Clear Skies - Perseid Meteor Shower on Wednesday and the Planets

The astronomy news this week is the Perseid meteor shower, which peaks Wednesday evening, Aug 12.  The Moon won’t be a factor, as it is almost exactly a New Moon, meaning it is close to the Sun from our vantage point.  Therefore, we will have a dark background sky against which to see the meteors.  

You will hopefully see a few more meteors than normal, and possibly even a spectacular fireball.  You can start looking for meteors even tonight and for a few nights afterwards.  Over the past couple nights, I caught two each night in about a half hour.

With the darker skies, you will also probably be able to see a few satellites crossing the sky – moving steadily and looking just like stars.  

Remember to dress warmly as you won’t be active and will get colder more quickly.  Set up a lounge chair or a blanket and face the widest stretch of sky you can see.  Avoid any lights around you and give yourself at least 10 to 20 minutes for your eyes to adapt.  Don’t use your phone unless it is for astronomy where you can set it to night mode – which is red – a colour that doesn’t affect you night vision.

This shower is called the Perseids, as it appears to originate in the constellation Perseus, which is in the northwest in the evening.   We don’t see them start there, but only find them as they hit the atmosphere, which could be anywhere in the sky, but if you follow their track back, it will point back to Perseus. 
 
You may see some other meteors in different directions.  These are referred to as “sporadics” and aren’t part of the old comet.  Dust and meteors are very common up there.  As Earth orbits the Sun, its gravity continues to sweep up dust that is still floating in space from the original creation of our solar system and other events over the past few billion years.  

As a reminder, what we’re seeing are bits of dust that have been left behind in the tail of comet Swift-Tuttle when it passed across Earth’s orbital path in the 1990’s.  As we pass through these particles, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, they burn up with great intensity due to their speed through our atmosphere, giving us some quite impressive meteors, and occasionally even a very bright fire ball, which is a spectacularly intense meteor, sometimes bright enough to cast shadows.  They are rare, so don’t expect to see one, but if do, don’t be surprised either.

The Planets in the evening

Venus is shining very brightly low in the southwest just after sunset.  It sets around 10 p.m.  On Sunday evening, Aug. 16, look for a crescent Moon just below Venus, and note that you can see the full disk of the Moon due to earthshine, which is sunlight reflected off Earth.

Saturn is visible later in the evening in the southeast.  It is not very bright, but brighter than anything around it, so easy to identify.  Above Saturn, you should be able to see the large square of the constellation Pegasus.  On August 31 the Moon will be just above Saturn.  

Jupiter and Mercury are barely visible in the very early morning, just before sunrise,  A bit earlier than that you may see reddish Mars a bit above the eastern horizon.

Partial solar eclipse in eastern Canada

There will be a partial solar eclipse visible in eastern Canada around midday, however the Sun will only be 15% covered in Ontario and over 40% in the Maritimes.  Please use eclipse glasses if you are planning to look at.  Never look directly at the Sun with the naked eye and never look with binoculars.

Clear skies.
David

Clear Skies - Venus and Jupiter

 Clear Skies - Venus and Jupiter

You have undoubtedly seen in the news that Venus and Jupiter are approaching each other in the evening sky.  They will be closest on Monday/Tuesday, and they are both a delight to see now and in the next few days.

Venus, Earth, and Jupiter – and all of the planets – orbit the Sun.  Venus is closest to the Sun so orbits faster than Earth and Jupiter, and Earth is closer than Jupiter, so Earth orbits faster than Jupiter.

What we are seeing is that Venus is “catching up” to Jupiter from our vantage point on Earth.  Because Earth is orbiting faster than Jupiter, we are leaving Jupiter behind, meaning it appears lower to the horizon each day.

It is best to see this pairing 45 to 90 minutes after sunset, where you will find them low in the west.  Venus is much brighter than Jupiter, but both are unmistakable. 

If you have binoculars, try to see the moons of Jupiter, which will appear like a little string of up to four “stars” in a line on either side of Jupiter.  They change position fairly rapidly from night to night, so it can be a pleasure to note their dance over the course of a few days.  There are four of these bright moons – the so-called Galilean moons in honour of Galileo who first saw them in a telescope, but sometimes one or more may be in front or behind Jupiter and so not seen.

At their closest, Venus and Jupiter will be one and half degrees apart – about one and half widths of your little finger held at arm’s length.  You can follow them for a few more nights as the distance between them increases.

Clear skies.

David

Clear Skies with David Prud'homme - December 9th

 

Geminid Meteor Shower, Dec. 13

The Geminid meteor shower peaks on Saturday evening (Dec 13), when we might be treated to a moderately active meteor shower, weather permitting.  

The Moon is favourable this year.  It won’t be rising until almost 3 a.m., and it will be in a  crescent phase, meaning it won’t be reflecting much sunlight.  As a result, our skies will be darker, allowing us to see more of the faint meteors.  

The Geminid meteors will appear to originate in the constellation Gemini – hence their name.  It will be easy to locate Gemini.  It is high in the southwest, with Jupiter shining very brightly to its left.  The two bright stars to Jupiter’s upper right are Pollux and Castor, and they represent the heads of the Gemini twins.  

Castor is almost exactly at the so-called radiant, from where the meteors seem to originate, and from there they can appear to go up, down, left, right...  You won’t see them actually start there, but if you were to track back the various meteors you see, their tracks would converge on Castor. 

To view a meteor shower best, find a location where you don’t have direct house or streetlights in your eyes, and then position yourself facing the largest part of the sky you can.  You don’t have to face Gemini, and looking somewhat away from Gemini, you may see longer streaks.

If we happen to have clear skies, first of all, dress warmly – an astronomer’s rule of thumb is to dress for 10 degrees colder than the actual temperature, as you won’t be moving and generating heat so will get cold faster.  Then, settle yourself comfortably, in a lounge chair or on a blanket; give your eyes several minutes to adjust to the darkness; and just watch the sky with your naked eye.  You may see several over the course of an hour or so.

Ursid meteor shower, Dec 21

There will also be a minor meteor shower overnight on Sunday, Dec 21.  The number of meteors will be smaller, but you may still see a few.

The Moon

The Moon rises late in the evening, and later every night.  We don’t often think to look for the Moon in the daytime, but you will be able to see it low in the west in the mornings, becoming a narrower and narrower crescent.  It sets in the west around noon on Dec 10, and later every day, however, do not look for it close to the Sun to protect your eyes – say, after about Dec 15… however you can also look for it in the morning before sunrise.

Then you might get the treat of so-called moonshine when the light reflected off Earth illuminates the dark part of the Moon even though there is a bright crescent.  This is a lovely view.

The Planets (in the morning)

If you happen to be up early, and have a low horizon to the southeast, you may see Mercury before the sun rises. It rises around 6:15, and a couple minutes later every day.  It is bright enough that you will recognize it as the brightest object in that part of the sky. 

Venus is no longer easily visible, as it rises just ahead of the Sun and is overwhelmed by the sunlight.

You can also catch Jupiter in the morning.  It sets in the west well after sunrise, so before that, you should be able to see it.

The Planets (in the evening)

We can still see Jupiter in the morning, as it doesn’t rise in the northeast until after 6:30 p.m.  It then climbs to its highest in the south about 2:30 a.m.

Saturn is no longer very bright; it can still be seen in the evening sky.  Early in the evening, it can be found low in the south – but it will still be the brightest object in that part of the sky.  It will continue to head west, setting in the southwest just after midnight.

Clear skies, happy holidays, and stay safe and well.

David

Clear Skies returns - hopefully with clear skies (November 15th)

 

Clear Skies is back… if only we had clear skies.

For those of you not on Vancouver Island, I’d like to explain why there haven’t been any Clear Skies notes for awhile.  

We just haven’t been getting clear skies; those of you on Vancouver Island understand fully!

With our longer evenings, Clear Skies returns… and hopefully clear skies return!

The Leonid Meteor Shower

The big event now in progress is the Leonid meteor shower.  The peak is around noon on Monday, November 17th, which means your best chance of seeing an increased number of meteors is Sunday or Monday night.  You may also see a few the following few nights.

Remember to dress warmly, find a spot with as large a swath of open sky as you can find but out of direct light from houses or street lamps.  Lay back in a lounger or on a blanket and just watch the sky with you naked eye.  Give your eyes a few minutes to adapt to the dark in order to start to see the fainter meteors.  With any luck you should see a few, and perhaps even a couple very bright ones.

The Morning Sky

Around 6 a.m. Sunday and Monday, you may see a thin crescent Moon very low in the southeast.  Notice how the whole disk is visible because of earthshine – light reflecting off our clouds and lighting up the “dark” part of the Moon.

Venus rises around 7 a.m.  On Monday and Tuesday mornings you can look for an even thinner crescent Moon closer to Venus.

Before dawn, you can also see Jupiter shining quite brightly low in the southwest, about 20 degrees above the horizon – less than the width of your outstretched hand at arm’s length.  With binoculars you may be able to pick out its bright moons close to it.

The Evening Sky

Saturn is the best object in the evening sky right now.  Early in the evening, you will see it shining brightly towards the south, nicely up in the sky.  Our angle on the rings varies during Saturn’s orbit around the Sun, and right now they are so thin as to be almost invisible from our perspective here on Earth.

As a binocular challenge, find Saturn in your binoculars, and then move them a bit to the left and slightly up.  With Saturn barely in your view, or just outside it, look for a pale blue dot in the left of your view.  That is the planet Neptune.

The Moon

Starting around November 23, you can look for a thin crescent Moon low in the southwest just after sunset.  It will be slightly higher in the sky each day after that, reaching First Quarter on the 29^th.

It is often possible to see the Moon during the day.  Before the Full Moon, the Moon follows the Sun across the sky – closely just after New Moon and then about 12 degrees further away each day.  On the 28^th or 29^th, look to the southeast late in the afternoon, and you should easily see an almost Quarter Moon in the daytime sky! 

The Moon rises early afternoon, but it will be lower in the sky.

 Clear skies.

David Prud'homme

Clear Skies - The Space Station & Elder College

Elder College:  Introduction to the Night Skies

For those of you interested in a better understanding of the night sky, I will be teaching “Introduction to the Night Skies” for Elder College starting next Friday, Sept 19.  The course runs for six Fridays, from 1:00 to 3:00 starting Sept 19 and ending Oct 24.  I am fortunate to be able to teach in the theatre at Berwick in Qualicum Beach – a lovely room with a large screen.

For further information, you can check out this and their other selection of courses at eldercollege.org.

 International Space Station (ISS)

The ISS will be visible in the evenings over Vancouver Island and lower BC mainland during the next week.

On Friday, Sept 12, there will be an early pass during late twilight and a short pass later.  The first pass starts in the southwest at 8:16 p.m.  It will skirt just 30 degrees above the southeast horizon by 8:19 – 30 degrees is a little more than the distance between the tip of your thumb and your little finger held at arm’s length.  It then drops to the eastern horizon at 8:22.

At 9:51 p.m., ISS rises in the west southwest and climbs to about 60 degrees in the west when it enters Earth’s shadow and fades from sight.  I always find it interesting to see it disappear that way.

Saturday, Sept 13, ISS will rise in the WSW at 9:04 and climb almost directly overhead, passing very close the bright star Vega at 9:07.  It will then drop towards the ENE horizon, fading from sight 30 degrees above the horizon at 9:09.

Sunday, Sept 14, will see another nice early pass.  ISS rises in the WSW at 8:15, climbing two thirds of the way up the sky in the SSE, then dropping to the ENE horizon at 8:22.

Also on Sunday, ISS will rise at 9:52 p.m. in the west; climb just over halfway up the sky in the NW where it will fade from sight at 9:55.

Monday, Sept 15, ISS rises in the west at 9:03, climbs about two-thirds of the way up the sky in the north, then fades from sight in the ENE at 9:08.

Tuesday Sept 16, will a pass across the whole sky.  ISS rises in the WSW at 8:14 p.m., climbs high overhead by 8:17, then drops to the ENE horizon at 8:21.

Wednesday, Sept 17, will see a pass in the north.  ISS rises in the west at 9:03, climbs past the handle of the Big Dipper, and disappears at 9:07, just after passing through Cassiopeia – the elongated “W” in the sky.

Thursday’s first pass (Sept 18) rises in the west at 8:14 p.m.; climbs two-thirds of the way up the sky in the north, then disappears just above the ENE horizon at 8:20.

Friday, Sept 19, sees ISS rise in the WNW at 9:02; climb just past the end the handle of the Big Dipper; then disappear, as on Wednesday, just after passing through Cassiopeia – the elongated “W” in the sky at 9:06.

On Saturday, Sept 20, ISS rises in the WNW at 8:13 – still early – passes through the handle of the Big Dipper at 8:16, and disappears just above the eastern horizon at 8:19.

 Clear skies.

David

Clear Skies - An Exciting Start to the Year

 Happy New Year.  Let’s start the year off with a meteor shower.

In many parts of the country, the weather doesn’t look great for viewing a meteor shower, but if you happen to have clear skies over the next few nights, the annual Quadrantid meteor shower peaks on Friday, January 3, and meteors may be visible for the next few days.  Occasionally we get a spectacular fireball, but they are rare.

As always, to fully enjoy the Quadrantids, dress warmly – as though it is 10-15 degrees colder than the actual temperature.  The Quadrantids seem to come from the northeastern sky (below the tip of the Big Dipper’s handle), but for the best viewing, find as large a patch of open sky as you can, in any direction, away from house or streetlights.  Lay back on a blanket or lounger, and just watch the sky - wherever you can see the most sky.  You will easily see any bright meteors, and after about 20 minutes or so, your eyes should be “dark adapted” and you will probably be able to pick out several faint ones, too.  The naked eye is all you need.  

The Moon won’t really interfere, as it is just a thin crescent visible in the southwest after sunset.  It will continue to brighten over the next few days as the crescent gets larger. Look for “earthshine” which lets you see the full disk of the Moon due to reflected sunlight from earth.  As the crescent gets brighter, earthshine fades away relatively.

The Moon and the Planets

On Friday, January 3, the Moon will be to the left of bright Venus low in the southwest just after sunset.  Saturn is the semi-bright “star” to the upper left of the Moon.  This grouping might make a very nice photograph with an interesting foreground.  

A day later, on Saturday, both Saturn and Venus will be to the lower right of the crescent Moon.

Throughout the evening of Thursday and Friday, January 9 and 10, the Moon will be close to very bright Jupiter – to the right on the 9th and to the upper left on the 10th.

On Monday evening, January 13, most of North America will get a treat.  The Moon will pass in front of Mars, from right to left.  The further east in Canada you are, you may see both the disappearance and reappearance of Mars as the Moon crosses in front of it.  Mars will be easy to identify, as it is the bright reddish “star” close to the Moon.

The exact time totally depends on where you are.  As early in the evening as you can see the Moon, look for Mars and then monitor its proximity to the Moon as the Moon approaches it.  If you have a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope or telescope, it is quite a treat to see Mars disappear behind the Moon.  Of course, you can also see this event naked eye, but it will be more dramatic with some magnification.

It is harder to catch its reappearance, as it will be about three hours before it reappears, depending, very literally, on exactly where you are located. 

For the west coast, Mars may already be hidden by the Moon as it rises in the ENE around 5:30 p.m., but you can still watch for Mars to reappear sometime after about 8:00 p.m.  

Clear skies.
David

Clear Skies – Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, as you know!

 The media has made sure that we are all aware of the total solar eclipse that will take place on Monday, April 8 – visible only in southern Ontario and further east.

Is this just media hype?    No!  Not at all. 

A total solar eclipse  is a truly awesome experience.  There are eclipse chasers who travel the world to catch totality.  Linda and I don’t quite qualify, however we travelled to Aruba in 1998 for our first total eclipse, which lasted 3 minutes and 30 seconds.  It was incredible, and unless you’ve actually experienced one, it can’t be described.

Solar Eclipse - October 2005 (Wikipedia)

As an example of its emotional power, back in 585 BC the Medes and Lydians were at war when a total solar eclipse occurred.  They laid down their weapons and made peace!

In 2006, we travelled two days into the Sahara Desert in Libya for our second eclipse, which lasted a wonderful 4 minutes of totality.

Southern Ontario, southern Quebec, New Brunswick, and the north of Prince Edward Island will all see totality on April 8.  Just north of Lake Erie and then further east, from around Prince Edward County will get up to 2 minutes of totality.  The further south in those areas, the longer you will have.  For example, Brantford will only get a minute and a half; Toronto won’t see totality at all.  If you can be in a place to see it, it is well worth it.  Linda and I travelled to Queensland Australia in 2012 for our third total eclipse of just under 2 minutes!

The longest time in Canada will be in southern Quebec and across central New Brunswick, where totality will last for over 3 minutes.

WARNING:  Never look directly at the Sun without proper protection – either solar eclipse glasses or #14 welder’s glass.  This applies to the partial phase before totality.  Once the Moon is totally covering the Sun, you can look with your naked eye or binoculars.  AS SOON AS THE SUN STARTS EMERGING, PUT YOUR SOLAR ECLIPSE GLASSES BACK ON.  Damage to the eye can happen very quickly; you won’t feel it immediately, but it will be too late.

An alternative to solar glasses is a pin-hole box.  Make a small hole in a piece of cardboard – barely a pinprick. In the shadow from the cardboard you will see the progress of the partial eclipse.  Anything will small holes will work, even a colander – which will give multiple images!

Anywhere west of Ontario will get a little bit of partial eclipse – eye protection always required.  The west coast will barely notice the bite out of the Sun.

Clear skies.

David

Clear Skies - The Moon, Planets, and Space Station

First, an update on the Moon and planets, and then a few passes of the International Space Station this week.

The Moon is “new” on Sept. 14 – meaning it is close to the Sun.  Starting about Monday, look for a very thin crescent Moon low in the southwest, just after the Sun sets.  Each day the crescent will grow larger and the Moon will be visible later.  The quarter Moon – half lit – will be on Friday, Sept 22, and the Moon will be “full” on Friday, Sept. 28.

Saturn is nicely visible all evening.  It can be seen by about 8:30 p.m., only about the width of your fist held at arm’s length above the southeast horizon.  It reaches its highest around midnight, when it can found about a third of the way up from the horizon in the south.  On the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 26, the bright Moon will be just below Saturn.

Jupiter is the brightest planet visible in the evenings, although it only rises around 9 o’clock.  It is at its highest around 4:30 in the morning, when it shines brightly in the south.  On Sunday, Oct. 1, the Moon will be just to the left of Jupiter.

Venus is now a morning planet, rising around 4 a.m. ahead of the Sun.  It is shining very brightly and can be found even in the morning glow in the east southeast.  It will continue to get brighter over the coming weeks.  For a nice challenge, look for Venus and a thin crescent Moon close together low in the morning southerly sky on Tuesday, October 10, even with the sky getting bright.

The International Space Station (ISS)

ISS is currently crewed by three Russians, two Americans, a Dane and a Japanese. There will be some nice passes over the next week visible from Vancouver Island and the southern BC mainland.

On Friday, Sept. 15, the ISS will rise in the southwest about 9:04 p.m.  It will climb about half way up the sky in the south southwest, passing very close to Altair, the bright star at the bottom of the Summer Triangle.  It will then fade from sight at 9:09 as it enters Earth’s shadow and is no longer lit by the sun.

Saturday, Sept. 16, gives us two chances to see the ISS.  It orbits the Earth in about 90 minutes, so tonight we get a chance to see it twice.  ISS first rises in the southwest about 8:18 p.m., climbs about a third of the way up the sky in south southeast before disappearing low in the east about 8:24.

The second pass is quite short, as the Sun is lower in the west so the ISS isn’t lighted as long.  You can catch it rising in the west at 9:54, and it will only climb about half way up the sky before it fades from sight about three minutes later.  The bright star it passes after a minute or so is Arcturus, which is the second brightest star visible from Canada.  The brightest star, Sirius, is now only rising about 1 a.m.

On Sunday, Sept. 17, we will see the ISS pass high overhead.  It will rise in the west southwest at 9:06 p.m., will pass close to both Vega and Deneb, the top two stars of the Summer Triangle, and will then fade from sight in the east northeast at 9:11 p.m.

We get another good pass on Monday, Sept. 18, when ISS rises in the WSW at 8:19 p.m.  It will pass through the Summer Triangle three minutes later, and then drop to the horizon in the ENE and disappear at 8:25.

Tuesday, Sept. 19, ISS will rise in the west at 9:08 p.m., climb 2/3 of the way up the sky in the north by 9:11, and then it will disappear at 9:12, just after passing through Cassiopeia, the “W”.

On Wednesday, Sept. 20, ISS rises in the west at 8:20 p.m., and as it climbs in that part of the sky, it will again pass close to Arturus (see the second pass on Sept. 16 for a reminder). ISS disappears in the ENE at 8:26.

Thursday, Sept. 21, will see a shorter pass in the north.  ISS rises in the WNW at 9:08 p.m, climbs very close to the North Star, Polaris, at 9:12, then disappears just as it approaches Cassiopeia.

Finally, on Friday, Sept. 21, ISS will rise in the west at 8:21 p.m., will pass by the handle of the Big Dipper about 8:23, before disappearing low in the ENE at 8:26.

Clear skies.

David.

Clear Skies - A Meteor Shower and the Bright Planets

 Happy New Year

Quadrantid meteor shower

The annual Quadrantid meteor shower peaks the night of January 3-4 (late Tuesday).  These meteors are from particles off an asteroid  which crossed Earth’s orbit.  Some of those particles are large enough to provide spectacular fireballs - although unpredictable, they are wonderful if you catch one.  The meteors originate just off the handle of the Big Dipper, and they are called Quadrantids from an older constellation name.

The peak lasts just a few hours, and unfortunately there will be a bright Moon in the sky, making it hard to see the fainter meteors.

Remember to dress warmly as it always feels about 10 degrees cooler than the actual temperature when you aren’t active.

Mars

Mars is now shining brightly in the south throughout the evening – easy to see with its slightly reddish glow.  If you are reading this on Monday night, you will find Mars just to the right of the Moon.

Jupiter 

Jupiter is much further west in the sky, but it is the brightest “star” in that area.  With binoculars, you should be able to pick out its brightest moons and see their movement from night to night.

Venus

Venus is brightening in the western evening sky, and over the next while it will brighten even more as it also climbs further away from the setting Sun.

Astronomical trivia

Earth is in a very slightly elliptic – egg-shaped – orbit, meaning its distance from the Sun varies over the course of the year.  Midday Wednesday we will be at our closest to the Sun – just over 147 million km versus Earth’s average of 149 million.

Clear skies.

David

Clear Skies - The Moon Covers Mars

On Wednesday evening, Dec. 7, Canada will be treated to a very interesting event – the Moon will move in front of Mars, which is technically called an occultation. 

This is a vivid example of the Moon’s movement across the sky.  Although we usually only notice the movement of the Moon from night to night, it is constantly in orbit around Earth, at an average speed of almost 3,700 km/hour!  On that evening, we can watch Mars disappear as the Moon moves in front of it, and then watch Mars re-emerge sometime later.

The Moon will be a Full Moon, and will be very bright, however Mars is also very bright so will be easily seen.

Where you are in Canada affects what you will see.  The Moon is much closer to Earth than Mars.  From very high in the arctic, the Moon will appear lower in the sky, so Mars will be above its path visually, and there won’t be an occultation.  Likewise, the American eastern seaboard will miss the occultation because visually Mars will be below the path of the Moon.

That also means that where Mars is relative to the Moon from your vantage point will affect how long Mars is hidden.  If Mars appears near the centre line of the Moon, the Moon will have to travel its entire width before Mars comes out the other side.  However, if Mars is very low (or high) relative to the path of the Moon, the narrower width of that part of the Moon will cover Mars for a shorter period.

For western Canada, Mars will be hidden the longest – close to an hour, however for eastern Canada, you will be able to watch Mars disappear and reappear in less than half an hour! 

Likewise, because Mars is a disc, visually, and not just a point in the sky like a star, it will take a wee bit of time for the Moon to fully cover it.  Interestingly, the further east your are, the longer it will take for Mars to completely disappear behind the edge of the Moon and reappear on the other side.  That is similar to how long it takes the Sun to set in winter as it disappears at a shallow angle behind the horizon, rather than quickly as some of you might have seen with a sunset near the equator.

The following are the times of Mars’ disappearance and reappearance for representative cites across Canada.  Depending on your location relative to them, the times will be very close.

Halifax:  12:15 a.m. (that is just after midnight on Wednesday) to 12:33 a.m.

Toronto:  10:29 p.m. to 11:17 p.m.

Winnipeg:  9:05 p.m. to 10:16 p.m.

Saskatoon: 9:03 p.m. to 10:10 p.m.

Edmonton:  8:04 p.m. to 9:06 p.m.

Vancouver:  6:55 p.m. to 7:52 p.m.

The very southern edge of Nova Scotia will have a real treat for anyone with binoculars or a telescope.  Because Mars will just skirt the very bottom of the Moon, some viewers will be able to see Mars blink in and out as it passes behind the mountains on the limb of the Moon – something called a grazing occultation.  That is a treat I’ve experienced with a bright star grazing the Moon.

Let us hope for…

Clear skies.

David

Clear Skies - the ISS and the Moon and Planets

 

The International Space Station will be making a few nice morning passes over the next several days, but I’ve only included those after 7 a.m.

On Monday, Oct 24, the ISS will rise in the WSW at 7:11 a.m. and pass almost directly overhead.  It will then drop to the ENE horizon at 7:18.

On Wednesday, Oct 26, ISS will appear low in the west at 7:12 a.m. as it emerges from Earth’s shadow.  It will then climb two thirds of the way up the sky in the north at 7:15 and will drop towards the ENE horizon about 7:20.

Thursday, Oct 28, will the ISS appear in the WNW at 7:13, climb high in the north by 7:16 and then descend to the eastern horizon at 7:21.

Finally, on Saturday, Oct 30, ISS will appear in the WNW at 7:13 a.m., climb two thirds of the way up the sky in the north, and then set in the east at 7:22.

The Moon

There is a New Moon, meaning the Moon passes near the Sun, on Tuesday, Oct 25.  Over the next few days, look for a thin crescent Moon low to the horizon near where the Sun sets.  By the weekend, you should be able to see the crescent and the face of the Moon lighted with Earthshine, which can make a very pretty photo.

The planets

Saturn is still visible in the south, about 20 degrees above the horizon around 9 p.m.  Although not really bright, it is the brightest object in that part of the sky.

On November 1, the Moon will be just below and left of Saturn

Jupiter is shining brightly in the southeast in the evening, reaching its highest point in the south about 11 p.m.  As a reminder, with a pair of binoculars, you may be able to make out the four bright moons of Jupiter.

On November 4, the Moon will be just to the lower left of Jupiter.

Mars is rising in the ENE around 9 p.m.  It is easily identified by being almost as bright as the star Aldebaran, which is to its upper right.  Both may have a reddish cast, but Mars is more distinctly so.  Mars will remain visible most of the night as it travels across the sky towards the west.  Of course, it doesn’t travel that way; it appears to as we rotate under it.

On November 10, the Moon will be to the upper right of Mars.

There will be an eclipse of the Moon in a couple weeks, followed by a potentially nice meteor shower a few days later, both of which I’ll talk about in my next Clear Skies.

Clear skies.

David

Clear Skies - The Moon, Planets, ISS, and Satellites

 Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars

The very bright “star” that is visible in the evening in the southeast and then high in the south around midnight is actually Jupiter.  On Sunday, Sept. 26, it was at opposition, which means it was directly opposite the Sun in relation to the Earth, however it will remain bright in the night sky for some time.

Given that it is so bright, it is a good target for binoculars.  Jupiter has four bright moons, the so-called Galilean moons in honour of Galileo who first observed them through a telescope.  They have very short orbits around Jupiter so their relative positions change noticeably from night to night.  It can be quite interesting to observe them over a few nights with binoculars as they do the celestial dance from one side of Jupiter to the other.

Saturn is not as bright as Jupiter but it can be picked out in the southeastern or southern sky though the evening.  It is only about 25 degrees above the horizon at its highest (around 10:30 p.m.), but it is a bit brighter than any of the stars near it in that part of the sky.  With any small telescope or spotting scope you may be able to make out its rings. 

Mars is now rising in the east northeast just after 10 p.m.  It will rise a bit earlier each evening and will become brighter and brighter as it does so.

Venus and Mercury rise in the east just ahead of the Sun, so cannot be easily seen right now.

 

The Moon helps identify the planets

We had a New Moon on Sept. 25, so in a couple days you can look for a thin crescent Moon low in the west just after sunset.  It will reach First Quarter (half-lighted) on Oct. 3.  On Tues/Wed, Oct. 4 & 5, you can use the Moon to help you find Saturn.  On Tuesday, Saturn will be just the width of your fist at arm’s length to the upper left of the Moon.  A day later, it will be a bit closer but to the Moon’s upper right.

On Friday, Oct. 7, Jupiter will be a fist’s width to the upper left of the Moon, and on Saturday, Jupiter will be only half that distance to the Moon’s upper right.

On Thursday, Oct. 13, the Moon will be just below the Pleiades, a pretty little star cluster, which by the way is what is represented by Subaru’s logo.

On Saturday, Oct. 15, the Moon will rise around 9 p.m.  Reddish hued Mars can be picked out very close to the Moon’s lower right throughout the rest of the evening.

 

International Space Station (ISS)

There are several evening passes of the ISS between 8 and 10 p.m. over the next week or so for Vancouver Island and the lower BC mainland.  Here are the best of them.

Tonight (Sept. 26), ISS rises in the west at 8:01 and climbs very high towards the north, skirting very close to Polaris, the North Star, at 8:05, after which it will drop towards the eastern horizon, disappearing at 8:09.

Tuesday, 27 Sept., ISS will rise in the WNW at 8:50 and climb almost directly overhead, passing between the two bright stars that make up the top of the Summer Triangle, Vega and Deneb respectively.  Shortly after passing Deneb, ISS will fade from sight as it enters Earth’s shadow.

Wednesday, 28 Sept., ISS rises in the WNW at 8:00 and climbs very high in the north, passing by the end of the handle of the Big Dipper five minutes later, and then crossing through the Great Square of Pegasus in the east before fading from sight at 8:08.

Sept. 29, Thursday, will see the ISS rise in the WNW at 8:49, climb past bright Arcturus low in the west, and then finish our tour of the Summer Triangle by passing very close to Altair, the lowest of the three bright stars making up this shape.  Moments later it will fade from sight as it enters Earth’s shadow.

The final great pass will be on Friday, Sept. 30.  ISS will rise in the WNW at 8:00, climb above Arcturus, pass through the four stars that make up the “drinking cup” shape in Hercules, and then pass through the Summer Triangle, disappearing just above the ESE horizon at 8:07.

 

SpaceX Star Link Satellites

Some of you have been observing lines of satellites crossing the night sky.  These are constellations of small satellites, each set launched by SpaceX on a single rocket.  They continue to orbit in their close configuration which provides us with a rather unusual sight. 

 

Clear skies.

David