January 2014 Celestial Highlights

January Sky

Early January - 8:30 p.m. (EST)

Late January - 7:30 p.m. (EST)

Perihelion: Earth reaches its closest annual distance to the sun on January 4 at 91.4 million miles away.

Quadrantid Meteor Shower: in the northeast after 3 a.m. on January 3, over 60 meteors per hour. 

Visible Planets:

MERCURY very low in the west-southwest forty minutes after sun set after January 23.

VENUS very low in the west-southwest forty minutes after sunset until January 3. Behind the sun on January 11. Low in the east-southeast forty minutes before sunrise after January 19. Below the crescent Moon on January 2 at 5:45 p.m. 

MARS rises in the east before 1 a.m. at the beginning of January and before midnight at the end of the month. Above the moon and the star Spica on January 23 at 3 a.m.

JUPITER rises in the east-northeast at sunset, and is visible all night. Next to the bright waxing gibbous moon on January 14.

SATURN rises in the east-southeast before 4 a.m. at the beginning of the January and before 2 a.m. by the end of the month. Directly next to the waning crescent moon on January 25 at 5 a.m.

Use the Big Dipper to locate:

The North Star

Capella

Pollux and Castor

Use Orion's Belt to locate:

Aldebaran

Sirius

To use this map:

Face south and hold the map above your head. The stars on the map will match those in the sky.

Such is our view from Earth…

December 2013 Celestial Highlights

December Sky

Early December - 8:30 p.m. 

Late December - 7:30 p.m. 

Geminid Meteor Shower: December 13 after 8:00 p.m. until dawn on December 14. Look high in the east.  The bright waxing gibbous Moon greatly hinders the meteor count.

SUN reaches Winter Solstice in the constellation Sagittarius on December 21 at 12:11 a.m. Winter begins in the northern hemisphere.

MOON attains a distant sub moon status on the night of December 16. Smallest full Moon of 2013.

Visible Planets:

MERCURY lost in the solar glare.  

VENUS low in the southeast 45 minutes after sunset. Next to the waxing thin crescent Moon on December 5. Reaches greatest brilliancy on December 10.

MARS rises after 1 a.m. at the beginning of December and at 12:30 a.m. at the end of the month. Next to the third quarter Moon on December 25 and 26.

JUPITER rises in the east-northeast before 8 p.m. at the beginning of December and before 6 p.m. near the end of the month. Very close to the near full Moon on December 18. 

SATURN rises in the southeast at 5:30 a.m. at the beginning of December and after 3:30 a.m. at the end of the month. Near the waning crescent Moon on December 28 and 29.  

Use the Big Dipper to locate:

The North Star

Cassiopeia

Capella

Use the Great Square of Pegasus to locate:

Fomalhaut

Deneb Kaitos

Altair

To use this map:

Face south and hold the map above your head. Place the zenith directly overhead. The stars on the map will match those in the sky.

Such is our view from Earth…

November 2013 Celestial Highlights

Roanoke Valley's 

November Sky

Early November - 9:30 p.m. (EDT)

Late November - 7:30 p.m. (EST)

Daylight Saving Time ends on November 3

Leonid Meteor Shower: November 17 after 1:00 a.m. EST. Bright moon interferes significantly with meteor count. 

Visible Planets:

MERCURY very low in the east-southeast at 6:20 a.m. after November 11. Next to Saturn on November 23 - 27. 

VENUS low in the west-southwest 60 minutes after sunset. Near to the thin crescent moon on November 6 and 7.

MARS rises in the east just before 2 a.m. all of November. Near the crescent moon on October 29 and November  27. 

JUPITER rises in the northeast before 10:00 p.m. at the beginning of November and at 8:00 p.m. by the end of the month. Near the waning gibbous moon on November 21.

SATURN lost in the solar glare for the first three weeks of November. Behind the sun on November 6. Very low in the east-southeast after November 22.

Use the Big Dipper to locate:

The North Star

Cassiopeia

Use the Great Square of Pegasus to locate:

Fomalhaut

Deneb Kaitos

Altair

To use this map:

Face south and hold the map above your head. Place the zenith directly overhead. The stars on the map will match those in the sky.

Such is our view from Earth...

October 2013 Celestial Highlights

Roanoke Valley's 

October Sky

Early October - 9:00 p.m. (EDT)

Late October - 8:00 p.m. (EDT)

MILKY WAY: The glow of the Milky Way stretches from the southwest to the northeast at 8:30 p.m. each night. Observe when there is no moon in the sky (from September 29 through October 9 and after October 22) and from a dark location away from city lights to best appreciate this glorious sight. 

Orionid Meteor Shower: October 21 after 11:30 p.m. in the east. Less than 20 meteors per hour can be seen because of the bright waning gibbous moon.

Visible Planets:

MERCURY lost in the solar glare.

VENUS very low in the west 60 minutes after sunset all month.  Crescent moon above Venus on October 8. 

MARS rises before 3 a.m. all month. Close to the moon on October 1 and October 29. Next to the similarly bright Regulus low in the east on October 15 at 5 a.m.  

JUPITER  rises in the east-northeast before 12:30 a.m. at the end of September and by 8 10:30 p.m. at the end of October. Near the moon on October 25.

SATURN very low in the west-southwest after sunset. Lost in the solar glare after October 5.

Use the Big Dipper to locate:

The North Star

Arcturus

Deneb

Cassiopeia

To use this map:

Face south and hold the map above your head. Place the zenith directly overhead. The stars on the map will match those in the sky.

Such is our view from Earth...

 

Venus heads towards Spica

Venus moves towards Spica each evening until September 5th when it passes it.  From now until then, Venus will be a little closer to Spica. Saturn comes next when Venus catches it on September 18. Look to the west-southwest about 8:45 p.m. for this ever changing trio.

In this image taken August 26, Venus glows at the lower right while the much dimmer Spica twinkles to the farther left.

 

Saturn can be seen at the upper left of the image.

Such is our view from Earth...

September 2013 Celestial Highlights

Roanoke Valley's 

September Sky

Early September - 10:00 p.m. (EDT)

Late September - 9:00 p.m. (EDT)

MILKY WAY: The glow of the Milky Way stretches from the southwest to the northeast at 9:30 p.m. each night. Observe when there is no moon in the sky (from August 26 through September 10 and after September 24) and from a dark location away from city lights to best appreciate this glorious sight. 

SUN reaches Autumnal Equinox in the constellation Virgo on September 22 at 4:44 p.m.

Visible Planets:

MERCURY lost in the solar glare.  

VENUS low in the west 60 minutes after sunset. Next to the crescent Moon on Sept. 8 and next to Saturn on Sept. 18. 

MARS rises in the east before 4 a.m. at the end of August and before 3:30 at the end of September.  To the upper left of the waning crescent moon on September 2.  Crosses in front of the Beehive Cluster on September 8 and 9. 

JUPITER  rises in the east-northeast after 2 a.m. and before 1 a.m. at the end of September. Brightly shines near the waning crescent moon on August 31 and September 28.

SATURN very low in the west-southwest just after sunset. To the right of the waxing crescent moon on September 9. Next to Venus on September 18 and 19.

Use the Big Dipper to locate:

The North Star

Arcturus

Deneb

Cassiopeia

To use this map:

Face south and hold the map above your head. Place the zenith directly overhead. The stars on the map will match those in the sky.

Such is our view from Earth...

August 2013 Celestial Highlights

Roanoke Valley's 

August Sky

Early August - 10:30 p.m. (EDT)

Late August - 9:30 p.m. (EDT)

MILKY WAY: The glow of the Milky Way stretches from the south to the northeast at 10 p.m. each night. Observe when there is no moon in the sky (from July 28 through August 12 and after August 26) and from a dark location away from city lights to best appreciate this glorious sight.

Meteor Shower: 

PERSEIDS visible in the northeast after 11:15 p.m. on August 12. Perhaps up to 60 meteors per hour can be seen from a dark site. 

Visible Planets:

MERCURY very low in the east-northeast 45 minutes before sunrise from August 1 through August 7. Above the waning crescent moon on August 5. 

VENUS low in the west at 8:45 p.m. Above the waxing crescent moon on August 9. 

MARS low in the east-northeast at 5:00 a.m. during August. The waning crescent moon sits to its lower right on August 4. 

JUPITER  rises in the east-northeast before 4:00 a.m. at the beginning of August and before 2:30 a.m. at the end of the month. Left of the moon on August 3. 

SATURN in the south-southwest at sunset. Sets after midnight at the beginning of August and at 10:30 p.m. at the end of the month. Upper left of the waxing crescent moon on August 12. 

Use the Big Dipper to locate:

The North Star

Arcturus

Spica

Cassiopeia

Deneb

To use this map:

Face south and hold the map above your head. The relative positions of the stars on the map will match those in the sky.

Such is our view from Earth...