Hopefully April showers will not ruin our chances of good sky watching this month!
The moon this month was full on the 6th. We should have a new moon again by the 21st.
So far as sunspots go, infamous spot 1429 and now 1450 have calmed down and no longer are a threat. 1429 had been tracked on the far side of the sun for the last month.
Looking for a meteor shower? The Lyrids will be this month on the evening of the 21-22. The Lyrids originate from detritus left by comet C/Thatcher. As the moon will just be new, we should have nice dark skies to watch the show.
Want something a little more challenging to target this month? Why not try spotting M44, the beehive cluster in Cancer. M44 is a good, open cluster for mid-range scopes. In ancient Greek mythology, Cancer the crab along with Hydra the water snake both fought the hero Hercules and lost after an epic battle.
Spica will be an excellent star target this month in Virgo. Always glittering, try to see if you can spot the planet Saturn close by as it rises this month. Regulus and the planet Mars will also be rather close together, too, by the way. While we are at it, Venus will be with the Pleiades, so there is more than enough to look for.
If you have any questions about these subjects or any other subjects in astronomy, join us on the 3rd Tuesday night of each month for our Astronomy Series from 7:00-8:30pm in the Wetherbee Planetarium at Thronateeska Heritage Center.
Showing posts with label Mars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mars. Show all posts
Monday, April 9, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
February 2012
Well, the weather has not really been
cooperating with us much here in southwest Georgia. Sometimes we can sky watch,
some times we cannot. For the times the sky is clear, though, see if you can
catch a glimpse of some of these things.
The moon will be full on the 7th and new by the 21st,
so there will be better sky watching towards the end of the month.
The sun gave us quite a few powerful flares in January. This may
continue through February.
There are no regular meteor showers in February, although you may still
catch a random “falling star” or two.
One of the best constellations to observe this month is Gemini, the
twins. Start by finding Orion, then look for two bright stars up and to the
left. Only two deep space objects reside here: the open cluster M35 and NGC
2392, the “Eskimo” nebula.
Most of the stars in Gemini are very faint, but Castor and Pollux are
noticeably bright. Pollux is a K0III orange sub-giant that is only 33 light
years away. It is a beta star, but is actually brighter than the alpha star. Castor,
on the other hand, is actually several
stars. This binary system has 6 stars all orbiting each other, and the two
brightest stars (A1V/A2Vn) are both A class dwarves.
Some other notable objects that were discovered in Gemini are Uranus and
Pluto. You would need a pretty high-powered telescope to see them, however. The
sky this month is dominated by the two brightest objects in the sky besides the
sun and moon: Venus and Jupiter. Venus is setting now around 10:00pm, and
Jupiter is starting this month in conjunction with the moon and Pisces. Also
look for Mars rising just after 10:00pm close on the heels of Leo the lion.
If you have any questi
ons about these or any other subjects in
astronomy, join us on the 3rd Tuesday night of each month for our
Astronomy Series in the Wetherbee Planetarium at Thronateeska Heritage Center.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
January 2012
Happy New Year, everyone! Here’s to a
wonderful new year full of great skywatching.
The year kicks off with a full moon on the 9th
and a new moon by the 23rd.
If you want to try sunspotting, big spot 1389
is still harboring m class energy, but it’s just now starting to decay.
So far as meteors go, the year began with the
Quadrantids meteor shower in the wee hours of the morning on the 4th.
They originated around the constellation Bootes and towards Polaris in the
north, but actually originated from Comet 2003 EH1. NASA estimated a show of
60-200 per hour, but the average was about 100 spotted per hour.
If you plan on going to the southern
hemisphere sometime this month, try to catch of glimpse of comet Lovejoy. It is
putting on a fantastic display. This is the same comet that made a
death-defying pass around the sun and survived.
For constellations, Orion is by far the
easiest one to see in the northern hemisphere at this time. You can gaze at a
super red giant or young, hot, blue stars. Best of all is the great Orion
nebula. This is one of our galaxy’s best stellar nurseries. New stars are being
born there every day. At 1500 light years away, it is the only nebula you can
see with the naked eye.
If you are in to planet hunting, try to catch
Jupiter in conjunction with the moon in the constellation Pisces. Mars will
also be visible as it rises just before midnight, and the Venus will be visible
just after the sun in Capricorn.
If you have any questions about these
subjects or any other subjects in astronomy, be sure to visit the planetarium
on the third Tuesday of every month from 7:00-8:30pm for the Astronomy Series.
Friday, November 4, 2011
November 2011, 11.04.11
It’s November! November is a good month for watching the sky, with cooler temperatures and clearer nights.
A full moon will be on the 11th, and a new moon on the 26th. If you think full moons are nice things, just wait until next month. There will be a complete lunar eclipse in December!
So far as sun spotting goes, expect to see plenty spots through November. There are 5 now, and number 1330 has the potential for launching strong flares. All these sun spots make great targets for those people with solar telescopes. Remember to never, ever look at the sun without the proper protection.
We have another two meteor showers this month! Our first shower is spread over 7 days, because it is actually 2 in 1! From the 5th through the 12th, the north and south Taurids should put on a decent show. Expect about 5 bright yellow meteors per hour. Although few in number, they are lots of fun because they have a tendency to fragment into many tiny pieces. Comet 2P/Encke is the source of both of the dust trails we have to thank for the Taurids.
The Leonids will again dazzle us from the 16th through the 18th. Comet 55/Temple-Tuttle should put out 15 to 20 blue-green meteors per hour, which often leave dust trails across the sky.
This month, we want to focus on Pisces Australis, the southern fish, as our constellation target. PsA will be low on our southern horizon with its bright alpha star, Fomalhaut. A hot, young A3V-class star only 25 light years away, it is one of only four star systems that astronomers have actually photographed a Jupiter-sized planet in orbit around it. They confirmed the planet using infrared cameras and taking pictures every few years to catch its movements. PsA is one of the smaller constellations, so it will be challenging to find. We know you are all up to the task, though!
Last but not least, Venus is moving to our evening “star” once again. Venus will start to become visible just after sunset. Mars is still going up just before sunup and Jupiter is already high in the morning sky by day break.
So, let the night wash over you, and take a long look at all the heavens have to offer. Good luck, and good hunting!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
October 2011, 10.06.11
We love autumn here. Cooler weather means
clearer skies, which means much better sky watching for us! So, what sorts of
things can we expect to see this month? Well…
The moon will be full on the 11th, and enter into its new
phase by the 26th, so there will be excellent star gazing towards
the end of the month, weather permitting.
There are a lot of sunspots going on right now, so if you have the
proper sun spotting equipment, you can expect to see about 8 different spots.
Forecasters are expecting about a 30% chance for a big flare some time in the
next week or so.
Expect
to catch glimpses of two meteor showers this month. The Draconids (named after
the radiant point Draco, the constellation) will peak on the 8th and
9th. This is one of the less impressive showers of the year, with
only a few mild yellow streaks here and there. Comet 21/P Giacobini-Zinner is
responsible for the detritus that causes the Draconids.
The other shower this month is the Orionids. The Orionids (named
after–you guessed it—Orion) will peak around the 21st and 22nd.
Caused by comet 1P/Halley, it will be a little better than the Draconids, but
still less than average with about 40 yellow and green meteors per second. The
Orionids have been known to produce a few fireballs in the past, too. Remember,
you will always get the best view of meteor showers if you get as far away from
light pollution as possible. Find a big, wide field where you cannot see city
lights glowing on the horizon for the best viewing experience.
Comet C/2009 P1 (Garrad) is moving across the lower half of the
constellation Hercules, and is visible with binoculars (and good aim).
Skyhound.com has some good sky charts that you can use to get your bearings and
track this comet.
Pegasus will be clearly visible this month. We challenge you to try to
find galaxy M31 with a pair of binoculars. Trust us—it’s worth it!
Jupiter has been shining bright for some time now. You can check it out
in the late night sky in the constellation Pisces. Mars will also be a bright
red speck in the constellation Cancer this month, well before sun up. Remember:
all the planets orbit along the ecliptic (the path of the sun across the sky),
so you always look along that line to find them. It is about 23 degrees above
the northern horizon, from east to west.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
August 2011, 08.10.11
The month starts out with relatively dark skies, but by the 13th we will have a full moon on our hands. It will be in its new phase by the 28th, though, so back to dark sky gazing then! Did you know that some scientists are theorizing that Earth actually had two moons long ago? Check it out here at: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/04/138954932/early-earth-may-have-been-orbited-by-two-moons?sc=emaf.
If you are into sun spots, there has been a lot of sizzling and popping going on lately. Sunspot 1263, yesterday, just fired off the largest solar flare seen in years, an X7 class. No need to worry, though. It was not aimed at us. The way things are looking now, we will probably have plenty more sunspots in our near future. Remember: always use proper observation gear, and NEVER look directly at the sun.
As for meteors, the best shower of the year hit at a pretty bad time this year. The Perseids, long considered to be one of the most prolific meteor showers, peaks during our full moon. Your best bet for seeing any at all will be to go to a very dark observation field just before sunrise up until about the 10th or 12th of this month. Radiating from the constellation Perseus, the Perseids are caused by the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, and should produce up to 60 meteors per hour. Good luck and good hunting!
Comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd) at a magnitude of 8.2 should be visible in binoculars in the constellation Pegasus moving to Sagitta by months end. We are definitely going to keep an eye out for this; comets are always a cool sight.
Two bright constellations are straight up this month: Lyra, the harp, and Cygnus, the swan. Both have bright alpha stars. Vega, in the constellation Lyra is an A0V star 25 light years away. Deneb, which means “tail” of the swan, is an A2Ia class star and is about 3,229 light years away. Why is Deneb so bright and so far away? Because Deneb is a super giant, and Vega is a dwarf.
For planet-hunters, Saturn is setting now right after sunset, but Jupiter will be taking its place soon. Jupiter is right now rising early in the morning well ahead of the sun. Neptune and Uranus are also out but you’ll need a decent telescope to see them. Mars and Venus are rising just before sun up. Remember to always look to the ecliptic to spot the planets.
If you have any questions about these subjects or any other subjects in astronomy join us on the 3rd Tuesday night of each month for out Sumer Astronomy Series, on Aug 16th and Sept 20th.
Friday, May 6, 2011
May 2011
April showers are trying to decide if they are going to leave us alone, but we will catch plenty of snatches of the sky in between the rain clouds to see some pretty neat stuff!
May begins with a nice, dark sky until around the 17th when the moon is finally full. We will end out the month with a new moon and dark skies again.
The year is continuing to bring a lot of sunspots; there have been 57 to date this year. Sunspot 1203 will be visible, bringing a low level threat of producing C-class flares.
There was more than one kind of April shower last month. The Lyrids shower is still flinging a few leftovers here and there, with a few impressive lone fireballs spotted by eyewitnesses in this region in recent days. We begin the month with another shower on the 5th and 6th, but it will probably be a weak show. This particular shower is caused by debris dropped by Halley's Comet, discovered by Edmond Halley in 1705.
An excellent constellation to check out this month is Virgo, with its bright alpha star Spica. Virgo is home to the Virgo cluster, a group of galaxies akin to M84 and M86, except all grouped together in one area. Stars 61vir and 70vir are known to harbor their own solar systems, too, so try to keep an eye out for those stars.
During the first week of May, a beautiful planetary conjunction will be visible in the morning sky just before dawn. Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter will all be there to greet you in the east. Uranus will be there, as well, but you will need a decent telescope to catch a glimpse of it. All can be seen in the constellation Pisces. Saturn can be seen cruising through the constellation Virgo.
May begins with a nice, dark sky until around the 17th when the moon is finally full. We will end out the month with a new moon and dark skies again.
The year is continuing to bring a lot of sunspots; there have been 57 to date this year. Sunspot 1203 will be visible, bringing a low level threat of producing C-class flares.
There was more than one kind of April shower last month. The Lyrids shower is still flinging a few leftovers here and there, with a few impressive lone fireballs spotted by eyewitnesses in this region in recent days. We begin the month with another shower on the 5th and 6th, but it will probably be a weak show. This particular shower is caused by debris dropped by Halley's Comet, discovered by Edmond Halley in 1705.
An excellent constellation to check out this month is Virgo, with its bright alpha star Spica. Virgo is home to the Virgo cluster, a group of galaxies akin to M84 and M86, except all grouped together in one area. Stars 61vir and 70vir are known to harbor their own solar systems, too, so try to keep an eye out for those stars.
During the first week of May, a beautiful planetary conjunction will be visible in the morning sky just before dawn. Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter will all be there to greet you in the east. Uranus will be there, as well, but you will need a decent telescope to catch a glimpse of it. All can be seen in the constellation Pisces. Saturn can be seen cruising through the constellation Virgo.
Friday, April 8, 2011
April 2011
April showers might just cloud your view of the night sky this month, but there are some interesting things worth waiting with an umbrella for holes in the clouds to see.
The month begins with a new moon on the 3rd and a full moon on the 17th.
Last month saw an unprecedented number of massive sun spots, and we can expect to have a few at the beginning of the month. There is no immediate threat of big solar flares, though.
As far as meteors go, the Lyrids will visit us on the 21st and 22nd of the month, but it will probably only yield a medium-sized show. Bright and quick, these short-lived dust grains come from comet C/Thatcher, and enter our atmosphere at 29.8 miles per second. Too bad the moon will almost be full; its light should obscure most of the view.
If you are into constellation-gazing, you can expect to see Vela, the sail of the Argo, just over the southern horizon. A very dim Hydra is just below Leo and Cancer, and Ursa Major will dominate the northern skies this month.
If you are out to spot a particular star, we recommend finding Leo’s alpha star Regulus, star of kings, and heaven’s guardian. A binary star system of three stars lying 72 light years away, Regulus is a blue dwarf of spectral class B7 V.
Last but not least, Saturn is back in view, northwest of the bright star Spica in the constellation Virgo. Venus will be the morning star for only a little longer, rising just ahead of the sun. And right before sunrise, Mars will make a brief appearance in the east.
For more information or for tips on star gazing, call 229-432-6955.
February 2011
Well folks, we would usually say that the chilly weather lends itself well to sky watching, and it certainly would if all those nasty rain clouds would leave us alone! Maybe we will have a few clear nights when we can catch some glimpses of these great things this month. Be sure to bundle up!
This month expect to see a new moon. OK, well, there is no moon to see. The new moon phase is the opposite of the full moon. Instead of seeing a head-on, full view of the moon, it is nowhere to be seen in the sky from our position on the globe. At least the means you can take advantage of the darker skies to see everything else!
For the braver souls out there (with the proper observation tools for sun watching, of course), there are a few small sunspots right now. There was a recent hole in the sun's coronasphere that blasted Earth's magnasphere with a good-sized solar storm, but no need to worry; it happens all the time. No harm done. Always remember to never look directly at the sun; take extra-special precautions, and make sure you always use the proper technology that was designed by professionals just for the task. Burning your vision away by staring at the sun make for very poor sky watching, after all, and we certainly would not want that!
For the more serious sky watchers, check out comet 103/P Hartley coursing through he constellation Monoceros this month. You will need at least an 8" telescope to see it, though; this is no casual observation.
February is also an excellent month to get a great view of the constellations Pegasus, Andromeda, Taurus (including galaxy M31), and Orion. while you are at it, the Pleiades in Taurus are a great target for binoculars, and are one of our favorites!
Venus appears as our morning star this month, near the constellation Sagittarius, and Mars will be in a conjunction of sorts, actually on the far side of the sun. Lastly, catch a glimpse of Jupiter going down after sunset, still in the constellation Pisces.
For more information or for tips on star gazing, call 229-432-6955.
This month expect to see a new moon. OK, well, there is no moon to see. The new moon phase is the opposite of the full moon. Instead of seeing a head-on, full view of the moon, it is nowhere to be seen in the sky from our position on the globe. At least the means you can take advantage of the darker skies to see everything else!
 |
| Image credit: SDO/HMI, SDO/AIA. |
For the more serious sky watchers, check out comet 103/P Hartley coursing through he constellation Monoceros this month. You will need at least an 8" telescope to see it, though; this is no casual observation.
February is also an excellent month to get a great view of the constellations Pegasus, Andromeda, Taurus (including galaxy M31), and Orion. while you are at it, the Pleiades in Taurus are a great target for binoculars, and are one of our favorites!
Venus appears as our morning star this month, near the constellation Sagittarius, and Mars will be in a conjunction of sorts, actually on the far side of the sun. Lastly, catch a glimpse of Jupiter going down after sunset, still in the constellation Pisces.
For more information or for tips on star gazing, call 229-432-6955.
January 2011
Happy New Year! What a wonderfully crisp, clear, and chilly New Year it is, too! You know why we love the cooler, clearer weather? Better sky watching! Here are some of the things you can keep an eye out for this month.
Tonight marks the beginning of the Quadrantids meteor shower! One of the smaller meteor showers of the year, it should prove to be a reasonably good show with no moonlight to get in the way, weather permitting. It radiates from Comet 2003 EH1. You should be able to see about 40 meteoroids per hour in the early morning hours, so set your alarm clocks extra early tonight!
Catch a peek at Jupiter as it follows the Sun into the western horizon by just a few hours. You will be able to see it for most of the month just after sunset.
You can still find Saturn in the constellation Virgo this month. It is still fairly close to Spica. Venus is in the process of moving into the constellation Virgo now. It rises just ahead of the sun, so you will really have to go out in the wee hours of the morning to spot it this time!
Mars, Mercury, and Pluto are close to the Sun. They may be difficult to see, but hey, at least you will know where to look!
There will be a new moon on January 4th, and a full moon on the 19th.
A partial solar eclipse is also occurring today, but regrettably, we cannot see it from this part of the northern hemisphere.
If it is just general star gazing you are after, see if you can spot the great square of Pegasus, Andromeda, Gemini, Taurus (and the Pleiades!), and the Orion wheel high overhead.
Well, folks, that is it for this month. It is not very much to ring in the New Year, but it is going to be a wonderful year for sky watching nonetheless. Bundle up, stay safe, and happy hunting!
For more information or for tips on star gazing, call 229-432-6955.
Tonight marks the beginning of the Quadrantids meteor shower! One of the smaller meteor showers of the year, it should prove to be a reasonably good show with no moonlight to get in the way, weather permitting. It radiates from Comet 2003 EH1. You should be able to see about 40 meteoroids per hour in the early morning hours, so set your alarm clocks extra early tonight!
Catch a peek at Jupiter as it follows the Sun into the western horizon by just a few hours. You will be able to see it for most of the month just after sunset.
You can still find Saturn in the constellation Virgo this month. It is still fairly close to Spica. Venus is in the process of moving into the constellation Virgo now. It rises just ahead of the sun, so you will really have to go out in the wee hours of the morning to spot it this time!
Mars, Mercury, and Pluto are close to the Sun. They may be difficult to see, but hey, at least you will know where to look!
There will be a new moon on January 4th, and a full moon on the 19th.
A partial solar eclipse is also occurring today, but regrettably, we cannot see it from this part of the northern hemisphere.
If it is just general star gazing you are after, see if you can spot the great square of Pegasus, Andromeda, Gemini, Taurus (and the Pleiades!), and the Orion wheel high overhead.
Well, folks, that is it for this month. It is not very much to ring in the New Year, but it is going to be a wonderful year for sky watching nonetheless. Bundle up, stay safe, and happy hunting!
For more information or for tips on star gazing, call 229-432-6955.
December 2010
As we shiver our way into the cold, clear months of winter, December brings some sights worth lugging some coffee along with you and losing a few hours of sleep to see.
The Geminids meteor shower will go streaking again! Expect to see a good show December 14th from about 12am to sunrise. While the Geminids can be seen from any point on the globe, in the northern hemisphere, the constellation Gemini should be directly overhead during the previously mentioned time frame; that should be a good place to begin searching. You can expect to see upwards of 100 meteors per hour!
Ever seen a full lunar eclipse? Now is your chance! Beginning just a little before midnight on December 20, the moon will go completely through earth's shadow throughout the night, coming out of it in the wee hours of the morning. And yes, the moon would have light from the the sun on the other side of earth shining on it, lighting it up in its usual grey. But, during an eclipse the light is coming in more at an angle, and this filters out all of the blue light that we normally see reflected through our atmosphere. The only colors that are left for us to see are the colors on the other end of the light spectrum (the reds, greens, and resulting browns). If earth had no atmosphere at all for light to be filtered through, the moon would look black and disappear completely during a total eclipse. So we are just (literally) seeing the shadier side of the moon! As the eclipse rings in the winter solstice, be sure to bundle up while you watch it-- unseasonably cold temperatures are being reported all around the world this autumn!
You can also expect to see Mercury and mars throughout the month in the west, as well as Jupiter and Uranus cruising high overhead near the constellation Aquarius. The more memorable constellations Orion and Taurus will be well above the horizon after sunset.
Pleiades (the seven sisters) is an open star cluster that is riding on the back of Taurus, and is best observed with binoculars. Pegasus and Andromeda are almost straight up. Look for the tiny fuzzy patch in Andromeda; this is M31, the Andromeda galaxy, the furthest the human eye can see. How far away is it, you ask? Oh, just 2.2. million light years away.
Good luck, and happy hunting!
For more information or for tips on star gazing, call 229-432-6955.
*UPDATE*
NASA had a super-awesome sky-watching promotion to tie in with the lunar eclipse: these badges for those who committed to report in when they saw the eclipse. You better believe we were all over that!
The Geminids meteor shower will go streaking again! Expect to see a good show December 14th from about 12am to sunrise. While the Geminids can be seen from any point on the globe, in the northern hemisphere, the constellation Gemini should be directly overhead during the previously mentioned time frame; that should be a good place to begin searching. You can expect to see upwards of 100 meteors per hour!
Ever seen a full lunar eclipse? Now is your chance! Beginning just a little before midnight on December 20, the moon will go completely through earth's shadow throughout the night, coming out of it in the wee hours of the morning. And yes, the moon would have light from the the sun on the other side of earth shining on it, lighting it up in its usual grey. But, during an eclipse the light is coming in more at an angle, and this filters out all of the blue light that we normally see reflected through our atmosphere. The only colors that are left for us to see are the colors on the other end of the light spectrum (the reds, greens, and resulting browns). If earth had no atmosphere at all for light to be filtered through, the moon would look black and disappear completely during a total eclipse. So we are just (literally) seeing the shadier side of the moon! As the eclipse rings in the winter solstice, be sure to bundle up while you watch it-- unseasonably cold temperatures are being reported all around the world this autumn!
You can also expect to see Mercury and mars throughout the month in the west, as well as Jupiter and Uranus cruising high overhead near the constellation Aquarius. The more memorable constellations Orion and Taurus will be well above the horizon after sunset.
Pleiades (the seven sisters) is an open star cluster that is riding on the back of Taurus, and is best observed with binoculars. Pegasus and Andromeda are almost straight up. Look for the tiny fuzzy patch in Andromeda; this is M31, the Andromeda galaxy, the furthest the human eye can see. How far away is it, you ask? Oh, just 2.2. million light years away.
Good luck, and happy hunting!
For more information or for tips on star gazing, call 229-432-6955.
*UPDATE*
NASA had a super-awesome sky-watching promotion to tie in with the lunar eclipse: these badges for those who committed to report in when they saw the eclipse. You better believe we were all over that!
 |
| Image credit: NASA. |
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