2013 March Celestial Highlights

March 17: Jupiter will be just above the 1st quarter moon for an eye catching sight.

Comet PanSTARRS:

This comet, while not likely appearing as bright as first thought, still has a good chance of being noticeable in the western sky 30 minutes after sunset between March 10 and March 20. The very thin crescent moon lies just to the right of the comet on March 12 and above it, sitting on its tail, on March 13. This whole event is iffy: it might be really good, or it might be really difficult to see. 

As famed comet modeler Fred Whipple once said, "If you must bet, bet on a horse, not on a comet."

Such is our view from Earth...

Now is the time for the year's best view of Mercury

The closest planet to the sun, Mercury, can be the toughest of all the so-called bright planets to spot. Its solar proximity makes it alway appear near the sun, being in the evening sky for not long after sunset. (Or, likewise, in the morning sky before sunrise.) Monday and Tuesday, see the little world reach its highest point in the western sky after sunset before it drops towards the sun. For the next week, follow Mercury as it descends eventually disappearing from view during the last week of February.

Look to the wsw about 6:40 for Mercury's pinpoint of light. If you see something, it is likely the planet as there are no stars in the area bright enough to punch through the bright twilight glow.

Such is our view from Earth...

Mercury brightens, Mars fades away

Over the next two weeks, Mercury makes an appearance in our western sky forty minutes after sunset. Last night, it paired with Mars but now it is found much higher above the horizon than the Red Planet. Mercury can be seen with the unaided eye, but Mars requires binoculars. Mercury, at 121 million miles away, is brightening and quickly moving between the sun and the Earth, while Mars, at 214 million miles, is fading as it approaches the far side of the sun. Look to the west about 6:40 p.m. for the planetary pair. 

Such is our view from Earth...

February 2013 Celestial Highlights

Feb. 8 - 25: Mercury visible low in the west 40 minutes after sunset

Feb. 17: 1st quarter moon to the right of Jupiter

Feb. 18: moon to the left of Jupiter

Feb. 22: 8 pm, Winter solstice on Mars

Such is our view from Earth...

January 2013 Celestial Highlights

January 2: Earth reaches perihelion, its annual closest distance to the sun: 91.4 million miles.

January 3: 3 a.m. Quadrantid meteor shower. Over 60 meteors per hour emanating from the northeast — but the bright waning gibbous moon washes out the sky drastically reducing the number of meteors seen.

January 7: 5 a.m., Waning crescent Moon below Saturn.

January 10: 6:30 a.m., crescent Moon near Venus

January 21, the bright waxing gibbous Moon directly below Jupiter

January 26, full Moon (11:39 p.m.)

Such is our view from Earth...

The Moon's apparent celestial companion

Tonight, as darkness settles, the bright near full Moon has a companion nearly bumping into it. The Moon happens to be in direct alignment with the largest planet of the solar system, Jupiter. While Jupiter is 40 times wider than the Moon, it is over 1500 times farther away, making it appear as a bright pinpoint next to the glaring Moon.

Such is our view from Earth...

The Full Moon slides under Jupiter

Early this morning, the full Moon sat below bright Jupiter, nearly wiping out the planet in its glare. The image shows a greatly overexposed Moon and nearby Jupiter. (Light saturation and consequent spillage causes the Moon to appear much larger than it actually was.) Three of Jupiter's four Galilean moons can be glimpsed, two on the left of the planet and the third on the right. The order from left to right is Europa, Io, Jupiter, and Callisto. The fourth moon, Ganymede, is lost in the planet's glare and lies to Jupiter's immediate right.

Tonight, the Moon will be to the left of Jupiter.

Such is our view from Earth...