Constellations, planets, meteor showers etc. on show this month. |
The night sky this month
The night sky in January 2020
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st: 08.24 31st: 07.56 Sunset 1st: 15.59 31st: 16.48 Astronomical darkness 1st: 18.10 to 06.14 31st: 18.50 to 05.53 Earth is at perihelion on Jan 5th, when it is 147,091,144 km (0.98 AU) from the Sun. Full Moon: 10th at 19.21 New Moon: 24th at 21.42 Lunar apogee: 2nd at 01.31 (404,578 km) Lunar perigee: 13th at 20.22 (365,963 km) Lunar apogee: 29th at 21.29 (405,389 km) The
time between 2 successive Lunar perigees or apogees is known as an
anomalistic month, therefore we have a complete one in January. January's
full Moon is known as the Wolf Moon, because this is the time when
these animals are said to howl most. Other names are the self
explanatory Moon after Yule, the Old Moon, the Ice Moon, the Spirit Moon
and the Chinese Holiday Moon. Highlights There
still isn't much to write about, we have plenty of astronomical
darkness - a few minutes over 12 hours on 1st and an hour less by 31st.
Venus is shining brightly in the early evening but the rest of the
naked eye planets are very poorly placed, either low in the morning sky
or not visible at all for most of the month. The outer, fainter, ice
giants are much better positioned in the evening sky, especially in
early January. There are a few circumpolar comets around but probably
nothing approaching naked eye, or even binocular, brightness. The one major meteor shower won't be affected by moonlight but it has only a very short peak, around dawn. There
is a partial Lunar eclipse on 10th, but the Moon only passes through
the outer part, the penumbra, of the Earth's shadow so the darkening
will be barely noticeable, especially if the sky is hazy. From
Manchester the eclipse begins at 17.07, when the Moon is only 8.6
degrees above the horizon. Maximum cover, 86%, is at 19.10 at an
altitude of 25.3 degrees and it finishes at 21.12, when the Moon has risen to
42.5 degrees. 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 Mercury: in Sagittarius, mag -0.9 Not
visible for much of the month. On 1st it appears only 4 degrees from
the Sun and moves even closer as it approaches superior solar
conjunction on 10th. It then becomes an evening object, moving away from
the Sun but still too close to be visible. When it moves into Capricorn
on 17th the separation is still only 4 degrees. By 23rd it is on the
horizon as the sky darkens and on 25th the thin crescent Moon is 2.5
degrees below the planet in the still bright sky. On 31st it is 5
degrees above the horizon as the sky darkens, setting at 17.57, about 70
minutes after the Sun. Venus: in Capricorn, mag -4.0 Now
even more prominent in the evening twilight. On 1st it should be
visible in the still bright sky, 14 degrees above the horizon around
16.00. Its position improves even more during the month as it moves
away from the Sun, and also because the angle of the ecliptic to the
horizon is increasing. On 12th, when it moves into Aquarius, the planet
is at 18 degrees in the SW when it becomes visible soon after sunset.
On 27th it is only 5 arcminutes south of Neptune at around 17.00. The
pair should be visible in the same field of view of a telescope. IMPORTANT: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LOOK AT THEM THROUGH A SCOPE UNTIL AFTER THE SUN HAS FULLY SET AT AROUND 16.40. A
few minutes after 17.00 the pair will be 24 degrees above the SW
horizon. On 27th and 28th the thin crescent Moon is also close by. On
31st Venus is 25 degrees above the SW horizon at 17.00, setting at
20.34. Mars: in Libra, mag 1.6 A
morning object, still low in the sky. On 1st it rises at 05.00 and
only reaches 12 degrees above the horizon by dawn. It moves into
Scorpio on 8th, still at the same altitude, and Ophiuchus on 16th, when
it is slightly lower at 11 degrees. On 20th the crescent Moon passes
close to the planet, nearest while they are still below the horizon but
still separated by only 6 degrees just before dawn. Red supergiant
Antares, the rival of Mars, is also close to the pair.
On 31st Mars rises at 04.43 and is slightly brighter at mag 1.3, but
even lower - only getting to 10 degrees before the sky brightens. Jupiter: in Sagittarius, mag -1.8 Very
low in the morning sky following solar conjunction at the end of
December. On 1st it isn't visible as it appears only 3 degrees from the
Sun. On 23rd the very thin crescent Moon is just over 3 degrees SE of
the planet at dawn, very low in the SE. On 31st Jupiter rises at 06.39
and is only 4 degrees above the horizon when the sky begins to brighten. Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.5 Not
visible this month. On 1st it is on the horizon at dusk, setting at
16.53. It is at solar conjunction on 13th, then becomes a morning object.
By month end it rises at 07.17, 40 minutes before the Sun, but is still
just below the horizon as dawn breaks. Uranus: in Aries, mag 5.8 Still
the best placed of the outer planets, well placed in the early part of
the night for binocular and telescopic observation and imaging. On 1st
it culminates, 48 degrees above the southern horizon, at 19.28. By
midnight it has sunk to 21 degrees in the SW. On 4th, at around 18.00,
the just past 1st quarter Moon passes 5 degrees south of the planet. On
31st it culminates at 17.30, while the sky is still fairly bright, and
is at 47 degrees in the SE as astro darkness begins, setting at 00.44. Neptune: in Aquarius, mag 7.9 Reasonably
high in the early evening sky at the beginning of January. On 1st it
is at 29 degrees in the south at 17.32 and should be high enough for
telescopic viewing or imaging until around 19.00. By 21st it is only 21
degrees above the horizon as the sky darkens, setting at 20.49 and on
31st it is only 15 degrees in the SW at dusk, and sets at 20.12. Dwarf Planets Ceres: in Sagittarius, mag 9.0 Not
visible this month as it is at solar conjunction on the night of
13th/14th. It moves into Capricorn on 29th and on 31st is still only 11
degrees from the Sun. Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 15.1 Another one which appears very close to the Sun this month, at solar conjunction on 13th. Haumea: in Bootes, mag 17.4 Quite
well placed for astrophotography in the early hours. On 1st it rises at
00.19 and will be high enough from around 3am, reaching 49 degrees in
the SE by dawn. By 31st it rises at 22.17 and culminates at the end of
astro darkness, 52 degrees above the southern horizon. Makemake: in Coma Berenices, mag 17.3 Reasonably
high around midnight this month. On 1st it rises at 22.11 and gets to
21 degrees in the east by 01.00, reaching its highest point, 59 degrees,
at 06.40. On 31st it rises at 20.11, is at 21 degrees by 23.00 and
culminates at 04.42. Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.8 The
faintest and most distant of the currently recognised dwarf planets
moves very slowly against the background stars. It takes 558 years to
make one orbit of the Sun so since the announcement of its discovery, 15
years ago, has only completed approximately 2.6% of one orbit. It
hasn't even moved to another constellation and won't do so for another
15 years. It was at aphelion in 1977 and is now getting closer to the
Sun, however it won't reach perihelion for another 236 years. On Jan
1st it reaches its highest point, 34 degrees, in the south at 19.09. By
31st it culminates before the sky is fully dark and is at 33 degrees as
the sky darkens around 18.15. A couple of
asteroids reach opposition in January. These are a much better target
for imaging, not only are they much brighter than the distant Kuiper
Belt objects, they also seem to move much more quickly around the sky, so
appear to have moved more in pics taken a few days apart. 511
Davida, starts the month in Cancer, at mag 10.00. On 1st it
culminates, 58 degrees in the south, at 01.30. It moves into Gemini on
3rd and is at opposition on 13th when it is at mag 9.6 and at 60 degrees
by 00.23. By 31st it will have faded to mag 10.1 and culminate at
23.03, slightly higher at 62 degrees. 5
Astraea; in Cancer, mag 9.6. The fifth asteroid to be discovered, 38
years after 4 Vesta, is slightly lower - maximum altitude 51 degrees on
1st. It is at opposition on 21st, when it culminates, 52 degrees in the
south, at 00.20, slightly brighter at mag 9.0. On 31st it will have
faded to mag 9.2 and culminate at 23.28, a couple of degrees higher in
the south. Comets Still a few around, circumpolar so above the horizon all night, but faint - only suitable for imaging. C/2017
T2 (PANSTARRS) in Perseus, could possibly be as bright as mag 8.3 but
more likely around mag 10 - as always, various sources fail to agree. On
1st it is at 61 degrees in the NE as the sky gets dark, reaching its
highest point, 88 degrees in the north, at 20.52. It strays into
Camelopardalis on 2nd and 3rd, then back into Perseus on 4th. It
continues its eastward motion and during the last few days of the month
passes north of the double cluster. By this time it should have
brightened slightly (but may have faded), will be at 84 degrees in the
NE at dusk and down to 21 degrees in the north as the sky brightens
around 06.30. Also circumpolar, but much fainter. C/2018
N2 (ASSASSIN) in Andromeda, mag around 12. Again quite high, 75
degrees in the SW at dusk on 1st and 57 degrees in the west as the sky
darkens on 31st. 260P/McNaught: in Perseus, mag
around 14. On 1st it reaches 80 degrees in the south at 20.13. On
31st, probably fainter at around mag 15.5, is 76 degrees in the south
at 19.00. Recommended websites for more information and exact positions of all solar system objects and for news about comets Meteor Showers One promising shower and a couple of very minor ones. Quadrantids:
active December 28th to Jan 12th, peak in the early hours of 4th, ZHR
estimates vary, could be as low as 25 or as high as 200. This shower
has a very short peak of 4 to 6 hours, centred on 8am, so is best seen
just before dawn. They are medium paced, medium bright meteors often
leaving trails, the shower often includes some fireballs. The parent
body is asteroid 2003 EH1, thought to be a former comet. The
name Quadrantids comes from the former constellation Quadrans Muralis,
the wall mounted quadrant, which was not included when the IAU published
its official list of constellations in 1922. The location of the
shower radiant now lies in Bootes. On the morning of 4th the Moon sets around 1am, so will not interfere with pre dawn observing. Minor showers: Gamma
Ursa Minorids, active 10th to 22nd, peak 19th/20th ZHR 3. Slow moving
meteors, again best seen just before dawn when the radiant is high. Kappa
Cancrids: peak 10th. Some activity reported in 2015 and 2016 but
nothing since. It might be worth looking this year. The radiant is
very close to that of the Antihelion Source but the Cancrids are much
faster moving. |
The night sky in December 2019
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st: 08.01 31st: 08.25 Sunset 1st: 15.54 31st: 15.58 Astronomical darkness 1st: 18.02 to 05.54 31st: 18.09 to 06.14 The
Winter Solstice is on 22nd at 04.19. This is the day when the Sun
reaches its lowest point in the sky in the northern hemisphere. On this
day it is overhead at noon along the Tropic of Capricorn, the furthest
south that this can happen. This is also the shortest day at 7hrs 28 minutes and 48 seconds. The latest sunrise is on 30th at 08.25, earliest sunset on 14th at 15.49. Full Moon: 12th at 05.12 New Moon: 26th at 05.13 Lunar perigee: 18th at 20.31 (370258km) Lunar apogee: 5th at 04.10 (404445km) December's
full Moon is known as the Cold Moon, for obvious reasons. Other names
are the Oak Moon, the Long Night Moon, the Moon Before Yule (Anglo
Saxon) and the Bitter Moon (Chinese). Highlights As
always in December, one of the main highlights is the lack of light, we
have around 12 hours of astronomical darkness throughout the month. There's
an annular solar eclipse on 26th. This happens when the Moon is near
its furthest point from Earth and doesn't appear quite large enough to
cover the Sun's disc. The path of this eclipse goes over parts of Saudi
Arabia, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. We're
losing the gas giants as evening stars, they both appear very close to
the Sun this month, but Venus is getting higher in the evening sky and
should soon be an unmissable sight - weather and tall buildings
permitting. And one of the best meteor showers of the
year, the Geminids, will be seriously marred this year by the presence
of the just past full Moon close to the radiant. We might have more
luck spotting a few Ursids, much lower ZHR but the Moon will be out of
the way. Constellations Orion, with the stars of his belt pointing down to the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, is now well above the horizon by midnight, and is a beautiful sight especially from a dark sky site. By month end these will be visible from 10pm - weather permitting. Taurus and the Pleiades precede him across the sky. Gemini, including the 'twins' Castor and Pollux, and Auriga with the bright Capella are also very prominent. Aries and Pisces, while not particularly bright - or often not even visible in our light polluted skies - are both quite high this month. Perseus, Andromeda and the Great Square of Pegasus are also well placed for most of the night. The Plough starts the night quite low in the Northern sky, with Cassiopeia high overhead. Because of the long winter nights, these last two will have changed places before dawn as they rotate around the celestial north pole. Planets Mercury: in Libra, mag -0.6. Should
be visible for the first week in December. On 1st it rises a few
minutes before 6am and reaches 10 degrees in the SE by 07.15. It moves
into Scorpio on 12th, when it rises at 06.44 and is only 5 degrees
above the horizon by dawn, so hardly visible. It goes into Ophiuchus on
15th and Sagittarius on 27th, when it appears only 7 degrees from the
Sun. It's at aphelion (furthest point in its orbit from the Sun) on
30th. Venus: in Sagittarius, mag -3.9. Its
position in the evening sky improves during the month. On 1st it is 6
degrees above the horizon at dusk, setting at 17.25. On 11th it is less
than 2 degrees south of Saturn, 9 degrees above the SW horizon at at
around 16.15. Venus moves into Capricorn on 20th, slightly brighter at
mag -4.0. On 29th the 3 day Moon passes close to the planet, separated
by just under 7 degrees at dusk. On 31st it will be 14 degrees above
the SW horizon at dusk, setting at 18.49. Mars: in Virgo, mag 1.7. Rises
around 5am throughout December and reaches 12 or 13 degrees in the SE
before the sky brightens. It moves into Libra on 2nd and on 23rd the 9%
Moon passes east of the planet, about 3.5 degrees separation at 07.00. Jupiter: in Sagittarius, mag -1.8. Not
visible this month. On 1st it is only 4 degrees above the horizon at
dusk, setting at 17.08. It is at solar conjunction, on the opposite
side of the Sun from the Earth, on 27th and on 31st it appears
separated from the Sun by only 2 degrees. Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.6. Very
low in the evening twilight. On 1st it is only 10 degrees above the
horizon at dusk and sets at 18.36. On 27th the one day old crescent
Moon passes 1 degree 12 minutes south of the planet, in daylight. The
pair, slightly further apart, are only 4 degrees above the horizon at
dusk. By month end it is on the horizon as the sky begins to darken. Uranus: in Aries, mag 5.7. Best
positioned of the major planets, reasonably high in the sky for most of
the night, especially in the earlier part of the month. On 1st it
culminates at 21.31 at 48 degrees above the southern horizon, down to 21
degrees in the west by 02.15 and setting at 04.46. On 8th at around 6pm
the Moon passes 5.5 degrees to the SE. By month end it culminates at
19.30, still at 48 degrees, setting at 02.44. It should be easily
visible in binoculars, maybe even with the naked eye under ideal
conditions. Neptune: in Aquarius mag 7.9. An
early evening object which should be visible in a reasonable sized
amateur scope, maybe even in binoculars from a dark sky site. On 1st it
culminates at 18.36 at 29 degrees in the south. It should be high
enough for telescopic observing or imaging until around 21.00, setting
at 00.28. By 31st it culminates in astro twilight and will be at 29
degrees in the south as the sky darkens, reasonably high for a couple of
hours and setting at 22.08. Dwarf Planets Ceres: in Sagittarius, mag 9. The
closest of the dwarf planets, orbiting in the asteroid belt beyond
Mars, is not currently at its best. It's almost at its furthest from us
and appears close to the Sun. On 1st it is only 9 degrees above the
horizon at dusk, setting at 17.08. It appears to move closer to the Sun
during the month, by 31st the two are separated by only 9 degrees. The
others are very faint, targets for only very experienced
astrophotographers with really good equipment, using the 'spot the
difference' - sorry that should say Blink Comparator - method used by
Clyde Tombaugh to find Pluto. Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 14.8 The
brightest of the distant Kuiper Belt objects has a very eccentric
orbit, perihelion distance is 29.7AU aphelion 49.3AU, (one AU, or
astronomical unit is the mean distance between the Earth and Sun) It
is sometimes closer to the Sun than Neptune. The last time this
happened was from Feb 7th 1979 to Feb 11th 1999. It is currently too low
in the sky to be successfully imaged and, because it moves so slowly
around the sky, taking 248 years to complete one orbit, it will be
several decades before there's any improvement. Haumea: in Bootes mag 17.4. Also has a very eccentric (elliptical) orbit, it's distance from the Sun ranging
between 35AU and 51.6AU. Also, it's inclined to the plane of the major
planets by 28 degrees, so its path round the sky doesn't follow the
ecliptic and the zodiac constellations. It's currently a morning
object, quite well placed for imaging in the early hours. On 1st it
rises at 02.18 and reaches 34 degrees in the east by 06.30, as the sky
begins to brighten. On 31st it rises at 00.22 and gets to 49 degrees in
the SE by dawn. Makemake: in Coma Berenices, mag 17.2. Also
has an eccentric orbit (38.6AU to 52.8AU), inclined to the
ecliptic. Currently a morning object. On 1st it rises at 00.16 and
reaches 49 degrees in the SE by dawn. On 31st it rises at 22.14 and
culminates, 59 degrees above the southern horizon, at 06.43, just before
the sky brightens. Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.8. The
most massive (but only second largest) of the known dwarf planets is
also the most distant, 38AU at perihelion and 98AU at aphelion. It
orbits, at an inclination of 44 degrees to the ecliptic, in the outer
edges of the Kuiper Belt, a region known as the Scattered Disc. It is
currently an early evening target, but only for the best
astrophotographers. On 1st it culminates at 21.11, at 34 degrees in the
south, setting at 03.08. On 31st it is at 30 degrees in the SE at 17.30,
just before the start of astro darkness, and culminates at 19.12, still
at 34 degrees, and sets at 01.09.Comets Only one which may, or may not, be at a reasonable magnitude for viewing through amateur scopes. C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in Auriga, mag 8.5 (or maybe 10 - or somewhere in between) Circumpolar
throughout December, and reasonably high for most of the night. At the
start of the month it is only 4 degrees west of the bright star
Capella, about 28 degrees above the NE horizon at 17.20 and 35 degrees
in the NW when astro darkness ends. It moves into Perseus on 4th,
Camelopardalis on 21st and back into Perseus on 31st, when it should be
slightly brighter and still quite high for most of the night, almost
overhead at 21.00. C/2018 N2 (ASSASSN) in Andromeda, mag 11.7 Again
circumpolar but much fainter so only a target for the more experienced.
On 1st it will be 65 degrees in the SE as the sky darkens, higher at 75
degrees in the south by 19.18 and down to 21 degrees in the NW at
02.30. By 31st it is expected to have faded to mag 12.1 and be slightly
lower in the sky - 75 degrees in the south at 17.30 and 21 degrees in
the NW soon after midnight. A couple more faint comets are still around: 260P/McNaught
in Andromeda, moving into Perseus towards the end of the month. Very
faint at mag 12.8 fading to 13.9 - though one site says that it will
brighten during December. Still fairly high in the sky for most of the
night, on 1st it reaches 85 degrees in the south around 10pm, on 31st it
is at 80 degrees at 20.15. 289P/Blanpain in Aquarius, mag around 11. Too
low for imaging in early December. Moves into Pisces on 23rd and
Pegasus on 28th. By 31st it reaches 52 degrees in the south by 16.30,
down to 17 degrees soon after 11pm, maybe a little brighter. For detailed positions and more info on all solar system objects Meteor Showers One major shower in December Geminids:
active 4th to 17th, peak 14th. ZHR given as 120 -150, but this is under
ideal conditions, far fewer can be seen in the light polluted
Manchester sky. The radiant is high from 22.00, so some may be seen
then, but the shower is best around 2am. They are bright, often
colourful, medium paced meteors, not usually leaving trails. Unusually,
they do not originate from debris left by a comet but an asteroid - 3200
Phaeton. The bad news is that at the peak the 96% Moon
will be shining brightly in Gemini, close to the radiant. However, some
of these meteors are so bright that quite a few should still be
visible in the glare. Minor Showers Monocerotids:
active Dec 5th to 20th, peak 9th, ZHR 3 - though this is said to be
variable, so there could be more. Or fewer. They are medium paced
meteors best seen around 2am. This shower will also be adversely
affected by moonlight, the Moon is only 3 days from full and doesn't set
until 04.37. Alpha Hydrids: active 3rd to 15th, peak 12th, ZHR 3. Best seen around 3am but the Moon is full on this night. Coma
Berenecids: active 12th to 23rd, peak 16th, ZHR 3. Best seen before
dawn and again after 22.15 on this day. These meteors used to be
regarded as part of the Geminids but is now considered as a separate
shower. Again there will be Moon interference, 82% full, rising at
20.40. December Leonis Minorids: active Dec
5th to Feb 4th, peak Dec 20th, ZHR 5. A weak, long lasting shower, a few
meteors might be seen at any time between 19.30 and dawn around the
peak. The crescent Moon rises at 00.49 on 20th and 02.11 on 21st. Ursids:
active 17th to 26th, peak 23rd, ZHR 10. These are medium paced meteors,
parent comet 8P/Tuttle. Best seen around 3am on 23rd. the 20% Moon
rises at 04.56 on this day. Some sources say that they have detected a
dust filament which could result in a very short outburst on 22nd at
around 21.40, maybe as many as 30 per hour.
|
The night sky in November 2019
by Anne Holt Sunrise 1st: 07.07 30th: 07.59 Sunset 1st: 16.37 30th: 15.54 Astronomical Darkness 1st: 18.35 to 05.10 30th: 18.02 to 05.53 Full Moon: 12th at 13.34 New Moon: 28th at 19.26 Lunar apogee: 7th at 08.38 (405059km) Lunar perigee: 23rd at 07.66 (366720km) November's
full Moon is known as the Beaver Moon because beavers are active at this
time preparing for winter. An alternative explanation is that it is the
time when beavers are hunted. It's probably both. Another name is the
Frosty Moon. Highlights We have
plenty of astro darkness, ten and a half hours on 1st and nearly 12
hours on 30th. And it begins at a reasonable time - soon after 6pm -
now we're back on proper time. It isn't a brilliant
month for planetary observation, all the naked eye planets are either
low in the west after sunset or in the east before sunrise. Jupiter is
getting lower in the evening twilight as Venus gets higher and the two
are close together for a few days towards the end of the month. We have one middling meteor shower, marred this month by the presence of the gibbous Moon. And,
of course, we have one major highlight on the afternoon of 11th, when
the planet Mercury passes directly between Earth and the Sun and will be
visible, weather permitting, as a very small black dot moving across
the face of our star. Mercury comes between the Earth and the Sun every
116 days but, because its orbit is inclined to the ecliptic by 7
degrees, usually passes above or below it, so it rarely results in a
transit; it only happens when both planets are at the position where
the planes of their orbits cross. This is in May and November so
transits can only happen in those months. On 11th, Mercury
will first appear on the face of the Sun at 12.35 when it is 18.6
degrees above the horizon. The mid point is at 15.19, much lower at
only 6.5 degrees, so you will need a clear SW horizon to see it.
Sunset is at 16.16, while the transit is still ongoing. The
forecast for that afternoon is currently showing broken cloud, a couple
of days ago it said sunshine so who knows? However, since 2000 this
day has been cloudy 81% of the time. Mercury is too small to
be seen with the naked eye (it's only visible in the morning or evening
sky because of sunlight reflected off it) so PLEASE DON'T try looking at
the Sun during this time. THE ONLY WAY TO SEE THE
TRANSIT SAFELY IS THROUGH A SPECIAL SOLAR, OR SOLAR ADAPTED, SCOPE, OR
BY PROJECTING THE IMAGE ON TO A CARD. I'm sure all the papers will have instructions on how to do this, so no need to go into it here. Constellations If it is clear you will see that the Summer Triangle comprising the 3 bright stars Vega, Deneb and Altair is now sinking slowly in the West, giving way to the stars of winter now rising in the east. Mid-evening the square of Pegasus, the signature constellation of autumn, is fairly high in the south but not particularly prominent, containing only 2nd magnitude stars. It's an easy star-hop from Alpheratz, the top left star of the square of Pegasus to the Andromeda Galaxy, M31, which is now nicely placed fairly high in the south east. The Winter Hexagon is a beautifully rich area bounded by Sirius (Canis Major), Rigel (Orion), Aldebaran (Taurus), Capella (Auriga), Pollux (Gemini) and Procyon (Canis Minor). This relatively small region contains half of the ten brightest stars. It will be above the horizon not long after midnight at the start of November and before 11pm by month end. The Pleiades, just outside the Hexagon are also very well placed and are a beautiful sight in binoculars or a small telescope. Cassiopeia is still riding high leaving the Plough, on the opposite side of Polaris, low in the Northern sky for much of the night. Planets Mercury: in Libra, mag 0.7 Starts
the month as an evening object but so low that it is unlikely to be
seen. On 1st it sets at 16.55 and is 3 degrees below the horizon by the
time the sky darkens. It is at inferior conjunction on 11th, when it
passes between the Earth and the Sun - see Highlights. It then becomes a
morning object, very low in the sky, but might be seen just before
sunrise towards the end of the month. On 24th it rises at 05.47 and
reaches 9 degrees in the SE around 7.20 as the sky begins to brighten,
now at mag -0.3. On 25th it reaches its highest point in the morning
sky, 14 degrees above the horizon, at sunrise but no higher than 9
degrees while the sky is still reasonably dark. It reaches greatest
western elongation on 28th, when it appears separated by 20 degrees from
the Sun. On 30th it rises at 05.54 and should be visible for a short
while after 7am, when it will be 9 degrees above the SE horizon,
brighter at mag -0.6. Venus: in Libra, mag -3.9 An
evening object, still very low but its position is improving. On 1st
it sets at 17.18, only 40 minutes after the Sun and is just 1 degree
above the horizon at dusk. It moves into Scorpio on 2nd, Ophiuchus on
9th and Sagittarius on 24th, when it is at 4 degrees as the sky
darkens. On this day Venus passes only 1 degree 24' from Jupiter at
12.26 when they are both below the horizon. . The two are fairly close
on the evenings of 23rd to 25th, with the thin crescent Moon also nearby
soon after sunset on 24th. On 30th Venus is 5 degrees above the horizon
at dusk, setting at 17.25. Mars: in Virgo, mag 1.8 Its
position in the morning sky improves during the month, on 1st it rises
at 05.03 and reaches 7 degrees in the SSE before the sky brightens. On
24th at 6am the crescent Moon passes 4.3 degrees north of the planet,
the pair should be visible around 7.20, just before dawn. On 30th it
rises at 05.01 and reaches 12 degrees above the horizon in reasonable
darkness, marginally brighter at mag 1.7. Jupiter: in Ophiuchus, mag -1.8. Still
bright but now very low in the evening sky. On 1st it is only 9
degrees above the southern horizon as the sky darkens around 17.00,
setting at 18.41. It moves into Sagittarius on 17th, when it is only 7
degrees at dusk. On 28th, in daylight, just before 11am the 2 day Moon
passes only 43' from Jupiter. One magazine shows this as an occultation
- maybe there is one if you're looking from a different location. On
30th the planet is only 5 degrees above the horizon in twilight, setting
at 17.11. Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.6. Also
low in the evening sky, and getting lower, so best seen in the early
part of November. On 1st it is at 13 degrees in the south as the sky
darkens. It should be visible for about an hour before it gets too low,
setting at 20.01. On 2nd the 5 day Moon passes close to the planet,
only half a degree apart at 07.22, while they are below the horizon from
our latitude, but still only 5.5 degrees to the east at 17.00, as the
sky darkens. On 29th the 2 are again close, with the Moon just over 3
degrees SW of Venus. On 30th it is only 10 degrees above the horizon at
dusk and sets at 18.39. Uranus: in Aries, mag 5.7. Very
well placed for binocular and telescopic observation, even for naked
eye viewing under ideal conditions. On 1st it should be visible from
around 19.00 when it is at 20 degrees in the east. It culminates, 48
degrees above the southern horizon, at 23.33 and sets at 06.50. On 30th
it should be seen, 25 degrees in the east at 17.25, culminating at
21.35 and setting at 04.50. Neptune: in Aquarius, mag 7.8. Well
placed in the early part of the month. On 1st it should be high enough
to be seen through a scope soon after 6pm, when it is at 21 degrees in
the SE. It culminates, 29 degrees in the south, at 20.35. By 30th it
culminates at 18.40 and sets at 00.12. Dwarf Planets Ceres: in Ophiuchus, mag 9.2. Not
at its brightest or best position at the moment. On 1st it is no more
than 10 degrees above the horizon in darkness, setting at 18.21. By 30th
it is down to 9 degrees and 17.10. The rest
orbit way out in the Kuiper belt, beyond Neptune, are very faint and,
because they take so long - hundreds of years - to orbit the Sun, appear
to move very slowly against the background stars.. They are only
suitable imaging targets for the most experienced astrophotographers. Pluto: In Sagittarius, mag 14 5. Too low to be easily imaged from our latitude, as it will be for many years yet. Sets at 20.46 on 1st and 18.55 on 30th. Makemake: in Coma Berenices, mag 17.2. Morning
object. Rises on 1st at 02.11 and reaches 26 degrees by dawn. On 30th
rises at 00.20 and gets to 49 degrees in the SE as the sky begins to
brighten, soon after 6am. Haumea; in Bootes, mag 17.4 On
1st it rises at 04.13 and only gets to 10 degrees above the horizon by
dawn. Its position is improving, on 30th it rises at 02.22 and reaches
33 degrees before the sky brightens. Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.8 The
faintest and most distant of the dwarf planets takes 558 years to make
one orbit of the Sun. It's also the best positioned, should be high
enough for imaging between 20.00 and 02.30, reaching its highest point,
34 degrees, at 23.10. By the end of the month timings are 2 hours
earlier. A few asteroids reach opposition in November, including 2 of the big 4. Vesta: in Taurus, mag 6.5. At
opposition on 12th, when it should be visible in binoculars, if you
know exactly where to look, from around 8pm till 4am. Culminates at
00.04 at 44 degrees in the south. The best way of spotting it, as with
all faint objects, is probably to take images a few days apart and look
for something that has moved. Because it only takes 3.63 years to
orbit the Sun, its movement, in an east to west direction (retrograde)
should be noticeable. And a trio of fainter ones: 136 Philomela: in Cetus, mag 10.9 Opposition
on 2nd, culminates at 23.58 when it is 45 degrees above the southern
horizon. By month end it will have faded to mag 11.4 and culminate at
21.47. 10 Hygiea: in Taurus, mag 10.3. In
the news recently as new high resolution images show it to have a
spherical shape, so it now fulfills all the criteria for a dwarf planet
and may be reclassified by the IAU. At less than half the diameter of
Ceres, it would be by far the smallest in this class. Is at opposition
on 26th, when it reaches 60 degrees in the south at 23.51. 88 Thisbe: in Taurus, mag 10.9. At opposition on 28th culminating , 61 degrees above the southern horizon, at 23.53. Comets One which may, or may not, reach a reasonable brightness, depending on which source of information is correct. C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in Auriga, mag estimates vary between 8.7 and 11.0. On
1st it is at 21 degrees in the NE at 20.18, culminating, 71 degrees in
the south at 03.06. It is circumpolar from 3rd. By month end it should
have brightened, maybe to mag 7.8, and be at 27 degrees in the NE at
17.30 moving round to 36 degrees in the NW by 06.30. 68P/Klemola: in Sagittarius, mag 12.4. Low
in the evening sky. On 1st it is only 20 degrees above the horizon as
the sky darkens, setting at 21.32. It moves into Capricorn on 15th,
when it sets at 21.13. On 30th it is predicted to be at mag 12.7,
maximum altitude 21 degrees, setting at 20.59. However, some sources
say that it might become much brighter, so might be worth keeping a look
out for this one. C/2018 N2 (ASSASSSN): in Andromeda, mag 11.4 Circumpolar
throughout November, on 1st it is at 45 degrees in the east at 18.00,
highest point 74 degrees south at 22.09 and 22 degrees NW at 05.13. On
30th it should be suitable for imaging between 17.25, when it is at 65
degrees in the east and 02.33, when it sinks to 21 degrees in the NW.
Highest point 75 degrees S is at 19.22. 168P/Hergenrother: in Lynx, mag 12. Interesting
mainly because it ends the month very close to the northern celestial
pole, though it will have faded slightly, probably around mag 12.7. Recommended websites for more information and exact positions at any time of all Solar System objects: And, for news about comets Meteor showers One reasonably active shower this month Leonids: active Nov 6th to 30th, peak on the night of 16th/17th, ZHR 15. These
are bright, swift moving meteors often leaving persistent trails. Parent
comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Best seen after midnight when the radiant
reaches a reasonable altitude. However, the gibbous Moon rises at 19.12
on 16th, so will seriously interfere. Minor showers: Northern
Taurids: active Oct 20th to Dec 10th, peak 11th/12th but the shower
often shows enhanced activity for about 10 days in early to mid October.
ZHR 5 but could show more, as the associated Southern Taurid shower is
also active until 20th. The radiant is quite high at the peak time,
23.00, but the almost full moon will interfere. Both Taurid showers
often include bright fireballs but these appear to have a 7 year cycle.
The last time there was a higher number than usual was in 2015, so we
have another 3 years to wait. Parent comet of both Taurid showers is a
precursor of 2P/Encke. Alpha Monocerotids:
active Nov 15th to 25th, peak at 6am on 22nd, ZHR <5. Only a weak
showing is predicted for this one in 2019. The Moon rising at 01.40 on
22nd will interfere. |
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. |
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