 68 degrees
in the south. It moves into Andromeda on 13th and is circumpolar from
17th, when it reaches 72 degrees above the southern horizon at 00.47.
On 31st it gets to 74 degrees at 22.15. 260P/McNaught
in Perseus, mag 11.6. Circumpolar so also above the horizon all night.
On 1st it reaches 74 degrees in the south at 03.20 and is still 62
degrees above the horizon at dawn. On 31st, faded to around mag 12, it
is almost overhead at midnight. 168P/Hergenrother,
in Auriga, mag 11.8. Another faint but well positioned comet,
circumpolar throughout October. On 1st it reaches 77 degrees in the
east just before dawn. It moves into Lynx on 6th, when it will be a
couple of degrees higher as the sky brightens. On 31st its highest
point will be at 05.03, 87 degrees above the northern horizon - or, if
you prefer, 93 degrees in the south. Wouldn't normally mention this as it is so faint but there has been quite a bit of publicity about it. C/2019
Q4 (Borisov) in Leo, mag 18. The newly discovered comet is the first
to be shown to originate outside our Solar System. Too faint to be
within range of even the best amateur astrophotographers. On 1st it
rises at 01.42, on 31st at 02.06. Recommended websites for more information and exact positions of all Solar System objects. And for comets Meteor Showers One major shower this month. Orionids,
active oct 2nd to Nov 7th, peak on the night of 21st/22nd, ZHR 20 - in
ideal conditions. From our light polluted skies and with the radiant
being quite low, we'll be lucky to see more than a quarter of that
number. This shower often has smaller peaks on the nights before
and after the maximum. These fast moving meteors, often leaving
trails, are caused when the Earth passes through dust clouds left by
comet 1P/Halley. The radiant rises at 10pm and the shower is usually
said to be best seen about 5am. However this year the Moon rises at
23.28 on 21st so will interfere. Fair to middling shower: Draconids,
active 6th to 10th, peak on the night of 9th/10th ZHR 10. Very slow
moving meteors, parent comet 21P/Giacobini- Zinner. On the morning of
10th the 92% Moon sets just before 03.15. There are several minor showers: Camelopardalids:
Very short lived shower, active 5th to 6th, peak on the morning of 6th,
ZHR could be as high as 5, more likely to be 1 or even none. However,
this shower has been known to produce very short outbursts. The Moon
sets just before 11pm on 5th. Southern
Taurids: active Sept 10th to Nov 20th, peak 10th, ZHR 5. This shower
also sometimes produces minor peaks at other times. They are very
bright, slow moving meteors making them ideal photographic subjects.
These and the associated Northern Taurids are thought to have originally
been a single shower which split into 2 separate streams several
thousand years ago. Parent comet is a precursor of
2P/Encke. The Taurid showers are often rich in fireballs, so the later
part of October, when both are active, is a good time to see
these. Delta Aurigids: active 10th to 18th,
peak around 22.00 BST on 11th, ZHR 2. Best seen around 2am but the
almost full Moon will interfere, not setting until 04.21. |
The night sky in September 2019
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st: 06.17 30th: 07.08 Sunset 1st: 19.59 30th: 18.48 Astronomical darkness 1st: 22.12 to 04.06 31st: 20.46 to 05.12 Full Moon: 14th at 05.32 New Moon; 28th at 19.26 Lunar apogee: 13th at 13.33 (406377km) Lunar perigee: 28th at 02.28 (357802km) September's
full Moon is the Harvest Moon as it is the closest to the Autumnal
Equinox. Other names are the Corn Moon, the Full Corn Moon and the
Barley Moon. The equinox, when the centre of
the Sun is at the point where the ecliptic crosses the celestial
equator, is on 23rd at 08.50. This day is actually 12 hours 10 minutes
and 14 seconds long. This is because sunrise is the moment when the top
of the Sun's disc appears above the horizon and sunset is when the top
of the disc disappears below the horizon. The extra 10 minutes and 14
seconds is the time between the top and the centre of the Sun appearing
at sunrise and disappearing at sunset. The days closest to 12 hours are
25th at 12 hrs 01' 49" and 26th at 11hrs 57' 37". Highlights We
now have a reasonable amount of astronomical darkness - nearly 6 hours
at the start of the month and 8 and a half at the end. It begins at a
reasonable time too, soon after 10pm on 1st. We have a couple of comets
which might become bright enough to be seen in binoculars, though
comets are very unpredictable and current estimates of their magnitudes
vary. Jupiter is still hanging on in the early evening sky, bright but
very low and setting before midnight. Saturn is also low, much fainter
but setting a couple of hours later. The distant ice giants are well
placed for binocular and telescopic observation and we have several
minor meteor showers with the possibility of bright fireballs. Constellations The Milky Way in still prominent overhead, albeit not in these parts! Find a dark sky site though, and it's spectacular. The Summer Triangle is high in the southern sky for much of the night in early September. By month end Aquila is setting in the west at about 2am, with Lyra and Cygnus following just before dawn. However, on the opposite side of the sky, the Pleiades are climbing above the horizon in the east by 10.30pm at the start of September, and as darkness falls at month end. Capella, in Auriga, and the V shaped Hyades cluster at the head of Taurus the Bull are not far behind. If you stay up until about 4am (or get up very early) you might see Orion making a welcome return to the night sky. By the end of September, it should be above the horizon by 2am. The ecliptic is now slightly higher across the Eastern sky, passing through Capricorn, Aquarius and Aries - though none of these are particularly bright or memorable. Pegasus, Perseus and Andromeda are still well placed, rising in the east to north east from mid evening, as is the bright W asterism of Cassiopeia higher in the north east. Planets Mercury: in Leo, mag -1.8 Appears
very close to the Sun throughout September therefore very difficult to
see. On 1st it rises at 05.50, less than half an hour before the Sun,
and is only separated from it by 3 degrees. It reaches superior
conjunction, when it is on the opposite side of the Sun to the Earth, on
4th. On this day it passes only 1 degree above the Sun. It then starts
to move away, becoming an evening object but still very low. On 11th it
moves into Virgo and on 25th reaches its highest point in the evening
sky but, because of the very shallow angle of the ecliptic, is only 3
degrees above the horizon at sunset. On 30th it sets 20 minutes after
the Sun, at 19.10, but has sunk below the horizon by the time the sky darkens. Venus: in Leo, mag -3.9 Another
planet which is very low in the evening sky, therefore difficult to
spot despite its brightness. On 1st it sets soon after sunset, at 21.14,
and appears only 5 degrees from the Sun. It moves into Virgo on 10th.
On 29th the very thin crescent Moon passes 3.2 degrees above the planet
around sunset, with Mercury 6 degrees to the left of Venus. Remember:
DO NOT attempt to view these through binoculars until the Sun has fully
set. Catching even a couple of the final rays will cause instant
irreversible damage to the eyes. On 30th Venus is on the
horizon at dusk but might be visible for a short time in the bright
twilight sky before setting at 19.12. Mars: in Leo, mag 1.7 Again
appears too close to the Sun to be seen for most of the month, as it is
at Solar conjunction on 2nd. It then becomes a morning object, still
very close to the Sun. On 25th, when it moves into Virgo, they are
separated by 7 degrees. On 30th it has increased to 9 degrees, the planet
rising at 06.05, and maybe visible from a site with a clear dark
eastern horizon. Jupiter: in Ophiuchus, mag -2.2 Visible
low in the early evening sky this month. On 1st it is 13 degrees above
the southern horizon as the sky darkens, setting at 23.11. The Moon
passes on 5th & 6th, closest, 2 degrees 15', at 08.40 on 6th. The
pair should be visible on the evening of 5th, with the Moon to the west,
and on 6th when the Jupiter is to the west. On 30th it sets at 21.27
and is only visible for a short time from around 19.00, when it is only
11 degrees above the horizon. Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.3 A
very low evening object throughout September. On 1st it should be
visible from about 20.40, when it is 13 degrees above the southern
horizon, culminating one degree higher at 21.26. On 8th at about 8pm
the 76% Moon should be seen 3 degrees ESE of the planet. They are
closest in daylight, only 2 arcminutes apart, at 14.42. By 30th it
should be visible for a while from around 19.30, again at 13 degrees,
setting at 23.30. Uranus: in Aries, mag 5.7 Still
very well placed, unlike the naked eye planets. On 1st it rises at
21.23 and should be visible in a small scope or binoculars from around
midnight, reaching 49 degrees in the south by dawn. On 17th at around
21.00 the Moon passes 5 degrees south of the planet. By mid month it
should be high enough to be a good target, maybe even for the naked eye
from a good dark sky site, from 23.00. On 30th it rises at 19.25,
reaches 21 degrees in the east by 22.00 and culminates, 49 degrees in
the south, at 02.48. It's still around 36 degrees in the SW at dawn. Neptune: in Aquarius, mag 7.8 On
1st it rises at 20.09 and is at 21 degrees in the SE at 23.00. Reaches
its highest point, 30 degrees in the south, at 01.44. Reaches
opposition on 10th and on 13th the Moon passes 4.2 degrees to the south
at around 22.00. On 30th it is at 21 degrees in the SE by 22.00 and
culminates at 23.43. Could be visible in good binoculars from a dark
sky site - if you know exactly where to look. Much easier to find it
using a telescope with GoTo. Dwarf Planets Ceres: in Scorpio, mag 8.8 The
closest and brightest of the 5 officially designated dwarf planets is
now very low in the evening twilight, reaching a maximum altitude of 13
degrees, setting on 1st at 22.31. It moves into Ophiuchus on 9th and on
30th, when it has faded to mag 9.1, sets at 20.54. Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 14.7 Still
very low, too faint to be seen in all but the very best amateur scopes
and too low for astrophotography - max 14 degrees. On 1st it
culminates at 21.56. on 30th at 20.01. Haumea: in Bootes, mag 17.4 Only
high enough for imaging in the first few days of September. On 1st it
is at 23 degrees in the west at around 23.30, setting at 00.20. By 30th
it is 18 degrees at above the horizon at dusk and sets at 22.32. Makemake: in Coma Berenices, mag 17.2 Also
very low. On 1st it is 18 degrees above the horizon at dusk, setting a
few minutes before midnight. It reaches solar conjunction on 29th but,
because of the angle of its orbit to the ecliptic, passes 27 degrees
north of the Sun. On 30th it sets at 22.04 but is down to 14 degrees as
the sky darkens. Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.8 Very
distant, very faint but a possible target for very good, experienced
astrophotographers. On 1st it reaches 21 degrees in the SE at around
1am and culminates, 34 degrees in the south, at 04.15. On 30th it's at
21 degrees in the SE soon after 23.00 and reaches its highest point,
still 34 degrees, at 02.20. A couple of asteroids are at opposition in September: 6th: 135 Hertha: in Aquarius, mag 9.6. Culminates at 01.08 at an altitude of 29 degrees in the south. 28th. 21 Lutetia: in Cetus, mag 9.4. Culminates at 01.08, at 33 degrees in the south. And:
You may have heard about a large near earth object passing Earth on
Sept 16th. Don't panic! The definition of an NEO is any object,
usually an asteroid but occasionally a comet, which comes within 149
million km (1.3 AU) of us. This one, C2000 QW7, won't get closer than
5.3 million km - that's almost 14 times the distance to the Moon, so we
aren't in any danger. Comets We have a
couple of (possibly) fairly bright comets, and some fainter ones, this
month. However, comets are very unpredictable and estimates of their
brightness do vary - sources can't seem to agree on their current
brightness, never mind what it will be in the next month. C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in Taurus, mag 7.4 (or maybe 9) Could
be a binocular target especially towards the end of September. On 1st
it rises at 23.22 and reaches 42 degrees in the east by dawn. predicted
to reach mag 6.2 by 30th, when it rises at 21.05 and is at 63 degrees in
the south as dawn breaks. C/2018 W2 (Africano) in Perseus, mag 8.1 (or maybe 10.5) Circumpolar
for the first 3 weeks of September. On 1st it is at 28 degrees in the
NE at around 21.30 and reaches 80 degrees in the east before dawn
breaks. It moves south westwards during the month, going into Andromeda
on 9th, crossing into Perseus on 13th then back into Andromeda on 14th.
On 20th it sets for a couple of hours and culminates at 02.12, reaching
71 degrees above the southern horizon. On 21st it briefly visits Pisces
before returning to Andromeda. It is predicted to be at its brightest,
mag 6.6 according to some sources, from 25th to 28th. From 26th to 29th
it is in Pegasus then ends the month in Pisces. On 30th it is at 22
degrees in the east as the sky darkens, culminating at 01.11, much lower
at only 42 degrees, and slightly fainter at mag 6.7. Much fainter comets around are: C/2018 N2 (ASSASSN) in Aries, mag 11.0 (or 12) On
1st it rises at 20.30, half an hour after sunset, and reaches 39
degrees in the south by dawn. Moves into Triangulum on 16th and on
30th reaches 22 degrees soon after 20.00, culminating at 02.31, higher
at 68 degrees. Should be slightly brighter at mag 10.6. 168P/Hergenrother: in Auriga, mag 11.7 Circumpolar.
On 1st it is best seen for a few hours after midnight, reaching 58
degrees by dawn. On 30th, when it will probably have faded slightly, it
reaches 76 degrees in the east before the sky brightens. 260P/McNaught: in Aries, mag 11.6 On
1st it culminates soon after astro darkness ends, and is at 57 degrees
in the south as the sky begins to brighten. It moves into Triangulum on
18th, Perseus on 23rd and is circumpolar from 26th. On 30th it is at 27
degrees in the SE as the sky darkens, reaching 75 degrees in the south
at 03.24, sinking to 62 degrees in the west by dawn. Recommended websites for more information and exact positions of all solar system objects. Meteor Showers No major showers this month but we have a few minor ones and September is said to be good for sporadic activity. Alpha
Aurigids: active August 28th to Sept 5th, peak on the night of August
31st/Sept 1st, ZHR 6 or fewer. This shower does produce occasional
spectacular outbursts but there are none predicted for this year. They
are very bright meteors, parent comet probably C1911/Kiess. No Moon
interference on the peak night this year. Epsilon Perseids: active 5th to 21st, peak 9th, ZHR 5. Very faint meteors, again no increased activity predicted for this year. Southern
Taurids: active Sept 10th to November 19th. the peak isn't till
October but it's worth looking from mid September as the shower often
includes very bright fireballs. These slow moving meteors originate from
dust left by comet 2P/Encke. There are also a couple of showers given in some sources but not included in the International Meteor Organisation's list. Chi
Cygnids: Not much known about this shower which was only recognised by
the IAU in 2015. They are very slow moving with low activity throughout
September and a weak maximum on 14th/15th. ZHR 2 - 3. |
The night sky in August 2019
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st: 05.24 31st: 06.15 Sunset 1st: 21.05 31st: 20.01 Astro darkness 1st: 00.40 to 01.50 31st: 22.15 to 04.03 New Moon: 1st at 04.13 30th at 11.37 Full Moon: 15th at 13.29 Lunar perigee: 2nd at 07.10 (359397km) 30th at 15.59 (357175km) Lunar apogee: 17th at 10.51 (406243km) August
full Moon is known as the Sturgeon Moon, named after the large numbers
of these in the lakes where the Algonquin tribe fished. Other names are
the Green Corn Moon, Barley Moon, Fruit Moon and the Anglo Saxon Grain
Moon. Highlights At last we have some
astronomical darkness, especially towards month end - there's only 70
minutes on the night of 1st/2nd but almost 6 hours by 31st/Sept 1st.
There's a Super Black Moon on 30th, when the new Moon is only a few
hours after Lunar perigee - the second closest of the year. It's also
the second new Moon in the calendar month, hence the name 'Black'.
However, as always at new Moon, you won't actually see anything. Not
much else of note, one of the best meteor showers of the year will be
seriously marred by bright moonlight and the naked eye planets are all
very low in the sky, some aren't visible at all in the latter part of
the month. The two ice giants are well placed for binocular and
telescopic observation. Experienced astrophotographers fare
much better, a couple of the dwarf planets are quite high in the sky for
part of August, 3 asteroids reach opposition at magnitudes of around 8
or 9, and there are 4 comets brighter than mag 12. And the nights should be reasonably mild - observers should be able to manage without wearing all their thermals. Constellations When it finally gets dark enough, the Milky Way is now at its best. From a dark sky site it can be seen stretching right across the sky and down to the southern horizon, passing almost overhead around midnight. The Plough and its host constellation Ursa Major are now very low in the Northern sky which means that the W asterism of Cassiopeia is riding high in the south east and very easy to spot. Pegasus and Andromeda are now well above the horizon for most of the night and Perseus, followed by Auriga, are rising soon after midnight. Planets Mercury: in Gemini, mag 2 Should
be visible in the morning sky after the first few days in August from a
site with a good unobstructed eastern horizon. On 1st it rises at 04.22
but is still 4 degrees below the horizon when the sky starts to
brighten. It moves into Cancer on 10th and also on this day reaches
greatest western elongation, separated from the Sun by 19 degrees. It
reaches its highest point on 12th when it is 8 degrees above the horizon
by dawn, brighter at mag -0.3. It moves into Leo on 24th, now at mag
-1.3 but lower in the sky, only 5 degrees, in reasonable darkness. By
31st it won't be visible, despite now being at mag -1.7, as it is only 4
degrees from the Sun. Venus: in Cancer, mag -3.9 Not
visible in August. It starts the month at 3 degrees from the Sun and
moves in even closer during the next couple of weeks. It moves into Leo
on 12th, when the separation is only 1 degree. After superior
conjunction on 14th, it does start to move away but the two are only 4
degrees apart by month end. Mars: in Leo, mag 1.8 On
1st it sets at 21.33 and might be seen for a short while, low in the
west soon after sunset. On this evening it is less than 1 degree SSW of
the very thin crescent Moon. Not visible after the first few days of
the month as the apparent separation from the Sun decreases. By month
end they are only 1 degree apart. Jupiter: in Ophiuchus, mag -2.4 An
early evening object, now past its best. On 1st it is at 14 degrees in
the south at 21.30 and should be visible until around midnight, setting
at 01.16. On 9th the 72% Moon passes 1.5 degrees to the north of the
planet. In early August it appears to move from east to west against
the background stars, known as retrograde motion. It resumes prograde
motion (west to east) on 11th. Of course it doesn't actually change
direction, it's a similar effect to being in a car which overtakes
another vehicle. For a short time the slower one appears to be going
backwards. By 31st the planet will be 13 degrees above the western
horizon as the sky darkens, setting at 23.15. Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.2 On
1st it should be visible from a few minutes before 22.00 as the sky
darkens, at 10 degrees in the south east. It reaches its highest point,
14 degrees, in the south at 23.34 and sets at 03.29. On 11th and 12th
the gibbous Moon passes close to the planet, to the west on 11th and to
the east on 12th. On 31st it culminates at 21.30 in astro twilight,
setting at 01.23. Uranus: in Aries, mag 5.8 Much
better positioned than the brighter planets. On 1st it rises at 23.25,
becoming visible around 2am and reaching 32 degrees by 03.32 when the
sky starts to brighten. It is retrograde from 12th, though it moves so
slowly against the background stars that the change is unlikely to be
noticed. On 21st and 22nd it is close to the waning gibbous Moon and on
31st it reaches 49 degrees in the south by dawn, culminating at 04.48
when the sky has started to brighten. It is a naked eye
object given the usual caveat of needing a good dark sky site and good
eyesight. For everyone else binoculars are needed, or a scope to show
the small blue-green disc. Neptune: in Aquarius, mag 7.8 The
second distant ice giant's position is also improving. On 1st it rises
at 22.11 and reaches 30 degrees in the south by dawn. On 31st it rises
at 20.12 and is at 21 degrees in the east by 23.00. It culminates, 30
degrees above the southern horizon, in darkness at 01.45. It is much
fainter than Uranus and needs the aforementioned good site and good
sight to be seen with binoculars. A decent amateur scope is necessary
if you want to see its rich blue colour - and maybe even large moon,
Triton. Dwarf planets Ceres: in Scorpio, mag 8.4 Despite
being the closest and by far the brightest of the dwarf planets, it
isn't easy to see this month, being very low in the sky. On 1st it is
only 16 degrees above the SW horizon as the sky darkens, setting at
00.23. By month end it is slightly fainter at mag 8.8 and at an
altitude of only 14 degrees in darkness, setting at 22.34. Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 14.6 Still
too low for telescopic viewing or imaging, reaching a maximum of 14
degrees in the south, at 00.05 on 1st and 22.00 on 31st. Haumea: in Bootes, mag 17.4 An
early evening target for good astrophotographers. On 1st it is at 28
degrees in the west at 23.00, setting at 02.24. By month end it is much
lower, 23 degrees at 21.30 and setting at 00.24. Makemake: in Coma Berenices, mag 17.2 Might
be possible to image on 1st, when it is 23 degrees above the western
horizon at around 23.00, setting 3 hours later. By 31st it is at only
19 degrees at dusk. and sets soon after midnight. Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.8 The
most distant of the dwarf planets is a morning object, again only
suited to imaging. On 1st it is at 23 degrees in the SE at 3am. Its
position improves during the month, on 31st it reaches its highest
point, 34 degrees, in the south at 04.19. Three asteroids reach opposition in August, and will be a better target than the dwarf planets as they are much brighter. 16 Psyche: in Capricorn. Opposition is on 7th, when it is at mag 9.3 and reaches 21 degrees in the south at 01.14. 15 Eunomia: in Aquarius. At opposition on 13th at mag 8.3. Culminates at 01.13 at an altitude of 30 degrees in the south. 39
Laetitia: starts the month in Aquarius and moves into Capricorn on
8th. Reaches opposition on 17th at mag 9.1, when it is at 26 degrees in
the south at 01.08. Comets There are 4 comets around
which should be high enough and bright enough to be possible imaging
targets. Though comets are notoriously unpredictable as regards
magnitude, so any one of them could become much brighter - or fade into
total insignificance. C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in Taurus, mag 10.0 Quite
low in the morning sky at the start of August, but its position
does improve as the month progresses. On 1st it rises at 01.29 and only
reaches 14 degrees by dawn. On 31st it rises at 23.36 and is at 42
degrees when the sky gets too bright for it to be visible. Magnitude at
this time is predicted to be around 9.1. C/2018 N2 (ASSASSN) in Aries, mag 11.3 On
1st it rises at 23.29 and gets to 30 degrees in the east by dawn. On
31st it will be brighter at mag 10.8 and reach 59 degrees in the south
before the sky brightens. 168P/Hergenrother: in Aries, mag 11.8 Rises
at 23.16 on 1st and is at 32 degrees in the east when the sky begins to
brighten.It moves into Taurus on 6th and Perseus on 17th. Becomes
circumpolar on 27th and crosses the border into Auriga on 31st, when it
should be marginally brighter at mag 11.7 and reach 58 degrees by dawn. 260P/McNaught : in Pisces,mag 12.1 On
1st it rises at 23.25 and gets to 31 degrees just before 03.30 as dawn
breaks. It moves into Aries on 15th. By month end it rises at 20.39,
reaching 56 degrees in the south while the sky is still reasonably dark.
This one is also brightening and should end the month at around mag
11.4. Recommended websites for more info and detailed positions of any solar system object: Meteor Showers There is one major shower in August, often the best shower of the year. Perseids:
active July 17th to August 26th, peak on the night of 12th/13th, ZHR could be as many as 75 to 100 from a dark sky site, probably 10 or fewer
from light polluted towns. These are swift moving meteors originating
from debris left by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. And now the bad
news: This year there will be serious Moon interference from the 94%
Moon which doesn't set until just after 3am. This means that the best
time to see the shower will be in the hour or so before dawn. Minor showers Kappa
Cygnids: active 3rd to 25th, peak 18th, ZHR 5 but sometimes much
higher. This shower, which sometimes includes fireballs, is said to be
very unpredictable, not only in numbers but also in dates - there could
be a second peak near the end of its period of activity. Aurigids:
active August 28th to Sept 5th. Peak on the night of August 31st/Sept
1st so could be said to be in August - just! ZHR 6. This shower of
bright, slow moving meteors occasionally produces very brief strong
outbursts. Parent comet C/1911 Kiess. And there are a couple of showers which had their peak right at the end of July, so might still show some activity. Alpha
Capricornids: said to have a plateau like peak centred on the night of
30th/31st July. ZHR usually fewer than 5, but could include very
bright, coloured meteors. Parent comet 169P/NEAT. Studies of the dust
clouds left by this comet have led to predictions that this shower could
become very prominent between the years 2200 and 2400. Southern
Delta Aquarids are active until 23rd but are less likely to show much
activity in August as the radiant is very low and the meteors usually
quite faint. |
The night sky in July 2019
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st: 04.44 31st: 05.22 Sunset 1st: 21.40 31st: 21.07 Astronomical darkness: none until 31st, then 00.54 to 01.36 Astronomical twilight 1st: 00.05 to 02.20 increasing by a few minutes each day to 3.5 hours on 30th. New Moon: 2nd July at 20.16 Full Moon: 16th July at 22.38 The
July full Moon is known as the Buck Moon, because this is the time when
new antlers start to grow on the head of the deer. Other names are the
Thunder Moon and the Anglo Saxon Hay Moon or Wort Moon. Lunar Perigee: 5th at 04.56 (363727 km) Lunar Apogee: 21st at 00.02 (405478 km) Earth is at aphelion on 4th at 03.11, when it will be 152 million km (1.02 AU) from the Sun. Highlights We
have a partial Lunar eclipse on 16th. However, like nearly everything
else at the moment, it will be very low in the sky. When the Moon rises
at 21.25 it will already be partly in shadow. The maximum of 65% is at
22.30, when the Moon will still be only 5.9 degrees above the horizon.
The umbra leaves the face of the Moon at 23.59, when it is at an
altitude of 12 degrees. As if that wasn't bad enough, statistically
this evening has an 82% chance of being cloudy. There's a
total Solar eclipse on 2nd. This one starts over British territory,
unfortunately it's not somewhere close to here - it's Oeno Island in the
South Pacific. The path of totality then moves over the ocean to La
Serena in Chile, over the Andes and into Argentina, ending to the south
of Buenos Aires. Closer to home, Jupiter is still
shining brightly, unmissable despite being so low in the sky, Saturn
reaches opposition so the rings will appear extra bright for a few days,
but again very low. For binocular and telescopic observing the
positions of Uranus and Neptune are both improving. They are much
higher than the naked eye planets. We are still in the
noctilucent cloud season. These normally occur a couple of hours before sunrise in the NE and after sunset in the NW, but recent displays have
been more widespread. And, of course, we have the 50th
anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission - the Giant Leap for Mankind.
The Eagle landed at 21.18 BST on July 20th 1969. The Moon doesn't
rise until 23.17 on this day, so we can't look up at it at the exact
moment. Neil Armstrong first stepped on to the Moon's surface on 21st
at 03.56, followed at 04.15 by Buzz Aldrin. The waning gibbous Moon
sets at 09.44 on this morning, so will be above the horizon at the exact
time of the anniversary. Constellations Planets Mercury: in Cancer, mag 1.0 Not
easy to see this month. On 1st it sets at 22.43, about an hour after
the Sun, but is just below the horizon by the time the sky begins to
darken. On 3rd it is only 3.8 degrees from Mars with the thin crescent
Moon also close. The Moon sets 45 minutes after the Sun, with the
planets following soon after. On 7th it is at aphelion, the furthest
point in its orbit from the Sun, at a distance of 0.47AU (about 70
million km). On 21st it reaches inferior conjunction, passing between
the Earth and the Sun, but because of the inclination of its orbit to
the ecliptic this rarely results in a transit. This time the planet
passes about 5 degrees south of the Sun. Mercury moves into Gemini on
23rd but is still too near the Sun to be visible. On 31st it rises at
04.29 nearly an hour before the Sun but is separated from it by only 14
degrees. On this day the 1% Moon passes 4 degrees to the north but they
are only 2 degrees above the horizon when the sky brightens. Venus: in Taurus, mag -3.9 On 1st it rises at 03.49 but
only reaches 1 degree above the horizon by dawn. It moves into Gemini on
4th and into Cancer on 27th. By 31st it rises 30 minutes before the
Sun and appears separated from it by only 4 degrees. Mars: in Cancer, mag 1.8 Still
an evening object but now very difficult to see as it sets before the
sky gets really dark. On 1st it sets at 22.52, about 70 minutes after
sunset and has sunk below the horizon by dusk. It moves into Leo on
31st, when it sets only a few minutes after the Sun and appears only 10
degrees from it. Jupiter: in Ophiuchus, mag -2.6 Still
very bright in the southern sky. On 1st it culminates at 23.33, at 14
degrees above the southern horizon. On 13th the 90% lit Moon passes
less than 3 degrees north of the planet. The pair should be visible, 13
degrees above the horizon, at around 22.00. On 31st it culminates at
21.25, as the sky darkens, setting at 01.20 and will have faded slightly
to mag -2.4. Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.1 Now
at its best for the year but still very low and, unlike Jupiter, not
bright enough to really stand out at that altitude. On 1st it
culminates at 01.50, only 14 degrees above the southern horizon, setting
at 05.42. It's at opposition on 9th, when it reaches its highest
point, still only 14 degrees, at 01.16. For a few days around this time
the rings appear much brighter than usual because of the sunlight
falling directly on them at this time. Firstly, the shadows of the
particles comprising the rings fall directly behind and can't be seen,
rather than being visible to the side and having a dimming effect. Also
sunlight is reflected directly back, which again makes the rings appear
brighter. The full Moon passes only 13 arcminutes from the planet on
16th at 08.16, in daylight. It will appear to the west of the planet on
the night of 15/16th and to the east on 16/17th. On 31st Saturn
culminates at 23.38, now marginally fainter at mag 0.2, setting at
03.32. Uranus: in Aries, mag 5.8 Not
easy to see in early July. On 1st it rises at 01.30 but is barely
above the horizon by the time the sky starts to brighten. Its position
improves during the month and in the second half it should be high
enough in the still dark sky to be a reasonable binocular target, maybe
even a naked eye object from a dark sky site. On 15th it reaches 15
degrees in the east while the sky is still reasonably dark and on 22nd
will be at 22 degrees by dawn. On 25th the third quarter Moon passes
about 6 degrees south of the planet. By 31st it rises at 23.29 and is
at 31 degrees in the SE when the sky begins to brighten. Neptune: in Aquarius, 7.8 Another
morning object, quite low in the first half of July but then should be
high enough in the early hours to be seen in amateur scopes. On 1st it
rises at 00.18 and reaches 10 degrees by dawn. Like Uranus its position
improves during the month, by 15th it is at 22 degrees in the SE when the
sky begins to brighten. On 21st the waning gibbous Moon passes about 6
degrees south of the planet at 2am. On 31st it rises at 22.16 and gets
to 30 degrees in the south in darkness. Dwarf Planets Of
the 5 officially designated dwarf planets only Ceres, orbiting in the
Asteroid Belt, is close enough and bright enough to be within range of
amateur scopes - and even that is so small that, despite having a
magnitude similar to Neptune, it will never appear as anything other
than a point of light. The others, orbiting way out in the Kuiper Belt
are very faint but can sometimes be possible targets for experienced astrophotographers using the comparison
method, similar to the way Pluto was found by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930. Ceres: in Libra, mag 7.8 On
1st it culminates at 22.28 at 17 degrees in the south, setting at
02.07. By month end it will have faded to mag 8.4, culminating before
the sky gets dark and setting at 00.36. Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 14.6 Still
too low to be successfully imaged this month despite reaching opposition
on 14th, when it will be 14 degrees above the southern horizon at
01.16. Haumea in Bootes, mag 17.4, and Makemake
in Coma Berenices, mag 17.2 are both reasonably high in the sky in
early July but losing altitude during the month. Haumea reaches 31
degrees in the west by dawn on 1st and 28 degrees on 31st. Haumea is
slightly lower at 26 degrees and 23 degrees. Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.8 The
most distant of the dwarf planets has a very eccentric orbit, almost
twice as far from the Sun as Pluto at aphelion, taking 558 years to
complete one orbit. It is very low in the sky for most of July but by
month end it might be a reasonable photographic target at around 03.15,
when it will reach 22 degrees before the sky begins to brighten. Comets 46P/Wirtanen amd 38P/Stephan-Oterma are now too faint and too low to be seen. However,
there are 4 which are quite promising, all still below the horizon at
dawn in early July but improving position and brightening as the month
progresses. C/2017T2 (PANSTARRS) in Taurus, mag 10.8 Should
be high enough to be seen in a decent scope by the end of the month. On
31st it should be at mag 10.1, rising at 01.32 and reaching 13 degrees
before the sky brightens. C/2018N2 (ASSASSN) in Cetus, mag 11.8 Moves
into Aries on 12th, when it is still only 6 degrees above the eastern
horizon by dawn. By 31st it should have brightened to mag 11.4 and will
reach 29 degrees before the sky gets too light for it to be seen. 168P1/Hergenrother in Pisces, mag 12.2 Briefly
visits Cetus on 9th, then moves into Aries on 10th, when it will be
only 8 degrees in the east by dawn. By 31st it should have brightened
to mag 11.8 and be at 31 degrees in the east in reasonable darkness. 260P/McNaught in Cetus, mag 13.2 Should
reach 12 degrees by daybreak on 12th, when it is predicted to be at mag
12.8. By 31st it should have brightened to mag 12.1 and get to 29
degrees in the SE before the sky begins to brighten at around 03.15. For more information and exact positions of all Solar System objects see; and for currently visible comets Meteor Showers We have a few minor showers, especially towards the end of the month Alpha
Capricornids: active July 3rd to August 15th have a plateau-like peak
centred on 30th, ZHR 5 but with a strong possibility of several bright
fireballs. Parent comet 169P/NEAT. Southern
Delta Aquarids: July 12th to August 23rd, peak 29/30th, ZHR 16 - from
the southern hemisphere, far fewer here. These medium paced meteors are
debris from comet 96P/Machholz. Piscids
Austrinids: July 15th to August 10th peak 28th, ZHR 5. Again the
radiant is very low from our latitude, the shower is much better seen
from further south. The antihelion source,
meteors not belonging to any particular shower, having a radiant on the
ecliptic opposite the position of the Sun, is active in July, ZHR 2 to
3. Meteors from this should be distinguishable from the named showers
above, despite the radiants being quite close together, as those from
the ANT are much faster moving. |
The night sky in June 2019
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st:: 04.47 30th: 04.43 Sunset 1st: 21.27 30th: 21.41 Astronomical
darkness: none, as the Sun never gets more than 18 degrees below the
horizon in June. We only have a couple of hours of astronomical
twilight each night, the Sun is between 12 and 18 degrees below the
horizon from around midnight to 2am throughout the month. The Summer
Solstice is on 21st at 16.54. This is when the Sun reaches its most
northerly point in the sky and is overhead at local noon along the
tropic of Cancer. This day is 9 hours 33 minutes longer than the Winter
Solstice - with the night correspondingly shorter, of course. The
earliest sunrise is on 17th and 18th (04.39), the latest sunset on 25th
(21.42). New Moon: 3rd at 11.01 Full Moon: 17th at 09.30 The
June full Moon is known as the Strawberry Moon, as this is the time the
fruit ripens. Other names are the Hot Moon, Mead Moon and Rose Moon. Lunar Perigee: 8th at 00.23 (368506km) Lunar apogee: 23rd at 08.52 (404548km) The
moon is at perihelion on 1st at 21.57, when it will be 1.0115 AU from
the Sun, slightly closer than the Earth, which is at 1.0141AU. Highlights The
amount of light is still far too high for astronomers' liking, we have
no astro darkness and only a couple of hours of astro twilight each
night. The naked eye planets are all very low in the sky, only Jupiter
is bright enough to be seen easily - and even that only reaches an
altitude of 14 degrees. We don't have much in the way of meteor showers,
and solar observers don't fare much better either, despite the long
days. We are currently at Solar minimum so there are very few sunspots
around. The best thing that the sky can offer is more a
meteorological phenomenon than an astronomical one - noctilucent clouds
which may be visible in twilight, low in the NE, 2 hours to 90 minutes
before sunrise and low in the NW, 90 mins to 2 hours after sunset. These
colourless or pale blue wispy clouds are too faint to be seen in
daylight, they are thought to be formed when water vapour freezes on
dust molecules in the very thin atmosphere about 50 miles up. At this
altitude they are still illuminated by the Sun, even though it has set
for observers on the ground. The first confirmed sighting was as recent
as 1885, though there may have been a few around prior to that.
Displays are now becoming brighter and more frequent, thought to be a
result of climate change. Constellations The Plough asterism in Ursa Major is still prominent, being overhead for much of the night, leaving Cassiopeia on the opposite side of the Pole Star, low in the northern sky. The Summer Triangle, consisting of Vega, Deneb and Altair, is now getting higher in the late evening, though Altair, in Aquila, is still quite low in the early part of the night. The beautiful double star Albireo, at the head of Cygnus the swan, is very well placed for observing. The Milky Way is now visible from dark sky sites, running across the sky through the Summer Triangle, passing almost overhead in the early hours. The bright orange red Arcturus is shining brightly high in the SW and, if you manage to find some dark skies not obscured by cloud, you should be able to see the rest of the kite shaped Bootes, with the semicircle of stars forming Corona Borealis just to the east of it. Another red giant, Antares in Scorpio is now visible low on the southern horizon. Planets Mercury: in Taurus, mag -1.1 An
evening object, very low in the sky throughout June. On 1st it sets at
22.37, about 70 minutes after the Sun but is only 4 degrees above the
horizon as the sky darkens. On the evening of 4th the thin crescent
Moon passes 3 degrees 39 minutes south of the planet during daylight. It
might be possible to see them about 30 minutes after sunset, now
separated by almost 5 degrees. It moves into Gemini on 6th, setting at
23..04 and slightly higher, 6 degrees at dusk, but fainter at mag -0.7.
On 16th it reaches its highest point in the evening sky, about 13
degrees above the horizon at sunset, though much lower by the time the
sky is dark enough for it to be seen. Over the next few nights it
appears close to Mars, soon after sunset on 18th they are only 13
arcminutes apart, with Mars about 3 times fainter than Mercury. It
reaches greatest eastern elongation on the night of 23rd/24th when it
appears about 25 degrees from the Sun. However the angle of the
ecliptic against the eastern evening horizon is so small at this time
that the planet is now lower in the twilight sky. It moves into Cancer
on 25th and by month end will have faded to mag 0.9, setting at 22.47
and on the horizon at dusk. Venus: in Aries, mag -3.9 Still
a morning object but very low in the sky. On 1st it rises at 04.03 and
barely gets above the horizon by dawn. On 1st the thin waning Moon may
be seen, about 9 degrees SW of the planet just before sunrise. They
are at their closest, 3 degrees 14', in daylight at 19.15. It moves
into Taurus on 4th. During the month its apparent distance from the Sun
is decreasing but, because the angle of the ecliptic is increasing in
the morning sky, it rises about 45 minutes before the Sun throughout
June, still just on the horizon by dawn. Mars: in Gemini, mag 1.8 Now
very low in the WNW as the sky darkens, on 1st it sets at 23.48 and is
only 5 degrees above the horizon at dusk. On 5th the thin crescent Moon
passes one and a half degrees to the left of the planet at 16.06. The
pair, now 4 degrees apart, may be seen in the same binocular field of
view as the sky darkens around 22.00. After the first couple of weeks in
June it will be very difficult to see as it will have dropped below the
horizon before the sky darkens. On 30th it sets at 22.53 and is 3
degrees below the horizon at dusk.Jupiter: in Ophiuchus, mag -2.6. Currently
the brightest and best positioned of the naked eye planets, visible for
most of the night during June. On 1st it reaches its highest point at
01.50. The bad news is that its highest point is only 14 degrees.
However, from a site with a clear southern horizon it is quite
unmissable, much brighter than the red giant Antares, a little to the
west. It is at opposition on 10th, when it culminates at 01.10, still
no higher in the southern sky but, because of its elliptical orbit, is
at its closest to us a couple of days later when it is at a distance of
641 million km. The almost full Moon passes just over 2 degrees from the
planet on 16th. On 30th it should be visible from around 22.00 when it
is at an altitude of 11 degrees in the south, culminating 3 degrees
higher at 23.37. Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.3 Now
rising before midnight but, like big brother Jupiter, very low in the
sky. On 1st it rises at 23.56 and culminates just before dawn, at 14
degrees in the south. On 19th the just past full Moon passes 1.5
degrees SW of the planet at around 3am. On 30th it rises at 21.57
reaching 10 degrees in the SE by midnight and 14 degrees at 01.54. It
will have brightened slightly to mag 0.1. Uranus: in Aries, mag 5.9 Not
visible in June. On 1st it rises at 03.25 but is still 9 degrees below
the horizon by dawn. On 30th it rises at 01.34 and is just on the
horizon as the sky brightens. Neptune: in Aquarius, mag 7.9 A
telescopic object not easily seen at the moment because of its low
altitude. On 1st it is on the horizon at dawn but it does improve
slightly during the month. On 24th the gibbous Moon passes 4.5 degrees
south of the planet at around 3am. By 30th it rises at 00.22 and
reaches 10 degrees before the sky brightens. Dwarf Planets Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 14.7 Still
very low, so difficult to view through a scope. On 1st it rises at
00.15 and reaches 14 degrees at 04.09. On 30th it rises at 22.12 and
culminates 4 hours later, still at 14. Ceres: in Scorpio, mag 7.0 The
only dwarf planet orbiting in the asteroid belt, so by far the
brightest, is now also in the southern part of the sky. On 1st it
culminates at 00.53, at 18 degrees, slightly higher than Pluto. It fades
during the month, down to mag 7.7 by 30th, when it culminates 17
degrees above the southern horizon at 22.32, setting at 02.52. Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.8 Below the horizon during the hours of darkness throughout June. Haumea: in Bootes, mag 17.3 Much
higher in the sky, one for experienced astrophotographers to attempt
after midnight, especially in the early part of the month. On 1st it
culminates at 22.41, before the sky is dark enough but is still at 51
degrees in the SW at midnight. By the end of the month it is much lower
but still at a respectable altitude for a short time - 32 degrees
above the western horizon at 00.41, setting nearly 4 hours later. Makemake: in Coma Berenices, mag 17.1 Not
as well positioned as Haumea but not too bad in the early part of
June. On 1st it culminates at sunset but is still at 50 degrees in the
SW just before midnight,, setting at 02.15. On 30th it sets at 04.14
but should be high enough for imaging for about 40 minutes from 00.40,
when it is at 27 degrees in the west. Comets Another
bad month! 46P/Wirtanen and 38P/Stephan-Oterma are both still in the
region of Leo and Leo Minor but both now very low and very faint.
Wirtanen sets at 03.31 on 1st and 01.41 on 30th, Stephan-Oterma
following about 40 minutes later. Magnitudes at the end of June
predicted to be around 17 and 14.5 respectively. There
are a few comets, currently very faint but brightening, which might
possibly be good photographic targets later in the year. C2017/T2 (PANSTARRS) currently in Taurus, mag 11.5 C2018/N2 (ASSASSN) now in Cetus, mag 12.4. Predicted peak 10.3 in late October 168P/Hergenrotter, also in Cetus, mag 12.9. Predicted to reach 11.5 in late August 260P/McNaught in Aquarius, mag 14.5, predicted peak 11.0 in late September. For more information and exact positions of all solar system objects, at any time see And, for currently visible comets Meteor Showers Still nothing major, just a few very minor, maybe even no longer existing ones. Ophiuchids:
19th May to sometime in July, peaks given as 10th and 20th, ZHR 5. A
very weak shower especially for northern observers, as the radiant is
very low - only 12 degrees above the horizon at midnight. Often
considered to be part of the antihelion source, rather than a separate
shower. June Lyrids: peak 15th/16th. Not much activity in recent years, though ZHR of 8 to 10 has been recorded in the past. June
Bootids: June 22nd to July 2nd, peak June 27th, ZHR variable. Not much
activity predicted for this year. Could be a few meteors on 24th. The
antihelion source is active in early and late June, but is better seen
from further south, as the radiant is very low. in Sagittarius. Daytime
Arietids. The radiant of these is only 30 degrees west of the Sun but a
few have been seen just before dawn around the peak on June 7th. ZHR
of up to 30 has been recorded by radio and radar observers. |
The night sky in May 2019
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st: 05.35 31st: 04.48 Sunset 1st: 20.38 31st: 21.25 Astronomical darkness 1st: 23.25 to 02.46 31st: none New Moon: 4th at 23.54 Full Moon: 18th at 22.11 Lunar perigee: 13th at 21.54 (369015km) Lunar apogee: 26th at 13.28 (404133km) This
full Moon is a Blue Moon, if we use the original definition of the
third full Moon in a season having 4. The other definition, the second
full Moon in a calendar month, was actually an error in a 1946 article
in Sky and Telescope magazine. The wrong definition is now more widely
used - probably because it's so much more obvious. May full
Moon is known as the Flower Moon, because of all the blossoms around at
this time. Other names are the Corn Planting Moon and the Old
English/Anglo Saxon Milk Moon. Highlights Still
struggling to find any, unfortunately we have more light than highs -
just 3 hrs 21 minutes of astro darkness on the night of the 1st,
diminishing rapidly until mid month then we have none at all until the
end of July. The only reasonable meteor shower has a radiant so low
that it favours observers in the southern hemisphere and all the planets
are either very low in the sky or appear close to the Sun. And, even
though April is known for its showers, in Manchester, May averages
slightly more rainfall. As the sky darkens at the start of the month Lyra and Cygnus are rising in the north east, followed a couple of hours later by Aquila. In the later part of the night the Summer Triangle formed by Vega, Deneb and Altair, the brightest star in each of these three constellations, should be easily visible. By the end of the month Aquila will be above the horizon by around 11pm. The brightest part of the Milky Way visible to us in the UK runs through the Summer Triangle and down through Scutum and Sagittarius. The Plough is still very high in the sky for most of the night, standing on its handle, so Cassiopeia, the W shaped 'Lady in the Chair', on the opposite side of the Pole Star is very low down in the north. Bootes, the herdsman, is now riding high although only Arcturus, the brightest star in the celestial northern hemisphere, is above magnitude 2, so its kite asterism may not be easily visible in our light polluted skies. Arcturus is easy to find though - just follow the arc of the Plough's handle down to the south until you come to Arcturus. Carry on the arc a bit further and you come to the star Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. At this time of year when you look up to the south you are looking out of the plane of our Milky Way galaxy instead of along it like you do in winter and summer, so there aren't many bright stars, open star clusters and nebulae. However, if you've got a telescope this is a good time of year to hunt down globular clusters like M13, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, and faint galaxies like the many galaxies lying in the bowl of Virgo and into Coma Berenices. Planets Mercury: in Pisces, mag -0.4. Not
easy to see this month. On 1st it rises only 20 minutes before the Sun
and is still 3 degrees below the horizon as the sky brightens. It is
only 7.5 degrees to the east of Venus but, unlike Venus, Mercury is too
faint to spot in the dawn sky. It moves into Aries on 9th, when it will
have brightened to mag -0.8, and Taurus on 19th when it is at mag -2.0
but not visible as its apparent separation from the Sun is only 3
degrees. It reaches superior conjunction on 21st then becomes an
evening object. On the 31st it is at mag -1.2 and sets at 22.31, over
an hour after Sunset but only 4 degrees above the horizon as the sky
begins to darken. Venus: in Pisces, mag -3.9. Still
a morning object but very low. On 1st it rises at 04.58, only 37
minutes before the Sun and is on the horizon as the sky brightens. It
might be visible from a site with a very flat, unobstructed eastern
horizon. On 2nd the 6% Moon passes just over 3.5 degrees south of the
planet in daylight at 12.41. They remain quite close for much of the day
and might be visible to the naked eye - if you know where to look. As always DO NOT try using binoculars or a telescope to find them, they
appear much too close to the Sun for this to be done without risking
permanent blindness. It moves into Aries on 17th and on 31st rises at 04.04, still below the horizon as the sky begins to brighten. Mars: in Taurus, mag 1.6. On
1st it is 19 degrees above the western horizon as the sky darkens
around 21.45, setting at 00.26. On 7th it appears almost midway
between the 2 stars marking the horns of the bull and, on the following
night, the 9% Moon passes south of the planet, closest at 01.21 when
they are separated by less than 4 degrees. It moves into Gemini on
16th, when it will have faded slighty to mag 1.7. After several months
of setting at around the same time, because its eastern motion
counteracted the apparent movement of the celestial sphere westwards, it
is now setting earlier - 00.13 on this night - and is much lower in the
sky as it gets dark, only 12 degrees in the west. On 31st it is even
lower and fainter - mag 1.8 and 6 degrees above the horizon at dusk,
setting at 23.51. Jupiter: in Ophiuchus, mag -2.5. Still
a morning object, very bright but very low. Rises soon after midnight
on 1st, reaching 7 degrees in the SE by 02.00 and 13 degrees in the
south by 04.05. On 20th the 94% Moon is just under 4 degrees east of
the planet in the early hours. By 31st it rises at 22.03, is at 7
degrees in the SE by 23.30 and culminates at 01.55, still only 13
degrees above the southern horizon. It will then be at mag -2.6. Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.5. Another
low morning object. Rises on 1st at 02.05 and only gets to 12 degrees
in the south as the sky brightens. On the night of 22nd/23rd the 82%
Moon passes the planet. They are closest while they are still below the
horizon but should be visible in the pre-dawn sky, when they are
separated by about 2 degrees. On 31st it rises a few minutes after
midnight and reaches 14 degrees in the south by dawn. Uranus: in Aries, mag 5.9. Not
visible this month. On 1st it rises only 10 minutes before the Sun and
appears separated from it by 7 degrees. By 31st it rises over an hour
before Sunrise but is still well below the horizon when the sky begins
to brighten. Neptune: in Aquarius, mag 7.9. Its
position is improving slightly but not yet enough to make it
observable. On 1st it rises at 04.17 but is 5 degrees below the horizon
as dawn breaks. By 31st it rises at 02.19 but still doesn't quite
clear the horizon before the sky brightens. Dwarf Planets Ceres: in Ophiuchus, mag 7.6. The
nearest and brightest of the dwarf planets is the only one which orbits
in the Asteroid Belt, rather than the much more distant Kuiper Belt.
However it is very low throughout May but might possibly be visible
through a small scope from a site with a low southern horizon. On 1st
it rises at 22.53 and culminates, 19 degrees in the south, at 03.21. It
reaches opposition on the morning of 29th when it culminates at 01.08,
slightly lower at 18 degrees but brighter at mag 7.0. It moves into
Scorpio on 30th and ends the month rising at 20.33 and culminating at
00.58, still no higher than 18 degrees. The
other dwarf planets are much too faint and too distant to be anything
other than photographic targets - and that only for very experienced
astrophotographers. Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 14.7. Still too low to be successfully imaged, reaching a maximum altitude of 14 degrees in the south. Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.8. The
cause of Pluto's demotion (sorry, that should say reclassification),
appropriately named after the goddess of discord, is below the horizon
during the hours of darkness this month. Haumea: in Bootes, mag 17.3. On
1st it is at an altitude of 43 degrees in the SE as the sky darkens,
culminating at 00.50. By 31st it should be visible a few minutes before
midnight, at an altitude of 51 degrees in the SW, and remains well
positioned for a couple of hours after midnight. Makemake: in Coma Berenices, mag 17.1. On
1st it should be a good photographic target from about 22.15 when it is
43 degrees above the SE horizon, reaching its highest point just over
an hour later. On 31st it culminates soon after sunset, and is at 53
degrees in the south west around midnight. A
few small asteroids reach opposition in May, all in Libra. They are all
between mag 9 and 10 so should be visible in amateur scopes. 11th; 8 Flora, mag 9.7, reaches 26 degrees in the south at 01.19 14th: 11 Parthenope, mag 9.5, reaches 25 degrees at 01.15 20th; 20 Massalia, mag 9.7, reaches 17 degrees at 00.46 For exact positions of these, and all Solar System objects at any time see https:/theskylive.com And, for information on major planets Meteor Showers The
main shower this month, the eta Aquarids, is much better seen from the
southern hemisphere. It is active between April 19th and May 28th, peak
on the night of 5th/6th, ZHR 40 but far fewer from our latitude as the
radiant is so low in the sky - it doesn't get above the horizon until
just before dawn on that day. The shower is said to show enhanced
activity for about a week either side of the peak and the IMO says that
there could be a couple of lesser peaks this year, one on 4th from 04.00
to 10.00 and the other on 6th between 12.00 and 20.00 - neither of
which are likely to be much use to us. These are swift moving meteors,
parent comet the most famous of all - Halley. The good news is that
there is no Moon interference this year so, if you have clear skies,an
unobstructed eastern horizon and a reliable alarm clock,, it might be
worth looking between 01.30 and 03.30 on the morning of 6th. Eta
Lyrids: active May 3rd to 14th, peak May 9th, ZHR 3 (though some
sources say it could be as high as 7). These meteors, originating from
debris left by comet C/1983H1 IRAS-Araki-Alcock, are best seen between
2am and dawn. Alpha Scorpiids, active 20th
April to19th May, peak 13th (or maybe 15th) ZHR 5. Another one better
seen from further south as the radiant is very low in our sky. These
are faint meteors, derived from asteroid 2004 BZ74. The
antihelion source may produce a few meteors in May, particularly
towards the end of the month The radiant moves through the northern
part of Scorpio into southern Ophiuchus during May. ZHR 2 - 4. And
there are a few daytime showers this month. these can only be detected
using radio or radar. If anyone here does happen to have the right
equipment for this, full details can be found on the International
Meteor Organisation website: Comets 46P/Wirtanen and 38P/Stephan-Oterma are both still around and both
still above the horizon for most of the night. They are in roughly the
same area of the sky, moving between Leo and Leo Minor, however they are
now very faint. Wirtanen is expected to end the month around mag 16,
Stephan-Oterma at 14. And finally: The
big news last month was the first photograph of a black hole - or to be
more accurate the first photo of the radiation surrounding a black
hole. Now is a good time to ty to spot its host galaxy, M87, a large
elliptical located in Virgo. It is situated between Virgo and Leo (lies
on the line between between epsilon Virginis and beta Leonis, aka
Denebola). It has an apparent magnitude of around 8 (sources vary as
usual) and is classified as E1, meaning it isn't far off circular. It
is about 53.5 million light years from Earth and contains trillions of
stars. Of course, no scope can see the black hole, amateur scopes won't
even be able to pick out the huge jets which emanate from it, but the
galaxy itself should be easy to find. |
The night sky in April 2019
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st: 06.43 30th: 05.37 Sunset 1st: 19.43 30th: 20.36 Astronomical darkness 1st: 21.49 to 04.35 30th: 23.21 to 02.50 New Moon: 5th at 09.50 Full Moon: 19th at 12.12 Lunar apogee: 1st at 00.15 (405576 km) 28th at 18.21 (404576 km) Lunar perigee: 16th at 22.06 (364208 km) Because
we have 2 Lunar apogee in April it means that the month includes a
complete anomalistic month - the name given to the period between 2
successive perigee or apogee. April full Moon
is known as the Pink Moon, because of the pink flowers which bloom in
the spring (tra la - for any fans of G&S). Other names are the
Sprouting Grass Moon, Hare Moon and Fish Moon. The Old English/Anglo
Saxon names are Egg Moon and Paschal Moon, because this is the one used
to calculate the date of Easter. Highlights What
highlights? It's almost the end of our 2018/19 season and now the
clocks have changed it's too light to do any observing before 9pm, even
when the sky is clear. At the start of April we have 6 hours 46 minutes
of astronomical darkness, but only half as long by the end of the month.
The only planet putting on a good show is Jupiter, shining brightly in
the morning sky at mag -2.3. The downside is that it remains very low.
The first reasonable meteor shower in months will be washed out by the
glare of the just past full Moon and we'll probably have a lot of rain -
April is known for its showers. Looking away from the
sky, we do have Easter to look forward to, towards the end of the
month. It has an astronomical connection in the way it is calculated,
Easter Sunday is the Sunday after the first full Moon on or after the
Vernal Equinox, the date of which is always taken as March 21st even
when, as in the last few years, it actually occurs on 20th. The
earliest possible date for Easter Sunday, March 22nd, is extremely rare,
the last time was in 1818 and the next won't be until 2285. The latest
date, April 23rd, is much more frequent, some of us may have been around
the last time in 1943, others may still be here for the next in 2038.
The sequence of dates isn't quite as random as it may appear - it will
start to repeat itself after 5,700,000 years. Which got me thinking:
is this why mathematicians keep on calculating pi to more and more
decimal places? Do they hope to eventually find a pattern? The latest
attempt, by a Google employee, has got it to 31,415,926,535,897 decimal
places. I did wonder why they stopped there, rather than adding a few
more to make a nice round number - till I realised that this is the
first 14 digits of pi. Constellations Now
that BST has been forced upon us, we have to wait even longer for the
skies to darken each evening. By the time it gets really dark the winter constellations, including the beautiful area
around the Winter Hexagon, so rich in bright stars, is sinking slowly in
the West.Ursa Major is now high in the sky with the Plough overhead around midnight in the second half of the month. Follow the curve of the handle down to the orange coloured Arcturus, brightest star in the constellation Bootes the herdsman, and the 4th brightest in the night sky. The signature constellation of spring, Leo, is still riding high in the south and the Summer Triangle of Vega (in Lyra), Deneb (Cygnus) and Altair (Aquila) is now rising in the east and visible in the early hours. Planets Mercury: in Aquarius, mag 0.8 A
morning object this month but very low in the sky throughout. On 1st it
rises at 06.07 but is still 3 degrees below the horizon at dawn. It is
at aphelion (furthest point in its orbit from the Sun) on 10th at 08.40
and the following day reaches greatest western elongation at 27.7
degrees west of the Sun but, because of the angle of the ecliptic, is
still very low. On 13th it reaches its highest point in the morning
sky, rising at 05.46 but still not managing to clear the horizon before
the sky begins to brighten. On 16th it moves into Pisces and from 23rd
spends a few days over the border in Cetus, before returning to Pisces
on 27th, brighter at mag -0.2 but still too low to be seen easily. By
month end it rises at 05.17, only 20 minutes before the Sun. Venus: in Aquarius, mag -4.0 Also
very low in the morning sky this month but, because it is so much
brighter than Mercury, might be seen in the morning twilight. On 1st it
rises at 05.55, just under an hour before Sunrise, reaching 2 degrees
in the ESE by dawn. On 2nd the crescent Moon passes south of the
planet, closest (2.5 degrees) at 08.11, about 90 minutes after
Sunrise. Mercury is also quite close to the pair but much harder to see
in the dawn sky. Venus is at aphelion on 18th, then follows the
smaller planet into Pisces on 17th, then into Cetus from 27th to 29th.
On 30th, when it is back in Pisces, it rises at 05.00 as civil twilight begins. Mars: in Taurus, mag 1.4 Visible
in the evening sky, as it begins to darken, still setting around 00.30
each day. On 1st it is about 32 degrees altitude in the west at 20.30. During
the first few days of the month it moves N eastwards between the
Pleiades and the Hyades (the V shaped head of the bull asterism). On
1st it is 3.5 degrees SSW of the small cluster and on 8th and 9th the
Moon joins the party, at 21.00 on 9th the Moon will be 7 degrees to the
SE. On 31st Mars is 20 degrees above the western horizon as the sky
darkens around 21.30, setting 3 hours later. Jupiter: in Ophiuchus, mag -2.3 Very
bright in the morning sky but still low. On 1st it rises at 02.17 and
culminates, 13 degrees above the southern horizon, at 06.05, just over
half an hour before sunrise. It rises earlier as the month progresses
but will remain low for a long time yet. On the morning of 23rd the 84%
Moon passes 6 degrees west of the planet at around 4am. They are at
their closest, less than 2 degrees apart, around 13.00, in daylight. On
30th it rises at 00.21 and reaches 13 degrees in the south at 04.09,
while the sky is still quite dark but not astronomically so. Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.6 Another
morning object in the southern part of the Zodiac, so remaining very
low in the sky. On 1st it rises at 04.00 and reaches an altitude of 10
degrees by dawn. On the morning of 25th, the 67% Moon passes about 6
degrees west of the planet, the following day it is 6.7 degrees to the
east. They are at their closest, only 22 arcminutes, during the day of
25th - if you happen to be in Australia or New Zealand on that day
(night on that side of the world) you might see the Moon occult the
planet. On 30th it rises at 02.09 and reaches 13 degrees before the sky
gets too bright. Uranus: in Aries, mag 5.9 Not
visible this month as it approaches Solar conjunction, when it is on
the opposite side of the Sun from the Earth. On 23rd it sets an hour
and a half after the Sun but is separated from it by only 20 degrees.
At the end of the month it is a morning object but even closer - on 30th
it appears only 6 degrees from the Sun, rising just 9 minutes before
it. Neptune: in Aquarius, mag 8 Still
not visible after last month's Solar conjunction. On 1st it rises 30
minutes before the Sun but is still 9 degrees below the horizon at
dawn. By 30th it rises at 04.29 but still doesn't reach the horizon
before the sky brightens. Dwarf Planets and Asteroids Ceres,
in the asteroid belt, is the only dwarf planet which is close enough
and bright enough to be seen through a small scope. In April it is in
Ophiuchus at mag 8.2. On 1st it rises at 00.55 and culminates, 19
degrees in the south, 75 minutes before Sunrise. It brightens slightly
during the month, reaching mag 7.6 by 30th, when it rises at 22.55 and
culminates, still at 19 degrees, at 03.25. The
rest, which orbit beyond Neptune, in the Kuiper Belt, are too distant
and too faint to be seen even in the best amateur scopes. When well
positioned they could possibly be targets for good amateur
astrophotographers Pluto; in Sagittarius, mag 18.8 Too low in the sky to be a reasonable photographic target, never gets higher than 14 degrees above the horizon. Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.8 Reaches Solar conjunction on 13th, so not visible this month as it appears too close to the Sun. Haumea: in Bootes, mag 17.3 A
much better bet for any keen astrophotographers who fancy a game of
Spot the Difference with images taken a few days apart. On 1st it
reaches 53 degrees above the southern horizon at 02.49. It is at
opposition (directly opposite the Sun in the sky) on 16th, and on 30th
culminates at 00.54 at around the same altitude. Makemake: in Coma Berenices, mag 17.1 Also
well positioned for photography. On 1st it is at 32 degrees in the east
at 21.04, just before the start of astro darkness, and 40 degrees in
the west by dawn. On 30th it is at 57 degrees in the SE at 22.15 and 35
degrees west at dawn. A couple of asteroids
reach opposition in April. They are closer and brighter than the distant
dwarf planets, even though they are much smaller, and might be seen in
amateur scopes - even in good binoculars from a very dark sky site.
Again the comparison method is best, as they will never appear as
anything other than a point of light. Pallas: in Bootes, mag 7.9 The
second asteroid to be discovered culminates at 02.35 on the 1st, at an
altitude of 51 degrees in the south, 5 degrees SW of Arcturus. It moves
northwards through Bootes, reaching opposition on 6th. By 30th it will
have faded to mag 8.2, culminating at 00.19, still reaching 51 degrees. Iris: in Corvus, mag 9.4 The
4th brightest object in the asteroid belt is much lower in the sky. On
1st it culminates at 01.20, reaching 22 degrees in the south. It is at
opposition on 5th, when it gets to 23 degrees at 01.01. On 17th it
moves into Virgo and ends the month at mag 9.9 but slightly higher,
culminating 26 degrees above the southern horizon at 22.54. As always, recommended sites for exact positions and more information on Solar System objects Meteor Showers One fairly major shower in April. The Lyrids, active April 16th to 28th, peak on the night of 22nd/23rd. ZHR 18. These
medium paced meteors are the earliest recorded shower, in 687 BC
Chinese astronomers noted that meteors fell like rain. Nothing like that
now but there are occasional outbursts, the last in 1982 when a ZHR of
90 was recorded at the peak. The parent comet is C/1801G Thatcher,
which no one alive now will have seen or ever will see - its last visit
was in 1861 and it won't return until 2276. The bad news
is that this year's shower will be a washout, even if it isn't raining
all but the brightest meteors will be washed out by the glare from the
just past full Moon. Minor Showers A few of these are given in various sites, however none are included in the International Meteor Organisations calendar. Gamma
Virginids, active 5th to 21st, peak 14th. These could well be
considered by the IMO to be part of the Antihelion Source, which has a
radiant moving through Virgo in April. Some
sources mention a couple of weak showers with radiants in Draco, active
in the first half of the month, Delta Draconids, peak 31st March to 2nd
April and the Tau Draconids, peak April 1st. Might be worth keeping an
eye on the general direction of Draco at the start of the month. Alpha
Bootids: active April 4th to May 13th, peak 28th. very slow moving
meteors leaving trails. The shower could include fireballs. Comets A couple are still quite high in the sky but have faded considerably, and continue to do so. 46P/Wirtanen:
in Leo Minor, mag 13.3. On 1st it is 60 degrees above the SE horizon
at 21.04, culminating slightly higher, at 22.30. It moves into Leo on
29th ending the month at mag 15.2, about 60 degrees in the west at
22.14. 38P/ Stephan-Oterma: in Lynx, mag
12.5. Also fading but not as fast as Wirtanen. It's still circumpolar,
on 1st it reaches 78 degrees in the south at 21.23. It moves into Leo
Minor on 25th and ends the month at mag 13.3, reaching 61 degrees in the
SW at 22.14. Unfortunately the website which I usually recommend for details of current comets, seems to have vanished. Maybe it will return in time for next month's sky notes. |
The night sky in March 2019
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st: 06.57 31st : 06.45 (BST) Sunset 1st: 17.46 31st: 19.41 " Astronomical darkness 1st: 19.42 to 04.59 31st: 21.46 to 04.38 The
Vernal (Spring) equinox, when the centre of the Sun's disc crosses the
celestial equator, is on 20th at 20.58. However, with a day length of
12hr 09m 18secs, there isn't equal day and night, the nearest is the
18th, when the day is just 46 seconds over 12 hours. New Moon: 6th at 16.03 Full Moon: 21st at 01.42 This is the third, and final Supermoon of 2019 - though this one isn't quite as super as the others. Lunar apogee: 4th at 11.27 (406390km) Lunar perigee: 19th at 19.48 (359380km) Lunar perihelion (closest point to the Sun) 3rd at 23.08 March's
full Moon is known as the Worm Moon, because this is when temperatures
were said to rise and worm trails were seen on the newly thawed ground.
Other names are the Crow Moon, the Sap Moon, the Sugar Moon and the
Chaste Moon. The old Anglo Saxon name is the Lenten Moon, for obvious
reasons. British Summer Time, when we are all forced to do
everything an hour early, begins at 1am on 31st. According to a poll,
80% of people would prefer to keep BST all year round; I expect that
most astronomers were in the other 20%. Highlights What
highlights? Not many this month, unfortunately. Maybe the fabled March
winds will blow the clouds away and give us lots of lovely clear nights
while we still have a reasonable amount of proper darkness. Astronomical darkness is
getting less - 9 hours 17mins on 1st, down to 6hs 52 mins on 31st. We
have another so called Supermoon, but this is the least spectacular of
the three this year, being neither eclipsed like January's nor an extra
big super Supermoon like last month's. Only Jupiter, among the naked
eye planets, is bright and quite prominent, though it is very low in
the morning sky. Venus, while still very bright, is now low and getting
lower. In the last few days of the month Mars passes to the south of
the Pleiades and, as already mentioned, from 31st we have to get up an
hour earlier every day.And there are some high, bright early evening passes of the International Space Station during the last week of the month. Constellations We are now losing the winter highlights of Orion, Sirius and Taurus soon after midnight, though they are still prominent in the south in the early part of the night. Auriga, with the bright yellowish-white star Capella, is now overhead soon after sunset, with Gemini and Leo also prominent. The not very obvious zodiac constellation, Cancer, is now well placed. The Plough is overhead by midnight, the handle pointing to the orange hued Arcturus, the brightest star north of the celestial equator, in the constellation of Bootes. By the end of March the Summer Triangle will be above the horizon soon after 2am - or by 1am if you've forgotten to put the clock forward. Planets Mercury: in Pisces, mag -0.2 Visible
low in the morning sky for the first few days of the month. On 1st it
is 10 degrees above the western horizon at 18.15, setting around an hour
later. During the first half of March its apparent separation from the
Sun decreases rapidly, as does the magnitude. By 15th it is down to mag
5.6, on this day it reaches inferior conjunction, meaning it is between
the Earth and the Sun. Because of the inclination of Mercury's orbit,
this rarely results in a transit, the planet usually passes above or
below the Sun's disc. It then becomes a morning object but will be too
close to the Sun to be seen. On 22nd it is close to Neptune but both are
barely visible, being separated from the Sun by only 14 degrees. It
moves into Aquarius on 25th, when it has brightened to mag 2.2 but is
still 5 degrees below the horizon at dawn. By 31st it rises only 30
minutes before the Sun but still doesn't get above the horizon before
the sky brightens. Venus: in Sagittarius, mag minus 4.1 Still
very bright but now much lower in the morning sky. On 1st it rises at
05.27 but is only 6 degrees above the horizon as the sky brightens. It
gets even lower during the course of the month. It moves into Capricorn
on 2nd, and on that day is just over 1 degree north of the 16% Moon.
However both are very low in the brightening sky. On 31st it rises a
few minutes before 6am but only gets to 2 degrees by dawn. Mars: in Aries, mag 1.2 On
1st it should be visible, 41 degrees above the SW horizon, at around
18.30, setting at 23.31. On 11th the Moon passes 6 degrees south of
the planet at 19.00. On 24th, when it has faded to mag 1.4, it will be
at 35 degrees in the west as the sky darkens. Between 28th March and
3rd April it passes south of the Pleiades, closest on 30th when it is 3
degrees from the cluster. On 31st it is 32 degrees above the western
horizon at 20.30 setting at 00.32 - which is still almost 23.30 if you
forgot to change your clock. Jupiter: in Ophiuchus, mag -2.1 The
gas giant's position is improving but unfortunately it remains quite
low in the sky - and won't get much better for about 3 years. On 1st it
rises at 03.09, reaching 13 degrees in the south by dawn. The Moon
passes 2 degrees north of the planet at 3am on 27th, but quite low,
still only 13 degrees above the horizon. On 31st it rises at 02.22
(BST - just) reaching 13 degrees in the south soon after 06.00. Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.6 Also
very low in the morning sky, on 1st it rises at 04.56 but only reaches 6
degrees above the horizon by dawn. On this day the Moon passes quite
close to the planet just before the sky begins to brighten. On the
morning of 29th the pair are even closer, separated by just under 1
degree as astro darkness ends at 5am, at an altitude of about 10
degrees. A clear, low horizon will be needed to see the pair on both of
these days. On 31st the planet rises at 04.05 (which is really only
03.05) and reaches 10 degrees by dawn.Uranus: in Aries, mag 5.9 Visible,
through binoculars or a small scope, in the early evening sky in the
first part of March. On 1st it will be 29 degrees above the SW horizon
around 19.00, as the sky darkens, setting at 22.27. On 10th the Moon
passes 7 degrees east of the planet. It isn't visible in the later part
of the month, on 31st it appears only 21 degrees from the Sun and sets
before the sky is completely dark. Neptune: in Aquarius, mag 8.0
Not visible this month as it will be too close to the Sun. On 1st it
sets only 20 minutes after sunset and will be just 5 degrees from the
Sun. Reaches solar conjunction on 7th, when it is on the opposite side
of the Sun from the Earth. After this date it is a morning object but
too close to the Sun to be seen. On 31st it rises only half an hour
before the Sun and is still well below the horizon when the sky
brightens. Dwarf Planets Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 14.7 Doesn't
get high enough in the sky to be a good photographic target this
month. In fact it appears to move so slowly across the sky, taking 248
years to complete one orbit, that it won't reach a reasonable altitude
for about 50 years. Ceres: in Ophiuchus, mag 8.6 An
early evening object, in the same region of the sky as Jupiter. On 1st
it rises at 01.34 and reaches 20 degrees by dawn. On 31st it is
slightly brighter at mag 8.2, and rises at 00.55 and reaches 19 degrees
before the sky brightens.Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.8 Not
a good photographic target, on 1st it is only 17 degrees above the
horizon at dusk and by month end sets only half an hour after the Sun,
with an apparent separation of only 17 degrees. The other two dwarf planets are much higher in the sky and are a much better bet for experienced astrophotographers. Haumea: in Bootes, mag 17.3 Rises
at 20.11 on 1st and reaches 21 degrees in the east shortly before
23.00. It culminates, 52 degrees above the southern horizon at 03.53. On
31st it does the same almost exactly 2 hours earlier - though, because
of the dreaded BST, the times are only one hour earlier. Makemake: in Coma Berenices, mag 17.1 Best
placed of all the dwarf planets. On 1st it rises at 18.03, only about
20 minutes after sunset, but will reach 21 degrees above the eastern
horizon by 21.00. It culminates at 02.41, when it will be at 60 degrees
in the South. It reaches opposition, when it is directly opposite the
Sun in the sky, on 25th at 19.59, and culminates around midnight. By 31st
it rises well before Sunset, reaches a reasonable altitude by 21.00 and
culminates at 00.41, still at 60 degrees. Meteor Showers Another
bad month for meteor spotters in the northern hemisphere. For those
south of the equator we have the Gamma Normids, active for most of March
with a peak on 15th/16th of ZHR 6. The best that we in the north can
hope for are a few minor showers with radiants in Virgo. Because these
radiants are so close it is almost impossible to distinguish between the
showers, so the IMO now class them all as part of the antihelion
source. The ZHR throughout March is 3 or fewer. Comets Again, not much this month unless something new and exciting appears. 46P/Wirtanen
is still around, still circumpolar, still fading. Starts the month in
Ursa Major, probably around mag 11.5. It moves into Leo Minor on 15th
when it will probably be at mag 12.8. It continues to fade, ending the
month at mag 14.8. C/2018 Y1 (Iwamoto) was only
discovered in Dec 2018. It is now past its best but is brighter than
Wirtanen. It starts the month in Auriga at mag 7.4. On 1st it
culminates at 18.57 before the sky is completely dark but should be
visible, in good binoculars or a small scope, not long after that, at 71
degrees above the southern horizon. It is also fading quite quickly
and is predicted to be down to mag 9.4 when it moves into Perseus on
16th. It should still be visible in the early part of the night - 58
degrees in the SW at 19.30. By 31st it will have faded to mag 11.2 and
be at 42 degrees in the west at 21.05, shortly before the beginning of
astro darkness, and high enough for possible photography until just
before midnight, For more details and exact positions of any solar system objects, see for information on major planets and for comets www.nakedeyecomets.co.uk |
The night sky in February 2019
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st: 07. 54 28th: 06.59 Sunset 1st: 16.51 28th: 17.44 Astronomical darkness 1st: 18.52 to 08.52 28th: 19.40 to 05.01 New Moon: 4th at 21.05 Full Moon: 19th at 05.07 Lunar apogee: 5th at 09.28 (406555km) Lunar perigee: 19th at 05.07 (356761km) This
is the closest perigee of the year and, as it is less than 4 hours
before the full Moon, we have a Supermoon. There won't be another one
as good for almost 10 years. February's full Moon is known as
the Snow Moon for obvious reasons. Other names are the Hunger Moon,
because hunting was not easy, or very successful, at this time, and the
Storm Moon. The Moon is at perihelion on 3rd at 09.24 There are some bright early evening passes of the International Space Station for the first week of the month, then the ISS returns to the pre-dawn sky near the end of the month. Highlights Struggling
to find any highlights this month. We have no meteor showers, no
bright comets, though there is one which, if it lives up to
expectations, might be a target for astrophotographers. Apart from that
the best we can look forward to is the bright Supermoon, Venus still
prominent in the morning sky, but getting much lower, the later part
of the month will be the best time this year to spot Mercury and we
still have lots of astro darkness - 11 hours on 1st and 9 hrs 21 minutes
on 28th. The bad news is that it will probably be wet or
cloudy on most of these nights. As the old rhyme says ' February brings
the rain, thaws the frozen lakes again.' Constellations Orion and Taurus are now above the horizon as the sky darkens but start to set at around 2am at the start of February and soon after midnight by the end of the month. Gemini and Auriga are still prominent, remaining above the horizon until the early hours. Leo, the signpost constellation of Spring, is now high in the sky for most of the night and Bootes, with it's bright red star Arcturus is rising soon after 11, and around 9 at month end. In the early part of the evening the Plough is low in the North East standing on its 'handle', and Cassiopeia high in the North West as darkness falls. By month end, the Summer Triangle will have risen soon after 3am - summer already? Someone better tell the weather. Planets Mercury: in Capricorn, mag -1.5 Now
an evening object but not visible early in the month. On 1st its
apparent separation from the Sun is only 2 degrees. Its position
improves during the month, on the 9th, when it moves into Aquarius, it is 7
degrees from the Sun, setting 30 minutes after it but still not easily
seen. By the 18th it may be visible for a short time in the evening sky,
about 8 degrees above the South Western horizon shortly
before 18.00. On the following day there is a conjunction of Mercury
and Neptune, with Mercury passing less than one degree North of the ice
giant in the dusk sky. It moves into Pisces on 23rd, when it will have
faded to mag 0.9 but should be visible 10 degrees above the Western
horizon as the sky darkens. The later part of the month should be the
best time this year to see the planet. It reaches greatest Eastern
elongation on 27th at 01.00, long after it has set, but should be
visible after Sunset, 18 degrees from the Sun and 11 degrees above the
Western horizon. It will be fainter at mag -0.4 but well positioned.
On 28th it sets at 19.28, over an hour and a half after the Sun. Venus: in Sagittarius, mag -4.3 Still
very bright in the morning sky but now much lower at dawn. On 1st it
rises at 05.08 and reaches 12 degrees in the South East before the sky
brightens. It rises less than a minute later each day but Sunrise is
getting earlier as the month progresses. By the last week in February it
will be quite difficult to see, on 23rd it rises at 05.27 but is only 7
degrees above the horizon at dawn. On this day it passes 1.5 degrees
North of dwarf planet Pluto in daylight at 08.31. They will be quite
close together just before dawn, very low in the sky. However DON'T use
a telescope to try to spot them. You should NEVER use any optical
instruments on anything close to the Eastern or South Eastern horizon
before Sunrise. It's very easy to lose track of time, catching even the
first few rays of the rising Sun is enough to cause permanent
blindness. By 28th Venus rises 90 minutes before the Sun but only
reaches 6 degrees as the sky brightens. It might still be visible for a
short while from a site with a very clear South Eastern horizon. Mars: in Pisces, mag 0.9 Still
setting around 23.30 but becoming visible later as the days lengthen.
On 1st it will be at 43 degrees in the South as the sky darkens around
18.00. On 10th the 6 day Moon passes 6 degrees South of the planet, the
pair are closest at 16.20 while it is still light but will still
be fairly close as the sky darkens. From 10th to 15th Mars is within 2
degrees of Uranus, closest on 13th when they should be visible in the
same binocular field of view, about 42 degrees above the South Western
horizon at 18.00, with Mars to the North. At 20.07 the separation is
just over 1 degree. It moves into Aries on 14th and by month end will
have faded to mag 1.2, reaching 42 degrees at around 18.30 as daylight
fades. Jupiter: in Ophiuchus, mag -1.9 Its
position in the morning sky continues to improve during February. On
1st it rises at 04.39 and should be bright enough to be easily seen
around 06.00. It reaches 12 degrees in the South before the sky
brightens. On 27th the 67% Moon passes 2 degrees 19 minutes North of the
planet, in daylight at 14.19. They should be visible around 06.00 that
day, separated by 5 degrees, with the Moon to the South East of
Jupiter. By 28th it will have brightened to mag -2.1, rising at 03.13
and reaching 13 degrees in the South by daybreak. Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.6 Very
low in the morning sky so hardly visible this month. On 1st it is 2
degrees above the horizon as day breaks. It gets a little higher in the
pre-dawn sky as the month goes on but still only gets to 6 degrees
before the sky brightens at the end of February. Uranus: in Pisces, mag 5.8 Still
well placed, on 1st it is 45 degrees above the Southern horizon around
18.00 as the sky darkens, setting at 00.16. On 6th it moves back into
Aries, this time it stays there until March 14th 2025 - more than 6
years to cross such a small constellation. On 10th the Moon passes 6
degrees South of the planet, while it is close to Mars, in the early
evening. By 28th Uranus is much lower, only 30 degrees in the South West
as the sky darkens, setting just before midnight. Still a good target
for HPAG scopes,especially in the early part of the month - if only the
clouds would stay away on a Thursday evening. Neptune: in Aquarius, mag 8.0 Not
easily seen throughout February. On 1st it is only 13 degrees above the
horizon at dusk, setting at 19.54. On 7th the Moon passes 5.5 degrees
to the North East at around 18.00. By 28th it will set at 18.13, only
half an hour after the Sun and with an apparent separation of only 6
degrees. Dwarf Planets Ceres: in Scorpio, mag 8.8 The
closest and brightest of the dwarf planets is quite low in the morning
sky in February. On 1st it rises at 02.45, reaching 20 degrees by dawn.
It moves into Ophiuchus on 17th, when it rises at 02.07. By 28th it
will be marginally brighter at mag 8.6, rising at 01.07 but still only
20 degrees by dawn, as dawn is now so much earlier. Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 14.7 Too low in the morning sky to be a photographic target this month, as it never gets higher than 14 degrees above the horizon. The
rest of the dwarf planets are far out in the Kuiper Belt and are too
faint to be seen even with the best amateur scopes, but may be targets
for experienced astrophotographers with good equipment. Eris: In Cetus, mag 18.8 A
possible target in early February, on 1st it is 32 degrees in the South
as the sky darkens and should be high enough in the sky for a couple of
hours, setting at 22.56. On 28th it is only 18 degrees at dusk,
setting soon after 21.00. Haumea: in Bootes, mag 17.4, High
in the sky after midnight. On 1st it is 21 degrees above the Eastern
horizon as the sky darkens, reaching 52 degrees in the South at 05.44.
On 28th it reaches this altitude just before 5am. Makemake: in Coma Berenices, Mag 17.1 Culminates at 04,32 on 1st, at 60 degrees in the South. On 28th it reaches the same altitude almost 2 hours earlier at 02.45. For more details and exact positions of all Solar System bodies at any time, see and for information on the major planets Meteor Showers Not
a good month for meteor observers, in fact it's a very bad month unless
you happen to be in the Southern Hemisphere where the alpha Centaurids
peak on 8th, with a ZHR somewhere between 6 and 25. For those of us in
the more Northerly latitudes not only are there no major showers, there
aren't any minor ones either. The best we can expect is one or two from
the Antihelion Source which this month has its radiant in the Southern
part of Leo. Comets Again,
nothing to get excited about - and there are no bright comets predicted
for the whole of 2019. But, with comets, you never know what will turn
up so keep your fingers crossed. 46P/Wirtanen
is still circumpolar, visible for most of the night, moving through Ursa
Major but fading by about 0.1 magnitude each day. On 1st it is at mag 9
but down to 11.7 by month end. 38P/Stephan-Oterma
in Lynx, mag 10.7. Also circumpolar and also fading - but not as
rapidly as Wirtanen. By month end it should be the brighter, albeit not
by much, at mag 11.5. C/2018Y1 (Iwamoto)
looks like the best bet this month. It starts the month in Virgo, at mag
9, culminating 22 degrees above the Southern horizon at 04.32. Moves
into Leo on 9th, when it will be at mag 8 and higher - 39 degrees in the
South at 02.25. It should brighten further, it is predicted to be at
mag 7.7 from 11th to 14th before starting to fade again. It moves into
Cancer on 15th, when it culminates at 23.32 much higher at 61 degrees.
For the rest of the month it continues to move North Westwards and to
fade. It's at mag 8.3 on 18th when it crosses into Gemini and 8.8 on
22nd when it goes into Auriga, On 28th it will be down to mag 9.6,
reaching 71 degrees in the South at 19,08, half an hour before astro
darkness begins. More info on comets of mag 14 or higher can be found on www.cometwatch.co.uk And exact positions of the brighter ones are on the site mentioned previously https://in-the-sky.org |
The night sky in January 2019
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st: 08.24 31st: 07.56 Sunset 1st: 16.00 31st: 16.49 Astronomical darkness 1st: 18.10 to 06.14 31st: 18.50 to 05.53 Earth is at perihelion (closest point to the Sun) on 3rd at 05.19, when it will be at a distance of 147,100 km. New Moon: 6th at 01.28 Full Moon: 21st at 05.16 The
January full Moon is known as the Wolf Moon because they were said to
be particularly vocal at this time. Other names are the Moon after
Yule, the Old Moon, the Ice Moon and the Snow Moon. On
the morning of 21st we have a total lunar eclipse, visible from all the
UK - at least from all the parts where the weather co-operates and
keeps the sky cloud free. The Moon will appear relatively large as it
is only 14 hours and 43 minutes before perigee. Highlights We
still have long periods of astronomical darkness in which to observe
the beautiful winter skies, or, more likely, the horrible winter clouds.
Venus and, to a lesser degree, Jupiter are bright in the pre-dawn sky
and comet 46P Wirtanen is still around, higher but fainter, and we have a
promising meteor shower not affected by moonlight. The main events
this month are the total lunar eclipse on 21st (early morning so set
your alarm) and New Horizons' long awaited close encounter with a Kuiper
Belt object on New Year's Day. Constellations There
isn't much change in the prominent constellations since December, just
that everything rises, or sets, a couple of hours earlier. Orion
is now well above the horizon by 8pm at the start of the month, with
Sirius rising at this time. By month end, Sirius will rise at about
6pm. Auriga, Gemini and Cassiopeia are all high in the sky. The Summer Triangle is now setting earlier as the Winter Hexagon rises.
Taurus and the Pleiades are still very prominent and the spring constellation of Leo is above the south eastern horizon by 9pm.Planets The
best time for seeing naked eye planets this month is in the early
morning, especially near the beginning and end of the month, when they
are joined by the crescent Moon. Mercury: in
Ophiuchus, mag -0.4. Very low in the morning sky, so not easily seen in
January. On 1st it rises at 07.14 and is only 2 degrees above the
horizon at dawn. Its position deteriorates further as the month
progresses. It moves into Sagittarius on 3rd and on 13th is separated
from Saturn by only 1.8 degrees, about 20 minutes before Sunrise, but
both are barely above the horizon and extremely difficult to see. As
always DON'T try looking for them through a scope or binoculars - it
really will be unlucky 13th for you if you mistime it and catch the
first rays of the rising Sun. The planet reaches superior conjunction
on 30th and can't be seen at all in the later part of the month. Venus:
in Libra, mag -4.5. Still shining brilliantly in the pre-dawn sky. On
1st it rises at 04.15 and should be unmissable from around 5.30. It
reaches 19 degrees above the horizon by sunrise. On the mornings of 1st
and 2nd it is close to the waning crescent Moon. It reaches greatest
Western elongation on 6th, when it is 47 degrees from the Sun and 20
degrees above the horizon as the sky brightens. It moves into Ophiuchus
on 15th, when it will be slightly lower, 16 degrees in the SE at dawn.
On the morning of 22nd it will be only 2.5 degrees from the 10 times
fainter (but still very bright) Jupiter just before Sunrise. On 31st it
rises at 05.06, reaching only 12 degrees as the sky brightens. Mars:
in Pisces, mag 0.5. An evening object, culminating in astronomical
twilight and setting around 23.30 throughout January. On 1st it reaches
its highest point, 35 degrees, at 17.24. It continues to climb higher
in the sky, crossing the celestial equator in early January. On 12th
the 35% Moon passes just over 6 degrees south of the planet at 18.00.
By 31st it is at 43 degrees in the south at 17.30, but fainter at mag
0.9. Jupiter: in Ophiuchus, mag -1.8. A
morning object whose position improves during the month. On 1st it
rises at 06.11 but only reaches 9 degrees in the south east before the
sky brightens. On this day it forms a line with Venus, Mercury and the
crescent Moon - though only Jupiter, Venus and the Moon are likely to be
easily visible. On 3rd the 6% Moon passes 2.3 degrees north of the
planet. On 31st, when it is marginally brighter at mag -1.9, it rises at
04.42 and is at an altitude of 12 degrees as dawn breaks. On this day
the crescent Moon is midway between Venus and Jupiter. Saturn:
in Sagittarius, mag 0.5. At Solar conjunction on 3rd so not visible as
it is only 1 degree from the Sun. The apparent separation does
increase during the month but it is below the horizon at dawn until
19th. On 31st it is still only at an altitude of 2 degrees as the sky
begins to brighten. Uranus: in Pisces,
mag 5.8. An evening object, well placed for binocular observation
before midnight in the first part of January. On 1st it culminates at
19.10, in astronomical darkness, 46 degrees above the southern
horizon. At the start of the month it appears to be moving westwards
against the background stars (retrograde) but on 7th it resumes prograde
motion. By mid month it is culminating during astronomical twilight
but is still high in the sky for about 4 hours. On 31st it reaches 45
degrees in the south at 18.00, as the sky darkens, setting soon after
midnight. It should be easily visible in binoculars, especially from a
dark sky site, but a scope is needed to show the small blue/green disc. Neptune:
in Aquarius, mag 7.9. Visible through a scope, in the SE, as darkness
falls in early January. On 1st it is at 27 degrees in the south at
17.30, setting at 21.50. On 18th it is 21 degrees above the horizon at
dusk and by month end isn't easy to see, as it is at only 14 degrees as
the sky darkens. A decent amateur scope should show the planet as a
small blue disc. Dwarf Planets Ceres:
in Libra, mag 8.9. Should be a good photographic target, or maybe
visible in large binoculars or a small scope, in the morning sky. On
1st it rises at 03.48 and reaches 19 degrees by dawn. It moves into
Scorpio on 31st, when it rises at 02.47 and gets to an altitude of 20
degrees before the sky brightens. Because it is so small it will only
appear as a point of light, even in a large scope. The
others are out of reach of even the largest amateur scopes but could be
targets for experienced astrophotographers using good equipment and the
'spot the difference' technique used to discover Pluto. Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 14.7. Not visible this month as it is very close to the Sun. Eris:
in Cetus, mag 18.8. Much fainter but better placed for imaging.
especially in the early part of January. On 1st it reaches 34 degrees
in the south at 19.06, an hour before the start of astro darkness, and
sets at 01.01. On 31st it is at 32 degrees in the south as the sky
darkens soon after 18.00, setting around 23.00. Haumea:
in Bootes, mag 17.4. On 1st it rises at 00.10 and reaches 50 degrees in
the SE before the sky brightens. From mid January it culminates in
astro darkness - 52 degrees at 05.47 on 31st. Makemake:
in Coma Berenices, mag 17.1. Rises at 22.00 on 1st, and culminates, at
60 degrees, a few minutes after astro darkness ends. On 31st it reaches
this altitude at 04.36 while the sky is still fully dark. Recommended websites for more info and full details of planetary positions: Meteor Showers One major shower in January. Quadrantids,
active Dec 28th to Jan 12th, peak on the night of 3rd/4th, ZHr 25 to
40, more according to some sources. They all agree that this shower has a
very short peak, about 6 hours, centred this year on 02.20, and is best
seen between midnight and 4am, when the radiant is high in the sky.
They are medium paced, not especialy bright meteors not usually leaving
trails, but sometimes including fireballs. They occur when the Earth
passes through debris in the orbit of asteroid 2003EH1, thought to be a
remnant of defunct comet C1490X1. The name is derived from the former
constellation Quadrans Muralis, the mural (or wall mounted) quadrant,
which disappeared when it was omitted from the IAU's list of officially
recognised constellations in 1922. The location of the shower radiant is
now part of Bootes. The antihelion
source (ANT) is active in January. These are meteors, not belonging to
any specific shower, which have a radiant on the ecliptic, opposite the
position of the Sun. ZHR is given as around 3. There are also 2 very minor showers for which not much information is available. Kappa
Cancrids peak on the night of 9th/10th. The radiant is very close to
that of the ANT but meteors from the shower should be easily
distinguishable as they are much faster moving. Gamma Ursa Minorids, active 10th to 22nd, peak 18th, ZHR 3. Slow moving meteors. Comets 46P
Wirtanen is past its best, recently discovered C2018V2 (Machholz-
Fujikawa- Iwamoto) has disappeared behind the Sun and there are 2 much
fainter ones which may be good photographic targets. 46P
Wirtanen starts the month in Lynx at around mag 5.3. It is circumpolar
but best seen soon after midnight, when it reaches an altitude of 84
degrees in the north. On 2nd it moves into Camelopardalis and on 9th
into Ursa Major. Not easily seen in the latter part of the month,
despite being almost overhead at 01.00 on 31st - it is expected to have
faded to mag 8.3 by this time. C2018L2(Atlas)
Starts the month in Hercules at mag 9.4 and may be visible in a small
scope 22 degrees above the western horizon at around 17.30. It moves
into Sagitta on 2nd and Vulpecula on 9th. Between 12th and 18th it
should be above the horizon at both dawn and dusk, then it ends the
month as a morning object slightly fainter at mag 9.8. On 31st it will
be 26 degrees above the eastern horizon at dawn. 38P
Stephan-Oterma. In Lynx, mag 9.9. Circumpolar and visible (through a
scope) for most of the night throughout January. Starts the month a
little to the west of Wirtanen, 77 degrees above the southern horizon at
2am, but the faster moving Wirtanen soon leaves it behind. On 31st it
is at 37 degrees in the NE at dusk and 33 degrees in the NW at dawn. Comet co-ordinates and position charts can be found in the websites mentioned earlier, and also in www.cometwatch.co.uk Special Events We
have a Total Lunar Eclipse on the morning of 21st. The partial phase
begin at 03.33 with totality starting at 04.41 when the Moon will be
29.9 degrees above the horizon. Totality ends an hour later at 05.43,
still in astro darkness, when the Moon is about 9 degrees lower in the
sky. The last of the shadow leaves the Moon at 06.50. The face of the Moon
can be seen during totality, usually having a reddish or brown hue,
even though it is completely in shadow. This is because some of the
Sun's light is refracted by the Earth's atmosphere, the blue end of the
spectrum is more widely scattered leaving the red light to illuminate
the Moon. The actual colour depends on atmospheric conditions at the
time of the eclipse. And finally ..... Only
a few hours into the New Year, at 05.33 on January 1st, after a journey
of almost 13 years New Horizons will pass a Kuiper Belt Object at a
distance of only 3,500 km - almost 4 times closer than it was to Pluto.
The KBO's designation is (486958) 2014MU69, but it has been given the
unofficial (ie not recognised by the all powerful IAU) name of Ultima
Thule - a name meaning beyond the borders of the known world, or a
distant unknown region at the limit of travel and discovery. It is
about 6 billion miles from Earth and so small that it can't be seen as
anything but a speck until New Horizons is almost at its closest. The
probe cannot receive and transmit data at the same time, so it will not
begin sending any information back to Earth until about 4 hours after
its closest encounter. It will then take another 6 hours to reach us
so, if all goes well, we might begin to learn about this tiny, distant
icy world in the late afternoon of New Year's Day. It will take about 2
years for all the data collected during the flyby to be sent back to
Earth. And New Horizons still has some fuel left, so that might not be the end of its story. |
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