Abrams Planetarium Night Sky Notes

Abrams Planetarium Night Sky Notes http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php A brief description of the night sky. Night Sky Note for February 11, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 11 February 2010 Thursday, February 11, 2010 An old thin crescent Moon is to the upper right of Mercury. Look for Mercury and the Moon very low in the ESE, 40 minutes before sunrise. Night Sky Note for February 10, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 10 February 2010 Wednesday, February 10, 2010 Asteroid Vesta is approaching opposition. Start looking for it in the evening sky. It's in the constellation of Leo and can be seen with binoculars. Vesta is now about 6th magnitude. The asteroid Vesta will pass between Gamma Leonis and 40-Leonis on Feb 15-16. Vesta is at opposition on the 18th of February. Night Sky Note for February 9, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 9 February 2010 Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Jupiter and Mars are 150° apart. Look for Jupiter 45 minutes after sunset, low in the WSW. Mars will be a quarter of the way up in the east. The mid part of this month will be the last chance to see both Jupiter and Mars simultaneously until August. Jupiter is dropping fast into the glare of the evening twilight. Night Sky Note for February 8, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 8 February 2010 Monday, February 8, 2010 Mars is still about 3° north of the Beehive star cluster in Cancer the Crab. Look at Mars and the cluster in the late evening sky. Binoculars show many stars in this cluster. The Beehive, also known as the Praesepe or Manger, is about 500 light-years away. Galileo looked at the Beehive with his telescope 400 years ago and saw at least 40 stars. Night Sky Note for February 7, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 7 February 2010 Sunday, February 7, 2010 The waning crescent Moon is to the upper right of the star Antares. Look for the Moon and Antares in the SSE morning sky. Night Sky Note for February 6, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 6 February 2010 Saturday, February 6, 2010 Venus is 10° to the lower right of Jupiter. Try to find Venus in the early bright twilight. Venus sets less than 30 minutes after the Sun. Look for Venus with binoculars 15 minutes after sunset. Venus will be in the WSW, very close to the horizon. Night Sky Note for February 5, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 5 February 2010 Friday, February 5, 2010 This week and next week are good times to look for the Zodiacal Light. Look in the late evening sky about two to three hours after sunset. The Zodiacal Light will appear as a faint glow rising from the western horizon. A very clear and dark sky is needed to observe this faint glow. It's caused by interplanetary dust in the plane of the solar system reflecting sunlight. Night Sky Note for February 4, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 4 February 2010 Thursday, February 4, 2010 Mars is 3° north of the Beehive star cluster. The red planet and the star cluster make a great view in binoculars. Look for Mars and the Beehive around midnight when they are high overhead. Mars is moving retrograde past the Beehive. It will pass the Beehive again in mid April when mars moves prograde. Night Sky Note for February 3, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 3 February 2010 Wednesday, February 3, 2010 The Moon in the morning sky is to the lower left of Saturn. Look for Saturn and the Moon one hour before sunrise in the southwest. At the same time, Mercury will be very low in the sky, near the ESE horizon. Night Sky Note for February 2, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 2 February 2010 Tuesday, February 2, 2010 The waning gibbous Moon is to the lower right of the planet Saturn. At dawn look for Saturn and the Moon in the southwest. Look for the pair again in the late evening in the east. The Moon will rise about 5 hours after sunset. Night Sky Note for February 1, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 1 February 2010 Monday, February 1, 2010 In the morning sky, look for Mercury, Saturn and Mars. The three planets span 159° across the sky. Mercury will be low in the southeast. Saturn is a third the way up in the WSW. Mars is low in the WNW. The waning gibbous Moon is about 20° to the lower right of Saturn. Night Sky Note for January 31, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 31 January 2010 Sunday, January 31, 2010 The waning gibbous Moon is near the star Regulus in Leo the Lion. The Moon will rise a little more than two hours after sunset. Night Sky Note for January 30, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 30 January 2010 Saturday, January 30, 2010 The Moon is at perigee, the point in its orbit closest to the Earth. At 4 a.m. EST the Moon will be 221,577 miles from Earth. The Moon is full at 1:18 a.m. EST. This will be the closest Full Moon of the year. The Moon will appear 14% larger than the average Full Moon. Night Sky Note for January 29, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 29 January 2010 Friday, January 29, 2010 Mars is at opposition. Opposition is when a planet is on the opposite side of the sky from the Sun. The red planet is shining bright at -1.3 magnitude. Watch the planet rise around sunset and set around sunrise. This opposition is not as favorable as the perihelic opposition of 2003. The next close opposition of Mars is in 2018. Night Sky Note for January 28, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 28 January 2010 Thursday, January 28, 2010 The nearly full Moon is near the twin stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini. Aim a telescope or binoculars at the Moon and look for the lunar rays. Rays are spoke-like lines radiating from some of the Moon's craters. The crater Tycho has one of the best ray systems. Rays are best seen around the time of full Moon. Night Sky Note for January 27, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 27 January 2010 Wednesday, January 27, 2010 Mercury is at greatest elongation. Mercury is 25° west of the Sun. Look for Mercury low in the southeast at dawn. Mars is at its closest approach to the Earth at 2 p.m. EST. The red planet is 0.664 AU or 61.7 million miles from the Earth. Mars is at opposition on Friday, January 29th. Night Sky Note for January 26, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 26 January 2010 Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Venus and Mars are at opposition to each other. They are 180° apart in celestial longitude. Mars is easy to see rising in the ENE soon after sunset. Venus is only 4° to the upper left of the setting Sun. Venus sets just 13 minutes after the Sun. Binoculars and a clear WSW horizon may let you find Venus very low in the bright twilight. Night Sky Note for January 25, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 25 January 2010 Monday, January 25, 2010 The waxing gibbous Moon is east of the Pleiades star cluster and north of the star Aldebaran. A prominent feature on the Moon tonight is Sinus Iridum or the Bay of Rainbows. It's a semicircular formation on the edge of the Sea of Rains. The Jura mountains form the northwestern side of the bay. Night Sky Note for January 24, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 24 January 2010 Sunday, January 24, 2010 Jupiter and Mars are 160° apart. Look for both at the same time in the evening twilight. Mars will be rising in the ENE. Jupiter will be setting in the WSW. The waxing gibbous Moon is west of the Pleiades star cluster. Night Sky Note for January 23, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 23 January 2010 Saturday, January 23, 2010 The Moon is a bit past First Quarter this evening. Two fine looking craters are near the lunar terminator. Plato with its smooth flat bottom and Eratosthenes near the Apennine Mountains. The Straight Wall is also visible on the Moon tonight. The Straight Wall is about 70 miles long. It appears as a thin dark line. Night Sky Note for January 22, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 22 January 2010 Friday, January 22, 2010 Mercury is very low in the southeast at dawn. Look for Mercury about 30° to the lower left of the star Antares in Scorpius. Also part of the morning sky are the planets Mars and Saturn. Mars is low in the WNW. Saturn is half way up in the southwest at dawn. Night Sky Note for January 21, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 21 January 2010 Thursday, January 21, 2010 Mars and Jupiter are both about 10° above the horizon, an hour and a half after sunset. Mars is in the ENE. Jupiter is in the WSW. Night Sky Note for January 20, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 20 January 2010 Wednesday, January 20, 2010 The Moon is a waxing crescent. The triple crater grouping of Theophilus, Cyrillus and Catharina are visible near the lunar terminator. Look with binoculars or a telescope to see the three 60 mile diameter impact craters. About 200 miles north of the three craters is the Apollo 11 landing site. Night Sky Note for January 19, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 19 January 2010 Tuesday, January 19, 2010 The waxing crescent Moon is about 20° above and to the left of Jupiter. Look to the WSW after dark for the Moon. Uranus is about 6° to the left of the Moon. Uranus looks like a 6th magnitude star as seen through binoculars. Uranus is in the faint constellation of Pisces the Fish. Night Sky Note for January 18, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 18 January 2010 Monday, January 18, 2010 The crescent Moon is above Jupiter. Look for the pair in the WSW at dusk. Look for earthshine. Earthshine is the faint glow that illuminates the dark side of the Moon. It's caused by sunlight reflecting off the Earth and onto the Moon. Night Sky Note for January 17, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 17 January 2010 Sunday, January 17, 2010 The thin crescent Moon is to the lower right of Jupiter. Look for the pair in the WSW at dusk. Jupiter is shining bright at -2nd magnitude. Neptune, at 8th magnitude, is to the lower left of the Moon, but requires a telescope to be seen. Night Sky Note for January 16, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 16 January 2010 Saturday, January 16, 2010 A young crescent Moon is to the lower right of Jupiter. Look for the very thin waxing crescent about 16° to the lower right of bright Jupiter in the WSW evening sky. Night Sky Note for January 15, 2010 http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php 15 January 2010 Friday, January 15, 2010 The New Moon passes in front of the Sun forming an annular eclipse. The eclipse won't be visible from North America. The best place to view the eclipse is from the Indian Ocean. During an annular eclipse, the Moon is farther from the Earth than usual, so the Moon appears a bit smaller than the Sun. The result is a ring of sunlight around the Moon.