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 Pleiades. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pleiades. Show all posts
Monday, April 9, 2012
Thursday, December 1, 2011
December 2011, 12.01.11
As the year draws to a close, we can only
grow more excited about all the great things we have yet to see this year.
Bundle up, grab some coffee or cocoa, and get ready for the show!
This month, the full moon will grace us on the 10th and we
will have a new moon by the 24th, just in time to do some Christmas
Eve star gazing.
The march of sun spots continues. The end of November saw a goodly
amount of flares and CME’s shot at us, and more can be expected this month.
Remember to never try solar
observation without the proper equipment.
The Geminids are
coming! We always love a good meteor shower. From December 12th-24th,
the earth will pass through the debris trail of comet 3200 Phaethon. This
should be the best show of the year, with a multi-colored display that has produced
fireballs in the past. The Geminids will appear to radiate from the star
Castor, one of the twins, in the constellation Gemini as it rises higher and
higher into the sky as the night progresses. With the darker skies we are
expecting later this month and hopefully clear weather, we can expect up to 100
meteors per hour.
The coming of winter brings with it very bright, prominent
constellations. A good one to try to pick out is Taurus the bull. There are
many deep space objects in Taurus, the Pleiades open star cluster M45, and the
Hades cluster NGC 1647. The famous M1 Crab nebula can be seen at the tip of the
horn, a supernova remnant with a neutron star at its heart. Taurus’ alpha star
Aldebaran, 65 light years away, used to be like our sun, but now it is running
out of fuel and is classified as a K3 III sub-giant. Its days are numbered, for
in the next million years or so the whole thing will go nova.
Venus and Jupiter are putting on a pretty
good show this month. Jupiter is cruising high overhead through the
constellation Pisces. Although it will only be visible for relatively short
periods of time, many are dubbing Venus this year’s “Christmas star,” as it
will be the brightest thing in the night sky besides the moon. You can see it
about 15 degrees over the horizon towards the east-northeast just after sunset,
especially around the 24th, as the moon will be new and the skies
will be extra-dark.
Friday, April 8, 2011
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. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)