A winter solstice treat: the Moon and Jupiter

Monday evening, December 21, the Moon will be positioned next to bright Jupiter in the southwest sky just after sunset. Try viewing this combination through binoculars. What can you see? The binoculars should reveal larger craters on the lunar surface along with mountains. Jupiter will show three starlike moons right next to it (one on its left and two on the right) before 7:20 and four after 7:20. Its moon Io, which is slightly smaller than our Earth's moon, moves out of eclipse at 7:20. It take a few minutes to come into view on the left side of Jupiter.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Bright Jupiter and dim Neptune

This week, easy-to-find Jupiter slides past distant Neptune. You'll need binoculars to see this event, though. Look towards the south-southwest at 7:00 p.m. for bright Jupiter. It is easily the brightest object in that area of the sky.

Neptune is dim, fainter than the three stars that lie almost in a row near Jupiter's position on the 16th. On December 21, Jupiter is at its closest approach to Neptune. The moon may interfere with observations on the 20th and succeeding nights, so try spotting the planetary pair before this Saturday.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Elusive Mercury

Without a doubt, the most difficult to spot of the "bright" planets is little Mercury. It is always close to the sun, most times lost in the solar glare either directly after sunset or right before sunrise. For most of December, curious skywatchers who have a low southwestern horizon can find Mercury close to the horizon at about 5:40 p.m. The best dates to try are those around December 18. On the 18th, the thin crescent Moon floats just above the elusive world. Bring out the binoculars for a better view.

A couple days after Christmas, Mercury drops rapidly towards the sun. By January 4th, it passes between the Earth and the Sun.

Such is our view from Earth ...

The ISS and Shuttle Atlantis passes. Look again tonight!

Last night, the Shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Shuttle passed over Southwest Virginia. They were separated by 7 seconds in this 15 second time exposure. Their actual separation was about 30 miles and they were over 220 miles away. The image shows the pair as they are either entering or are about to enter the Earth's shadow. Pesky air traffic give the other streaks.

Atlantis is scheduled to pass this evening. Look low in the west-northwest at 6:42 p.m. It sweeps to the southwest and by 6:46 it disappears in the Earth's shadow low in the south. It passes just below bright Jupiter at about 6:45.

Such is our view from Earth ...

ISS/Shuttle Atlantis update

At the moment, it looks like the shuttle will land before Friday's pass of the International Space Station. This evening, though, should give an interesting configuration. Very possibly, the ISS and the Shuttle will each be visible with one of them following the other by a few seconds. So far, their predicted passing time has not changed.

Such is our view from Earth ...

The International Space Station — Space Shuttle Atlantis

This week sees several passes of the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The two best opportunities for people in southwest Virginia to view this orbiting duo are on Wednesday and Friday evenings.

Wednesday's pass begins at 6:18 p.m. Look low in the northwest for a slow moving starlike object. As it moves high in the northeast (not quite overhead), it brightens significantly becoming much brighter than the planet Jupiter. (Jupiter is the bright object far in the south.) It passes then through the "W" shaped constellation, Cassiopeia. By 6:21, it moves high in the east where it enters the Earth's shadow and subsequently disappears.

Friday's pass follows a similar path as Wednesday's. Beginning at 5:33 p.m., look low in the northwest, again for a slowly moving starlike object. Follow it high in the northeast as it brightens, again becoming brighter than Jupiter. It disappears from view as it sinks low in the east-southeast at 5:33 p.m.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Mars passes the Beehive

All this week and all next week, binocular users will watch a treat with Mars slowly crossing the field of the Beehive star cluster. This passage has no trick!

The Beehive, aka M44, is a star cluster in central Cancer. Every so often, planets appear to move through it. However, on all occasions, each particular planet is only a few tens of millions or a few hundreds of millions of miles away. The Beehive is much, much farther — close to 500 light years distant or 500 x 5.9 trillion miles.

Mars and the Beehive rise about 12:30 a.m., so you should wait an hour or two for them to inch high enough above the horizon to give a decent view. Telescopes will magnify the image too much, destroying the cluster effect of the many dim stars of the Beehive. Binoculars show a field that is just right!

Such is our view from Earth ...

Here come the Orionids!

On Wednesday night, Our planet plows through the center of the debris trail left many years ago by the famous Comet Halley. This results in the Orionid Meteor Shower, which actually spans a few weeks. Sometime during the overnight on October 21st, the shower's peak is reached giving upwards of 25 meteors per hour as viewed from a dark sky site. The meteor streaks are the sand size pieces of the comet's tail quickly entering our upper atmosphere.

Begin observing after 11:00 p.m. when the "club" portion of the constellation Orion rises directly east. At this time, both the bright stars Betelgeuse and Rigel lie near the horizon. As the night proceeds, this grouping of stars rises higher making more meteors visible.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Saturn just misses Mercury and Venus

Over the next week, three planets can be found close to the eastern horizon in the morning twilight. The brightest, Venus is also the highest, at least initially. Saturn rises higher each morning, catching Mercury on the morning of October 8. A pair of binoculars will help see these two planets clearly.

As the mornings pass, Saturn continues moving higher, leaving Mercury behind and approaching Venus. On the 13th, Saturn and Venus lie closely together. Again, binoculars help separate the planetary pair. Saturn, then, moves higher, pulling away from Venus.

On the morning of the 16th, the thin crescent moon hangs just to the right of Venus and Saturn, making an interesting celestial triangle. The moon will be awash with earthshine. Now, that should be an empyreal sight!

Such is our view from Earth ...

Mars slides past Castor and Pollux

The Red Planet, Mars, moves across the constellation Gemini this month. It is currently creeping below its brighter stars, Castor and Pollux, taking several days to eventually form a straight line with them. Mars will be the brightest of the three. The moon moves into the area on October 11 and 12, helping to positively identify Mars.

Look high in the south at 6:00 a.m. for this scene. Over the next three months, Mars grows brighter and rises much earlier. By January it will be one of the brightest objects in the evening sky.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Saturn, Mercury, and Venus begin their dance

For the next several mornings, Saturn, Mercury, and Venus all appear close together in the east 45 minutes before sunrise. As the mornings progress, Saturn rises higher and passes Mercury, then it catches bright Venus. For a better view, use binoculars.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Moon identifies Jupiter

On this Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the moon glides next to bright Jupiter, giving a positive ID of the giant planet. Simply look to the southeast at 8 pm just when darkness is falling. Look at Jupiter with binoculars. How many tiny moons in a row do you see? Don't be confused by the star just to the lower left of the planet. The moons hug the planet much closer than the star which is called Iota Capricorni.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Early morning, late September

Planets roam the brightening morning sky. By the time twilight begins, Mars is high in the east near the bright stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini. The Red Planet slowly creeps through that constellation while rising slightly earlier each morning. Venus, on the other hand, is low in the eastern twilight. Each morning, it very slightly moves closer to the horizon, taking a few more months to reach it. Both Saturn and Mercury are currently obscured by the sun. In a couple of weeks, they will appear, inching out of the solar glare.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Our morning sky

This week, the moon moves between Mars and Venus. On the morning of September 14, the waning moon hovers just below reddish Mars. Twenty-four hours later, it lies near the distant star cluster known as the Beehive. This is an interesting sight through binoculars contrasting the bright 240,000 mile distant moon with the dim stars of the 500 light-year distant Beehive.

On the 16th, the thin crescent moon sits next to brilliant Venus, making an intriguing sight. Earthshine, which is back reflected sunlight off the Earth, really enhances the scene. This will be a great way to start the day!

To see these sights, simply look to the east about 6 a.m.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Stargazing for the Curious Skywatcher

"Stargazing for the Curious Skywatcher," a six-week non-credit adult education course, will be offered at the Greenfield Education and Training Center in Daleveille on Thursdays from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. beginning September 24. The instructor is Master Observer John Goss of Fincastle, an amateur astronomer. Students will experience the wonders of the Milky Way including star forming nebulae, newly born star clusters, and the ejected shells of dying stars. They will learn to recognize early fall bright stars and constellations. They will spy craters on our Earth's moon, and watch the large moons of Jupiter shuttle around that giant planet. They will see the famous Andromeda Galaxy that lies almost 3 million light-years away. The cost of the course, which is sponsored by Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, is $85. The textbook and planisphere may be purchased the first night of class; a telescope is not needed. Call Non-Credit Coordinator Judy Clark at (540) 863-2863 or email jclark@dslcc.edu to register.

Venus encounters the "Beehive"

One of the prettiest star clusters viewed through binoculars is M44 in Cancer, otherwise known as the "Beehive." This week brilliant Venus just misses sliding through the Beehive. On September 1 and 2, the brilliant planet passes directly south of the star cluster. Observe this with binoculars after 5:30 a.m. Compare their distances from Earth: Venus currently orbits 120 million miles — or 11 light-minutes — away and the dim stars of the Beehive lie 500 light-years from our little blue world!

Such is our view from Earth ...

Mars is sliding next to a mysterious glow

Over the next several nights, Mars shines brightly in the constellation Gemini. For binocular observers, the Red Planet is positioned near a dim cluster of stars known as M35. Watch each night as the bright Mars scoots by the 2800 light year distant cluster. As the weeks progress, the planet grows brighter. Now it is about equal to the bright star in Taurus, Aldebaran.

Look low in the northeast after 2 a.m. or high in the east after 4 a.m. to see this sight.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Perseid Meteor Shower 2009

Tomorrow morning the annual Perseid Meteor Shower reaches its peak. Tonight and tomorrow night will see perhaps 60 meteors streaking across our skies. Most likely, though, far fewer meteors will be seen due to the bright third quarter moon washing out the dark sky.

After 11:30 tonight and tomorrow night, look from a dark location to the northeast. It may take a few seconds or ten minutes before you see your first meteor. Happy hunting!

Such is our view from Earth ...

Your name on Mars

NASA is taking names for its 2011 mission to Mars. No, not people, just their names. If you want your name to be transported to Mars on a microchip in 2011, then now is the time to sign up!

http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/sendyourname/

Such is our view from Earth ...

Our busy morning sky

Over the next several weeks, our morning sky is active with planetary sights. The thinning crescent moon slides between Jupiter and Venus on May 18. Three mornings later, the moon catches Venus, forming an intriguing pair with it and the much dimmer Mars.

For the rest of May, Mars rises with brilliant Venus, lying just to its left. Observe this before 5:15 so morning twilight won't interfere with the conjunction of these two planets.

Another interesting sight awaits those Skywatchers armed with binoculars. Look at Jupiter and use the chart to distinguish the very dim Neptune to Jupiter's upper left. Jupiter is represented by the yellow bar and text, Neptune by the white. The star directly to the west Jupiter, perhaps partially concealed in its glare, is Mu Capricorni. Neptune is to Mu's left. Neptune lies nearly 3 billion miles away, over 6 times farther than bright Jupiter! Look for these two worlds before 4:30 a.m. as Neptune needs dark skies to be visible.

Such is our view from Earth ...

See the Moon and Saturn this Sunday

On Sunday evening, there will be telescopes set up at Greenfield in Botetourt for the public to view the crescent Moon and the ringed-planet Saturn. The event will begin at 8:45 and end around 9:45. Go to the end of International Parkway to the turn-around.

Everyone is welcome!

Such is our view from Earth ...

Moon and Jupiter and Venus and Mars

Over the next five mornings, the crescent Moon slides by bright Jupiter, brilliant Venus, and dim Mars. This is a great time to positively ID these distant worlds. Tomorrow morning at 6, look to the south-southeast for the thinning crescent Moon glowing next to Jupiter. The following two mornings, our Moon moves to the east catching Venus on April 22. Look at Venus and the Moon through binoculars. A steady hand reveals Venus' tiny, thin crescent which points towards the not-yet-risen sun. The binoculars show many craters on our Moon.

The following morning, the Moon glides to Venus' east becoming even thinner. It may be difficult to see.

What about Mars? The fourth planet from the Sun, lies to the lower right of Venus. It certainly doesn't stand out in the brightening dawn sky. Over the next nine months it slowly becomes more prominent and by Christmas, it will be nearly as bright as Jupiter.

Such is our view from Earth ...

The Moon below, then above the Pleiades

The crescent moon is always a pretty sight. Tonight and tomorrow night, it joins the Pleiades star cluster in the western sky directly after sunset. Can you see the Earthshine (sunlight reflected off the Earth and cast on to the moon)? How many stars can you see belonging to the Pleiades?

Such is our view from Earth ...

A pairing at dawn

Our moon glides next to Jupiter in the sky 60 minutes before sunrise tomorrow. Look to the southeast for this and you'll see the crescent moon seemingly full with Earthshine just to the giant planet's right. Jupiter is 40 times bigger than our moon, but 2000 times farther away.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Final call for Venus

Over the next several nights, Venus sinks quickly in the western sky directly after sunset. This is your best chance to view through binoculars our nearest planetary neighbor. With a steady hand, you should have no trouble seeing its very thin crescent phase. By next Thursday, the planet will be very difficult to spot because it will be very close to the western horizon as the sun sets.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Count the stars

If you would like to help the understanding of light pollution, Last night began a study of the night sky in which people can participate. The Globe at Night program aims to measure sky glow around the globe by comparing the number of stars seen from many, many locations on our planet. You can observe the number of stars you see in the constellation Orion and submit your results to the GaN folks who will compile all the recordings from across the globe. See Globe at Night for all the details on how you can participate in the fun, but important planet-wide project.

http://www.globe.gov/GaN/

Such is our view from Earth ...

The closest planet

You can't miss Venus shining in the west right after sunset until it sets about 8:30 p.m. If you aim binoculars at this brilliant world, you will see a tiny crescent caught in the glare of the planet. Wear sunglasses for a better view. Over the next few weeks, Venus moves between the Earth and the sun, which it finally does so on March 27. Up until then, the apparent size from tip to tip of the crescent will grow while the thickness of the crescent becomes thinner.

Such is our view from Earth ...

Learn more about your telescope and the night sky!

Stargazing for the Curious Skywatcher – Tuesdays, Feb. 17-March 24, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., $85, plus cost of book and planisphere. Tour the universe and learn how to see lunar craters , planets and their moons. Room 122, Greenfield Education and Training Center at Daleville. Instructor: John Goss. (PYSC 1100-G1N, #74487)

"Use that 'Scope!" -- Saturday, Jan. 31, 9:00 a.m .to noon, Moomaw Center, main campus, Clifton Forge. $20. Instructor: John Goss. Get a new telescope for Christmas and not sure how to use it? Learn how to use your new 'scope to find fun sky objects. Be sure to bring your telescope with you! Inclement weather date: Feb. 7. (PHSC 1101-M1K, #74706).

Changing Planets

The planetary players in our southwestern sky have changed over the past month. Jupiter is now too close to the horizon in the bright evening twilight to be seen. Mercury still can be found low about 30 minutes after sunset. It drops below the horizon around 6:30.

Venus reaches is greatest angular distance from the sun on January 14. It is at its highest in the western sky this year when it is first spotted which, for careful skywatchers, is just before the sun drops below the horizon. As darkness falls, Venus glows brilliantly, often being confused for an approaching airplane, or even a UFO. From a dark location, Venus is so bright that it can cast a shadow!

Such is our view from Earth ...