Astronomy a Go Go!

Astronomy a Go Go! January Sky Tour This tool displays the approximate Moon phases for a given month(images are close approximations). For official phase times and dates for this month and past months are available from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map!Skymaps.com is our favorite monthly skymap provider. Download either the Northern hemisphere, Equatorial, or Southern Hemisphere sky map so you can follow along with our viewing sessions.Creator: Kym Thalassoudis   Southern Hemisphere Additional InformationAs Astronomy a Go Go! finds its home in the higher Northern latitudes those of you who live south of the equator will benefit from these two Southern Hemisphere sites: Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ site (absolutely outstanding) and Southern Sky Watch.   January Planets(click images to enlarge)   Mars and the Hexagon Flame Nebula, Alnitak, Horsehead Nebula Mercury- moving into inferior conjunction on the 4th and moving into the morning sky later in the month 2.9 mag (1st) to -0.0 (21st) Venus- too close to the Sun for reliable viewing passing through superior conjunction on the 11th moving into the evening sky -4.0 mag (1st) to -4.0 mag (21st) Mars- in Western Leo (between Cancer and Leo) visible most of the night (yeah!). In opposition on the 29th 5.5 light minutes from Earth. Closest to Earth on the 27th. -0.8 mag (1st) to -1.2 mag (21st) Jupiter- low on the western horizon after sunset moving from Capricorn to Aquarius. Starts the month out near Neptune before heading quickly eastward -2.1 mag (1st) to -2.0 mag (21st) Saturn- in Virgo all month rising after midnight and about 4 hours after Mars. Time to start watching for a return of the ring (yessss my Precious)through 2010. 1.1 mag (1st) to 1.1 mag (21st) Uranus- Hovering just inside the Aquarius side of the Aquarius/Pisces border crossing back into Pisces in mid-January 5.7 mag (1st) to 5.7 mag (21st) Neptune- In Capricorn all month. Jupiter slides eastward south of Neptune with a close, moon-less encounter on Dec. 24-25 7.9 mag (1st) to 7.9 mag (21st) Astronomical Highlights for January 2010 Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 8 pm for Northern Hemisphere and 10 pm for the Southern Hemisphere. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! 1 - Moon at perigee (closest to the Earth 358,682 km) Large Tides 3 - Earth at perihelion (closest to the Sun 147097907 km) - Quandrantids meteor shower (too much Moon) 4 - Mercury at inferior conjunction 6 - Moon near Saturn 7 - Last Quarter 11 - Antares 1.1 deg S of Moon possible occultation (check the IOTA website check the event for your area) 15 - New Moon (7:11 UT) - Annular solar eclipse (check here for visibility from your location) 17 - Moon at apogee (furtherest from Earth 406,435 km) 18 - Moon near Jupiter 23 - First Quarter Moon 25 - Moon near Pleiades (early evening) 27 - Mars nearest to Earth at 19:02 UT (99.3 million km from Earth) 29 - Mars at opposition visible all night 30 - Full Moon (largest in 2010) - Moon at perigee (356593 km) Large Tides Date information courtesy of: RASC Observer's Handbook, Skymaps.com, Astronomical Calendar 2009, CalSky, Skymaps.com. sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier* This month on the tour we will be attempting several of the most difficult objects in the Catalog, a small faint planetary nebula, and a pair of face on spiral galaxies. Also featured this month is a small, but fairly bright galaxy and three open clusters. You will need binoculars and a telescope to fully enjoy the January tour. M33 - This is a very large (about the size of the full moon) face on spiral galaxy in the constellation Triangulum. The total light from M33 is about magnitude 5.3, but when spread out over its large area it yields a very low surface brightness. The best and easiest views of M33 can be found with a pair of binoculars. Look for a large, round hazy patch of light with little detail at first glance. M33 can be glimpsed with the naked eye in dark clear skies. Finding M33 in a telescope can be a challenge because of its size. Use the widest field eyepiece you have and look for a change in light level to identify the galaxy. M103 - This is a fairly small, sparse open cluster in Cassiopeia. Look for a tight group of stars in binoculars, being careful not to mistake it for several other clusters in the same area. Through a telescope the cluster is very sparse, four bright stars amidst the slight glow of much fainter companions. M52 - This rich open cluster in Cassiopeia is fairly easy to see in binoculars as a faint smudge of light. A small to mid telescope will begin to resolve this cluster. Look for a triangular patch of light with some stars clearly resolved, but most of the cluster members provide only a hint of graininess. M76 - Known as the little dumbbell, this planetary nebula in Perseus is one of the dimmest objects in the Catalog. Look for a small, faint, oblong patch of light. Not a very obvious object, if you don't see it at first try varying magnifications in an attempt to bring it out. Fortunately M76 is located near a bright star which aids in locating the correct field to search. M34 - This is a large and bright, but sparse open cluster located in Perseus. Visible as a faint patch of light to the naked eye, it is very obvious and easy to resolve in binoculars. In fact, binoculars provide a better view of this cluster than most telescopes. M74 - This galaxy in Pisces is a smaller and fainter version of M33, a face on spiral galaxy with low surface brightness. M74 is arguably the most difficult object to find in the Catalog. You will need very dark, clear skies to easily see it, anything less than perfect conditions will make M74 nearly impossible to find. Look for a very faint fuzzy star, which is the bright central condensation, surrounded by a very faint glow. Try all of your tricks on this one; star hop to the correct field, try varying magnification, tap the scope to detect the galaxy through its motion. If all of the above fail, try again another night or seek darker skies. M77 - This is a small faint galaxy in Cetus. Possible to see in binoculars, but very difficult, look for a faint fuzzy star. Through a telescope look for a fuzzy, oval shaped patch of light, bright in the center, fading towards the edges. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada From the Tony Cecce, Corning, NY - Twelve Month Tour of The Messier Catalog Bright(er) Comets for January 2010 C/2007 Q3 (Siding Spring): ~9 mag - in Pictor More comet information at Seiichi Yoshida's comet website. Also checkout Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hat or write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!   Music B.D. Lenz Quartet -"Lazy Bones"Greg Federico- "Beneath the Stars"Boom Boom Beckett- "In a Sentimental Mood"   Great Astronomy Activities! Citizen Sky For those in Northern Hemisphere, Capella, the "She Goat" in Aurigae, is circumpolar. At my 47 deg North, Capella disappears behind the tree line, and into the light polluted horizon, but she pops up in a few hours and is easy to find. Also easy to find are epsilon Aurigae (al Maaz the Billy Goat) and "The Kids" which make a small, long, triangle of stars just to the Southwest of Capella. For the next 21 months Epsilon Aurigae, usually the brightest of the trio, will start behaving quite differently than it has for the past 27 years. Epsilon Aurigae is a type of variable star called an eclipsing binary. Epsilon Aurigae and some unknown dark partner, rotate around a common center of mass and every 27 years that dark companion eclipses the giant F-type star. August marks the anticipated beginning for that eclipse which will last for 714 days, dimming from 3.0 mag to about half of its brightness. So why am I calling this a great astronomy activity? Epsilon Aurigae has some definite quirks and more eyes are needed to help scientist figure out what Epsilon Aurigae's invisible partner really is! We need help...WE NEED YOU!! Anyone can participate; we need people to observe epsilon Aurigae, folks to look at the data for quirks, patterns, or voids, artist to help present the data to the public, friends willing to get the word out to others! To find out more visit: The Citizen Sky Project AAVSO page on Epsilon Aurigae

Astronomy a Go Go! September Sky Tour This tool displays the approximate Moon phases for a given month(images are close approximations). For official phase times and dates for this month and past months are available from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map!Skymaps.com is our favorite monthly skymap provider. Download either the Northern hemisphere, Equatorial, or Southern Hemisphere sky map so you can follow along with our viewing sessions.Creator: Kym Thalassoudis   Southern Hemisphere Additional InformationAs Astronomy a Go Go! finds its home in the higher Northern latitudes those of you who live south of the equator will benefit from these two Southern Hemisphere sites: Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ site (absolutely outstanding) and Southern Sky Watch.   Great Astronomy Activities! Citizen Sky For those in Northern Hemisphere, Capella, the "She Goat" in Aurigae, is circumpolar. At my 47 deg North, Capella disappears behind the tree line, and into the light polluted horizon, but she pops up in a few hours and is easy to find. Also easy to find are epsilon Aurigae (al Maaz the Billy Goat) and "The Kids" which make a small, long, triangle of stars just to the Southwest of Capella. For the next 21 months Epsilon Aurigae, usually the brightest of the trio, will start behaving quite differently than it has for the past 27 years. Epsilon Aurigae is a type of variable star called an eclipsing binary. Epsilon Aurigae and some unknown dark partner, rotate around a common center of mass and every 27 years that dark companion eclipses the giant F-type star. August marks the anticipated beginning for that eclipse which will last for 714 days, dimming from 3.0 mag to about half of its brightness. So why am I calling this a great astronomy activity? Epsilon Aurigae has some definite quirks and more eyes are needed to help scientist figure out what Epsilon Aurigae's invisible partner really is! We need help...WE NEED YOU!! Anyone can participate; we need people to observe epsilon Aurigae, folks to look at the data for quirks, patterns, or voids, artist to help present the data to the public, friends willing to get the word out to others! To find out more visit: The Citizen Sky Project AAVSO page on Epsilon Aurigae NASA's MicroObservatories Another fantastic project, that AAGG is supporting all through the month of September, it the "Capture the Colorful Cosmos" project using the NASA MicroObservatories. This project gives you the opportunity to direct a robotic telescope and then manipulate the resulting images! I had the opportunity to help school age kids, and some kid-like adults, through the project at the Tacoma Astronomical Society's annual Astronomy Fair in August and we had a wonderful time! They were using filter, shifting and stacking images, and turning out images like the pros! Capture the Colorful Cosmos NASA's Robotic Telescopes Sweet and innocent "A", and the postcard of M51 he created (Blasters of Death -- go figure), and his sister's Orion composite image (ahhhhhh!) LCROSS ImpactAstronomers, amateur and professional a like, who have access to dark skies and large aperture scopes are encouraged to participate in imaging and video taping the impact of the Centaur impactor and the LCROSS satellite with the Moon. The primary objective of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) is to confirm the presence or absence of water ice in the Moon's polar region. But the amazing bit will be the five body choreography between the Moon, the Centaur rocket/impactor, the Shepherding craft/research vessel/impactor, and LRO (who was launched with LCROSS) who will also observe the action, and YOU, on Earth! I mean... what other impactor mission has its own music video! More information can be found at the LCROSS Citizen Observing Campaign Site. Images courtesy of: New Mexico State Univ Planets for September 2009September Morning Planets(click images to enlarge)   Beginning of the month End of the month Mercury- Starts September headed for the Sun in the early evening sky, best observed by lower and southern latitudes. By the end of the month Mercury will join Venus, Mars, and Saturn in the morning sky. 0.5 mag (1st) to 5.5 mag (21st) Venus- Beautiful in the morning sky and is heading eastward towards Regulus. Venus will be half a degree north of Regulus on the 20th of the month as she heads back towards the Sun. She will pair up with Mercury and Saturn in the early October sky so make sure you spend some time pre-sunrise time around the 5th of October with Venus and Saturn making a Mercury breakfast sandwich! -3.8 mag (1st) to -3.8 mag (21st) Mars- Spends the month in Gemini so you'll need to get up early for this one too! 1.00 (1st) to 0.9 mag (21st) Jupiter- AAGG missed Jupiter's vanishing moons due to bad weather but John Chumack, of The Chumack Observatories, captured the event and has a movie posted at his site! -2.8 mag (1st) to -2.7 mag (21st) Saturn- In conjunction with the Sun on the 17th, moving into the morning sky. Look for the return of Saturn in October. 1.1 mag (1st) to 1.1 mag (21st) Uranus- At opposition in Pisces on the 17th. 5.7 mag (1st) to 5.7 mag (21st) Neptune- In Capricorn 7.8 mag (1st) to 7.8 mag (21st) Ceresand Eta - Finder chart from the New Zealand RAS (RASNZ) great charts! Northern Hemisphere observers this time you get to flip the chart or stand on your head! Vesta chart temporarily missing...use this one until site is corrected Key Dates for September 2009 Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 10 pm for Northern Hemisphere and 8pm for the Southern Hemisphere. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights - September 2009 1 - Venus 1.2 deg SSW of Beehive cluster (M44) early morning sky 2 - Moon near Jupiter in the evening sky 2-3 - Jupiter's moons line up in front of and behind Jupiter such that Jupiter has no moons. See www.spaceweather.com for more details 4 - Full Moon 16:03 UT - Saturn's rings edge on as seen from Earth 6 - Mercury stationary beginning retrograde motion 9 - September Perseids 10 - Moon near Pleiades in the morning sky 9-16 - Astronomy A Go Go! at the Afterschool Universe training, the AANC Annual Meeting, and the ASP conference in San Francisco! 12 - Last Quarter Moon 13 - Moon very near Mars in the morning sky possible occultation check the IOTA website for more information 15 - Moon near Beehive cluster (m44) in the morning sky 16 - Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) 364,053km) - Zodiacal Lights vis in N latitudes before sunrise in the East next two weeks (example image, the reflection of sunlight off interplanetary dust in the plane of the ecliptic) 17 - Moon near Regulus - Saturn in conjunction with the Sun moving into the morning sky - Uranus at opposition 18 - New Moon at 18:44 UT 20 - Mercury at inferior conjunction with the Sun as it moves into the morning sky - Venus 1/2 degree NNE from Regulus - Moon near Spica 22 - September equinox 21:22 UT Point in the year where the Sun passes along the ecliptic into the Southern Hemisphere 24 - Moon near Antares in the evening sky possible occultation check the IOTA website for more information 26 - First Quarter Moon 28 - Moon at apogee (furtherest from the Earth) 404,432 29 - Moon near Jupiter in the evening sky October 4 - Full Moon 16 - In the pre-dawn sky; Arcturus is to the north, the crescent Moon to the south, and stacked in between, from the horizon, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn. Date information courtesy of: RASC Observer's Handbook, Skymaps.com, Astronomical Calendar 2009, CalSky, Skymaps.com. sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier* This month our monthly Messier hits some big easy targets, eight more globular clusters, all are possible in binoculars, and two of these are the finest globulars which can be seen from northern locations. Sagittarius is the home of many globular clusters which surround the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. Seven of the these globulars appear in the Messier catalog, we will be visiting five of them this month. When you complete the search for these objects be sure to spend some time scanning this region with binoculars or a telescope and see what other sights you can discover. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. M13 - The great globular cluster in Hercules is bright enough to be seen with naked eye and typically the first GC found by amateur astronomers in the NH. Binoculars easily show this cluster as a bright fuzzy ball. M13 is partially resolvable in small aperture telescopes and becomes a fantastic swarm of tightly packed individual stars through large scopes. M92 - Another globular cluster in Hercules, M92 is easy to find in binoculars appearing slightly dimmer and smaller than M13. As with M13 it is partially resolvable in small scopes and is a fine sight in large instruments. M14 - A small, bright globular cluster in Ophiuchus. It is a difficult binocular object, look for a small fuzzy patch of light. Through a telescope M14 is an even patch of light, the stars not resolvable except through large scopes. M22 - This is the other great globular in our tour this month. Located just above the teapot asterism in Sagittarius, M22 can be seen with no optical aid. M22 is easy to find in binoculars, and easy to resolve in telescopes, with about the same impressiveness as M13. M28 - Located near M22 in Sagittarius, this is a small bright globular. A tough binocular object, look for a small fuzzy patch. Easily seen in a telescope, but requires large aperture to resolve individual stars. M69, M70, M54 All of these are small bright globular clusters laying along the bottom of the teapot in Sagittarius. Very similar in appearance to M28, these are all tough binocular objects requiring dark skies and possibly averted vision to see. M54 is slightly brighter and appears more star like through binoculars than the other globulars. These are all easily seen in telescopes, though not easily resolvable. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada From the Tony Cecce, Corning, NY - Twelve Month Tour of The Messier Catalog Comets for September 2009 C/2006 W3 (Christensen): ~ 8.5 mag - in Aquila, evening (chart) More comet information at Seiichi Yoshida's comet website. Also checkout Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!   Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance Within You"Black Lab- "See the Sun" Anne Farnsworth- "Saturday Morning"   Earth's major motions for 2009 Perihelion Jan 4 15(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 11:44(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 21 05:45(UT) Aphelion July 4 02h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 21:18(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 17:47(UT) Planet Positions for 2009 2009 Jan Feb Mar Apr M ay Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Ca p Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Cnc Leo Jupiter Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Vir & nbsp; Interesting Planet Pairing for 2009 December 31, 2008 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. January 22nd - Venus and Uranus - After sunset 1.3 degrees apart a few days later on the 29th they are joined by a waxing crescent moon. February 23rd - Jupiter, Mars and Mercury - In the early morning sky just before sunrise the trio are in a space about 2 degrees wide. Binoculars will be helpful but beware the quickly rising Sun. The Moon, almost invisible, will be between Mars and the Sun. March 23rd - Mars, Moon, Neptune, and Jupiter - Makes a nice line-up in the morning sky with Neptune just off the tip of the waning crescent moon. April 21st - Venus, Mars, Uranus, waning crescent Moon, Neptune and Jupiter - all in the pre-dawn sky together. First the right triangle of Venus, Mars, and Uranus followed by the waning crescent Moon and then finally by Neptune and Jupiter. Mars will be a faint 1.41 mag so binoculars will be helpful. The next day, possible occultation of Venus by the Moon. Check the IOTA website for occultations in your area. May 25th - Jupiter and Neptune - Jupiter is less than 1/2 degree South of Neptune in the morning sky. If you have ever had problems finding Neptune this would be a good time to try, between now and June. June 19th - Venus and Mars - In the pre-dawn sky just south of a waning crescent Moon. Closer to the Sun is Mercury and the Pleiades. August 17th - Saturn and Mercury - Very close to the Sun low in the evening sky. Much better view for Southern viewers. September 3rd UT 4:43 - Jupiter hides its Galilean moons. Not until 2019 will all of Jupiter's Galilean moons orbit in such a way. September 4th - Saturn - Not exactly a pairing but the Earth will cross the plane of the rings from south to north making the rings invisible October 16th - Mercury, Venus, and Saturn - All lined up in the pre-dawn sky close to the horizon. A faint waning crescent is just south of the trio. December 24th - Jupiter and Neptune - Just after sunset Jupiter and Neptune sit side-by-side just north of delta Capricornus and east of the "42,44,45 Cap Wall" Phases of the Moon 2009 (click to enlarge) Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 4 11 56 JAN. 11 3 27 JAN. 18 2 46 JAN. 26 7 55 FEB. 2 23 13 FEB. 9 14 49 FEB. 16 21 37 FEB. 25 1 35 MAR. 4 7 46 MAR. 11 2 38 MAR. 18 17 47 MAR. 26 16 06 APR. 2 14 34 APR. 9 14 56 APR. 17 13 36 APR. 25 3 23 MAY 1 20 44 MAY 9 4 01 MAY 17 7 26 MAY 24 12 11 MAY 31 3 22 JUNE 7 18 12 JUNE 15 22 15 JUNE 22 19 35 JUNE 29 11 28 JULY 7 9 21 JULY 15 9 53 JULY 22 2 35 JULY 28 22 00 AUG. 6 0 55 AUG. 13 18 55 AUG. 20 10 02 AUG. 27 11 42 SEPT. 4 16 03 SEPT. 12 2 16 SEPT. 18 18 44 SEPT. 26 4 50 OCT. 4 6 10 OCT. 11 8 56 OCT. 18 5 33 OCT. 26 0 42 NOV. 2 19 14 NOV. 9 15 56 NOV. 16 19 14 NOV. 24 21 39 DEC. 2 7 30 DEC. 9 0 13 DEC. 16 12 02 DEC. 24 17 36 DEC. 31 19 13 Eclipses for 2009   2009 January 26[ Solar: Annular ] 2009 February 09[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 July 07[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 July 21-22[ Solar: Total ] 2009 August 05-06[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 December 31[ Lunar: Penumbral ]   January 26 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2009 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in western Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track that traverses the Indian Ocean and western Indonesia. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southern third of Africa, Madagascar, Australia except Tasmania, southeast India, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.   February 09 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The first lunar eclipse of 2009 is one of four such events during the year. The first three eclipses are penumbral while the last (on Dec. 31) is partial. The Feb 09 event is the deepest penumbral eclipse of the year with a penumbral magnitude of 0.899. It will be easily visible to the naked eye as a dusky shading in the northern half of the Moon. The times of the major phases are listed below. July 07 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): July's penumbral eclipse is only of academic interest since the magnitude is just 0.156. Although the Moon will be above the horizon from most of Canada, the eclipse is so minor as to be completely invisible to the naked eye. July 21-22 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): To make up for the anemic lunar eclipse earlier in the month, a major total eclipse of the Sun occurs two weeks later. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow extends across India, China, a handful of Japanese islands and the South Pacific Ocean (Espenak and Anderson, 2008). A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean. August 05-06 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): A shallow penumbral eclipse occurs 15 days after the total solar eclipse. Since its magnitude is only 0.402, it will not be visible to the naked eye. December 31 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2009 occurs on New Year's Eve. This minor partial lunar eclipse takes place in Gemini, and is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere (Figure 8). Greatest eclipse takes place at 19:23 UT when the eclipse magnitude will reach 0.0763. Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) 2009 Meteor Shower Calendar Shower Activity Period Maximum Radiant Velocity r ZHR Class Moon     Date S. L. R.A. Dec. km/s         Antihelion Source (ANT) Dec 14-Sep 07 - - - - 30 3.0 3 II - Quadrantids (QUA) Dec 26-Jan 13 Jan 03 283Â16 15:20 +49Â 42 2.1 120 I 6 Alpha Centaurids (ACE) Jan 28-Feb 21 Feb 07 319Â2 14:00 -59Â 56 2.0 5 II 12 Delta Leonids (DLE) Feb 15-Mar 10 Feb 25 336Â 11:12 +16Â 23 3.0 2 II 0 Gamma Normids (GNO) Feb 25-Mar 22 Mar 13 353Â 16:36 -51Â 56 2.4 4 II 16 Lyrids (LYR) Apr 16-Apr 27 Apr 23 033Â 18:12 +33Â 46 2.1 18 I 27 Pi Puppids (PPU) Apr 15-Apr 28 Apr 23 033Â5 07:20 -45Â 18 2.0 var III 27 Eta Aquarids (ETA) Apr 27-May 23 May 07 047Â 22:36 -01Â 68 2.4 60 I 12 Eta Lyrids (ELY) May 06-May 14 May 10 050Â 19:22 +43Â 43 3.0 3 II 15 June Bootids (JBO) Jun 22-Jul 02 Jun 27 095Â7 14:56 +48Â 18 2.2 var III 5 Piscis Austrinids (PAU) Jul 15-Aug 10 Jul 28 125Â 22:44 -30Â 35 3.2 5 II 7 Alpha Capricornids (CAP) Jul 12-Aug 08 Jul 28 125Â 20:20 -10Â 24 2.5 4 II 7 Delta Aquarids (SDA) Jul 21-Aug 30 Jul 30 127Â 22:42 -17Â 43 3.2 20 I 9 Perseids (PER) Jul 13-Aug 26 Aug 12 140Â 03:12 +58Â 59 2.6 100 I 20 Kappa Cygnids (KCG) Aug 03-Aug 25 Aug 17 145Â 19:04 +59Â 25 3.0 3 II 25 Alpha Aurigids (AUR) Aug 28-Sep 03 Sep 01 158Â6 06:06 +39Â 65 2.6 7 II 11 September Perseids (SPR) Sep 06-Sep 13 Sep 10 168Â 03:12 +40Â 65 2.9 5 II 19 Delta Aurigids (DAU) Sep 18-Oct 10 Sep 29 186Â 05:52 +49Â 64 2.9 2 II 13 Draconids (GIA) Oct 06-Oct 10 Oct 08 195Â4 17:28 +54Â 20 2.6 var III 18 Southern Taurids (STA) Sep 18-Nov 26 Oct 11 198Â 02:18 +09Â 29 2.3 5 II 21 Epsilon Geminids (EGE) Oct 18-Oct 21 Oct 20 207Â 06:48 +28Â 71 3.0 2 II 2 Orionids (ORI) Sep 28-Nov 10 Oct 21 208Â 06:22 +16Â 68 2.5 23 I 3 Leo Minorids (LMI) Oct 17-Oct 27 Oct 23 209Â 10:40 +37Â 61 2.7 2 II 4 Northern Taurids (NTA) Oct 20-Nov 29 Nov 13 231Â 03:52 +22Â 29 2.3 5 II 25 Leonids (LEO) Nov 07-Nov 28 Nov 18 236Â 10:16 +22Â 71 2.5 var III 1 Alpha Monocerotids (AMO) Nov 15-Nov 25 Nov 21 239Â32 07:48 +01Â 65 2.4 var III 4 Dec Phoenicids (PHO) Nov 28-Dec 09 Dec 06 254Â25 01:12 -53Â 18 2.8 var III 18 Puppid/Velids (PUP) Dec 01-Dec 15 Dec 07 255Â 08:12 -45Â 40 2.9 10 I 19 Monocerotids (MON) Dec 06-Dec 20 Dec 07 255Â 06:32 +09Â 41 3.0 2 II 10 Sigma Hydrids (HYD) Nov 22-Dec 23 Dec 09 257Â 08:24 +03Â 60 3.0 3 II 21 Geminids (GEM) Dec 05-Dec 19 Dec 14 262Â2 07:36 +32Â 35 2.6 120 I 26 Coma Berenicids (COM) Dec 10-Jan 25 Dec 19 268Â 11:40 +25Â 64 3.0 5 II 3 Ursids (URS) Dec 16-Dec 25 Dec 22 270Â7 14:34 +75Â 32 3.0 10 I 5 Information and Table Template Courtesy The American Meteor Society, International Meteor Organization, and Meteors Online. Explanation of the 2009 Meteor Shower Calendar Shower: named for the constellation or closest star within a constellation where the radiant is located at maximum activity. Activity Period: the dates when the ZHR (Zenith Hourly Rates) are equal to or greater than one. Maximum: the date on which the maximum activity is expected to occur. S.L.: the equivalent solar longitude of the date of maximum activity. Solar longitude is measured in degrees (0-359) with 0 occurring at the exact moment of the spring equinox, 90 at the summer solstice, 180 at the autumnal equinox, and 270 at the winter solstice. Radiant: the area in the sky where shower meteors seem to appear from. This position is given in right ascension (celestial longitude) and declination (celestial latitude). Velocity: the velocity at which shower meteors strike the Earth's atmosphere. The velocity depends on the angle meteoroids (meteors in space) intersect the Earth. Meteoroids orbiting in the opposite direction of the Earth and striking the atmosphere head-on are much faster than those orbiting in the same direction as the Earth. This velocity is measured in kilometers per second. r: The Population Index, An estimate of the ratio of the number of meteors in subsequent magnitude classes. Simply stated: the lower the "r" value, the resulting overall mean magnitude of each shower will be brighter. "r" usually ranges from 2.0 (bright) to 3.5 (faint). ZHR: Zenith Hourly Rate, the average maximum number of shower meteors visible per hour if the radiant is located exactly overhead and the limiting magnitude equals +6.5. Actual counts rarely reach this figure as the zenith angle of the radiant is usually less and the limiting magnitude is usually lower. ZHR is a useful tool when comparing the actual observed rates between individual observers as it sets observing conditions for all to the same standards. Class: A scale developed by Robert Lunsford to group meteor showers by their intensity: Class I: the strongest annual showers with ZHR's normally ten or better. Class II: reliable minor showers with ZHR's normally three or better. Class III: showers with widely variable rates. They may be strong one year and totally inactive the next. Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR's rarely exceeding three. The study of these showers is best left to experienced observers who use plotting and angular velocity estimates to determine shower association. Observers with less experience are urged to limit their shower associations to showers with a rating of I to III. These showers are also good targets for video and photographic work. Moon: the age of the moon in days where 0 is new, 7 is first quarter, 14 is full, and 21 is last quarter. Meteor activity is best seen in the absence of moonlight so showers reaching maximum activity when the moon is less than 10 days old or more than 25 are much more favorably observed than those situated closer to the full moon. Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2009" RASC

Astronomy a Go Go! July Sky Tour This tool displays the approximate Moon phases for a given month(images are close approximations). For official phase times and dates for this month and past months are available from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map!Skymaps.com is our favorite monthly skymap provider. Download either the Northern hemisphere, Equatorial, or Southern Hemisphere sky map so you can follow along with our viewing sessions.Creator: Kym Thalassoudis   Southern Hemisphere Additional InformationAs Astronomy a Go Go! finds its home in the higher Northern latitudes those of you who live south of the equator will benefit from these two Southern Hemisphere sites: Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ site (absolutely outstanding) and Southern Sky Watch.   Planets for July 2009   July Morning Planets(click images to enlarge)   Beginning of the month Pre-dawn, July 18th Mercury-in superior conjunction on the 14th. If you are on the path of the Total Solar Eclipse then look for Mercury 9 degrees NE of the Sun. At the end of the month, Southern viewers can catch Mercury in the early evening. -0.9 mag (1st) to -1.3 mag (21st) Venus- still fantastic in the morning pre-dawn sky. Since Venus is moving towards the North, as the Sun heads South, her placement it spectacular for N. Hemisphere viewers. On the 14th she will be just 3 degrees from Aldebaran and the Hyades -4.0 mag (1st) to -3.9 mag (21st) Mars- moves into Taurus on the 2nd. Mars, Venus, the waning crescent Moon, and the Hyades make a lovely cluster on the 18th. Compare Mars, and its color, to that of Aldebaran. 1.1 (1st) to 1.1 mag (21st) Jupiter- will be ~ .5 degree from Neptune on the 13th! Jupiter will be at opposition on August 14th. -2.7 mag (1st) to -2.7 mag (21st) Saturn- strangely faint low in the west after sunset! The combination of the rings near edge on and the receding gas giant decrease the apparent magnitude. 1.0 mag (1st) to 1.0 mag (21st) Uranus- In Aquarius 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9 mag (21st) Neptune- In Capricorn 8.0 mag (1st) to 7.9 mag (21st) Ceresand Eta - Finder chart from the New Zealand RAS (RASNZ) great charts! Northern Hemisphere observers this time you get to flip the chart or stand on your head! Vesta chart temporarily missing...use this one until site is corrected Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus Mid-month Key Dates for July 2009 Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 10 pm for Northern Hemisphere and 8pm for the Southern Hemisphere. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights - July 2009 3 - Venus 7 deg S of the Pleiades 4 - Earth at Aphelion (farthest from the Sun)(2:00 UT) Sun-Earth distance 1.01668 AU or 152.1 million km - Antares 0.5 deg S of Moon, check the IOTA website for occultations information for your area. - Beginning of intense International Space Station fly-by for N.America see Science@NASA and Heavens Above for more information and flyby times in your area. 6 - One month away from the beginning of the Epsilon Aurigae eclipse...see more below 7 - Full Moon (smallest in 2009) Penumbral Lunar eclipse (see links, below, in the annual section) The Moon just kisses the penumbral shadow, not a good naked eye candidate. - Moon at apogee (406232) 10 - Mars 5 deg S of Pleiades, Jupiter 4 deg S of the Moon 13 - Jupiter 0.6 deg S of Neptune 15 - Last Quarter Moon 16-19 - Astronomy a Go Go! at the TAS Summer Star Party! 21 - Moon at perigee (357463 km) Total Solar Eclipse (July 21-22)(see links, below, in the annual section) Large tides 22 - New Moon (2:35 UT) 24 - Astronomy A Go Go! and TAS at the Mt. Rainier Star Party! Paradise Visitor Center (Friday Night Only) 28 - First Quarter (22:00 UT) 29 - Peak of the S. delta Aquarid meteor shower 31 - Antares 0.5 deg S of Moon, check the IOTA website for occultations information for your area. Date information courtesy of: RASC Observer's Handbook, Skymaps.com, Astronomical Calendar 2009, CalSky, Skymaps.com. sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Great Amateur Activity For those in the high Northern Hemisphere, Capella, the "she goat" in Aurigae, is circumpolar. At my 47 deg North, Capella disappears behind the treeline, and into the light polluted horizon, but she pops up in a few hours and is easy to find. Also easy to find are "The Kids" the small, long, triangle of stars just to the Southwest of Capella. However, this summer one of those kids, Epsilon Aurigae, usually the brightest of the trio, will drop in brightness....for about two years. Epsilon Aurigae, or Almaaz, is an eclipsing binary and beginning in Aug it will be eclipsed by its invisible companion for 714 days! Brightest of the three "Kids" Epsilon Aurigae will dim from 3.0 mag to about half of its brightness, a little trick it performs every 27.1 years. Epsilon Aurigae has some definite quirks and more eyes are needed to help scientist figure out what Epsilon Aurigae's invisible partner really is! To find out more visit: AAVSO page on Epsilon Aurigae The Citizen Sky Project Monthly Messier*Not as many objects as wait for the summer Milkyway to rise into better view later this summer, but much of what there is to see can be accomplished with binoculars. (This is, in fact, my favorite time of the year for bino viewing.) Our quarry will consist of six globular clusters and one very bright galaxy. Small scope and bino heaven. M3 This globular cluster in Canes Venatici is one of the brightest objects in the sky. In binoculars this object is definitely not star like, but more of a bright, small snowball easy to see. Small telescopes will begin to resolve M3 into individual stars. The hardest part of this object is locating it in a portion of sky that contains few bright landmarks. M53 Another globular cluster in Canes Venatici. While not quite as big or bright as M3 it is still an obvious binocular object. Resolvable in small telescopes, it as easy object to find sharing the same low power telescope field as fifth magnitude Alpha Coma Berenices. M5 A big, bright globular cluster located in Serpens Caput. M5 is as nice as M3 but lies near a fifth magnitude naked eye star (5 Serpentis) making it an easy object to find. M68 An eighth magnitude globular cluster in Hydra, M68 is a difficult binocular object for Northern observers. It appears as a faint fuzz spot in binoculars, you may need to use averted vision or large binoculars to find this one. Appearing as a round fuzzy patch in a 8" telescope, you will need a much larger aperature to really resolve it. M83 A face on spiral in Hydra. M83 is fairly easy in binoculars as a faint, fuzzy patch of light. In a telescope look for a large patch of light with a bright center. M4 A big bright globular in Scorpius, easily located near Antares. This is an easy binocular object appearing as a round snowball. Partially resolvable in a telescope, the trade mark of this globular is a line of bright stars crossing the center. M80 This is the smallest and faintest globular cluster this month. Located in Scopius, M80 is a very tough binocular object appearing as a faint star with slight fuzziness around the edges. This is confirmed with a telescope, M80 has a bright central condensation in the middle of faint fuzz. It is one of the Messier objects that even through a medium telescope still looks like a comet. From the Tony Cecce, Corning, NY - Twelve Month Tour of The Messier Catalog Comets for July 2009 C/2008Q3/Garradd: ~ 8.5 mag - near Corvus, evening (chart) C/2009 G1 (STEREO) ~8.5 mag moving from Aquarius to Phoenix C/2006 W3 ( Christensen ): ~9 mag between Pegasus and Cygnus, pre-dawn (chart) More comet information at Seiichi Yoshida's comet website. Also checkout Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!   Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance Within You"Black Lab- "See the Sun" Anne Farnsworth- "Saturday Morning"   Earth's major motions for 2009 Perihelion Jan 4 15(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 11:44(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 21 05:45(UT) Aphelion July 4 02h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 21:18(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 17:47(UT) Planet Positions for 2009 2009 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap A qr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Cnc Leo Jupiter Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Ca p Cap Cap Cap Cap Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Le o Leo Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Vir   Interesting Planet Pairing for 2009 December 31, 2008 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. January 22nd - Venus and Uranus - After sunset 1.3 degrees apart a few days later on the 29th they are joined by a waxing crescent moon. February 23rd - Jupiter, Mars and Mercury - In the early morning sky just before sunrise the trio are in a space about 2 degrees wide. Binoculars will be helpful but beware the quickly rising Sun. The Moon, almost invisible, will be between Mars and the Sun. March 23rd - Mars, Moon, Neptune, and Jupiter - Makes a nice line-up in the morning sky with Neptune just off the tip of the waning crescent moon. April 21st - Venus, Mars, Uranus, waning crescent Moon, Neptune and Jupiter - all in the pre-dawn sky together. First the right triangle of Venus, Mars, and Uranus followed by the waning crescent Moon and then finally by Neptune and Jupiter. Mars will be a faint 1.41 mag so binoculars will be helpful. The next day, possible occultation of Venus by the Moon. Check the IOTA website for occultations in your area. May 25th - Jupiter and Neptune - Jupiter is less than 1/2 degree South of Neptune in the morning sky. If you have ever had problems finding Neptune this would be a good time to try, between now and June. June 19th - Venus and Mars - In the pre-dawn sky just south of a waning crescent Moon. Closer to the Sun is Mercury and the Pleiades. August 17th - Saturn and Mercury - Very close to the Sun low in the evening sky. Much better view for Southern viewers. September 3rd UT 4:43 - Jupiter hides its Galilean moons. Not until 2019 will all of Jupiter's Galilean moons orbit in such a way. September 4th - Saturn - Not exactly a pairing but the Earth will cross the plane of the rings from south to north making the rings invisible October 16th - Mercury, Venus, and Saturn - All lined up in the pre-dawn sky close to the horizon. A faint waning crescent is just south of the trio. December 24th - Jupiter and Neptune - Just after sunset Jupiter and Neptune sit side-by-side just north of delta Capricornus and east of the "42,44,45 Cap Wall" Phases of the Moon 2009 (click to enlarge) Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 4 11 56 JAN. 11 3 27 JAN. 18 2 46JAN. 26 7 55 FEB. 2 23 13 FEB. 9 14 49 FEB. 16 21 37FEB. 25 1 35 MAR. 4 7 46 MAR. 11 2 38 MAR. 18 17 47 MAR. 26 16 06 APR. 2 14 34 APR. 9 14 56 APR. 17 13 36 APR. 25 3 23 MAY 1 20 44 MAY 9 4 01 MAY 17 7 26MAY 24 12 11 MAY 31 3 22 JUNE 7 18 12 JUNE 15 22 15JUNE 22 19 35 JUNE 29 11 28 JULY 7 9 21 JULY 15 9 53 JULY 22 2 35 JULY 28 22 00 AUG. 6 0 55 AUG. 13 18 55 AUG. 20 10 02 AUG. 27 11 42 SEPT. 4 16 03 SEPT. 12 2 16SEPT. 18 18 44 SEPT. 26 4 50 OCT. 4 6 10 OCT. 11 8 56 OCT. 18 5 33 OCT. 26 0 42 NOV. 2 19 14 NOV. 9 15 56 NOV. 16 19 14 NOV. 24 21 39 DEC. 2 7 30 DEC. 9 0 13 DEC. 16 12 02 DEC. 24 17 36 DEC. 31 19 13 Eclipses for 2009   2009 January 26[ Solar: Annular ] 2009 February 09[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 July 07[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 July 21-22[ Solar: Total ] 2009 August 05-06[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 December 31[ Lunar: Penumbral ]   January 26 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2009 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in western Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track that traverses the Indian Ocean and western Indonesia. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southern third of Africa, Madagascar, Australia except Tasmania, southeast India, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.   February 09 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The first lunar eclipse of 2009 is one of four such events during the year. The first three eclipses are penumbral while the last (on Dec. 31) is partial. The Feb 09 event is the deepest penumbral eclipse of the year with a penumbral magnitude of 0.899. It will be easily visible to the naked eye as a dusky shading in the northern half of the Moon. The times of the major phases are listed below. July 07 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): July's penumbral eclipse is only of academic interest since the magnitude is just 0.156. Although the Moon will be above the horizon from most of Canada, the eclipse is so minor as to be completely invisible to the naked eye. July 21-22 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): To make up for the anemic lunar eclipse earlier in the month, a major total eclipse of the Sun occurs two weeks later. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow extends across India, China, a handful of Japanese islands and the South Pacific Ocean (Espenak and Anderson, 2008). A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean. August 05-06 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): A shallow penumbral eclipse occurs 15 days after the total solar eclipse. Since its magnitude is only 0.402, it will not be visible to the naked eye. December 31 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2009 occurs on New Year's Eve. This minor partial lunar eclipse takes place in Gemini, and is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere (Figure 8). Greatest eclipse takes place at 19:23 UT when the eclipse magnitude will reach 0.0763. Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) 2009 Meteor Shower Calendar Shower Activity Period Maximum Radiant Velocity r ZHR Class Moon     Date S. L. R.A. Dec. km/s         Antihelion Source (ANT) Dec 14-Sep 07 - - - - 30 3.0 3 II - Quadrantids (QUA) Dec 26-Jan 13 Jan 03 283Â16 15:20 +49Â 42 2.1 120 I 6 Alpha Centaurids (ACE) Jan 28-Feb 21 Feb 07 319Â2 14:00 -59Â 56 2.0 5 II 12 Delta Leonids (DLE) Feb 15-Mar 10 Feb 25 336Â 11:12 +16Â 23 3.0 2 II 0 Gamma Normids (GNO) Feb 25-Mar 22 Mar 13 353Â 16:36 -51Â 56 2.4 4 II 16 Lyrids (LYR) Apr 16-Apr 27 Apr 23 033Â 18:12 +33Â 46 2.1 18 I 27 Pi Puppids (PPU) Apr 15-Apr 28 Apr 23 033Â5 07:20 -45Â 18 2.0 var III 27 Eta Aquarids (ETA) Apr 27-May 23 May 07 047Â 22:36 -01Â 68 2.4 60 I 12 Eta Lyrids (ELY) May 06-May 14 May 10 050Â 19:22 +43Â 43 3.0 3 II 15 June Bootids (JBO) Jun 22-Jul 02 Jun 27 095Â7 14:56 +48Â 18 2.2 var III 5 Piscis Austrinids (PAU) Jul 15-Aug 10 Jul 28 125Â 22:44 -30Â 35 3.2 5 II 7 Alpha Capricornids (CAP) Jul 12-Aug 08 Jul 28 125Â 20:20 -10Â 24 2.5 4 II 7 Delta Aquarids (SDA) Jul 21-Aug 30 Jul 30 127Â 22:42 -17Â 43 3.2 20 I 9 Perseids (PER) Jul 13-Aug 26 Aug 12 140Â 03:12 +58Â 59 2.6 100 I 20 Kappa Cygnids (KCG) Aug 03-Aug 25 Aug 17 145Â 19:04 +59Â 25 3.0 3 II 25 Alpha Aurigids (AUR) Aug 28-Sep 03 Sep 01 158Â6 06:06 +39Â 65 2.6 7 II 11 September Perseids (SPR) Sep 06-Sep 13 Sep 10 168Â 03:12 +40Â 65 2.9 5 II 19 Delta Aurigids (DAU) Sep 18-Oct 10 Sep 29 186Â 05:52 +49Â 64 2.9 2 II 13 Draconids (GIA) Oct 06-Oct 10 Oct 08 195Â4 17:28 +54Â 20 2.6 var III 18 Southern Taurids (STA) Sep 18-Nov 26 Oct 11 198Â 02:18 +09Â 29 2.3 5 II 21 Epsilon Geminids (EGE) Oct 18-Oct 21 Oct 20 207Â 06:48 +28Â 71 3.0 2 II 2 Orionids (ORI) Sep 28-Nov 10 Oct 21 208Â 06:22 +16Â 68 2.5 23 I 3 Leo Minorids (LMI) Oct 17-Oct 27 Oct 23 209Â 10:40 +37Â 61 2.7 2 II 4 Northern Taurids (NTA) Oct 20-Nov 29 Nov 13 231Â 03:52 +22Â 29 2.3 5 II 25 Leonids (LEO) Nov 07-Nov 28 Nov 18 236Â 10:16 +22Â 71 2.5 var III 1 Alpha Monocerotids (AMO) Nov 15-Nov 25 Nov 21 239Â32 07:48 +01Â 65 2.4 var III 4 Dec Phoenicids (PHO) Nov 28-Dec 09 Dec 06 254Â25 01:12 -53Â 18 2.8 var III 18 Puppid/Velids (PUP) Dec 01-Dec 15 Dec 07 255Â 08:12 -45Â 40 2.9 10 I 19 Monocerotids (MON) Dec 06-Dec 20 Dec 07 255Â 06:32 +09Â 41 3.0 2 II 10 Sigma Hydrids (HYD) Nov 22-Dec 23 Dec 09 257Â 08:24 +03Â 60 3.0 3 II 21 Geminids (GEM) Dec 05-Dec 19 Dec 14 262Â2 07:36 +32Â 35 2.6 120 I 26 Coma Berenicids (COM) Dec 10-Jan 25 Dec 19 268Â 11:40 +25Â 64 3.0 5 II 3 Ursids (URS) Dec 16-Dec 25 Dec 22 270Â7 14:34 +75Â 32 3.0 10 I 5 Information and Table Template Courtesy The American Meteor Society, International Meteor Organization, and Meteors Online. Explanation of the 2009 Meteor Shower Calendar Shower: named for the constellation or closest star within a constellation where the radiant is located at maximum activity. Activity Period: the dates when the ZHR (Zenith Hourly Rates) are equal to or greater than one. Maximum: the date on which the maximum activity is expected to occur. S.L.: the equivalent solar longitude of the date of maximum activity. Solar longitude is measured in degrees (0-359) with 0 occurring at the exact moment of the spring equinox, 90 at the summer solstice, 180 at the autumnal equinox, and 270 at the winter solstice. Radiant: the area in the sky where shower meteors seem to appear from. This position is given in right ascension (celestial longitude) and declination (celestial latitude). Velocity: the velocity at which shower meteors strike the Earth's atmosphere. The velocity depends on the angle meteoroids (meteors in space) intersect the Earth. Meteoroids orbiting in the opposite direction of the Earth and striking the atmosphere head-on are much faster than those orbiting in the same direction as the Earth. This velocity is measured in kilometers per second. r: The Population Index, An estimate of the ratio of the number of meteors in subsequent magnitude classes. Simply stated: the lower the "r" value, the resulting overall mean magnitude of each shower will be brighter. "r" usually ranges from 2.0 (bright) to 3.5 (faint). ZHR: Zenith Hourly Rate, the average maximum number of shower meteors visible per hour if the radiant is located exactly overhead and the limiting magnitude equals +6.5. Actual counts rarely reach this figure as the zenith angle of the radiant is usually less and the limiting magnitude is usually lower. ZHR is a useful tool when comparing the actual observed rates between individual observers as it sets observing conditions for all to the same standards. Class: A scale developed by Robert Lunsford to group meteor showers by their intensity: Class I: the strongest annual showers with ZHR's normally ten or better. Class II: reliable minor showers with ZHR's normally three or better. Class III: showers with widely variable rates. They may be strong one year and totally inactive the next. Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR's rarely exceeding three. The study of these showers is best left to experienced observers who use plotting and angular velocity estimates to determine shower association. Observers with less experience are urged to limit their shower associations to showers with a rating of I to III. These showers are also good targets for video and photographic work. Moon: the age of the moon in days where 0 is new, 7 is first quarter, 14 is full, and 21 is last quarter. Meteor activity is best seen in the absence of moonlight so showers reaching maximum activity when the moon is less than 10 days old or more than 25 are much more favorably observed than those situated closer to the full moon. Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2009" RASC

Astronomy a Go Go! May Sky Tour This tool displays the approximate Moon phases for a given month(images are close approximations). For official phase times and dates for this month and past months are available from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map!Skymaps.com is our favorite monthly skymap provider. Download either the Northern hemisphere sky map or theSouthern hemisphere sky map so you can follow along with our viewing sessions.Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional InformationAs Astronomy a Go Go! finds its home in the higher Northern latitudes those of you who live south of the equator will benefit from these two Southern Hemisphere sites: Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ site (absolutely outstanding) and Southern Sky Watch.   Planets for May 2009 April will be a morning viewing month for planets with a lovely lunar meet and greet with Jupiter and Mars and an occultation of Venus. Saturn is available for evening viewers! May Morning Planets(click images to enlarge)   Beginning of the month End of the month Mercury- Quickly receding back towards the Sun and will be in inferior conjunction on May 18th moving into the early morning sky along with Venus, Mars and Jupiter 1.0 mag (1st) to 5.6 mag (21st) Venus- The brightest object low in the morning sky as she moves towards greatest western elongation in June -4.7 mag (1st) to -4.4 mag (21st) Mars- Plays little game of tag with Venus within Pisces this month, Venus trail about 6 degrees behind Mars. 1.2 (1st) to 1.2 mag (21st) Jupiter- Beautiful close to the meridian in the morning sky, rising at midnight for southern observers this month, in June for northern observers. (unless you are in Seattle and we have our perpetual planet zapping cloud banks) -2.2 mag (1st) to -2.2 mag (21st) Saturn- In eastern Leo Saturn's were rings were seemingly flat at the end of April and beginning of May. The rings will open to 4.2 degrees by the 15th, the widest they will be until late November. Saturn begins the month in retrograde motion, becoming stationary on the 17th before resuming eastward motion 0.7 mag (1st) to 0.8 mag (21st) Uranus- In Aquarius 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9 mag (21st) Neptune- In Capricorn 8.0 mag (1st) to 7.9 mag (21st) Ceresand Eta - Finder chart from the New Zealand RAS (RASNZ) great charts! Northern Hemisphere observers this time you get to flip the chart or stand on your head! Vesta chart temporarily missing...use this one until site is corrected Key Dates for May 2009 Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 10 pm for Northern Hemisphere and 8pm for the Southern Hemisphere. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights - May 2009 1-3 - AAGG will be judging the Astronomy section of the Cascade Challenge!! Go Girl Scouts! 1 - First Quarter Moon (4 UT) 6 - Peak of the Eta Aquarid Meteor shower, debris left behind from Halley's Comet 9 - Full Moon (4:01 UT) 10 - Moon near Antares (21h UT) Occultation visible from SE Europe, NE Africa and S.Asia, check the IOTA website for occultation information for your area. 14 - Moon at apogee (404,915 km) 15 - Shadow transit of Titan on Saturn 5:30-10:35 UT You will need a 8" or better aperture 17 - Last Quarter Moon (7:26 UT) 18 - Mercury at inferior conjunction with the Sun passing into the morning sky to join Venus, Mars and Jupiter 21 - Venus 7 deg S of Moon 21 - Mars 7 deg S of Moon 24 - New Moon (12:11 UT) 25 - Jupiter 0.4 deg S of Neptune 26 - Moon at perigee (361,153 km) 27 - Jupiter 0.39 deg SSE of Neptune at 10 UT mag -2.4 and +7.19 31 - First Quarter Moon 3:22 UT Date information courtesy of: RASC Observer's Handbook, Skymaps.com, Astronomical Calendar 2009, CalSky, Skymaps.com. sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night More sites to help with Virgo huntingStart by listening to show 39 from 2007, I take you through one path of 49 galaxies step by step...with pictures too!Helpful free maps 7 and 7aAlan M. MacRobert's "Mastering the Virgo Cluster" Sky and Telescope, May 1994 pg 42-This is the one I carry in my notebook because I love the route and the map.Tom Trusock's Cloudy Nights ArticleSteve Gottlieb's Virgo Mainline ArticleA great set of hopping lists from SEDS Galaxy hopping in LeoAlan MacRobert's Leo hopping article in Sky and Telescope Monthly Messier*This month we continue our tour of our nearby neighbors outside the Milky May galaxy. Our observing will take in 10 more galaxies. Be ready to look for very faint and small objects. Most are possible to see in binoculars, but you will need a telescope and dark skies to really enjoy the sights. This is the final warm up to prepare us for next month's challenge, navigating the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. When you are done with these objects and give yourself a treat, skip ahead to the summer globular clusters of M3 or M13. While they are not an official part of this month's tour they should never be missed whenever they are available. Besides these bright and spectacular objects are a treat to tired eyes after a night of galaxy hunting. Be careful, these are so bright after the other objects that you might want to wear shades. M51 The famous Whirlpool galaxy in Canes Venatici is a bright face on spiral with a smaller elliptical companion, NGC 5195. Look for a pair of fuzzy patches of light. The slightly larger and brighter one is M51. Make sure to spend some time here as there is almost always some spiral structure to be seen, on good nights the detail possible is unbelievable. This is a difficult but very possible object in binoculars appearing as a hazy patch of light. M63 Another spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici smaller and fainter than M51, but seen more edge on so the galaxy appears as an elongated patch of light with a bright star at one end. Further inspection will show a faint halo around this patch. A difficult object in binoculars. M94 Just past M63 is another galaxy in Canes Vanitici. Look for a bright fuzzy star to find the core of M94, surrounded by a faint haze. A tough binocular object. M101 I consider this face on spiral galaxy in Ursa Major one of the most difficult Messier objects to find in a telescope. This is a large faint patch of light almost as big as the full moon. There are no real condensations so use low power and look for a brighter part of the sky, more of a change in contrast than an object at first glance, which is the galaxy. Dark skies really help in the search of this one and are a to find M101 in binoculars. M102 Not an official Messier object in most references, we will look for the galaxy NGC 5866 which is a somewhat standard insertion. Look for a small, faint patch light that looks like a short fuzzy line. M64 In a telescope this galaxy in Coma Berenices is a fairly bright, slightly oval shaped patch of light. Look for the dark lane which gives this galaxy the common name Black Eye. The galaxy appears as a faint fuzzy patch in binoculars. M85 This elliptical galaxy lies in Coma Berenices just north of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. This appears as a bright, but small, patch of light with a bright stellar core. M49 This is an elliptical galaxy in Virgo just south of the main cluster of galaxies. M49 is round patch of light with bright center gradually fading to a round halo. M49 looks like a faint fuzzy star in binoculars. M61 This is a face on spiral galaxy just south of M49 in Virgo, but much fainter. Look for a faint, round fuzzy patch of light. M104 This is the well known Sombrero galaxy in Virgo. It is bright edge on spiral galaxy which looks like a bright, elongated streak. It is very possible to see in binoculars. From the Tony Cecce, Corning, NY - Twelve Month Tour of The Messier Catalog Comets for May 2009 C/2008Q3/Garradd: ~ 8.5 mag - in Pavo, evening (chart) C/2009 F6/(Yi-Swan): ~ 9.2 mag in Perseus evening (chart) C/2006 W3 ( Christensen ): ~9 mag in Pegasus, pre-dawn (chart) More comet information at Seiichi Yoshida's comet website. Also checkout Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!   Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance Within You"Angelique Kidjo- "Salala" Antonin Bastian- "Tu Cha Cha Cha"   Earth's major motions for 2009 Perihelion Jan 4 15(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 11:44(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 21 05:45(UT) Aphelion July 4 02h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 21:18(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 17:47(UT) Planet Positions for 2009 2009 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Sg r Cap Aqr Psc Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Cnc Le o Jupiter Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap C ap Cap Cap Cap Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo L eo Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Vir   Interes ting Planet Pairing for 2009 December 31, 2008 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. January 22nd - Venus and Uranus - After sunset 1.3 degrees apart a few days later on the 29th they are joined by a waxing crescent moon. February 23rd - Jupiter, Mars and Mercury - In the early morning sky just before sunrise the trio are in a space about 2 degrees wide. Binoculars will be helpful but beware the quickly rising Sun. The Moon, almost invisible, will be between Mars and the Sun. March 23rd - Mars, Moon, Neptune, and Jupiter - Makes a nice line-up in the morning sky with Neptune just off the tip of the waning crescent moon. April 21st - Venus, Mars, Uranus, waning crescent Moon, Neptune and Jupiter - all in the pre-dawn sky together. First the right triangle of Venus, Mars, and Uranus followed by the waning crescent Moon and then finally by Neptune and Jupiter. Mars will be a faint 1.41 mag so binoculars will be helpful. The next day, possible occultation of Venus by the Moon. Check the IOTA website for occultations in your area. May 25th - Jupiter and Neptune - Jupiter is less than 1/2 degree South of Neptune in the morning sky. If you have ever had problems finding Neptune this would be a good time to try, between now and June. June 19th - Venus and Mars - In the pre-dawn sky just south of a waning crescent Moon. Closer to the Sun is Mercury and the Pleiades. August 17th - Saturn and Mercury - Very close to the Sun low in the evening sky. Much better view for Southern viewers. September 3rd UT 4:43 - Jupiter hides its Galilean moons. Not until 2019 will all of Jupiter's Galilean moons orbit in such a way. September 4th - Saturn - Not exactly a pairing but the Earth will cross the plane of the rings from south to north making the rings invisible October 16th - Mercury, Venus, and Saturn - All lined up in the pre-dawn sky close to the horizon. A faint waning crescent is just south of the trio. December 24th - Jupiter and Neptune - Just after sunset Jupiter and Neptune sit side-by-side just north of delta Capricornus and east of the "42,44,45 Cap Wall" Phases of the Moon 2009 (click to enlarge) Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 4 11 56 JAN. 11 3 27 JAN. 18 2 46 JAN. 26 7 55 FEB. 2 23 13 FEB. 9 14 49 FEB. 16 21 37 FEB. 25 1 35 MAR. 4 7 46 MAR. 11 2 38 MAR. 18 17 47 MAR. 26 16 06 APR. 2 14 34 APR. 9 14 56 APR. 17 13 36 APR. 25 3 23 MAY 1 20 44 MAY 9 4 01 MAY 17 7 26 MAY 24 12 11 MAY 31 3 22 JUNE 7 18 12 JUNE 15 22 15 JUNE 22 19 35 JUNE 29 11 28 JULY 7 9 21 JULY 15 9 53 JULY 22 2 35 JULY 28 22 00 AUG. 6 0 55 AUG. 13 18 55 AUG. 20 10 02 AUG. 27 11 42 SEPT. 4 16 03 SEPT. 12 2 16 SEPT. 18 18 44 SEPT. 26 4 50 OCT. 4 6 10 OCT. 11 8 56 OCT. 18 5 33 OCT. 26 0 42 NOV. 2 19 14 NOV. 9 15 56 NOV. 16 19 14 NOV. 24 21 39 DEC. 2 7 30 DEC. 9 0 13 DEC. 16 12 02 DEC. 24 17 36 DEC. 31 19 13 Eclipses for 2009   2009 January 26[ Solar: Annular ] 2009 February 09[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 July 07[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 July 21-22[ Solar: Total ] 2009 August 05-06[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 December 31[ Lunar: Penumbral ]   January 26 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2009 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in western Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track that traverses the Indian Ocean and western Indonesia. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southern third of Africa, Madagascar, Australia except Tasmania, southeast India, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.   February 09 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The first lunar eclipse of 2009 is one of four such events during the year. The first three eclipses are penumbral while the last (on Dec. 31) is partial. The Feb 09 event is the deepest penumbral eclipse of the year with a penumbral magnitude of 0.899. It will be easily visible to the naked eye as a dusky shading in the northern half of the Moon. The times of the major phases are listed below. July 07 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): July's penumbral eclipse is only of academic interest since the magnitude is just 0.156. Although the Moon will be above the horizon from most of Canada, the eclipse is so minor as to be completely invisible to the naked eye. July 21-22 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): To make up for the anemic lunar eclipse earlier in the month, a major total eclipse of the Sun occurs two weeks later. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow extends across India, China, a handful of Japanese islands and the South Pacific Ocean (Espenak and Anderson, 2008). A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean. August 05-06 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): A shallow penumbral eclipse occurs 15 days after the total solar eclipse. Since its magnitude is only 0.402, it will not be visible to the naked eye. December 31 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2009 occurs on New Year's Eve. This minor partial lunar eclipse takes place in Gemini, and is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere (Figure 8). Greatest eclipse takes place at 19:23 UT when the eclipse magnitude will reach 0.0763. Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) 2009 Meteor Shower Calendar Shower Activity Period Maximum Radiant Velocity r ZHR Class Moon     Date S. L. R.A. Dec. km/s         Antihelion Source (ANT) Dec 14-Sep 07 - - - - 30 3.0 3 II - Quadrantids (QUA) Dec 26-Jan 13 Jan 03 283Â16 15:20 +49Â 42 2.1 120 I 6 Alpha Centaurids (ACE) Jan 28-Feb 21 Feb 07 319Â2 14:00 -59Â 56 2.0 5 II 12 Delta Leonids (DLE) Feb 15-Mar 10 Feb 25 336Â 11:12 +16Â 23 3.0 2 II 0 Gamma Normids (GNO) Feb 25-Mar 22 Mar 13 353Â 16:36 -51Â 56 2.4 4 II 16 Lyrids (LYR) Apr 16-Apr 27 Apr 23 033Â 18:12 +33Â 46 2.1 18 I 27 Pi Puppids (PPU) Apr 15-Apr 28 Apr 23 033Â5 07:20 -45Â 18 2.0 var III 27 Eta Aquarids (ETA) Apr 27-May 23 May 07 047Â 22:36 -01Â 68 2.4 60 I 12 Eta Lyrids (ELY) May 06-May 14 May 10 050Â 19:22 +43Â 43 3.0 3 II 15 June Bootids (JBO) Jun 22-Jul 02 Jun 27 095Â7 14:56 +48Â 18 2.2 var III 5 Piscis Austrinids (PAU) Jul 15-Aug 10 Jul 28 125Â 22:44 -30Â 35 3.2 5 II 7 Alpha Capricornids (CAP) Jul 12-Aug 08 Jul 28 125Â 20:20 -10Â 24 2.5 4 II 7 Delta Aquarids (SDA) Jul 21-Aug 30 Jul 30 127Â 22:42 -17Â 43 3.2 20 I 9 Perseids (PER) Jul 13-Aug 26 Aug 12 140Â 03:12 +58Â 59 2.6 100 I 20 Kappa Cygnids (KCG) Aug 03-Aug 25 Aug 17 145Â 19:04 +59Â 25 3.0 3 II 25 Alpha Aurigids (AUR) Aug 28-Sep 03 Sep 01 158Â6 06:06 +39Â 65 2.6 7 II 11 September Perseids (SPR) Sep 06-Sep 13 Sep 10 168Â 03:12 +40Â 65 2.9 5 II 19 Delta Aurigids (DAU) Sep 18-Oct 10 Sep 29 186Â 05:52 +49Â 64 2.9 2 II 13 Draconids (GIA) Oct 06-Oct 10 Oct 08 195Â4 17:28 +54Â 20 2.6 var III 18 Southern Taurids (STA) Sep 18-Nov 26 Oct 11 198Â 02:18 +09Â 29 2.3 5 II 21 Epsilon Geminids (EGE) Oct 18-Oct 21 Oct 20 207Â 06:48 +28Â 71 3.0 2 II 2 Orionids (ORI) Sep 28-Nov 10 Oct 21 208Â 06:22 +16Â 68 2.5 23 I 3 Leo Minorids (LMI) Oct 17-Oct 27 Oct 23 209Â 10:40 +37Â 61 2.7 2 II 4 Northern Taurids (NTA) Oct 20-Nov 29 Nov 13 231Â 03:52 +22Â 29 2.3 5 II 25 Leonids (LEO) Nov 07-Nov 28 Nov 18 236Â 10:16 +22Â 71 2.5 var III 1 Alpha Monocerotids (AMO) Nov 15-Nov 25 Nov 21 239Â32 07:48 +01Â 65 2.4 var III 4 Dec Phoenicids (PHO) Nov 28-Dec 09 Dec 06 254Â25 01:12 -53Â 18 2.8 var III 18 Puppid/Velids (PUP) Dec 01-Dec 15 Dec 07 255Â 08:12 -45Â 40 2.9 10 I 19 Monocerotids (MON) Dec 06-Dec 20 Dec 07 255Â 06:32 +09Â 41 3.0 2 II 10 Sigma Hydrids (HYD) Nov 22-Dec 23 Dec 09 257Â 08:24 +03Â 60 3.0 3 II 21 Geminids (GEM) Dec 05-Dec 19 Dec 14 262Â2 07:36 +32Â 35 2.6 120 I 26 Coma Berenicids (COM) Dec 10-Jan 25 Dec 19 268Â 11:40 +25Â 64 3.0 5 II 3 Ursids (URS) Dec 16-Dec 25 Dec 22 270Â7 14:34 +75Â 32 3.0 10 I 5 Information and Table Template Courtesy The American Meteor Society, International Meteor Organization, and Meteors Online. Explanation of the 2009 Meteor Shower Calendar Shower: named for the constellation or closest star within a constellation where the radiant is located at maximum activity. Activity Period: the dates when the ZHR (Zenith Hourly Rates) are equal to or greater than one. Maximum: the date on which the maximum activity is expected to occur. S.L.: the equivalent solar longitude of the date of maximum activity. Solar longitude is measured in degrees (0-359) with 0 occurring at the exact moment of the spring equinox, 90 at the summer solstice, 180 at the autumnal equinox, and 270 at the winter solstice. Radiant: the area in the sky where shower meteors seem to appear from. This position is given in right ascension (celestial longitude) and declination (celestial latitude). Velocity: the velocity at which shower meteors strike the Earth's atmosphere. The velocity depends on the angle meteoroids (meteors in space) intersect the Earth. Meteoroids orbiting in the opposite direction of the Earth and striking the atmosphere head-on are much faster than those orbiting in the same direction as the Earth. This velocity is measured in kilometers per second. r: The Population Index, An estimate of the ratio of the number of meteors in subsequent magnitude classes. Simply stated: the lower the "r" value, the resulting overall mean magnitude of each shower will be brighter. "r" usually ranges from 2.0 (bright) to 3.5 (faint). ZHR: Zenith Hourly Rate, the average maximum number of shower meteors visible per hour if the radiant is located exactly overhead and the limiting magnitude equals +6.5. Actual counts rarely reach this figure as the zenith angle of the radiant is usually less and the limiting magnitude is usually lower. ZHR is a useful tool when comparing the actual observed rates between individual observers as it sets observing conditions for all to the same standards. Class: A scale developed by Robert Lunsford to group meteor showers by their intensity: Class I: the strongest annual showers with ZHR's normally ten or better. Class II: reliable minor showers with ZHR's normally three or better. Class III: showers with widely variable rates. They may be strong one year and totally inactive the next. Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR's rarely exceeding three. The study of these showers is best left to experienced observers who use plotting and angular velocity estimates to determine shower association. Observers with less experience are urged to limit their shower associations to showers with a rating of I to III. These showers are also good targets for video and photographic work. Moon: the age of the moon in days where 0 is new, 7 is first quarter, 14 is full, and 21 is last quarter. Meteor activity is best seen in the absence of moonlight so showers reaching maximum activity when the moon is less than 10 days old or more than 25 are much more favorably observed than those situated closer to the full moon. Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2009" RASC

This tool displays the approximate Moon phases for a given month(images are close approximations). For official phase times and dates for this month and past months are available from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map!Skymaps.com is our favorite monthly skymap provider. Download either the Northern hemisphere sky map or theSouthern hemisphere sky map so you can follow along with our viewing sessions.Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional InformationAs Astronomy a Go Go! finds its home in the higher Northern latitudes those of you who live south of the equator will benefit from these two Southern Hemisphere sites: Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ site (absolutely outstanding) and Southern Sky Watch.   Planets for April 2009April will be a morning viewing month for planets with a lovely lunar meet and greet with Jupiter and Mars and an occultation of Venus. Saturn is available for evening viewers! April Morning Planets(click images to enlarge)   Beginning of the month   April 21st   Mercury- In superior conjunction on March 31st look for Mercury at its greatest elongation east on April 26th. This will be the Northern H. best view all year. Look just between the waxing crescent Moon and the horizon just after sunset -2.1 mag (1st) to -0.4 mag (21st) April 26th   Venus- Just stunning in the morning sky growing to -4.7 after mid month. Watch for the lunar occultation starting just around sunrise and ending about an hour later! Large binos and small telescope should catch the action! -3.9 mag (1st) to -4.4 mag (21st) Venus just before sunrise passing behind the Moon....and later, after sunrise, reappearing   Mars- Finally starts to get brighter and over the next few months Mars will run (almost) a circle around Venus as their positions change in relation to Earth. This little game of tag within the constellations will be fun to watch for the next several months. 1.2 (1st) to 1.2 mag (21st) Jupiter- Should be high enough in the morning to be seen. (unless you are in Seattle and we have our perpetual planet zapping cloud banks) Look for Jupiter during the day on the 19th as the Moon passes close by. On the 26th pull out the telescope and see if you can catch the "fake moon" mag 5.9 44 Capricorni -1.9 mag (1st) to -1.9 mag (21st) Saturn- In eastern Leo Saturn's rings are inclined 3.8 deg towards Earth. Definitely a dramatic difference from last year! 0.6 mag (1st) to 0.6 mag (21st)   Uranus- In Aquarius 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9 mag (21st) Neptune- In Capricorn 8.0 mag (1st) to 7.9 mag (21st) Ceresand Eta - Finder chart from the New Zealand RAS (RASNZ) great charts! Northern Hemisphere observers this time you get to flip the chart or stand on your head! Vesta chart temporarily missing...use this one until site is corrected Key Dates for April 2009Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 9 pm for everyone! Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights - April 2009 2-5- 100 Hours of Astronomy! AAGG will be at the Museum of Flight in Seattle (look for the TAS Student booth). To find an event near you go to the 100 Hours of Astronomy Website! 2- First Quarter Moon (14:34 UT)4- Moon 1.7 deg S of Beehive (M44) in Cancer6,22- Saturn lunar transit event - Mimus eclipses Enceladus (get custom times for your viewing site from SkyCal (also Enceladus and Tethys on the 17th) (use the Saturn applet to find Enceladus)7- Moon 6 deg N of Saturn in Leo9- Full Moon (14:56 UT)10-18- Zodiacal light possible low on the north-northwest horizon (NH)13- Antares 0.4 deg S of Moon possible occultation in your area.- Double shadow transit on Jupiter (16:56 UT)15- Mars 0.5 deg S of Uranus16- Moon at apogee (404232 km)17- Last Quarter Moon (13:36 UT)18- Venus 6 deg N of Mars- Eta Aquariids meteor peak - persistent long tail meteors leftovers from Halley's Comet! Unfortunately there is likely to be interference with the Moon19- Jupiter 2 deg S of Moon20-26- National Dark Sky Week - turn off unnecessary light, change out bulbs to energy efficient low watt bulbs, install motion detectors....do something! :-)22- Lyrid meteor shower peak -Not one of the strongest annual showers but should be a good show with very little Moon (3 days until new) leftovers from Comet Thatcher look for ~12 meteors per hour- Venus 1.1 deg S of Moon! possible occultation in your area.- Mars 6 deg S of Moon25- New Moon (3:23 UT)- Mercury 1.9 deg S of the Moon and the Pleiades (M45) in Taurus28- Moon at perigee (366040 km)29- Moon 1.8 deg N of M35 in Gemini- Don't forget to visit the International Year of Astronomy Website for a plethora of fantastic activities, events and ideas!- Venus at its brightest for the month, -4.5 mag Date information courtesy of: RASC Observer's Handbook, Skymaps.com, Astronomical Calendar 2009, CalSky, Skymaps.com. sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier*This month we will look for 10 objects, 8 open clusters in the southern milky way and a pair of galaxies, all are within reach of binoculars. The open clusters are easy binocular targets and most are visible with the naked eye. M81 and M82 are difficult binocular targets that offer a stunning telescopic view. (I'm trying to find out what has happened to the NGC/IC Project homepage. It has been a standard AAGG reference for 3 years but seems to have disappeared! If you have any information on this great site please let me know....until then the images will be from: "Messier45.com" )   M41 This cluster in Canis Major is visible as a hazy patch to the naked eye just below Sirius. M41 is resolvable in binoculars and appears fairly loose in telescopes at low power. M93 This is a small fuzzy patch of light in Puppis, partially resolvable in binoculars. The hardest part of finding this cluster in binoculars is picking it out of a fairly rich region of the milky way. Use low power to examine this cluster and the surrounding richness in a telescope. Medium power provides a nice view of the cluster itself. M47 A bright cluster in Puppis, easily visible as a hazy patch to the naked eye. Binoculars will show a large hazy patch with many stars resolvable. Telescopes show a fairly loose cluster with stars of wide variety of magnitudes. M46 This cluster is right next to M47 and is also visible to the naked eye. In binoculars M46 appears as a large hazy patch with no stars resolvable, giving a nice contrast to M47. In telescopes at low powers this cluster evenly fills the eyepiece. While you are here go to medium or high power and look for the planetary nebula NGC2438. It will appear as a faint uneven ring, with a blue/green color. M50 An open cluster in Monoceros. This is a small hazy patch in binoculars, partially resolvable. Like M93, the richness of the surrounding field is the only difficulty in finding this object. This is a fairly tight cluster at low power in a telescope. M48 Moving on to Hydra, we find another naked eye cluster. M48 is a large fuzzy patch in binoculars, partially resolvable. Use low to medium power in your telescope for a spectacular view. M67 In the southeast portion of Cancer is another open cluster, barely visible as a fuzzy patch to the naked eye. Binoculars show M67 as a large hazy patch of light, similar to M46. Use low power to resolve this large, rich cluster in a telescope. M44 Known as the Praesepe or Beehive Cluster, this open cluster is easily visible to the naked eye as a large, fuzzy patch bigger than the moon. Binoculars or rich field telescopes provide the best view of M44. M81, M82 This pair of galaxies in Ursa Major are very possible to see in binoculars, they look like a pair of fuzzy stars. Both galaxies will fit into the same low power telescope field. M81 will appear as a large oval gray patch of light. M82 is a pencil like streak of light next to and perpendicular to the long axis of M81. From the Tony Cecce, Corning, NY - Twelve Month Tour of The Messier Catalog Comets for April 2009 144P/Kushida: ~ 8 mag - in Gemini, evening C/2007 N3/Lulin: ~8.5 mag in Gemini early evening C/2006 W3 ( Christensen ): ~9 mag in Pegasus, pre-dawn More comet information at Seiichi Yoshida's comet website. Also checkout Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month!   Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!   Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance Within You"Marqui Adora- "Catch the Sun" Sean Wiggins- "Mercury in Retrograde"   Earth's major motions for 2009PerihelionJan 4 15(UT)First Cross Quarter DayFeb 2-6EquinoxMar 20 11:44(UT)Second Cross Quarter DayMay 4-7SolsticeJune 21 05:45(UT)AphelionJuly 4 02h (UT) Third Cross Quarter DayAug 5-8EquinoxSept 22 21:18(UT)Fourth Cross Quarter DayNov 5-8SolsticeDec 21 17:47(UT)   Planet Positions for 2009 2009JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVenusSg rCapAqrPscTauGemCncVirVirScoSgrCapMarsSgrCapAqrPscPscAr iTauTauGemCncCncLeoJupiterCapCapCapCapCapCapCapCapCapCa pCapCapSaturnLeoLeoLeoLeoLeoLeoLeoLeoVirVirVirVir &n bsp; Interesting Planet Pairing for 2009December 31, 2008 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. January 22nd - Venus and Uranus - After sunset 1.3 degrees apart a few days later on the 29th they are joined by a waxing crescent moon. February 23rd - Jupiter, Mars and Mercury - In the early morning sky just before sunrise the trio are in a space about 2 degrees wide. Binoculars will be helpful but beware the quickly rising Sun. The Moon, almost invisible, will be between Mars and the Sun. March 23rd - Mars, Moon, Neptune, and Jupiter - Makes a nice line-up in the morning sky with Neptune just off the tip of the waning crescent moon. April 21st - Venus, Mars, Uranus, waning crescent Moon, Neptune and Jupiter - all in the pre-dawn sky together. First the right triangle of Venus, Mars, and Uranus followed by the waning crescent Moon and then finally by Neptune and Jupiter. Mars will be a faint 1.41 mag so binoculars will be helpful. The next day, possible occultation of Venus by the Moon. Check the IOTA website for occultations in your area. May 25th - Jupiter and Neptune - Jupiter is less than 1/2 degree South of Neptune in the morning sky. If you have ever had problems finding Neptune this would be a good time to try, between now and June. June 19th - Venus and Mars - In the pre-dawn sky just south of a waning crescent Moon. Closer to the Sun is Mercury and the Pleiades. August 17th - Saturn and Mercury - Very close to the Sun low in the evening sky. Much better view for Southern viewers. September 3rd UT 4:43 - Jupiter hides its Galilean moons. Not until 2019 will all of Jupiter's Galilean moons orbit in such a way. September 4th - Saturn - Not exactly a pairing but the Earth will cross the plane of the rings from south to north making the rings invisible October 16th - Mercury, Venus, and Saturn - All lined up in the pre-dawn sky close to the horizon. A faint waning crescent is just south of the trio. December 24th - Jupiter and Neptune - Just after sunset Jupiter and Neptune sit side-by-side just north of delta Capricornus and east of the "42,44,45 Cap Wall" Phases of the Moon 2009 (click to enlarge) Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 4 11 56 JAN. 11 3 27 JAN. 18 2 46JAN. 26 7 55 FEB. 2 23 13 FEB. 9 14 49 FEB. 16 21 37FEB. 25 1 35 MAR. 4 7 46 MAR. 11 2 38 MAR. 18 17 47 MAR. 26 16 06 APR. 2 14 34 APR. 9 14 56 APR. 17 13 36 APR. 25 3 23 MAY 1 20 44 MAY 9 4 01 MAY 17 7 26MAY 24 12 11 MAY 31 3 22 JUNE 7 18 12 JUNE 15 22 15JUNE 22 19 35 JUNE 29 11 28 JULY 7 9 21 JULY 15 9 53 JULY 22 2 35 JULY 28 22 00 AUG. 6 0 55 AUG. 13 18 55 AUG. 20 10 02 AUG. 27 11 42 SEPT. 4 16 03 SEPT. 12 2 16SEPT. 18 18 44 SEPT. 26 4 50 OCT. 4 6 10 OCT. 11 8 56 OCT. 18 5 33 OCT. 26 0 42 NOV. 2 19 14 NOV. 9 15 56 NOV. 16 19 14 NOV. 24 21 39 DEC. 2 7 30 DEC. 9 0 13 DEC. 16 12 02 DEC. 24 17 36 DEC. 31 19 13Eclipses for 2009       2009 January 26[ Solar: Annular ]2009 February 09[ Lunar: Penumbral ]2009 July 07[ Lunar: Penumbral ]2009 July 21-22[ Solar: Total ]2009 August 05-06[ Lunar: Penumbral ]2009 December 31[ Lunar: Penumbral ]   January 26 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2009 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in western Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track that traverses the Indian Ocean and western Indonesia. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southern third of Africa, Madagascar, Australia except Tasmania, southeast India, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.   February 09 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The first lunar eclipse of 2009 is one of four such events during the year. The first three eclipses are penumbral while the last (on Dec. 31) is partial. The Feb 09 event is the deepest penumbral eclipse of the year with a penumbral magnitude of 0.899. It will be easily visible to the naked eye as a dusky shading in the northern half of the Moon. The times of the major phases are listed below. July 07 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): July's penumbral eclipse is only of academic interest since the magnitude is just 0.156. Although the Moon will be above the horizon from most of Canada, the eclipse is so minor as to be completely invisible to the naked eye. July 21-22 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): To make up for the anemic lunar eclipse earlier in the month, a major total eclipse of the Sun occurs two weeks later. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow extends across India, China, a handful of Japanese islands and the South Pacific Ocean (Espenak and Anderson, 2008). A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean. August 05-06 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): A shallow penumbral eclipse occurs 15 days after the total solar eclipse. Since its magnitude is only 0.402, it will not be visible to the naked eye. December 31 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2009 occurs on New Year's Eve. This minor partial lunar eclipse takes place in Gemini, and is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere (Figure 8). Greatest eclipse takes place at 19:23 UT when the eclipse magnitude will reach 0.0763. Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) 2009 Meteor Shower CalendarShowerActivity PeriodMaximumRadiantVelocityrZHRClassMoon  Da teS. L.R.A.Dec.km/s    Antihelion Source (ANT) Dec 14-Sep 07----303.03II-Quadrantids (QUA) Dec 26-Jan 13Jan 03 283Â16 15:20 +49Â422.1120I6Alpha Centaurids (ACE) Jan 28-Feb 21Feb 07 319Â2 14:00 -59Â562.05II12Delta Leonids (DLE)Feb 15-Mar 10Feb 25 336Â 11:12 +16Â233.02II0Gamma Normids (GNO) Feb 25-Mar 22Mar 13 353Â 16:36 -51Â562.44II16Lyrids (LYR) Apr 16-Apr 27Apr 23 033Â 18:12 +33Â462.118I27Pi Puppids (PPU) Apr 15-Apr 28Apr 23 033Â5 07:20 -45Â182.0varIII27Eta Aquarids (ETA) Apr 27-May 23May 07047Â 22:36 -01Â682.460I12Eta Lyrids (ELY) May 06-May 14May 10050Â19:22 +43Â433.03II15June Bootids (JBO) Jun 22-Jul 02Jun 27 095Â7 14:56 +48Â182.2varIII5Piscis Austrinids (PAU) Jul 15-Aug 10Jul 28 125Â 22:44 -30Â353.25II7Alpha Capricornids (CAP) Jul 12-Aug 08Jul 28 125Â 20:20 -10Â242.54II7Delta Aquarids (SDA) Jul 21-Aug 30Jul 30 127Â 22:42 -17Â433.220I9Perseids (PER) Jul 13-Aug 26Aug 12 140Â 03:12 +58Â592.6100I20Kappa Cygnids (KCG) Aug 03-Aug 25Aug 17 145Â 19:04 +59Â253.03II25Alpha Aurigids (AUR) Aug 28-Sep 03Sep 01 158Â6 06:06 +39Â652.67II11September Perseids (SPR) Sep 06-Sep 13Sep 10 168Â 03:12 +40Â652.95II19Delta Aurigids (DAU) Sep 18-Oct 10Sep 29 186Â 05:52 +49Â642.92II13Draconids (GIA) Oct 06-Oct 10Oct 08 195Â4 17:28 +54Â202.6varIII18Southern Taurids (STA) Sep 18-Nov 26Oct 11 198Â 02:18 +09Â292.35II21Epsilon Geminids (EGE) Oct 18-Oct 21Oct 20 207Â 06:48 +28Â713.02II2Orionids (ORI) Sep 28-Nov 10Oct 21 208Â 06:22 +16Â682.523I3Leo Minorids (LMI) Oct 17-Oct 27Oct 23 209Â 10:40 +37Â612.72II4Northern Taurids (NTA) Oct 20-Nov 29Nov 13 231Â 03:52 +22Â292.35II25Leonids (LEO) Nov 07-Nov 28Nov 18 236Â 10:16 +22Â712.5varIII1Alpha Monocerotids (AMO) Nov 15-Nov 25Nov 21 239Â32 07:48 +01Â652.4varIII4Dec Phoenicids (PHO) Nov 28-Dec 09Dec 06 254Â25 01:12 -53Â182.8varIII18Puppid/Velids (PUP) Dec 01-Dec 15Dec 07255Â 08:12 -45Â402.910I19Monocerotids (MON) Dec 06-Dec 20Dec 07 255Â 06:32 +09Â413.02II10Sigma Hydrids (HYD) Nov 22-Dec 23Dec 09 257Â 08:24 +03Â603.03II21Geminids (GEM) Dec 05-Dec 19Dec 14 262Â2 07:36 +32Â352.6120I26Coma Berenicids (COM) Dec 10-Jan 25Dec 19 268Â 11:40 +25Â643.05II3Ursids (URS) Dec 16-Dec 25Dec 22 270Â7 14:34 +75Â323.010I5 Information and Table Template Courtesy The American Meteor Society, International Meteor Organization, and Meteors Online. Explanation of the 2009 Meteor Shower CalendarShower: named for the constellation or closest star within a constellation where the radiant is located at maximum activity. Activity Period: the dates when the ZHR (Zenith Hourly Rates) are equal to or greater than one. Maximum: the date on which the maximum activity is expected to occur. S.L.: the equivalent solar longitude of the date of maximum activity. Solar longitude is measured in degrees (0-359) with 0 occurring at the exact moment of the spring equinox, 90 at the summer solstice, 180 at the autumnal equinox, and 270 at the winter solstice. Radiant: the area in the sky where shower meteors seem to appear from. This position is given in right ascension (celestial longitude) and declination (celestial latitude). Velocity: the velocity at which shower meteors strike the Earth's atmosphere. The velocity depends on the angle meteoroids (meteors in space) intersect the Earth. Meteoroids orbiting in the opposite direction of the Earth and striking the atmosphere head-on are much faster than those orbiting in the same direction as the Earth. This velocity is measured in kilometers per second. r: The Population Index, An estimate of the ratio of the number of meteors in subsequent magnitude classes. Simply stated: the lower the "r" value, the resulting overall mean magnitude of each shower will be brighter. "r" usually ranges from 2.0 (bright) to 3.5 (faint). ZHR: Zenith Hourly Rate, the average maximum number of shower meteors visible per hour if the radiant is located exactly overhead and the limiting magnitude equals +6.5. Actual counts rarely reach this figure as the zenith angle of the radiant is usually less and the limiting magnitude is usually lower. ZHR is a useful tool when comparing the actual observed rates between individual observers as it sets observing conditions for all to the same standards. Class: A scale developed by Robert Lunsford to group meteor showers by their intensity: Class I: the strongest annual showers with ZHR's normally ten or better. Class II: reliable minor showers with ZHR's normally three or better. Class III: showers with widely variable rates. They may be strong one year and totally inactive the next. Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR's rarely exceeding three. The study of these showers is best left to experienced observers who use plotting and angular velocity estimates to determine shower association. Observers with less experience are urged to limit their shower associations to showers with a rating of I to III. These showers are also good targets for video and photographic work. Moon: the age of the moon in days where 0 is new, 7 is first quarter, 14 is full, and 21 is last quarter. Meteor activity is best seen in the absence of moonlight so showers reaching maximum activity when the moon is less than 10 days old or more than 25 are much more favorably observed than those situated closer to the full moon.   Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2009" RASC

Astronomy a Go Go! February Sky Tour This tool displays the approximate Moon phases for a given month(images are close approximations). For official phase times and dates for this month and past months are available from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map!Skymaps.com is our favorite monthly skymap provider. Download either the Northern hemisphere sky map or theSouthern hemisphere sky map so you can follow along with our viewing sessions.Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional InformationAs Astronomy a Go Go! finds its home in the higher Northern latitudes those of you who live south of the equator will benefit from these two Southern Hemisphere sites: Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ site (absolutely outstanding) and Southern Sky Watch.   Planets for February 2009 This year will be a morning viewing year but we still have bright Venus in the early evening and Saturn for late night viewers! Feb Morning Planets (Feb 22nd) (click image to enlarge)   Mercury- Now a morning planet, Mercury starts the month further away from the Sun that the other two morning planets, Jupiter and Mars, and its angle favors the S.hemisphere. Look for greatest elongation on the 13th. Mercury has several close pairing this month with Jupiter on the 20th and Mars on the 24th. By the 1st of March Mercury will neck-and-neck with Mars. 0.6 mag (1st) to 0.0 mag (21st) Venus- Venus has been distancing herself from the Sun for months, a sparkling beacon in the early evening sky, even shining through the clouds from time to time. Having reached greatest elongation on the Jan 14, a full 47 deg east of the Sun, Venus begins her descent back towards the Sun. She was paired nicely with the moon at the beginning of the month and will be again at the end of the month with the next waxing crescent. RASC Observing guides recommend watching for rare green and blue flashes as Venus sets through strong inversion layers (possibly the only good thing about inversion layers!) Make sure you share Venus with your friends and let them see the wonderful 'phases' she shares with our Moon. -4.4 mag (1st) to -4.5 mag (21st) Mars- Has moved into the morning sky this month and will slowly crawl away from the Sun all month. Start looking later in the month when on the 24th it is paired with Mercury. 1.3 (1st) to 1.3 mag (21st) Jupiter- Still too close to the Sun at the beginning of the month. By mid-month Jupiter will start to stand out in the pre-dawn sky on a flat horizon growing stronger towards the end of the month and into March -1.9 mag (1st) to -1.9 mag (21st) Saturn- In eastern Leo Saturn's rings are inclined 1.74 beg towards Earth and will be at opposition on March 8th 0.9 mag (1st) to 0.9 mag (21st) Uranus- In Aquarius 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9 mag (21st) Neptune- In Capricorn 8.0 mag (1st) to 8.0 mag (21st) Ceresand Eta - Finder chart from the New Zealand RAS (RASNZ) great charts! Northern Hemisphere observers this time you get to flip the chart or stand on your head! Vesta chart temporarily missing...use this one until site is corrected Key Dates for February 2009 Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 10 pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 7 pm for the mid-northern latitudes. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights - February 2009 2 - First Quarter Moon - First Cross Quarter Day (halfway between Solstice and the Equinox) also Groundhog's Day or Candlemass. 7 - Moon at perigee (361488 km) 9 - Full Moon (14:49 UT) 9 - Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon - from 12:37 UT to mid-eclipse 14:38 UT to 16:40 UT - The Northern (Mare Frigoris) edge of the Moon will appear dimmer as it is closer to the umbra. Visible from NW North America, Pacific, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. 11 - Equation of Time is at the minimum for the year, -14.26 minutes (Sun running slow...at 12noon (solar mean) clock time the Sun still needs 14.26 minutes to get to "noon" 12 - Zodiacal Lights - visible in Northern latitudes in the west after sunset 13 - Mercury at greatest elongation W (26deg) - Neptune in conjunction with the Sun...moving into the morning 14 - Comet Lulin 3 deg from Spica (5h UT) Mag +6 - Valentine's Day (hint, hint) 16 - Last Quarter Moon 17 - Mars 0.6 deg S of Jupiter 17 - Antares 0.04 deg S of Moon possible occultation in your area. 19 - Moon at apogee (405129 km) - Venus greatest illuminated extent** - Venus brightest at -4.6 mag 21 - Venus at perihelion 22 - Mercury 1.1 deg S of Moon possible occultation in your area. 23 - Jupiter 0.7 deg S of Moon possible occultation in your area. - Mars 1.7 deg S of Moon 24 - Comet Lulin 2 deg from Saturn Mag +5 - Mercury 0.6 deg S of Jupiter 25 - New Moon (1:35 UT) - Ceres at opposition and closer to Earth than it will be for another 2000 years. On this date it makes the North point of a "Saturn-Regulus-Ceres" equilateral triangle. 27 - Moon and Venus make a lovely pair - Uranus at aphelion (20+AU from Sun) Uranus has an 84 year orbit ** "A descriptive parameter dubbed "illuminated extent" is proposed, defined as the total solid angle subtended, from an astronomer's view, by the illuminated portion of an object. A celestial body exhibiting wide variance in both phase and angular size - an inferior planet primarily - is well characterized by this parameter, for its peak value denotes when the luminous image maximally covers a telescope's focal surface, a prime viewing circumstance. " Gingrich, M Strolling Astron., Vol. 42, No. 1, p. 18 - 22 Date information courtesy of: RASC Observer's Handbook, Skymaps.com, Astronomical Calendar 2009, CalSky, Skymaps.com. sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier*Wahoo! This month has objects which are big, bright and easy to find! (I'm trying to find out what has happened to the NGC/IC Project homepage. It has been a standard AAGG reference for 3 years but seems to have disappeared! If you have any information on this great site please let me know....until then the images will be from: "Messier45.com" ) M1 - The Crab nebula is a supernova remnant in Taurus. It is a hazy patch in small telescopes, large scopes can resolve some detail. It is difficult but possible to see in binoculars. M45 - The Pleiades are a large open cluster in Taurus. Easy to resolve six stars naked eye. Binoculars provide the best view. Large telescopes can show some nebulosity. M35, M37, M36, M38 - A series of open clusters in the winter milky way. M35 is in Gemini, the others are in Auriga. All can be seen naked eye as faint fuzzy stars, binoculars reveal fuzzy patches, low power telescopes can resolve these rich clusters. M42 (seen here with M43), M43 - M42 is the great Orion Nebula. It can be seen as small fuzzy patch naked eye. Binoculars show some detail, and the view is superb in most any scope. M43 is a small region of nebulosity next to M42, and probably requires the use of a telescope to view. Use low to moderate powers for the best view of this pair. M78 - A small emission nebula in Orion, a tough binocular object. Best viewed in a telescope at moderate powers. M79 - One of the smallest and dimmest globular clusters in the catalog. A tough binocular object in Lepus, best viewed in a telescope at moderate powers. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada, images vary. Comets for February 2009 85P/Boethin: ~7 mag - in Pisces, early evening 144P/Kushida: ~ 8 mag - in Taurus, evening C/2007 N3/Lulin: ~5 mag in Libra, pre-dawn 210P/2008 X4/Christensen: ~7 mag in Ophiuchus, pre-dawn More comet information at Seiichi Yoshida's comet website. Also checkout Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!   Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance Within You"Great Big Sea- "French Shore" Amaryoni- "Woza"   Earth's major motions for 2009 Perihelion Jan 4 15(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 11:44(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 21 05:45(UT) Aphelion July 4 02h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 21:18(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 17:47(UT) Planet Positions for 2009 2009 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Cnc Leo Jupiter Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Vir   Interesting Planet Pairing for 2009 December 31, 2008 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. January 22nd - Venus and Uranus - After sunset 1.3 degrees apart a few days later on the 29th they are joined by a waxing crescent moon. February 23rd - Jupiter, Mars and Mercury - In the early morning sky just before sunrise the trio are in a space about 2 degrees wide. Binoculars will be helpful but beware the quickly rising Sun. The Moon, almost invisible, will be between Mars and the Sun. March 23rd - Mars, Moon, Neptune, and Jupiter - Makes a nice line-up in the morning sky with Neptune just off the tip of the waning crescent moon. April 21st - Venus, Mars, Uranus, waning crescent Moon, Neptune and Jupiter - all in the pre-dawn sky together. First the right triangle of Venus, Mars, and Uranus followed by the waning crescent Moon and then finally by Neptune and Jupiter. Mars will be a faint 1.41 mag so binoculars will be helpful. The next day, possible occultation of Venus by the Moon. Check the IOTA website for occultations in your area. May 25th - Jupiter and Neptune - Jupiter is less than 1/2 degree South of Neptune in the morning sky. If you have ever had problems finding Neptune this would be a good time to try, between now and June. June 19th - Venus and Mars - In the pre-dawn sky just south of a waning crescent Moon. Closer to the Sun is Mercury and the Pleiades. August 17th - Saturn and Mercury - Very close to the Sun low in the evening sky. Much better view for Southern viewers. September 3rd UT 4:43 - Jupiter hides its Galilean moons. Not until 2019 will all of Jupiter's Galilean moons orbit in such a way. September 4th - Saturn - Not exactly a pairing but the Earth will cross the plane of the rings from south to north making the rings invisible October 16th - Mercury, Venus, and Saturn - All lined up in the pre-dawn sky close to the horizon. A faint waning crescent is just south of the trio. December 24th - Jupiter and Neptune - Just after sunset Jupiter and Neptune sit side-by-side just north of delta Capricornus and east of the "42,44,45 Cap Wall" Phases of the Moon 2009 (click to enlarge) Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 4 11 56 JAN. 11 3 27 JAN. 18 2 46JAN. 26 7 55 FEB. 2 23 13 FEB. 9 14 49 FEB. 16 21 37FEB. 25 1 35 MAR. 4 7 46 MAR. 11 2 38 MAR. 18 17 47 MAR. 26 16 06 APR. 2 14 34 APR. 9 14 56 APR. 17 13 36 APR. 25 3 23 MAY 1 20 44 MAY 9 4 01 MAY 17 7 26MAY 24 12 11 MAY 31 3 22 JUNE 7 18 12 JUNE 15 22 15JUNE 22 19 35 JUNE 29 11 28 JULY 7 9 21 JULY 15 9 53 JULY 22 2 35 JULY 28 22 00 AUG. 6 0 55 AUG. 13 18 55 AUG. 20 10 02 AUG. 27 11 42 SEPT. 4 16 03 SEPT. 12 2 16SEPT. 18 18 44 SEPT. 26 4 50 OCT. 4 6 10 OCT. 11 8 56 OCT. 18 5 33 OCT. 26 0 42 NOV. 2 19 14 NOV. 9 15 56 NOV. 16 19 14 NOV. 24 21 39 DEC. 2 7 30 DEC. 9 0 13 DEC. 16 12 02 DEC. 24 17 36 DEC. 31 19 13 Eclipses for 2009   2009 January 26[ Solar: Annular ] 2009 February 09[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 July 07[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 July 21-22[ Solar: Total ] 2009 August 05-06[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 December 31[ Lunar: Penumbral ]   January 26 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2009 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in western Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track that traverses the Indian Ocean and western Indonesia. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southern third of Africa, Madagascar, Australia except Tasmania, southeast India, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.   February 09 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The first lunar eclipse of 2009 is one of four such events during the year. The first three eclipses are penumbral while the last (on Dec. 31) is partial. The Feb 09 event is the deepest penumbral eclipse of the year with a penumbral magnitude of 0.899. It will be easily visible to the naked eye as a dusky shading in the northern half of the Moon. The times of the major phases are listed below. July 07 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): July's penumbral eclipse is only of academic interest since the magnitude is just 0.156. Although the Moon will be above the horizon from most of Canada, the eclipse is so minor as to be completely invisible to the naked eye. July 21-22 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): To make up for the anemic lunar eclipse earlier in the month, a major total eclipse of the Sun occurs two weeks later. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow extends across India, China, a handful of Japanese islands and the South Pacific Ocean (Espenak and Anderson, 2008). A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean. August 05-06 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): A shallow penumbral eclipse occurs 15 days after the total solar eclipse. Since its magnitude is only 0.402, it will not be visible to the naked eye. December 31 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2009 occurs on New Year's Eve. This minor partial lunar eclipse takes place in Gemini, and is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere (Figure 8). Greatest eclipse takes place at 19:23 UT when the eclipse magnitude will reach 0.0763. Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) 2009 Meteor Shower Calendar ShowerActivity PeriodMaximumRadiantVelocityrZHRClassMoon   DateS. L.R.A.Dec.km/s     Antihelion Source (ANT) Dec 14-Sep 07 - - - - 30 3.0 3 II - Quadrantids (QUA) Dec 26-Jan 13 Jan 03 283Â16 15:20 +49Â 42 2.1 120 I 6 Alpha Centaurids (ACE) Jan 28-Feb 21 Feb 07 319Â2 14:00 -59Â 56 2.0 5 II 12 Delta Leonids (DLE) Feb 15-Mar 10 Feb 25 336Â 11:12 +16Â 23 3.0 2 II 0 Gamma Normids (GNO) Feb 25-Mar 22 Mar 13 353Â 16:36 -51Â 56 2.4 4 II 16 Lyrids (LYR) Apr 16-Apr 27 Apr 23 033Â 18:12 +33Â 46 2.1 18 I 27 Pi Puppids (PPU) Apr 15-Apr 28 Apr 23 033Â5 07:20 -45Â 18 2.0 var III 27 Eta Aquarids (ETA) Apr 27-May 23 May 07 047Â 22:36 -01Â 68 2.4 60 I 12 Eta Lyrids (ELY) May 06-May 14 May 10 050Â 19:22 +43Â 43 3.0 3 II 15 June Bootids (JBO) Jun 22-Jul 02 Jun 27 095Â7 14:56 +48Â 18 2.2 var III 5 Piscis Austrinids (PAU) Jul 15-Aug 10 Jul 28 125Â 22:44 -30Â 35 3.2 5 II 7 Alpha Capricornids (CAP) Jul 12-Aug 08 Jul 28 125Â 20:20 -10Â 24 2.5 4 II 7 Delta Aquarids (SDA) Jul 21-Aug 30 Jul 30 127Â 22:42 -17Â 43 3.2 20 I 9 Perseids (PER) Jul 13-Aug 26 Aug 12 140Â 03:12 +58Â 59 2.6 100 I 20 Kappa Cygnids (KCG) Aug 03-Aug 25 Aug 17 145Â 19:04 +59Â 25 3.0 3 II 25 Alpha Aurigids (AUR) Aug 28-Sep 03 Sep 01 158Â6 06:06 +39Â 65 2.6 7 II 11 September Perseids (SPR) Sep 06-Sep 13 Sep 10 168Â 03:12 +40Â 65 2.9 5 II 19 Delta Aurigids (DAU) Sep 18-Oct 10 Sep 29 186Â 05:52 +49Â 64 2.9 2 II 13 Draconids (GIA) Oct 06-Oct 10 Oct 08 195Â4 17:28 +54Â 20 2.6 var III 18 Southern Taurids (STA) Sep 18-Nov 26 Oct 11 198Â 02:18 +09Â 29 2.3 5 II 21 Epsilon Geminids (EGE) Oct 18-Oct 21 Oct 20 207Â 06:48 +28Â 71 3.0 2 II 2 Orionids (ORI) Sep 28-Nov 10 Oct 21 208Â 06:22 +16Â 68 2.5 23 I 3 Leo Minorids (LMI) Oct 17-Oct 27 Oct 23 209Â 10:40 +37Â 61 2.7 2 II 4 Northern Taurids (NTA) Oct 20-Nov 29 Nov 13 231Â 03:52 +22Â 29 2.3 5 II 25 Leonids (LEO) Nov 07-Nov 28 Nov 18 236Â 10:16 +22Â 71 2.5 var III 1 Alpha Monocerotids (AMO) Nov 15-Nov 25 Nov 21 239Â32 07:48 +01Â 65 2.4 var III 4 Dec Phoenicids (PHO) Nov 28-Dec 09 Dec 06 254Â25 01:12 -53Â 18 2.8 var III 18 Puppid/Velids (PUP) Dec 01-Dec 15 Dec 07 255Â 08:12 -45Â 40 2.9 10 I 19 Monocerotids (MON) Dec 06-Dec 20 Dec 07 255Â 06:32 +09Â 41 3.0 2 II 10 Sigma Hydrids (HYD) Nov 22-Dec 23 Dec 09 257Â 08:24 +03Â 60 3.0 3 II 21 Geminids (GEM) Dec 05-Dec 19 Dec 14 262Â2 07:36 +32Â 35 2.6 120 I 26 Coma Berenicids (COM) Dec 10-Jan 25 Dec 19 268Â 11:40 +25Â 64 3.0 5 II 3 Ursids (URS) Dec 16-Dec 25 Dec 22 270Â7 14:34 +75Â 32 3.0 10 I 5 Information and Table Template Courtesy The American Meteor Society, International Meteor Organization, and Meteors Online. Explanation of the 2009 Meteor Shower Calendar Shower: named for the constellation or closest star within a constellation where the radiant is located at maximum activity. Activity Period: the dates when the ZHR (Zenith Hourly Rates) are equal to or greater than one. Maximum: the date on which the maximum activity is expected to occur. S.L.: the equivalent solar longitude of the date of maximum activity. Solar longitude is measured in degrees (0-359) with 0 occurring at the exact moment of the spring equinox, 90 at the summer solstice, 180 at the autumnal equinox, and 270 at the winter solstice. Radiant: the area in the sky where shower meteors seem to appear from. This position is given in right ascension (celestial longitude) and declination (celestial latitude). Velocity: the velocity at which shower meteors strike the Earth's atmosphere. The velocity depends on the angle meteoroids (meteors in space) intersect the Earth. Meteoroids orbiting in the opposite direction of the Earth and striking the atmosphere head-on are much faster than those orbiting in the same direction as the Earth. This velocity is measured in kilometers per second. r: The Population Index, An estimate of the ratio of the number of meteors in subsequent magnitude classes. Simply stated: the lower the "r" value, the resulting overall mean magnitude of each shower will be brighter. "r" usually ranges from 2.0 (bright) to 3.5 (faint). ZHR: Zenith Hourly Rate, the average maximum number of shower meteors visible per hour if the radiant is located exactly overhead and the limiting magnitude equals +6.5. Actual counts rarely reach this figure as the zenith angle of the radiant is usually less and the limiting magnitude is usually lower. ZHR is a useful tool when comparing the actual observed rates between individual observers as it sets observing conditions for all to the same standards. Class: A scale developed by Robert Lunsford to group meteor showers by their intensity: Class I: the strongest annual showers with ZHR's normally ten or better. Class II: reliable minor showers with ZHR's normally three or better. Class III: showers with widely variable rates. They may be strong one year and totally inactive the next. Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR's rarely exceeding three. The study of these showers is best left to experienced observers who use plotting and angular velocity estimates to determine shower association. Observers with less experience are urged to limit their shower associations to showers with a rating of I to III. These showers are also good targets for video and photographic work. Moon: the age of the moon in days where 0 is new, 7 is first quarter, 14 is full, and 21 is last quarter. Meteor activity is best seen in the absence of moonlight so showers reaching maximum activity when the moon is less than 10 days old or more than 25 are much more favorably observed than those situated closer to the full moon. Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2009" RASC

Astronomy a Go Go! January Sky Tour This tool displays the approximate Moon phases for a given month. For official phase times and dates for this month and past months are available from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map! Skymaps.com is our favorite monthly skymap provider. Download either the Northern hemisphere sky map or theSouthern hemisphere sky map so you can follow along with our viewing sessions. Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional Information As Astronomy a Go Go! finds its home in the higher Northern latitudes those of you who live south of the equator will benefit from these two Southern Hemisphere sites: Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ site (absolutely outstanding) and Southern Sky Watch.   Planets for January 2009 This year will be a morning viewing year but we still have bright Venus in the early evening and Saturn for late night viewers! Early January Evening Planets (click image to enlarge) Late January Evening Planets (click image to enlarge) Mercury- Starts the year close to Jupiter in the evening twilight. The further south you are the easier it is to pick up this pair against the glowing horizon. Mercury reaches greatest elongation on the 4th before racing back towards the sun (passing Jupiter again) reaching inferior conjunction on the 20th. By the end of the month Mercury is with Mars and Jupiter in the morning, pre-dawn sky. They will all be quite faint, low for northern observers but better as you go further south. -0.7 mag (1st) to 5.1 mag (21st) Venus- Venus has been distancing herself from the Sun for months, a sparkling beacon in the early evening sky, even shining through the clouds from time to time. She reaches greatest elongation on the 14th, a full 47 deg east of the Sun. On the 30th look for a pretty pairing with the crescent Moon. -4.2 mag (1st) to -4.3 mag (21st) Mars- Mars reached conjunction with the Sun on Dec 5th, and is slowly drifting into the morning sky. Mars will play hide and seek with Mercury and Jupiter later in the month but will really start to become visible later in February. 1.3 (1st) to 1.3 mag (21st) Jupiter- Is paired up nicely with Mercury as the year starts but quickly slides into the glare of the Sun reaching conjunction on the 24th. Look for the return of the King to the pre-dawn sky in February. -1.9 mag (1st) to -1.9 mag (21st) Saturn- Saturn has been our "planet of the night" and those rings are continuing to flatten out. Saturn spends most of the year in Leo before sliding into Virgo in September. With the rings at a close tilt of .81 deg. Although there are those who mourn the shallow ring angle others will be using the reduction of glare to chase after Saturn's moons. (See the RASC Observing Challenge for 2009) 0.9 mag (1st) to 0.9 mag (21st) Uranus- In Aquarius 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9 mag (21st) Neptune- In Capricorn 8.0 mag (1st) to 8.0 mag (21st) Ceresand Vesta - Finder chart from the New Zealand RAS (RASNZ) great charts! Northern Hemisphere observers this time you get to flip the chart or stand on your head! Vesta chart temporarily missing...use this one until site is corrected Key Dates for January 2009 Days and Times in UT: (help with time) Observations are for 10 pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 7 pm for the mid-northern latitudes. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights - January 2009 1- Saturn stationary 3- Quandrantid meteor shower peak 4- First Quarter Moon - Mercury at greatest elongation East (19 deg) - Earth at perihelion (closest to the Sun) 147095260 km 7- Moon 0.8 deg N of M45 - Pleiades 10- Moon at perigee (357497 km) expect large tides 11- Full Moon (largest in 2009) 12- Moon 1.5 deg South of M44 - Beehive cluster 14- Venus at greatest elongation E (47 deg) 17- Ceres stationary - also part of the RASC Observing challenge 18- Last Quarter Moon 20- Mercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun 21- Antares 0.02 deg S of Moon, possible occultation in your area. 23- Moon at apogee (406118 km) - Venus 1.4 deg N of Uranus 24- Jupiter in conjunction with the Sun 26- New Moon - Annular Solar Eclipse - NEVER look at the SUN! For safe solar eclipse viewing techniques visit Fred Espenak's (Mr. Eclipse) website. - Mercury 4 deg N or Mars in the pre-dawn sky 30- Moon and Venus pair up in the evening sky Date information courtesy of: RASC Observer's Handbook, Skymaps.com, Astronomical Calendar 2009, CalSky, Skymaps.com. sunrise and sunset times for your home* Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier* This month has two of my personal Messier thorns; M77 and M74. Those two are offset by a favorite; the Little Dumbell. You will need binoculars and a telescope to fully enjoy the January Messier objects. M33 This is a very large (about the size of the full moon) face on spiral galaxy in the constellation Triangulum. The total light from M33 is about magnitude 5.3, but when spread out over its large area it yields a very low surface brightness. The best and easiest views of M33 can be found with a pair of binoculars. Look for a large, round hazy patch of light with little detail at first glance. M33 can be glimpsed with the naked eye in dark clear skies. Finding M33 in a telescope can be a challenge because of its size. Use the widest field eyepiece you have and look for a change in light level to identify the galaxy. M103 This is a fairly small, sparse open cluster in Cassiopeia. Look for a tight group of stars in binoculars, being careful not to mistake it for several other clusters in the same area. Through a telescope the cluster is very sparse, four bright stars amidst the slight glow of much fainter companions. M52 This rich open cluster in Cassiopeia is fairly easy to see in binoculars as a faint smudge of light. A small to mid telescope will begin to resolve this cluster. Look for a triangular patch of light with some stars clearly resolved, but most of the cluster members provide only a hint of graininess. M76 Known as the little dumbell, this planetary nebula in Perseus is one of the dimmest objects in the Catalog. Look for a small, faint, oblong patch of light. Not a very obvious object, if you don't see it at first try varying magnifications in an attempt to bring it out. Fortunately M76 is located near a bright star which aids in locating the correct field to search. M34 This is a large and bright, but sparse open cluster located in Perseus. Visible as a faint patch of light to the naked eye, it is very obvious and easy to resolve in binoculars. In fact, binoculars provide a better view of this cluster than most telescopes. M74 This galaxy in Pisces is a smaller and fainter version of M33, a face on spiral galaxy with low surface brightness. M74 is arguably the most difficult object to find in the Catalog. You will need very dark, clear skies to easily see it, anything less than perfect conditions will make M74 nearly impossible to find. Look for a very faint fuzzy star, which is the bright central condensation, surrounded by a very faint glow. Try all of your tricks on this one; star hop to the correct field, try varying magnification, tap the scope to detect the galaxy through its motion. If all of the above fail, try again another night or seek darker skies. M77 This is a small faint galaxy in Cetus. Possible to see in binoculars, but very difficult, look for a faint fuzzy star. Through a telescope look for a fuzzy, oval shaped patch of light, bright in the center, fading towards the edges. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada Comets for January 2009 85P/Boethin: ~7 mag - in Pisces, early evening 144P/Kushida: ~ 8 mag - in Taurus, evening C/2007 N3/Lulin: ~5 mag in Libra, pre-dawn 210P/2008 X4/Christensen: ~7 mag in Ophiuchus, pre-dawn More comet information at Seiichi Yoshida's comet website. Also checkout Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month!   Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hat or write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!   Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you" Three Blind Mice- "Watch Star" Finniston- "Peace of Mind" Earth's major motions for 2009 Perihelion Jan 4 15(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 11:44(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 21 05:45(UT) Aphelion July 4 02h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 21:18(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 17:47(UT)   Planet Positions for 2009 2009JanFebMarAprMayJun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Cnc Leo Jupiter Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Vir   Interesting Planet Pairing for 2009 December 31, 2008 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. January 22nd - Venus and Uranus - After sunset 1.3 degrees apart a few days later on the 29th they are joined by a waxing crescent moon. February 23rd - Jupiter, Mars and Mercury - In the early morning sky just before sunrise the trio are in a space about 2 degrees wide. Binoculars will be helpful but beware the quickly rising Sun. The Moon, almost invisible, will be between Mars and the Sun. March 23rd - Mars, Moon, Neptune, and Jupiter - Makes a nice line-up in the morning sky with Neptune just off the tip of the waning crescent moon. April 21st - Venus, Mars, Uranus, waning crescent Moon, Neptune and Jupiter - all in the pre-dawn sky together. First the right triangle of Venus, Mars, and Uranus followed by the waning crescent Moon and then finally by Neptune and Jupiter. Mars will be a faint 1.41 mag so binoculars will be helpful. The next day, possible occultation of Venus by the Moon. Check the IOTA website for occultations in your area. May 25th - Jupiter and Neptune - Jupiter is less than 1/2 degree South of Neptune in the morning sky. If you have ever had problems finding Neptune this would be a good time to try, between now and June. June 19th - Venus and Mars - In the pre-dawn sky just south of a waning crescent Moon. Closer to the Sun is Mercury and the Pleiades. August 17th - Saturn and Mercury - Very close to the Sun low in the evening sky. Much better view for Southern viewers. September 3rd UT 4:43 - Jupiter hides its Galilean moons. Not until 2019 will all of Jupiter's Galilean moons orbit in such a way. September 4th - Saturn - Not exactly a pairing but the Earth will cross the plane of the rings from south to north making the rings invisible October 16th - Mercury, Venus, and Saturn - All lined up in the pre-dawn sky close to the horizon. A faint waning crescent is just south of the trio. December 24th - Jupiter and Neptune - Just after sunset Jupiter and Neptune sit side-by-side just north of delta Capricornus and east of the "42,44,45 Cap Wall" Phases of the Moon 2009 (click to enlarge) Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 4 11 56 JAN. 11 3 27 JAN. 18 2 46 JAN. 26 7 55 FEB. 2 23 13 FEB. 9 14 49 FEB. 16 21 37 FEB. 25 1 35 MAR. 4 7 46 MAR. 11 2 38 MAR. 18 17 47 MAR. 26 16 06 APR. 2 14 34 APR. 9 14 56 APR. 17 13 36 APR. 25 3 23 MAY 1 20 44 MAY 9 4 01 MAY 17 7 26 MAY 24 12 11 MAY 31 3 22 JUNE 7 18 12 JUNE 15 22 15 JUNE 22 19 35 JUNE 29 11 28 JULY 7 9 21 JULY 15 9 53 JULY 22 2 35 JULY 28 22 00 AUG. 6 0 55 AUG. 13 18 55 AUG. 20 10 02 AUG. 27 11 42 SEPT. 4 16 03 SEPT. 12 2 16 SEPT. 18 18 44 SEPT. 26 4 50 OCT. 4 6 10 OCT. 11 8 56 OCT. 18 5 33 OCT. 26 0 42 NOV. 2 19 14 NOV. 9 15 56 NOV. 16 19 14 NOV. 24 21 39 DEC. 2 7 30 DEC. 9 0 13 DEC. 16 12 02 DEC. 24 17 36 DEC. 31 19 13 Eclipses for 2009 2009 January 26[ Solar: Annular ] 2009 February 09[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 July 07[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 July 21-22[ Solar: Total ] 2009 August 05-06[ Lunar: Penumbral ] 2009 December 31[ Lunar: Penumbral ]   January 26 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2009 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in western Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track that traverses the Indian Ocean and western Indonesia. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southern third of Africa, Madagascar, Australia except Tasmania, southeast India, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.  February 09 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The first lunar eclipse of 2009 is one of four such events during the year. The first three eclipses are penumbral while the last (on Dec. 31) is partial. The Feb 09 event is the deepest penumbral eclipse of the year with a penumbral magnitude of 0.899. It will be easily visible to the naked eye as a dusky shading in the northern half of the Moon. The times of the major phases are listed below. July 07 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): July's penumbral eclipse is only of academic interest since the magnitude is just 0.156. Although the Moon will be above the horizon from most of Canada, the eclipse is so minor as to be completely invisible to the naked eye. July 21-22 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): To make up for the anemic lunar eclipse earlier in the month, a major total eclipse of the Sun occurs two weeks later. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow extends across India, China, a handful of Japanese islands and the South Pacific Ocean (Espenak and Anderson, 2008). A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean. August 05-06 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): A shallow penumbral eclipse occurs 15 days after the total solar eclipse. Since its magnitude is only 0.402, it will not be visible to the naked eye. December 31 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2009 occurs on New Year's Eve. This minor partial lunar eclipse takes place in Gemini, and is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere (Figure 8). Greatest eclipse takes place at 19:23 UT when the eclipse magnitude will reach 0.0763. Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) 2009 Meteor Shower Calendar Shower Activity Period Maximum Radiant Velocity r ZHR Class Moon     Date S. L. R.A. Dec. km/s         Antihelion Source (ANT) Dec 14-Sep 07 - - - - 30 3.0 3 II - Quadrantids (QUA) Dec 26-Jan 13 Jan 03 283Â16 15:20 +49Â 42 2.1 120 I 6 Alpha Centaurids (ACE) Jan 28-Feb 21 Feb 07 319Â2 14:00 -59Â 56 2.0 5 II 12 Delta Leonids (DLE) Feb 15-Mar 10 Feb 25 336Â 11:12 +16Â 23 3.0 2 II 0 Gamma Normids (GNO) Feb 25-Mar 22 Mar 13 353Â 16:36 -51Â 56 2.4 4 II 16 Lyrids (LYR) Apr 16-Apr 27 Apr 23 033Â 18:12 +33Â 46 2.1 18 I 27 Pi Puppids (PPU) Apr 15-Apr 28 Apr 23 033Â5 07:20 -45Â 18 2.0 var III 27 Eta Aquarids (ETA) Apr 27-May 23 May 07 047Â 22:36 -01Â 68 2.4 60 I 12 Eta Lyrids (ELY) May 06-May 14 May 10 050Â 19:22 +43Â 43 3.0 3 II 15 June Bootids (JBO) Jun 22-Jul 02 Jun 27 095Â7 14:56 +48Â 18 2.2 var III 5 Piscis Austrinids (PAU) Jul 15-Aug 10 Jul 28 125Â 22:44 -30Â 35 3.2 5 II 7 Alpha Capricornids (CAP) Jul 12-Aug 08 Jul 28 125Â 20:20 -10Â 24 2.5 4 II 7 Delta Aquarids (SDA) Jul 21-Aug 30 Jul 30 127Â 22:42 -17Â 43 3.2 20 I 9 Perseids (PER) Jul 13-Aug 26 Aug 12 140Â 03:12 +58Â 59 2.6 100 I 20 Kappa Cygnids (KCG) Aug 03-Aug 25 Aug 17 145Â 19:04 +59Â 25 3.0 3 II 25 Alpha Aurigids (AUR) Aug 28-Sep 03 Sep 01 158Â6 06:06 +39Â 65 2.6 7 II 11 September Perseids (SPR) Sep 06-Sep 13 Sep 10 168Â 03:12 +40Â 65 2.9 5 II 19 Delta Aurigids (DAU) Sep 18-Oct 10 Sep 29 186Â 05:52 +49Â 64 2.9 2 II 13 Draconids (GIA) Oct 06-Oct 10 Oct 08 195Â4 17:28 +54Â 20 2.6 var III 18 Southern Taurids (STA) Sep 18-Nov 26 Oct 11 198Â 02:18 +09Â 29 2.3 5 II 21 Epsilon Geminids (EGE) Oct 18-Oct 21 Oct 20 207Â 06:48 +28Â 71 3.0 2 II 2 Orionids (ORI) Sep 28-Nov 10 Oct 21 208Â 06:22 +16Â 68 2.5 23 I 3 Leo Minorids (LMI) Oct 17-Oct 27 Oct 23 209Â 10:40 +37Â 61 2.7 2 II 4 Northern Taurids (NTA) Oct 20-Nov 29 Nov 13 231Â 03:52 +22Â 29 2.3 5 II 25 Leonids (LEO) Nov 07-Nov 28 Nov 18 236Â 10:16 +22Â 71 2.5 var III 1 Alpha Monocerotids (AMO) Nov 15-Nov 25 Nov 21 239Â32 07:48 +01Â 65 2.4 var III 4 Dec Phoenicids (PHO) Nov 28-Dec 09 Dec 06 254Â25 01:12 -53Â 18 2.8 var III 18 Puppid/Velids (PUP) Dec 01-Dec 15 Dec 07 255Â 08:12 -45Â 40 2.9 10 I 19 Monocerotids (MON) Dec 06-Dec 20 Dec 07 255Â 06:32 +09Â 41 3.0 2 II 10 Sigma Hydrids (HYD) Nov 22-Dec 23 Dec 09 257Â 08:24 +03Â 60 3.0 3 II 21 Geminids (GEM) Dec 05-Dec 19 Dec 14 262Â2 07:36 +32Â 35 2.6 120 I 26 Coma Berenicids (COM) Dec 10-Jan 25 Dec 19 268Â 11:40 +25Â 64 3.0 5 II 3 Ursids (URS) Dec 16-Dec 25 Dec 22 270Â7 14:34 +75Â 32 3.0 10 I 5 Information and Table Template Courtesy The American Meteor Society, International Meteor Organization, and Meteors Online. Explanation of the 2009 Meteor Shower Calendar Shower: named for the constellation or closest star within a constellation where the radiant is located at maximum activity. Activity Period: the dates when the ZHR (Zenith Hourly Rates) are equal to or greater than one. Maximum: the date on which the maximum activity is expected to occur. S.L.: the equivalent solar longitude of the date of maximum activity. Solar longitude is measured in degrees (0-359) with 0 occurring at the exact moment of the spring equinox, 90 at the summer solstice, 180 at the autumnal equinox, and 270 at the winter solstice. Radiant: the area in the sky where shower meteors seem to appear from. This position is given in right ascension (celestial longitude) and declination (celestial latitude). Velocity: the velocity at which shower meteors strike the Earth's atmosphere. The velocity depends on the angle meteoroids (meteors in space) intersect the Earth. Meteoroids orbiting in the opposite direction of the Earth and striking the atmosphere head-on are much faster than those orbiting in the same direction as the Earth. This velocity is measured in kilometers per second. r: The Population Index, An estimate of the ratio of the number of meteors in subsequent magnitude classes. Simply stated: the lower the "r" value, the resulting overall mean magnitude of each shower will be brighter. "r" usually ranges from 2.0 (bright) to 3.5 (faint). ZHR: Zenith Hourly Rate, the average maximum number of shower meteors visible per hour if the radiant is located exactly overhead and the limiting magnitude equals +6.5. Actual counts rarely reach this figure as the zenith angle of the radiant is usually less and the limiting magnitude is usually lower. ZHR is a useful tool when comparing the actual observed rates between individual observers as it sets observing conditions for all to the same standards. Class: A scale developed by Robert Lunsford to group meteor showers by their intensity: Class I: the strongest annual showers with ZHR's normally ten or better. Class II: reliable minor showers with ZHR's normally three or better. Class III: showers with widely variable rates. They may be strong one year and totally inactive the next. Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR's rarely exceeding three. The study of these showers is best left to experienced observers who use plotting and angular velocity estimates to determine shower association. Observers with less experience are urged to limit their shower associations to showers with a rating of I to III. These showers are also good targets for video and photographic work. Moon: the age of the moon in days where 0 is new, 7 is first quarter, 14 is full, and 21 is last quarter. Meteor activity is best seen in the absence of moonlight so showers reaching maximum activity when the moon is less than 10 days old or more than 25 are much more favorably observed than those situated closer to the full moon. Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2009" RASC

Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map! Northern hemisphere sky mapSouthern hemisphere sky map Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional Information James Barclay's siteRoyal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ siteSouthern Sky Watch. Planets for December 2008 Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Neptune, Uranus all in the evening by months end. Saturn rising before midnight and only Mars is missing from the major planet lineup. Early December Evening Planets (click image to enlarge) Late December Evening Planets (click image to enlarge) Mercury- Starts the month passing into the evening sky and by mid-month appears in the evening twilight. By the end of the month look for Mercury next to Jupiter in the evening twilight. -0.8 mag (1st) to -1.2 mag (21st) Venus- Started the month in a stellar pairing with Jupiter but climbs eastward, and Jupiter westward, quickly. Venus will be the crown jewel of the evening sky for the entire month. -4.0 mag (1st) to -4.1 mag (21st) Mars- Mars is in conjunction with the Sun on Dec 5th, not to be seen again until 2009! 1.5 (1st) to 1.5 mag (21st) Jupiter- Setting earlier every night pairing up with Jupiter towards the end of the month. As 2009 dawns Jupiter sets in evening twilight. -2.1 mag (1st) to -2.0 mag (21st) Saturn- By the middle of the month Saturn rises in before midnight (in Leo). Look carefully at the rings as the inclination closes to 0.8 deg 1.0 mag (1st) to 1.0 mag (21st) Uranus- In Aquarius 5.8 mag (1st) to 5.8 mag (21st) Neptune- In Capricorn 7.9 mag (1st) to 7.9 mag (21st) (click for a larger images) 2008 Finder Charts for Neptune and Uranus -Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere Key Dates for December 2008 Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 7 pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 10 pm for the mid-northern latitudes. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights - December 2008 5 - First Quarter Moon 7 - Earliest sunset of 2008 at 40 deg north (4:35) 11 - Moon 0.7 deg N of Pleiades(M45) @ 8UT possible occultation, check the IOTA website for information for your area 12 - Full Moon - at perigee (356566 km) closest and largest of 2008 - Large Tides 13 - Geminid meteor peak - not a great year...too much moon 15 - Moon 1.4 deg S of Beehive (M44) 19 - Vesta stationary - Saturn 6 deg N of Moon - Last Quarter Moon 21 - Solstice (12:04 UT) - Happy Birthday to Astronomy a Go Go! (3 years old) - Start watching for comet 85P/Boethin 22 - Pluto in conjunction with the Sun - Ursid meteor peak 25 - Antares 0.1 deg S of Moon possible occultation, check the IOTA website for information for your area 26 - Moon at apogee (406601 km) 27 - Venus 1.5 deg S of Neptune - New Moon 29 - Mercury 0.7 deg S of Moon possible occultation, check the IOTA website for information for your area - Jupiter 0.6 deg N of Moon possible occultation, check the IOTA website for information for your area 31 - Mercury 1.3 deg S of Jupiter Date information courtesy of: RASC Observer's Handbook, Skymaps.com, Astronomical Calendar 2008, CalSky, Skymaps.com. sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier*This will be a fairly easy month on the tour. We will view two small, but bright globular clusters, two open star clusters, and the grandest galaxy in the sky along with it's two companions. All of these objects are possible to find in binoculars, most are fairly easy. M2 This is a small, bright globular cluster in Aquarius. To find it in binoculars look for a fuzzy star in a star poor field. A low power telescope field will show a round fuzzy patch, brighter in the center and fading to the edge, in a field with no other bright objects. M15 This globular cluster in Pegasus is very similar to M2 in size and brightness, except it is surrounded by several bright stars. Fairly easy to find in binoculars but the best view is through a telescope at medium to high power. M29 This galactic cluster is a small, sparse group of stars in Cygnus. It appears as a small fuzzy patch amongst a rich star field in binoculars. A telescope will easily resolve the members of this cluster. The shape of the cluster reminds me of the Pleiades as viewed through binoculars. M39 Dark skies will allow this large, bright cluster in Cygnus to be seen with the naked eye as a hazy patch of light. Binoculars easily resolve this cluster into it's bright and widely scattered members, and provide a better view than can be seen with most telescopes. M31, M32, and M110 M31 is the famous Andromeda Galaxy, our closest galactic neighbor, and the largest, brightest galaxy to be seen in the northern sky. The ability to see M31 with the naked eye provides a good, modern day, test of the darkness of your skies. M31 is so large that binoculars provide the best view, allowing the entire galaxy to be seen in one field of view. Look for an elongated patch of light, with a bright, round central core. M32 is an elliptical companion galaxy to M31. Through a telescope look for a slightly oval ball of fuzz in the same low power field as the core of M31. M32 is very possible to find in binoculars as a star like point of light. M110, Another elliptical companion galaxy to M31, lying on the opposite side of the core as M32. Through a telescope look for a large, oval patch of light. Although M110 is as bright as M32 it is much larger and thus has a lower surface brightness making it a difficult object in light polluted skies. M110 is a very difficult binocular object requiring dark transparent skies, and trained eyes to have a chance at finding it. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada Comets for December 2008 Seiichi Yoshida's comet website. Also checkout Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder! Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"Great Big Sea- "French Shores" Antonin Bastian- "Tu Cha Cha Cha" Astronomical Highlights for 2008 Earth's major motions for 2008 Perihelion Jan 3 00h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 05:48(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 20 23:59(UT) Aphelion July 4 08h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 15:44(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 12:04(UT) Planet Positions for 2008 2008 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap A qr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Sco Oph Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sg r Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Le o Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Interes ting Planet Pairing for 2008 January (first two week) - Mars, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran - Mars will be moving westward into this red triangle, pausing at the end of the month and then returning to regular Eastward motion at the beginning of February. February 1 (start watching in early January) - Jupiter and Venus - Start this early in January with Jupiter just off the horizon and watch as they creep closer and closer. On the 1st of Feb early in the morning, about one hour before sunrise in the east, Jupiter and Venus are less than one degree apart in the constellation Sagittarius. They will be outstanding and you could imagine all sorts of symbolism that could be associated with this conjunction. February 27 - Mercury and Venus - Rising just one hour before the Sun in the East in the constellation Capricornus. Venus and Mercury will be just over one degree apart and then Venus will speed off, with Mercury in hot pursuit. March 24 - Mercury and Venus...again - Mercury catches up to Venus again, this time less than one degree apart and in the constellation Aquarius. They will also be rising above the horizon only a half hour before the sun, so seeing them will be quite a challenge. July 10 - Mars and Saturn - In the constellation Leo yellowish-white Saturn and reddish Mars will be less than one degree from each other. The pair is still up two hours after sunset and are bright so it should be easy to see. August 13 - Venus and Saturn - Less than one degree apart in the constellation Leo. Venus will be the brighter of the two. August 14 (watch from 10-16th)- Venus, Mercury, and Saturn - Just after sunset a triple conjunction! The three planets will be less than three degrees apart in the constellation Leo and almost in a line. Venus will be the highest and brightest Saturn the middle object and Mercury will be the lowest of the three but surprisingly brighter than Saturn. If you want to make this even more interesting look for Mars 16 degrees to the SW the trio. August 19-21 - Venus and Mercury - The two planets will be about one degree apart for three days. VERY low on the western horizon at sunset. September 11 (watch from 5-18)- Venus and Mars - Venus will come right next to the Red Planet, with the two less than one degree apart Mercury lying three and a half degrees away from the pair and shining brighter than Mars. The whole group will set just one hour after sunset. December 1 - Venus and Jupiter - All within Sagittarius, the two planets will be two degrees apart and they don't set until three hours after sunset. As a bonus, a 15%-lit moon will lie three degrees away from Venus. December 31 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. 2008 Phases of the Moon Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 8 11 37 JAN. 15 19 46 JAN. 22 13 35 JAN. 30 5 03FEB. 7 3 44 FEB. 14 3 33 FEB. 21 3 30 FEB. 29 2 18MAR. 7 17 14 MAR. 14 10 46 MAR. 21 18 40 MAR. 29 21 47APR. 6 3 55 APR. 12 18 32 APR. 20 10 25 APR. 28 14 12MAY 5 12 18 MAY 12 3 47 MAY 20 2 11 MAY 28 2 57JUNE 3 19 23 JUNE 10 15 04 JUNE 18 17 30 JUNE 26 12 10JULY 3 2 19 JULY 10 4 35 JULY 18 7 59 JULY 25 18 42AUG. 1 10 13 AUG. 8 20 20 AUG. 16 21 16 AUG. 23 23 50AUG. 30 19 58 SEPT. 7 14 04 SEPT. 15 9 13 SEPT. 22 5 04 SEPT. 29 8 12 OCT. 7 9 04 OCT. 14 20 02 OCT. 21 11 55OCT. 28 23 14 NOV. 6 4 03 NOV. 13 6 17 NOV. 19 21 31NOV. 27 16 55 DEC. 5 21 26 DEC. 12 16 37 DEC. 19 10 29DEC. 27 12 22 Eclipses for 2008 2008 February 07[ Solar: Annular ] 2008 February 21[ Lunar: Total ] 2008 August 01[ Solar: Total ] 2008 August 16[ Lunar: Partial ] February 07 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2008 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track, that traverses Antarctica and southern regions of the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southeastern third of Australia, all of New Zealand and most of Antarctica. August 1 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): On Friday, 2008 August 01, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia. Special website with extra information and links to live eclipse webcasts can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website for the August 1st Eclipse February 20th - Total Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): The first lunar eclipse of 2008 is perfectly placed for observers throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe. The eclipse occurs at the Moon's descending node, midway between perigee and apogee. During the eclipse, Saturn lies about 3Â northeast of the Moon and shines brightly (mv = +0.2) because it is near opposition. Special website with live broadcast can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website August 16 - Partial Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2008 is a partial lunar eclipse at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. It is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere as well as eastern South America Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) Meteor Showers for 2008All times are UT Name Date of PeakTime in UT (help with time) Moon Phase Quadrantids January 4, 7h Waning Crescent Lyrids April 22, 4h almost Full Eta Aquarids May 5, 18h New Moon Perseids August 12, 11h Waxing Gibbous Orionids October 21, 4h Last Quarter Leonids November 17, 10h Waning Gibbous Geminids December 13, 23h Full Moon Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2008" RASC

Astronomy a Go Go! November Sky Tour Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map! Northern hemisphere sky mapSouthern hemisphere sky map Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional Information James Barclay's site Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ site Southern Sky Watch. Planets for November 2008 Early November evening planets and Saturn with Ceres in the morning(click for a larger image) Venus and Jupiter dominate the early evening sky while Mercury and Saturn put on a nice display for the early riser Mercury- In Virgo starts the month visible to N. Hemisphere views just before sunrise. Mercury creeps closer to the Sun and is in superior conjunction on the 25th of the month, returning to the evening sky. -0.8 mag (1st) to -1.2 mag (21st) Venus- In Ophiuchus shine brighter as it slowly climbs away from the Sun and closer to Jupiter. Setting well after full dark. Venus, Jupiter and a 3 day old Moon will put on a beautiful show on the last day of November and the first day of December. Have your cameras ready! Keep an eye on Venus and her phases too, she will be moving from gibbous to a quarter phase in January. -3.9 mag (1st) to -4.0 mag (21st) Mars- Too close to the Sun for most viewers. Mars is in conjunction with the Sun on Dec 5th, not to be seen again until 2009! 1.5 (1st) to 1.5 mag (21st) Jupiter- In Sagittarius. Still a fantastic early evening object makes a wonderful pairing with Venus and the Moon at the end of this month and the beginning of the next. -2.1 mag (1st) to -2.0 mag (21st) Saturn- In Leo rising higher and earlier each morning until the end of the month when Saturn rises just before midnight for mid-Northern viewers. 1.0 mag (1st) to 1.0 mag (21st) Uranus- In Aquarius 5.8 mag (1st) to 5.8 mag (21st) Neptune- In Capricorn 7.9 mag (1st) to 7.9 mag (21st) Both Neptune and Uranus are in nice, handy, positions for finding. This would be great time to bag these planets before bad weather and creeping horizons make them disappear! Uranus, and Neptune for Nov 08 (click for a larger image) Uranus finder Neptune finder Vesta finder (click for a larger images) 2008 Finder Charts for Neptune and Uranus -Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere Key Dates for November 2008 Days and Times in UT: (help with time) Observations are for 9 pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 9 pm for the mid-northern latitudes. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights - November 2008 2 - Moon at apogee (furtherest from Earth 405,724 km) - Neptune Stationary 5 - Southern Taurid meteor shower peak. Remnants of comet 2P/Encke may produce several bright fireballs and possible 'swarm' return. (4h UT) Moon near 1st quarter 6 - First Quarter Moon, Neptune 1.1 deg S of Moon, possible occultation check the IOTA website for occultation information for your area. 7 - Fourth cross quarter day 12 - N. Taurid meteor shower peak. Near full moon will obscure all but the brightest fireballs 13 - Full Moon (6:17 UT) near the Pleiades 14 - Moon at perigee (closest to the Earth 358 971) Large Tides 17 - Leonids meteor peak. Remnants of comet Temple-Tuttle you can expect 10-15 meteors per hour while the sky is dark. Waning gibbous Moon will interfere. 19 - Last Quarter Moon 22 - Alpha Monocerotid meteor shower peak. The constellation Monoceros is between Orion and Canis Minor, the progenitor comet undetermined?? 23 - Venus at greatest heliocentric latitude S. 24 - Moon near Spica, brightest star in the constellation Virgo 25 - Mercury in superior conjunction 27 - New Moon (16:55 UT) 28 - Uranus stationary 29 - Moon at apogee (406, 480 km) 30 - Mercury at aphelion (see the Solar System Live website) - Beautiful trio-Jupiter, Venus, and a crescent moon just after sunset Date information courtesy of: RASC Observer's Handbook, Skymaps.com, Astronomical Calendar 2008, CalSky, Skymaps.com. sunrise and sunset times for your home* Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier* This month we have seven more objects for our Messier list. These include four globular clusters, the largest and the smallest planetary nebulas in the catalog, and a small oddity. Two of the objects are fairly easy in binoculars, while four others will require dark skies, patience, and keen eyes to find. M57 - This smallest planetary nebula in the Messier Catalog is the famous Ring nebula in the constellation Lyra. Low power telescope views show a very small blue/green disk, not much bigger than a star. Medium to high power will magnify the size of the nebula while leaving the surrounding stars the same size, confirming you have found it. Can be seen in binoculars as a faint star like point of light. M56 - Also in the constellation of Lyra we find our first globular cluster of the night. In a telescope look for a small round ball of light, slightly brighter in the center. This is a difficult binocular object appearing as a small fuzzy patch. M27 - Also known as the Dumbbell nebula, the largest planetary nebula in the Messier Catalog, M27 lies in the constellation Vulpecula. Fairly easy to see in binoculars as a small hazy patch. In small to medium scopes it appears as a rectangular patch of light. In large scopes it may even appear round in shape with a bright rectangular, or dumbbell shaped core. M71 - Lying in Sagitta, this globular cluster appears as a faint oval hazy patch of light in a telescope. This is a very difficult but possible binocular object, requiring dark skies and trained eyes. M30 - This globular cluster in Capricornus is tough but very possible to see in binoculars as a faint fuzzy star. Telescopes show a small fuzzy ball of light, bright in the center fading to the edges. M72 - This is a small faint globular cluster in Aquarius. Look for a faint oval patch of light, gradually brighter towards the middle. A very difficult binocular object. M73 - This asterism is located near M72 in Aquarius. In a low power telescope view it looks like a very small fuzzy patch of light at first glance. When stared at it reveals itself as a small collection of stars. Medium to high power shows the view best described by Messier "cluster of three or four stars...containing very little nebulosity". From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada Comets for November 2008 Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month!   Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hat or write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!   Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you" Katy Pfaffl- "Butterfly" Uncle Seth- "You don't need an iPod" Astronomical Highlights for 2008   Earth's major motions for 2008 Perihelion Jan 3 00h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 05:48(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 20 23:59(UT) Aphelion July 4 08h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 15:44(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 12:04(UT)   Planet Positions for 2008 2008 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Sco Oph Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo   Interesting Planet Pairing for 2008 January (first two week) - Mars, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran - Mars will be moving westward into this red triangle, pausing at the end of the month and then returning to regular Eastward motion at the beginning of February. February 1 (start watching in early January) - Jupiter and Venus - Start this early in January with Jupiter just off the horizon and watch as they creep closer and closer. On the 1st of Feb early in the morning, about one hour before sunrise in the east, Jupiter and Venus are less than one degree apart in the constellation Sagittarius. They will be outstanding and you could imagine all sorts of symbolism that could be associated with this conjunction. February 27 - Mercury and Venus - Rising just one hour before the Sun in the East in the constellation Capricornus. Venus and Mercury will be just over one degree apart and then Venus will speed off, with Mercury in hot pursuit. March 24 - Mercury and Venus...again - Mercury catches up to Venus again, this time less than one degree apart and in the constellation Aquarius. They will also be rising above the horizon only a half hour before the sun, so seeing them will be quite a challenge. July 10 - Mars and Saturn - In the constellation Leo yellowish-white Saturn and reddish Mars will be less than one degree from each other. The pair is still up two hours after sunset and are bright so it should be easy to see. August 13 - Venus and Saturn - Less than one degree apart in the constellation Leo. Venus will be the brighter of the two. August 14 (watch from 10-16th)- Venus, Mercury, and Saturn - Just after sunset a triple conjunction! The three planets will be less than three degrees apart in the constellation Leo and almost in a line. Venus will be the highest and brightest Saturn the middle object and Mercury will be the lowest of the three but surprisingly brighter than Saturn. If you want to make this even more interesting look for Mars 16 degrees to the SW the trio. August 19-21 - Venus and Mercury - The two planets will be about one degree apart for three days. VERY low on the western horizon at sunset. September 11 (watch from 5-18)- Venus and Mars - Venus will come right next to the Red Planet, with the two less than one degree apart Mercury lying three and a half degrees away from the pair and shining brighter than Mars. The whole group will set just one hour after sunset. December 1 - Venus and Jupiter - All within Sagittarius, the two planets will be two degrees apart and they don't set until three hours after sunset. As a bonus, a 15%-lit moon will lie three degrees away from Venus. December 31 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. 2008 Phases of the Moon Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 8 11 37 JAN. 15 19 46 JAN. 22 13 35 JAN. 30 5 03FEB. 7 3 44 FEB. 14 3 33 FEB. 21 3 30 FEB. 29 2 18MAR. 7 17 14 MAR. 14 10 46 MAR. 21 18 40 MAR. 29 21 47APR. 6 3 55 APR. 12 18 32 APR. 20 10 25 APR. 28 14 12MAY 5 12 18 MAY 12 3 47 MAY 20 2 11 MAY 28 2 57JUNE 3 19 23 JUNE 10 15 04 JUNE 18 17 30 JUNE 26 12 10JULY 3 2 19 JULY 10 4 35 JULY 18 7 59 JULY 25 18 42AUG. 1 10 13 AUG. 8 20 20 AUG. 16 21 16 AUG. 23 23 50AUG. 30 19 58 SEPT. 7 14 04 SEPT. 15 9 13 SEPT. 22 5 04 SEPT. 29 8 12 OCT. 7 9 04 OCT. 14 20 02 OCT. 21 11 55OCT. 28 23 14 NOV. 6 4 03 NOV. 13 6 17 NOV. 19 21 31NOV. 27 16 55 DEC. 5 21 26 DEC. 12 16 37 DEC. 19 10 29DEC. 27 12 22 Eclipses for 2008 2008 February 07[ Solar: Annular ] 2008 February 21[ Lunar: Total ] 2008 August 01[ Solar: Total ] 2008 August 16[ Lunar: Partial ]   February 07 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2008 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track, that traverses Antarctica and southern regions of the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southeastern third of Australia, all of New Zealand and most of Antarctica.  August 1 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): On Friday, 2008 August 01, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia. Special website with extra information and links to live eclipse webcasts can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website for the August 1st Eclipse February 20th - Total Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): The first lunar eclipse of 2008 is perfectly placed for observers throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe. The eclipse occurs at the Moon's descending node, midway between perigee and apogee. During the eclipse, Saturn lies about 3Â northeast of the Moon and shines brightly (mv = +0.2) because it is near opposition. Special website with live broadcast can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website August 16 - Partial Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2008 is a partial lunar eclipse at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. It is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere as well as eastern South America Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) Meteor Showers for 2008All times are UT Name Date of PeakTime in UT (help with time) Moon Phase Quadrantids January 4, 7h Waning Crescent Lyrids April 22, 4h almost Full Eta Aquarids May 5, 18h New Moon Perseids August 12, 11h Waxing Gibbous Orionids October 21, 4h Last Quarter Leonids November 17, 10h Waning Gibbous Geminids December 13, 23h Full Moon Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2008" RASC

Astronomy a Go Go! October Sky Tour Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map! Northern hemisphere sky mapSouthern hemisphere sky map Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional Information James Barclay's siteRoyal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ siteSouthern Sky Watch. Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune for Oct 08 (click for a larger image) October morning planets (click for a larger image) Planets for September 2008 Mercury and Saturn slip into the morning sky, Mars creeps closer to the Sun, Venus is brilliant in the evening sky and the rest of the gang Mercury- Starts in Virgo moves to Leo. By the end of the month look for little Mercury 4 deg from Spica in Virgo 2.6 mag (1st) to -0.4 mag (21st) Venus- In Libra. Much easier to see this month as she rises a little higher each night. Brighter than Jupiter the two make nice finder 'stars' in the early evening. On the 31st look for a slender crescent moon together with the goddess of love and beauty. -3.8 mag (1st) to -3.8 mag (21st) Mars- In Virgo. Mars heads off to do battle with the Sun. Very low on the horizon for southern viewers at the beginning of the month it is lost to high northern latitudes, not to be seen again until 2009! 1.6 (1st) to 1.6 mag (21st) Jupiter- In Sagittarius. Still a fantastic sight to see Jupiter transits around sunset for northern viewers. Jupiter reaches its east quadrature (90 deg east of the Sun) on the 6th. -2.3 mag (1st) to -2.2 mag (21st) Saturn- In Leo. Climbing higher in the morning sky northern latitude views have their best views mid-month. 1.0 mag (1st) to 1.0 mag (21st) Uranus- In Aquarius 5.7 mag (1st) to 5.8 mag (21st) Neptune- In Capricorn 7.9 mag (1st) to 7.9 mag (21st) Finder Charts for Neptune and Uranus -Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere Key Dates for October 2008 Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 9 pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 9 pm for the mid-northern latitudes. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights - September 2008 1 - Mars 5 deg N of the Moon 2 - Venus 5 deg N of the Moon 4 - Antares 0.1 deg N of Moon, possible occultation, check the IOTA website for occultation information for your area. 5 - Moon at apogee (furtherest from Earth 404,721 km) 6 - Mercury at inferior conjunction, passing into the morning sky 7 - Jupiter 2 deg N of Moon - First Quarter 8 - Draconid meteors peak 10 - Neptune 0.9 deg S of Moon, possible occultation, check the IOTA website for occultation information for your area. 12 - Mercury at ascending node 14 - Full Moon (20:02 UT) 15 - Mercury stationary 17 - Mercury at perihelion - Moon at perigee (closest to Earth 363,823 km) - Moon 0.8 deg N of Pleiades (M45) grazing possible for western N.America, check the IOTA website for occultation information for your area. 21 - Orionid meteors peak - pre-dawn, fast, faint, debris from Comet Halley. So if you missed the last Comet Halley pass you can at least step out side and see the leftovers! - Last Quarter 22 - Moon 0.9 deg S of the Beehive (M44) - Mercury at greatest elongation W (18 deg) 23 - Regulus 1.9 deg N of the Moon 25 - Saturn 5 deg N of the Moon 26 - Venus 3 deg N of Antares 27 - Mercury at greatest Heliocentric lat. N - Mercury 7 deg N of the Moon 28 - New Moon 31 - Antares 0.1 deg S of Moon, possible occultation, check the IOTA website for occultation information for your area. Halloween 31st, All Saints' Day Nov 1st and All Souls' Day Nov 2nd and our astronomical cross quarter day, mid-way between equinox and solstice and some would say the beginning of winter. Date information courtesy of: RASC Observer's Handbook, Skymaps.com, Astronomical Calendar 2008, CalSky. sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Equinox pole and those having more fun watching the observers.... ...the early risers of Gold Hill, CO (some of the nicest folk on the planet!)(Photo Credit: Joan Few; Equinox Pole Project Grand Master, pole leveler, and pivotal mathematician: Arthur Few; Pole transportation, hole digging, knots, and lashes by yours truly...that's right, I get the good jobs!) Monthly Messier*Sliding into October we complete our tour of the wonders in Sagittarius. Sixteen Messier objects are found within the constellation of Sagittarius, we will seek the six that remain to be seen on our tour. We will also search for three others just north of Sagittarius in the Milky Way. Our October tour includes two nebulae and the clusters that power them, four open clusters, a star cloud, and lastly two globular clusters. All of these objects are possible in binoculars, most are easy in even small binoculars. Several of these are also possible naked eye objects. M24 - This "object" is actually a section of the Milky Way in Sagittarius. It is easily seen with the naked eye as a fuzzy, oval patch about four times the size of the full moon. The best views are through binoculars or rich field telescopes. M25 - Just east of M24 in Sagittarius we find this open cluster. Visible to the naked eye, M25 lies in the same binocular field as M24. In binoculars it appears as a partially resolved star cluster buried in faint nebulosity. A view through a telescope shows the nebulosity is in fact many faint stars that are not resolved in small instruments. M18 - This is a small open cluster just north of M24 in Sagittarius. In binoculars M18 is easy to see as a small fuzzy patch of light in the same field of view as M24. Telescopes reveal this cluster for what it is, a small, sparse collection of fairly bright stars. M17 - Just north of M18 and in the same binocular field as M24 and M18 lies the Omega nebula. Possible to see with the naked eye and easy with binoculars, this nebula appears as a small faint patch of fuzz. A telescope will show the unique V shape nebulosity that gives the cluster its name. The shape reminds me of a swan with two bright stars that power the cluster embedded in the head and neck of the swan. M16 - Continuing north of M17 we find another nebula in Serpens. To the naked eye and binoculars, this small patch of haze is very similar in appearance to M17 which is in the same binocular field of view. Through a telescope the M16 looks like a sparse open cluster of stars surrounded by faint wisps of smoke. M26 - Continuing to head north through the Milky Way we find this open cluster in the constellation Scutum. This is a difficult object to find in binoculars, but possible as a faint patch of fuzz. Telescopes partially resolve this cluster and show several stars buried in a faint glow from the unresolved stars. M11 - Just north of M26 in Scutum lies the Wild Duck Cluster. Possible to see with the naked eye, binoculars show a small faint patch surrounding a bright star. Telescopes resolve many of the stars in this very rich cluster. M55 - Dipping back into Sagittarius we find two more globular clusters waiting for us. The first is one of the brightest and largest globulars in the catalogue. Possible to see naked eye, it is an easy binocular object appearing as a bright fuzzy ball of light. Telescopes show a round patch of light bright in the center and fading toward the edges. Large aperatures are needed to resolve this globular. M75 - The last object of the month, and the last object to be visited in Sagittarius. In binoculars, M75 is not too hard to see, look for a small fuzzy star. A telescope will show a small fuzz ball with a bright center. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada Comets for October 2008 Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!   Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"Katy Pfaffl- "Halfway There" Albert Collins- "Brick" Astronomical Highlights for 2008 Earth's major motions for 2008 Perihelion Jan 3 00h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 05:48(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 20 23:59(UT) Aphelion July 4 08h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 15:44(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 12:04(UT) Planet Positions for 2008 2008 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Sco Oph Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo   Interesting Planet Pairing for 2008 January (first two week) - Mars, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran - Mars will be moving westward into this red triangle, pausing at the end of the month and then returning to regular Eastward motion at the beginning of February. February 1 (start watching in early January) - Jupiter and Venus - Start this early in January with Jupiter just off the horizon and watch as they creep closer and closer. On the 1st of Feb early in the morning, about one hour before sunrise in the east, Jupiter and Venus are less than one degree apart in the constellation Sagittarius. They will be outstanding and you could imagine all sorts of symbolism that could be associated with this conjunction. February 27 - Mercury and Venus - Rising just one hour before the Sun in the East in the constellation Capricornus. Venus and Mercury will be just over one degree apart and then Venus will speed off, with Mercury in hot pursuit. March 24 - Mercury and Venus...again - Mercury catches up to Venus again, this time less than one degree apart and in the constellation Aquarius. They will also be rising above the horizon only a half hour before the sun, so seeing them will be quite a challenge. July 10 - Mars and Saturn - In the constellation Leo yellowish-white Saturn and reddish Mars will be less than one degree from each other. The pair is still up two hours after sunset and are bright so it should be easy to see. August 13 - Venus and Saturn - Less than one degree apart in the constellation Leo. Venus will be the brighter of the two. August 14 (watch from 10-16th)- Venus, Mercury, and Saturn - Just after sunset a triple conjunction! The three planets will be less than three degrees apart in the constellation Leo and almost in a line. Venus will be the highest and brightest Saturn the middle object and Mercury will be the lowest of the three but surprisingly brighter than Saturn. If you want to make this even more interesting look for Mars 16 degrees to the SW the trio. August 19-21 - Venus and Mercury - The two planets will be about one degree apart for three days. VERY low on the western horizon at sunset. September 11 (watch from 5-18)- Venus and Mars - Venus will come right next to the Red Planet, with the two less than one degree apart Mercury lying three and a half degrees away from the pair and shining brighter than Mars. The whole group will set just one hour after sunset. December 1 - Venus and Jupiter - All within Sagittarius, the two planets will be two degrees apart and they don't set until three hours after sunset. As a bonus, a 15%-lit moon will lie three degrees away from Venus. December 31 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. 2008 Phases of the Moon Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 8 11 37 JAN. 15 19 46 JAN. 22 13 35 JAN. 30 5 03FEB. 7 3 44 FEB. 14 3 33 FEB. 21 3 30 FEB. 29 2 18MAR. 7 17 14 MAR. 14 10 46 MAR. 21 18 40 MAR. 29 21 47APR. 6 3 55 APR. 12 18 32 APR. 20 10 25 APR. 28 14 12MAY 5 12 18 MAY 12 3 47 MAY 20 2 11 MAY 28 2 57JUNE 3 19 23 JUNE 10 15 04 JUNE 18 17 30 JUNE 26 12 10JULY 3 2 19 JULY 10 4 35 JULY 18 7 59 JULY 25 18 42AUG. 1 10 13 AUG. 8 20 20 AUG. 16 21 16 AUG. 23 23 50AUG. 30 19 58 SEPT. 7 14 04 SEPT. 15 9 13 SEPT. 22 5 04 SEPT. 29 8 12 OCT. 7 9 04 OCT. 14 20 02 OCT. 21 11 55OCT. 28 23 14 NOV. 6 4 03 NOV. 13 6 17 NOV. 19 21 31NOV. 27 16 55 DEC. 5 21 26 DEC. 12 16 37 DEC. 19 10 29DEC. 27 12 22 Eclipses for 2008   2008 February 07[ Solar: Annular ] 2008 February 21[ Lunar: Total ] 2008 August 01[ Solar: Total ] 2008 August 16[ Lunar: Partial ]   February 07 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2008 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track, that traverses Antarctica and southern regions of the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southeastern third of Australia, all of New Zealand and most of Antarctica.   August 1 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): On Friday, 2008 August 01, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia. Special website with extra information and links to live eclipse webcasts can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website for the August 1st Eclipse February 20th - Total Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): The first lunar eclipse of 2008 is perfectly placed for observers throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe. The eclipse occurs at the Moon's descending node, midway between perigee and apogee. During the eclipse, Saturn lies about 3Â northeast of the Moon and shines brightly (mv = +0.2) because it is near opposition. Special website with live broadcast can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website August 16 - Partial Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2008 is a partial lunar eclipse at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. It is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere as well as eastern South America Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) Meteor Showers for 2008All times are UT   Name Date of PeakTime in UT (help with time) Moon Phase Quadrantids January 4, 7h Waning Crescent Lyrids April 22, 4h almost Full Eta Aquarids May 5, 18h New Moon Perseids August 12, 11h Waxing Gibbous Orionids October 21, 4h Last Quarter Leonids November 17, 10h Waning Gibbous Geminids December 13, 23h Full Moon Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2008" RASC

Astronomy a Go Go! September Sky Tour Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map! Northern hemisphere sky mapSouthern hemisphere sky map Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional Information James Barclay's siteRoyal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ siteSouthern Sky Watch. Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune for Sept 08 (click for a larger image) The Venus, Mars, Mecury Trio for lower latitudes, Sept 08 (click for a larger image) Planets for September 2008 Southern and Equatorial viewers will have a splendid view of the Venus, Mars, Mercury trio-triangle early in the month in Virgo SW of Porrima (Virgo's southern shoulder). Best view of Mercury for the entire year. Those above 30 deg North will struggle to pick out Venus and Mercury in the bright twilight evening sky. Mercury- In Virgo. Best viewed by those in the South until mid-month. By early October Mercury will be in inferior conjunction and returning to the morning sky. 0.0 mag (1st) to 0.5 mag (21st) Venus- In Virgo. The brightest member of the Venus, Mars, and Mercury trio look for outstanding conjunctions on the 11th and 12 as the goddess of love pairs up with the god of war. Best for viewers south of 30 deg North -3.8 mag (1st) to -3.8 mag (21st) Mars- In Virgo. In addition to the groupings and conjunctions listed above, from the 15th-20th Spica joins the group for a lovely traveling quartet 1.7 (1st) to 1.7 mag (21st) Jupiter- In Sagittarius. Starts the month in retrograde (westward) motion becoming stationary on the 8th and returns to proper motion. The best planet show for the northern hemisphere -2.5 mag (1st) to -2.4 mag (21st) Saturn- In Leo. Starts the month in conjunction with the Sun but by month's end early rising viewers will find it rising in the East about two hours before the Sun. Look for Regulus and find Saturn just under 15 deg East. After about 4 months without Saturn make sure you look at the rings and see how much they have 'closed' or moved parallel to our perspective. On the 26th look for a sliver of a waning crescent Moon near Regulus. 0.8 mag (1st) to 0.9 mag (21st) Uranus-In Aquarius all year. Use the finder charts above to help you find Uranus, it is only a little smaller, optically, than Mars looks now. 5.7 mag (1st) to 5.7 mag (21st) Neptune-In Capricorn 7.8 mag (1st) to 7.8 mag (21st) Finder Charts for Neptune and Uranus -Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere Key Dates for September 2008 Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 9 pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 9 pm for the mid-northern latitudes. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights - September 2008 1 - Algol (Beta Persei) at min (8:37) - Venus, Mercury and Mars grouped in a triangle 5 deg from the waxing crescent Moon 2 - Double Shadow Transit on Jupiter (18:40) 4 - Saturn in conjunction with the sun - passes into the morning sky 6 - Moon to the SW of Antares, the bright red star in Scorpio. Very low on the horizon for Northern viewers. 7 - Algol at min (2:14) - thus sets the pattern for the month (2.867315 days) - Antares 0.3 deg N or Moon (3:00), possible occultation, check the IOTA website for occultation information for your area. - First Quarter Moon (14:04) Moon at apogee furtherest point from the Earth (404214 km) 8 - Double Shadow Transit on Jupiter (0:12) Jupiter stationary 9 - Pluto stationary, Jupiter 3 deg N of Moon 11 - Mercury greatest elongation E (27deg), Venus and Mars .3 deg apart (naked eye they will look almost fused) 13 - Neptune 0.8 deg S of Moon, possible occultation, check the IOTA website for occultation information for your area. - Uranus at opposition - visible (if you know where to look) with the naked eye at 5.7 mag in DARK skies. Use the finder charts in the section above to find the very faint blue-green diskie star. 15 - Full Moon (9:13) 20 - Moon at perigee, closest to Earth (368886 km) - Moon 1 deg N of Pleiades (M45) 22 - September Equinox!! (15:45) The Sun crosses the celestial equator and heads south. Autumnal in the NH and Vernal in the SH - Last Quarter Moon (5:04) 24 - Mercury Stationary 27 - Zodiacal Lights visible in Northern Latitudes in East before morning twilight for the next two weeks. - Saturn 5 deg N of waning crescent Moon 28 - Delta Aurigid 29 - New Moon (8:12) Date information courtesy of: RASC Observer's Handbook, Skymaps.com, Astronomical Calendar 2008, CalSky. *The time when the Sun reaches the point along the ecliptic where it crosses into the southern celestial hemisphere marking the start of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and Spring in the Southern Hemisphere. sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier* This month our monthly Messier hits some big easy targets, eight more globular clusters, all are possible in binoculars, and two of these are the finest globulars which can be seen from northern locations. Sagittarius is the home of many globular clusters which surround the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. Seven of the these globulars appear in the Messier catalog, we will be visiting five of them this month. When you complete the search for these objects be sure to spend some time scanning this region with binoculars or a telescope and see what other sights you can discover. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. M13 - The great globular cluster in Hercules is bright enough to be seen with naked eye and typically the first GC found by amateur astronomers in the NH. Binoculars easily show this cluster as a bright fuzzy ball. M13 is partially resolvable in small aperture telescopes and becomes a fantastic swarm of tightly packed individual stars through large scopes. M92 - Another globular cluster in Hercules, M92 is easy to find in binoculars appearing slightly dimmer and smaller than M13. As with M13 it is partially resolvable in small scopes and is a fine sight in large instruments. M14 - A small, bright globular cluster in Ophiuchus. It is a difficult binocular object, look for a small fuzzy patch of light. Through a telescope M14 is an even patch of light, the stars not resolvable except through large scopes. M22 - This is the other great globular in our tour this month. Located just above the teapot asterism in Sagittarius, M22 can be seen with no optical aid. M22 is easy to find in binoculars, and easy to resolve in telescopes, with about the same impressiveness as M13. M28 - Located near M22 in Sagittarius, this is a small bright globular. A tough binocular object, look for a small fuzzy patch. Easily seen in a telescope, but requires large aperture to resolve individual stars. M69, M70, M54 All of these are small bright globular clusters laying along the bottom of the teapot in Sagittarius. Very similar in appearance to M28, these are all tough binocular objects requiring dark skies and possibly averted vision to see. M54 is slightly brighter and appears more star like through binoculars than the other globulars. These are all easily seen in telescopes, though not easily resolvable. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada Comets for September 2008 Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!   Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"Mathew Ebel- "Trees" and "Drive Away" Astronomical Highlights for 2008 Earth's major motions for 2008 Perihelion Jan 3 00h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 05:48(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 20 23:59(UT) Aphelion July 4 08h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 15:44(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 12:04(UT) Planet Positions for 2008 2008 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Sco Oph Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo   Interesting Planet Pairing for 2008 January (first two week) - Mars, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran - Mars will be moving westward into this red triangle, pausing at the end of the month and then returning to regular Eastward motion at the beginning of February. February 1 (start watching in early January) - Jupiter and Venus - Start this early in January with Jupiter just off the horizon and watch as they creep closer and closer. On the 1st of Feb early in the morning, about one hour before sunrise in the east, Jupiter and Venus are less than one degree apart in the constellation Sagittarius. They will be outstanding and you could imagine all sorts of symbolism that could be associated with this conjunction. February 27 - Mercury and Venus - Rising just one hour before the Sun in the East in the constellation Capricornus. Venus and Mercury will be just over one degree apart and then Venus will speed off, with Mercury in hot pursuit. March 24 - Mercury and Venus...again - Mercury catches up to Venus again, this time less than one degree apart and in the constellation Aquarius. They will also be rising above the horizon only a half hour before the sun, so seeing them will be quite a challenge. July 10 - Mars and Saturn - In the constellation Leo yellowish-white Saturn and reddish Mars will be less than one degree from each other. The pair is still up two hours after sunset and are bright so it should be easy to see. August 13 - Venus and Saturn - Less than one degree apart in the constellation Leo. Venus will be the brighter of the two. August 14 (watch from 10-16th)- Venus, Mercury, and Saturn - Just after sunset a triple conjunction! The three planets will be less than three degrees apart in the constellation Leo and almost in a line. Venus will be the highest and brightest Saturn the middle object and Mercury will be the lowest of the three but surprisingly brighter than Saturn. If you want to make this even more interesting look for Mars 16 degrees to the SW the trio. August 19-21 - Venus and Mercury - The two planets will be about one degree apart for three days. VERY low on the western horizon at sunset. September 11 (watch from 5-18)- Venus and Mars - Venus will come right next to the Red Planet, with the two less than one degree apart Mercury lying three and a half degrees away from the pair and shining brighter than Mars. The whole group will set just one hour after sunset. December 1 - Venus and Jupiter - All within Sagittarius, the two planets will be two degrees apart and they don't set until three hours after sunset. As a bonus, a 15%-lit moon will lie three degrees away from Venus. December 31 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. 2008 Phases of the Moon Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 8 11 37 JAN. 15 19 46 JAN. 22 13 35 JAN. 30 5 03FEB. 7 3 44 FEB. 14 3 33 FEB. 21 3 30 FEB. 29 2 18MAR. 7 17 14 MAR. 14 10 46 MAR. 21 18 40 MAR. 29 21 47APR. 6 3 55 APR. 12 18 32 APR. 20 10 25 APR. 28 14 12MAY 5 12 18 MAY 12 3 47 MAY 20 2 11 MAY 28 2 57JUNE 3 19 23 JUNE 10 15 04 JUNE 18 17 30 JUNE 26 12 10JULY 3 2 19 JULY 10 4 35 JULY 18 7 59 JULY 25 18 42AUG. 1 10 13 AUG. 8 20 20 AUG. 16 21 16 AUG. 23 23 50AUG. 30 19 58 SEPT. 7 14 04 SEPT. 15 9 13 SEPT. 22 5 04 SEPT. 29 8 12 OCT. 7 9 04 OCT. 14 20 02 OCT. 21 11 55OCT. 28 23 14 NOV. 6 4 03 NOV. 13 6 17 NOV. 19 21 31NOV. 27 16 55 DEC. 5 21 26 DEC. 12 16 37 DEC. 19 10 29DEC. 27 12 22 Eclipses for 2008   2008 February 07[ Solar: Annular ] 2008 February 21[ Lunar: Total ] 2008 August 01[ Solar: Total ] 2008 August 16[ Lunar: Partial ]   February 07 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2008 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track, that traverses Antarctica and southern regions of the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southeastern third of Australia, all of New Zealand and most of Antarctica.   August 1 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): On Friday, 2008 August 01, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia. Special website with extra information and links to live eclipse webcasts can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website for the August 1st Eclipse February 20th - Total Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): The first lunar eclipse of 2008 is perfectly placed for observers throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe. The eclipse occurs at the Moon's descending node, midway between perigee and apogee. During the eclipse, Saturn lies about 3Â northeast of the Moon and shines brightly (mv = +0.2) because it is near opposition. Special website with live broadcast can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website August 16 - Partial Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2008 is a partial lunar eclipse at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. It is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere as well as eastern South America Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) Meteor Showers for 2008All times are UT   Name Date of PeakTime in UT (help with time) Moon Phase Quadrantids January 4, 7h Waning Crescent Lyrids April 22, 4h almost Full Eta Aquarids May 5, 18h New Moon Perseids August 12, 11h Waxing Gibbous Orionids October 21, 4h Last Quarter Leonids November 17, 10h Waning Gibbous Geminids December 13, 23h Full Moon Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2008" RASC

Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map! Northern hemisphere sky mapSouthern hemisphere sky map Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional Information James Barclay's siteRoyal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ siteSouthern Sky Watch. Planets for March 2008 Mercury- reaches greatest elongation west on the 3rd. For southern observers Mercury is at it best morning apparition until mid-March. Mercury is visible all month brightening as it creeps back towards the Sun. Mercury will be close to Venus for most of the month making it much easier to find than usual. They are in close conjunction on the 23rd 0.1 mag (1st) to -0.1 mag (21st) Venus- in Capricorn is still preceding the Sun but Venus begins to fade as it creeps into glow of the Sun. Paired up with Mercury for most of the month those close to the equator will have a nice view of the pair. -3.8 mag (1st) to -3.8 mag (21st) Mars- Crosses over into Gemini this month and continues to shrink from 9" to 7", too small to show much detail in the average backyard telescope. Mars will be close to M35 on the 10th and it is appropriate that Mars is visible all night in the month which bears its name. Mars also shows a gibbous globe for the next two months. 0.2 (1st) to 0.6 mag (21st) Jupiter- For Southern observers will have Jupiter rising after midnight while those in the mid-northern latitudes. On the 30th use the nearly last quarter Moon to try and spot Jupiter, sitting to the Moon's NE, during the day. -2.0 mag (1st) to -2.1 mag (21st) Saturn- having reached opposition in February Saturn spend the month in Leo. The tilt of Saturn's rings increases from 6.7 deg to 9.9 deg in early May before beginning to close again at the end of 2008. 0.2 mag (1st) to 0.3 mag (21st) Uranus-In Aquarius all year 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9 mag (21st) Neptune-In Capricorn 8.0 mag (1st) to 8.0 mag (21st) Key Dates for March 2008Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 9 pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 9 pm for the mid-northern latitudes. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights - March 2008 "In like a lion and out like a lamb" - Zodiacal Light best seen after evening twilight on the Western horizon through the 7th then again from the 23rd - April 5th 3 - Moon near Jupiter - Mercury at greatest elongation, 27 deg west from Sun (morning sky 11UT) Very low in the east-southeast just before sunrise. If using binoculars or telescope please follow "sun-safe" viewing methods and be aware of the sun! 5 - Moon, Mercury, Venus and telescopic Neptune clustered in the morning sky. TRIPLE occultation (although not all visible from all locations) Check the IOTA website for your location. Most central Moon-planet conjunction (appulse) this year. Daytime Moon/Venus occultation visible from North America and Cuba, check the IOTA website 6 - Sun's north pole most inclined away from Earth (7.25 degrees) 7 - Double or Triple shadow transit on Jupiter (15:05 UT Ganymede, 15:18 Callisto(?), 22:38 Io) 9 - For those who follow DST, Saving Time begins - set clocks forward an hour. - Mercury 1 deg South of Neptune (2hr UT) 10 - Moon at perigee (closest to Earth 366,298 km- ) - Mars 1.7 deg North of M35 in Gemini (17h UT) 12 - Moon near the Pleiades 14 - First Quarter Moon (10:46 UT) 15 - Moon near Mars - The Ides of March (every month has one) 17 - Moon near Beehive cluster (M44) 19 - Moon near Regulus, Check the IOTA website for occultation information for your area. - Moon near Saturn 21 - March or vernal equinox* (5:48 UT) - Full Moon (18:40 UT) 23 - Moon near Spica - An interesting Easter** - Zodiacal Lights visible in Northern latitudes in the west after evening twilight for the next two weeks 24 - Mercury 1 deg from Venus at 14h UT (20Â from Sun, morning sky) mags -0.3 and -3.9. Favors S. Hemisphere skywatchers. 26 - Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth distance 405,092 km-20h UT) 27 - Moon near Antares possible occultation, check the IOTA website for occultation information for your area. - Mercury 1.7 deg South of Uranus 29 - Last Quarter Moon (21:47 UT) 30 - Moon near Jupiter - Last Sunday in March: in the European Union, change clocks forward 1 hours to 'summer time' *The time when the Sun reaches the point along the ecliptic where it crosses into the northern celestial hemisphere marking the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. **Reduced to a one sentence definition, Easter Sunday is calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon which falls on or after the Vernal(March) Equinox. This year the full moon is ON the Vernal(March) equinox so Easter is the 23rd. (The earliest Easter could ever be is March 22 and the latest April 25) sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier*The weekend of the 7-9th of March is a good 'first try' for a Messier Marathon. This is a better for those of you further South and, if we get clouded out then we have the 4-6th of April as a good back up date. The April date will be the better of the two for mid-to higher Northern latitude views but don't pass up on the chance in March if the weather is fair. If you are looking for a good way to conquer the Virgo Cluster go to show #39. There you will find lots of information on navigating the Virgo Cluster. This month highlights 10 messier objects, most are within reach of binoculars, and over half can be seen with the naked eye. M41 - This cluster is visible as a hazy patch to the naked eye just below Sirius in Canis Major. M41 is resolvable in binoculars and appears fairly loose in telescopes at low power. M93 - This is a small fuzzy patch of light in Puppis, partially resolvable in binoculars. The hardest part of finding this cluster in binoculars is picking it out of a fairly rich region of the Milky Way. Use low power to examine this cluster and the surrounding richness in a telescope. Medium power provides a nice view of the cluster itself. M47 - A bright cluster in Puppis, easily visible as a hazy patch to the naked eye. Binoculars will show a large hazy patch with many stars resolvable. Telescopes show a fairly loose cluster with stars of wide variety of magnitudes. M46 - This cluster is right next to M47 and is also visible to the naked eye. In binoculars M46 appears as a large hazy patch with no stars resolvable, giving a nice contrast to M47. In telescopes at low powers this cluster evenly fills the eyepiece. While you are here go to medium or high power and look for the planetary nebula NGC2438. It will appear as a faint uneven ring, with a blue/green color. M50 - An open cluster in Monoceros. This is a small hazy patch in binoculars, partially resolvable. Like M93, the richness of the surrounding field is the only difficulty in finding this object. This is a fairly tight cluster at low power in a telescope. M48 - Moving on to Hydra, we find another naked eye cluster. M48 is a large fuzzy patch in binoculars, partially resolvable. Use low to medium power in your telescope for a spectacular view. M67 - In the southeast portion of Cancer is another open cluster, barely visible as a fuzzy patch to the naked eye. Binoculars show M67 as a large hazy patch of light, similar to M46. Use low power to resolve this large, rich cluster in a telescope. M44 - Known as the Praesepe or Beehive Cluster, this open cluster is easily visible to the naked eye as a large, fuzzy patch bigger than the moon. Binoculars or rich field telescopes provide the best view of M44. M81, M82 - This pair of galaxies in Ursa Major are very possible to see in binoculars, they look like a pair of fuzzy stars. Both galaxies will fit into the same low power telescope field. M81 will appear as a large oval gray patch of light. M82 is a pencil like streak of light next to and perpendicular to the long axis of M81. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada Comets for March 2008 Gary Kronk'sSkyhound Historical and Current Events...Did you know?Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hatMusic Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"Mathew Ebel- "Trees" and "Drive Away" Astronomical Highlights for 2008 Earth's major motions for 2008 Perihelion Jan 3 00h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 05:48(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 20 23:59(UT) Aphelion July 4 08h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 15:44(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 12:04(UT) Planet Positions for 2008 2008 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Sco Oph Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Interesting Planet Pairing for 2008 January (first two week) - Mars, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran - Mars will be moving westward into this red triangle, pausing at the end of the month and then returning to regular Eastward motion at the beginning of February. February 1 (start watching in early January) - Jupiter and Venus - Start this early in January with Jupiter just off the horizon and watch as they creep closer and closer. On the 1st of Feb early in the morning, about one hour before sunrise in the east, Jupiter and Venus are less than one degree apart in the constellation Sagittarius. They will be outstanding and you could imagine all sorts of symbolism that could be associated with this conjunction. February 27 - Mercury and Venus - Rising just one hour before the Sun in the East in the constellation Capricornus. Venus and Mercury will be just over one degree apart and then Venus will speed off, with Mercury in hot pursuit. March 24 - Mercury and Venus...again - Mercury catches up to Venus again, this time less than one degree apart and in the constellation Aquarius. They will also be rising above the horizon only a half hour before the sun, so seeing them will be quite a challenge. July 10 - Mars and Saturn - In the constellation Leo yellowish-white Saturn and reddish Mars will be less than one degree from each other. The pair is still up two hours after sunset and are bright so it should be easy to see. August 13 - Venus and Saturn - Less than one degree apart in the constellation Leo. Venus will be the brighter of the two. August 14 (watch from 10-16th)- Venus, Mercury, and Saturn - Just after sunset a triple conjunction! The three planets will be less than three degrees apart in the constellation Leo and almost in a line. Venus will be the highest and brightest Saturn the middle object and Mercury will be the lowest of the three but surprisingly brighter than Saturn. If you want to make this even more interesting look for Mars 16 degrees to the SW the trio. August 19-21 - Venus and Mercury - The two planets will be about one degree apart for three days. VERY low on the western horizon at sunset. September 11 (watch from 5-18)- Venus and Mars - Venus will come right next to the Red Planet, with the two less than one degree apart Mercury lying three and a half degrees away from the pair and shining brighter than Mars. The whole group will set just one hour after sunset. December 1 - Venus and Jupiter - All within Sagittarius, the two planets will be two degrees apart and they don't set until three hours after sunset. As a bonus, a 15%-lit moon will lie three degrees away from Venus. December 31 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. 2008 Phases of the Moon NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 8 11 37 JAN. 15 19 46 JAN. 22 13 35 JAN. 30 5 03FEB. 7 3 44 FEB. 14 3 33 FEB. 21 3 30 FEB. 29 2 18MAR. 7 17 14 MAR. 14 10 46 MAR. 21 18 40 MAR. 29 21 47APR. 6 3 55 APR. 12 18 32 APR. 20 10 25 APR. 28 14 12MAY 5 12 18 MAY 12 3 47 MAY 20 2 11 MAY 28 2 57JUNE 3 19 23 JUNE 10 15 04 JUNE 18 17 30 JUNE 26 12 10JULY 3 2 19 JULY 10 4 35 JULY 18 7 59 JULY 25 18 42AUG. 1 10 13 AUG. 8 20 20 AUG. 16 21 16 AUG. 23 23 50AUG. 30 19 58 SEPT. 7 14 04 SEPT. 15 9 13 SEPT. 22 5 04 SEPT. 29 8 12 OCT. 7 9 04 OCT. 14 20 02 OCT. 21 11 55OCT. 28 23 14 NOV. 6 4 03 NOV. 13 6 17 NOV. 19 21 31NOV. 27 16 55 DEC. 5 21 26 DEC. 12 16 37 DEC. 19 10 29DEC. 27 12 22 Eclipses for 2008 2008 February 07[ Solar: Annular ] 2008 February 21[ Lunar: Total ] 2008 August 01[ Solar: Total ] 2008 August 16[ Lunar: Partial ] February 07see map, timesanimationAugust 1 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): On Friday, 2008 August 01, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia. Special website with extra information and links to live eclipse webcasts can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website for the August 1st Eclipse February 20th - Total Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): The first lunar eclipse of 2008 is perfectly placed for observers throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe. The eclipse occurs at the Moon's descending node, midway between perigee and apogee. During the eclipse, Saturn lies about 3Â northeast of the Moon and shines brightly (mv = +0.2) because it is near opposition. Special website with live broadcast can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website August 16 - Partial Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2008 is a partial lunar eclipse at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. It is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere as well as eastern South America Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) Meteor Showers for 2008All times are UT Name Date of PeakTime in UT (help with time) Moon Phase Quadrantids January 4, 7h Waning Crescent Lyrids April 22, 4h almost Full Eta Aquarids May 5, 18h New Moon Perseids August 12, 11h Waxing Gibbous Orionids October 21, 4h Last Quarter Leonids November 17, 10h Waning Gibbous Geminids December 13, 23h Full Moon Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2008" RASC

Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map! Northern hemisphere sky mapSouthern hemisphere sky map Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional Information James Barclay's siteRoyal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ siteSouthern Sky Watch. Planets for February 2008Venus (top left) and Jupiter Jan 31st 2008If this looks backwards to you check the photo credit for the location! (Made ya think eh!) Photo credit: Juan-Camilo SuarezLa Estrella, Colombia, South AmericaCanon EOS 10D, 135 mm, 800 ISO Mercury- is at inferior conjunction on the 6th. It becomes visible to southern observers in the morning twilight by mid-month. Late February to March will be the best viewing of Mercury for the year for Southern observers. Mercury climb up to meet Venus and on the 26th Mercury will be 1.3 deg N of Venus 1.9 mag (1st) to 0.6 mag (21st) Venus- Hopefully you have been watching Venus and Jupiter creep closer throughout the end of January. On the 1st of February Venus is 0.6 deg N of Jupiter. On the 4th the waning crescent moon shares the scene. Watch the rest of the month as Venus pulls closer to the sun. On the 26th and 27th catch Venus and Mercury stacked on the horizon just before sunrise. -3.8 mag (1st) to -3.8 mag (21st) Mars- Starts off the month still between the horns of Taurus and is well placed high in the northern sky in early evening. It is heading back towards the foot of Castor, and M35, but is official still in Taurus at the end of the month. -0.6 (1st) to 0.0 mag (21st) Jupiter- Starts the month buddied up with Venus and by the 13th leads a line up of Mercury, Venus and Jupiter with Jupiter furthest away from the sun. -1.8 mag (1st) to -1.8 mag (21st) Saturn- In Leo all year Saturn reaches opposition on February 24. On the 21st at 3:29 UT (convert to your time zone) during the total lunar eclipse you should be able to pick out Saturn and Regulus once the Moon enters the Earth umbra. Rises mid-evening at the beginning of February. The tilt of Saturn's rings increases from 6.7 deg to 9.9 deg in early May before beginning to close again at the end of 2008. 0.4 mag (1st) to 0.2 mag (21st) Uranus-In Aquarius all year 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9 mag (21st) Neptune-In Capricorn 8.0 mag (1st) to 8.0 mag (21st) Key Dates for February 2008 Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 10pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 8pm for the mid-northern latitudes. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights   February   1 - Venus 0.6 deg N of Jupiter (32 deg W) - Antares 0.6 deg N of Moon, possible occultation check the IOTA website for occultation in your area. 2 - Groundhog Day, Candlemas, one of the cross-quarter days (Feb 2-5) the ancient beginning of Spring. 4 - Jupiter 4 deg N of Moon - Venus 4 deg N of Moon, all three create a nice little lineup 6 - Mercury at greatest heliocentric lat. N - Mercury at inferior conjunction 7 - New Moon (3:44 UT) - Annular solar eclipse WARNING: NEVER LOOK AT THE SUNThe shadow cuts a narrow path across Antarctica and the southern Pacific. Partial phases visible from New Zealand and southeastern Australia. Greatest eclipse at 3:55 UT. Follow the link for map, times , and animation 8 - Alpha Centaurid Meteor Shower. Very favorable year for this periodic shower 9 - Moon 2.5 deg S.S.W. of Neptune (only about 3 deg from the Sun) 11 - Neptune in conjunction with the Sun, moving into the morning sky - The equation of time is at minimum for the year, -14.26 minutes (23h UT) the Sun is running "slow" 14 - Moon at perigee (370219 km) (1 UT) - First Quarter Moon (3:33 UT) - Moon 1.2 deg N of the Pleiades (M45) - Valentine's Day (send dark chocolate!) 16 - Mars 1.6 deg S of Moon 18 - Mercury Stationary - Moon 0.3 deg N of Beehive (M44) 21 - Regulus 0.7 deg N of Moon (0 UT), possible occultation check the IOTA website for occultation in your area. - Full moon, total lunar eclipse (3:30 UT) Follow the link to see map and times. Regulus will be to the NW of the Moon and Venus to the SE. The eclipse will be visible from North and South America, western Europe and Africa.This will be the last total lunar eclipse until Dec 2010 - Saturn 3 deg N of Moon (12 UT) 23 - Zodiacal Lights visible in the N latitudes in the West after evening twilight for the next two weeks 24 - Saturn at opposition 26 - Mercury 1.3 deg N of Venus (27 deg W) 28 - Moon at apogee (404443 km) furthest point away from Earth in its orbit 29 - Antares 0.6 deg N of Moon, possible occultation check the IOTA website for occultation in your area. - Last Quarter Moon (2:18 UT) - Leap Day sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier* This month highlights 10 messier objects, most are within reach of binoculars, and over half can be seen with the naked eye. M1 - The Crab nebula is a supernova remnant in Taurus. It is a hazy patch in small telescopes, large scopes can resolve some detail. It is difficult but possible to see in binoculars. M45 - The Pleiades are a large open cluster in Taurus. Easy to resolve six stars naked eye. Binoculars provide the best view. Large telescopes can show some nebulosity. M35, M37, M36, M38 A series of open clusters in the winter milky way. M35 is in Gemini, the others are in Auriga. All can be seen naked eye as faint fuzzy stars, binoculars reveal fuzzy patches, low power telescopes can resolve these rich clusters. M42 M43 M42 is the great Orion Nebula. It can be seen as small fuzzy patch naked eye. Binoculars show some detail, and the view is superb in most any scope. M43 is a small region of nebulosity next to M42, and probably requires the use of a telescope to view. Use low to moderate powers for the best view of this pair. M78 - A small emission nebula in Orion, a tough binocular object. Best viewed in a telescope at moderate powers. M79 - One of the smallest and dimmest globular clusters in the catalog. A tough binocular object in Lepus, best viewed in a telescope at moderate powers. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada Comets for February 2008 Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder! Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"Rebecca Loebe- "All This Timet"Friction Bailey - "Fill My Mind With You" Astronomical Highlights for 2008 Earth's major motions for 2008 Perihelion Jan 3 00h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 05:48(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 20 23:59(UT) Aphelion July 4 08h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 15:44(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 12:04(UT) Planet Positions for 2008 2008 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap A qr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Sco Oph Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sg r Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Le o Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Interes ting Planet Pairing for 2008 January (first two week) - Mars, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran - Mars will be moving westward into this red triangle, pausing at the end of the month and then returning to regular Eastward motion at the beginning of February. February 1 (start watching in early January) - Jupiter and Venus - Start this early in January with Jupiter just off the horizon and watch as they creep closer and closer. On the 1st of Feb early in the morning, about one hour before sunrise in the east, Jupiter and Venus are less than one degree apart in the constellation Sagittarius. They will be outstanding and you could imagine all sorts of symbolism that could be associated with this conjunction. February 27 - Mercury and Venus - Rising just one hour before the Sun in the East in the constellation Capricornus. Venus and Mercury will be just over one degree apart and then Venus will speed off, with Mercury in hot pursuit. March 24 - Mercury and Venus...again - Mercury catches up to Venus again, this time less than one degree apart and in the constellation Aquarius. They will also be rising above the horizon only a half hour before the sun, so seeing them will be quite a challenge. July 10 - Mars and Saturn - In the constellation Leo yellowish-white Saturn and reddish Mars will be less than one degree from each other. The pair is still up two hours after sunset and are bright so it should be easy to see. August 13 - Venus and Saturn - Less than one degree apart in the constellation Leo. Venus will be the brighter of the two. August 14 (watch from 10-16th)- Venus, Mercury, and Saturn - Just after sunset a triple conjunction! The three planets will be less than three degrees apart in the constellation Leo and almost in a line. Venus will be the highest and brightest Saturn the middle object and Mercury will be the lowest of the three but surprisingly brighter than Saturn. If you want to make this even more interesting look for Mars 16 degrees to the SW the trio. August 19-21 - Venus and Mercury - The two planets will be about one degree apart for three days. VERY low on the western horizon at sunset. September 11 (watch from 5-18)- Venus and Mars - Venus will come right next to the Red Planet, with the two less than one degree apart Mercury lying three and a half degrees away from the pair and shining brighter than Mars. The whole group will set just one hour after sunset. December 1 - Venus and Jupiter - All within Sagittarius, the two planets will be two degrees apart and they don't set until three hours after sunset. As a bonus, a 15%-lit moon will lie three degrees away from Venus. December 31 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. 2008 Phases of the Moon Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 8 11 37 JAN. 15 19 46 JAN. 22 13 35 JAN. 30 5 03FEB. 7 3 44 FEB. 14 3 33 FEB. 21 3 30 FEB. 29 2 18MAR. 7 17 14 MAR. 14 10 46 MAR. 21 18 40 MAR. 29 21 47APR. 6 3 55 APR. 12 18 32 APR. 20 10 25 APR. 28 14 12MAY 5 12 18 MAY 12 3 47 MAY 20 2 11 MAY 28 2 57JUNE 3 19 23 JUNE 10 15 04 JUNE 18 17 30 JUNE 26 12 10JULY 3 2 19 JULY 10 4 35 JULY 18 7 59 JULY 25 18 42AUG. 1 10 13 AUG. 8 20 20 AUG. 16 21 16 AUG. 23 23 50AUG. 30 19 58 SEPT. 7 14 04 SEPT. 15 9 13 SEPT. 22 5 04 SEPT. 29 8 12 OCT. 7 9 04 OCT. 14 20 02 OCT. 21 11 55OCT. 28 23 14 NOV. 6 4 03 NOV. 13 6 17 NOV. 19 21 31NOV. 27 16 55 DEC. 5 21 26 DEC. 12 16 37 DEC. 19 10 29DEC. 27 12 22 Eclipses for 2008 2008 February 07[ Solar: Annular ] 2008 February 21[ Lunar: Total ] 2008 August 01[ Solar: Total ] 2008 August 16[ Lunar: Partial ] February 07 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2008 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track, that traverses Antarctica and southern regions of the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southeastern third of Australia, all of New Zealand and most of Antarctica. August 1 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): On Friday, 2008 August 01, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia. Special website with extra information and links to live eclipse webcasts can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website for the August 1st Eclipse February 20th - Total Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): The first lunar eclipse of 2008 is perfectly placed for observers throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe. The eclipse occurs at the Moon's descending node, midway between perigee and apogee. During the eclipse, Saturn lies about 3Â northeast of the Moon and shines brightly (mv = +0.2) because it is near opposition. Special website with live broadcast can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website August 16 - Partial Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2008 is a partial lunar eclipse at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. It is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere as well as eastern South America Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) Meteor Showers for 2008All times are UT Name Date of PeakTime in UT (help with time) Moon Phase Quadrantids January 4, 7h Waning Crescent Lyrids April 22, 4h almost Full Eta Aquarids May 5, 18h New Moon Perseids August 12, 11h Waxing Gibbous Orionids October 21, 4h Last Quarter Leonids November 17, 10h Waning Gibbous Geminids December 13, 23h Full Moon Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2008" RASC

Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map! Northern hemisphere sky mapSouthern hemisphere sky map Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional Information James Barclay's siteRoyal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ siteSouthern Sky Watch. Planets for January 2008 Mercury- visible in evening twilight higher and brighter as the month progresses. Mercury reaches its greatest elongation east on the 22nd (19deg) on the 23 (4UT) Mercury will be .3 deg North of a very dim Neptune -0.9 mag (1st) to -0.7 mag (21st) Venus- Venus is the queen of the morning all month, rising 3 hours before the Sun at the beginning of the month but only 2 hours before the sun at the end of the month. Watch Venus and Jupiter throughout the month as they get closer, about 1 deg a day, until the 31st when they are only 1 deg apart. -3.9 mag (1st) to -3.9 mag (21st) Mars- Just past its December opposition Mars is visible almost all night. Officially in Taurus it appears to be closer to the leg of Castor of Gemini the twins. Mars moves into a nice orange/red triangle with Betelgeuse and Aldebaran before becoming stationary on the 20th and returning to direct (eastward) motion for the rest of the month. -1.5 (1st) to -0.9 mag (21st) Ceres- Jupiter- Jupiter has been hiding behind the sun now reappears in the morning sky climbing higher in the sky. By mid-month Jupiter rises 9 deg above the horizon before sunrise, by the end of the month Jupiter and Venus are 1 deg apart. -1.8 mag (1st) to -1.8 mag (21st) Saturn- In Leo all year Saturn rises mid-evening at the beginning of January. The tilt of Saturn's rings increases from 6.7 deg to 9.9 deg in early May before beginning to close again at the end of 2008. 0.7 mag (1st) to 0.6 mag (21st) Uranus-In Aquarius all year 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9 mag (21st) Neptune-In Capricorn 8.0 mag (1st) to 8.0 mag (21st) Click on thumbnail for full sky image Key Dates for January 2008 Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 10pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 8pm for the mid-northern latitudes. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights   January   1 - Ceres stationary - Watch for comet 8P/Tuttle moving from Aries to Cetus - Algol at minimum (15:15 UT) 2 - Earth at perihelion (147096448 km) our closest point to the Sun in Earth's orbit. (23h UT) 3 - Moon at apogee (405331 km) furthest point away from Earth in its orbit 4 - Quadrantid meteor shower peak named after an extinct constellation, Quadrans Muralis or the mural quadrant an astronomical tool similar to a astrolab or clinometer. 5 - Antares 0.5 deg N of Moon check the IOTA pages for occultations (S.S.America, part of Antarctica) - Latest sunrise at latitude 40 deg North* 8 - New Moon (11:37 UT) 11 - Neptune 0.4 deg N of Moon, check the IOTA pages for occultations (S tips of Australia, part of Antarctica, New Zealand) 15 - First Quarter Moon (19:46 UT) 16 - Vesta 1.9 deg SSE of Mercury in evening sky 18 - Moon 1.1 deg N of Pleiades (M45) (7 UT) 19 - Moon at perigee (366430 km) (9 UT) 20 - Mars 1.1 deg S of Moon, check the IOTA pages for occultations (N.Russia, Arctic regions, NW Tip of N. America) 22 - Mercury at greatest elongation E (19 deg) (5 UT) - Full Moon (13:35 UT) 23 - Moon 0.3 deg N of Beehive (M44) 24 - Regulus 0.7 deg N of Moon, check the IOTA pages for occultations (S. Indonesia, Australia, part of Antarctica 30 - Last Quarter Moon (5:03 UT) - Mars stationary 31 - Moon at apogee (404533 km) The Dark Days of Wintersunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier* This month on the tour we will be attempting several of the most difficult objects in the Catalog, a small faint planetary nebula, and a pair of face on spiral galaxies. Also featured this month is a small, but fairly bright galaxy and three open clusters. You will need binoculars and a telescope to fully enjoy the January tour. M33 - This is a very large (about the size of the full moon) face on spiral galaxy in the constellation Triangulum. The total light from M33 is about magnitude 5.3, but when spread out over its large area it yields a very low surface brightness. The best and easiest views of M33 can be found with a pair of binoculars. Look for a large, round hazy patch of light with little detail at first glance. M33 can be glimpsed with the naked eye in dark clear skies. Finding M33 in a telescope can be a challenge because of its size. Use the widest field eyepiece you have and look for a change in light level to identify the galaxy. M103 - This is a fairly small, sparse open cluster in Cassiopeia. Look for a tight group of stars in binoculars, being careful not to mistake it for several other clusters in the same area. Through a telescope the cluster is very sparse, four bright stars amidst the slight glow of much fainter companions. M52 - M52 - This rich open cluster in Cassiopeia is fairly easy to see in binoculars as a faint smudge of light. A small to mid telescope will begin to resolve this cluster. Look for a triangular patch of light with some stars clearly resolved, but most of the cluster members provide only a hint of graininess. M76 - Known as the little dumbbell, this planetary nebula in Perseus is one of the dimmest objects in the Catalog. Look for a small, faint, oblong patch of light. Not a very obvious object, if you don't see it at first try varying magnifications in an attempt to bring it out. Fortunately M76 is located near a bright star which aids in locating the correct field to search. M34 - This is a large and bright, but sparse open cluster located in Perseus. Visible as a faint patch of light to the naked eye, it is very obvious and easy to resolve in binoculars. In fact, binoculars provide a better view of this cluster than most telescopes. M74 - This galaxy in Pisces is a smaller and fainter version of M33, a face on spiral galaxy with low surface brightness. M74 is arguably the most difficult object to find in the Catalog. You will need very dark, clear skies to easily see it, anything less than perfect conditions will make M74 nearly impossible to find. Look for a very faint fuzzy star, which is the bright central condensation, surrounded by a very faint glow. Try all of your tricks on this one; star hop to the correct field, try varying magnification, tap the scope to detect the galaxy through its motion. If all of the above fail, try again another night or seek darker skies. M77 - This is a small faint galaxy in Cetus. Possible to see in binoculars, but very difficult, look for a faint fuzzy star. Through a telescope look for a fuzzy, oval shaped patch of light, bright in the center, fading towards the edges. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada Comets for January 2008 Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder! Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"Three Blind Mice- "Watchstar"Friction Bailey - "Auld Lang Syne" Astronomical Highlights for 2008 Earth's major motions for 2008 Perihelion Jan 3 00h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 05:48(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 20 23:59(UT) Aphelion July 4 08h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 15:44(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 12:04(UT) Planet Positions for 2008 2008 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Sco Oph Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Interesting Planet Pairing for 2008 January (first two week) - Mars, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran - Mars will be moving westward into this red triangle, pausing at the end of the month and then returning to regular Eastward motion at the beginning of February. February 1 (start watching in early January) - Jupiter and Venus - Start this early in January with Jupiter just off the horizon and watch as they creep closer and closer. On the 1st of Feb early in the morning, about one hour before sunrise in the east, Jupiter and Venus are less than one degree apart in the constellation Sagittarius. They will be outstanding and you could imagine all sorts of symbolism that could be associated with this conjunction. February 27 - Mercury and Venus - Rising just one hour before the Sun in the East in the constellation Capricornus. Venus and Mercury will be just over one degree apart and then Venus will speed off, with Mercury in hot pursuit. March 24 - Mercury and Venus...again - Mercury catches up to Venus again, this time less than one degree apart and in the constellation Aquarius. They will also be rising above the horizon only a half hour before the sun, so seeing them will be quite a challenge. July 10 - Mars and Saturn - In the constellation Leo yellowish-white Saturn and reddish Mars will be less than one degree from each other. The pair is still up two hours after sunset and are bright so it should be easy to see. August 13 - Venus and Saturn - Less than one degree apart in the constellation Leo. Venus will be the brighter of the two. August 14 (watch from 10-16th)- Venus, Mercury, and Saturn - Just after sunset a triple conjunction! The three planets will be less than three degrees apart in the constellation Leo and almost in a line. Venus will be the highest and brightest Saturn the middle object and Mercury will be the lowest of the three but surprisingly brighter than Saturn. If you want to make this even more interesting look for Mars 16 degrees to the SW the trio. August 19-21 - Venus and Mercury - The two planets will be about one degree apart for three days. VERY low on the western horizon at sunset. September 11 (watch from 5-18)- Venus and Mars - Venus will come right next to the Red Planet, with the two less than one degree apart Mercury lying three and a half degrees away from the pair and shining brighter than Mars. The whole group will set just one hour after sunset. December 1 - Venus and Jupiter - All within Sagittarius, the two planets will be two degrees apart and they don't set until three hours after sunset. As a bonus, a 15%-lit moon will lie three degrees away from Venus. December 31 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. 2008 Phases of the Moon Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 8 11 37 JAN. 15 19 46 JAN. 22 13 35 JAN. 30 5 03FEB. 7 3 44 FEB. 14 3 33 FEB. 21 3 30 FEB. 29 2 18MAR. 7 17 14 MAR. 14 10 46 MAR. 21 18 40 MAR. 29 21 47APR. 6 3 55 APR. 12 18 32 APR. 20 10 25 APR. 28 14 12MAY 5 12 18 MAY 12 3 47 MAY 20 2 11 MAY 28 2 57JUNE 3 19 23 JUNE 10 15 04 JUNE 18 17 30 JUNE 26 12 10JULY 3 2 19 JULY 10 4 35 JULY 18 7 59 JULY 25 18 42AUG. 1 10 13 AUG. 8 20 20 AUG. 16 21 16 AUG. 23 23 50AUG. 30 19 58 SEPT. 7 14 04 SEPT. 15 9 13 SEPT. 22 5 04 SEPT. 29 8 12 OCT. 7 9 04 OCT. 14 20 02 OCT. 21 11 55OCT. 28 23 14 NOV. 6 4 03 NOV. 13 6 17 NOV. 19 21 31NOV. 27 16 55 DEC. 5 21 26 DEC. 12 16 37 DEC. 19 10 29DEC. 27 12 22 Eclipses for 2008 2008 February 07[ Solar: Annular ] 2008 February 21[ Lunar: Total ] 2008 August 01[ Solar: Total ] 2008 August 16[ Lunar: Partial ] February 07 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2008 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track, that traverses Antarctica and southern regions of the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southeastern third of Australia, all of New Zealand and most of Antarctica. August 1 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): On Friday, 2008 August 01, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia. Special website with extra information and links to live eclipse webcasts can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website for the August 1st Eclipse February 20th - Total Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): The first lunar eclipse of 2008 is perfectly placed for observers throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe. The eclipse occurs at the Moon's descending node, midway between perigee and apogee. During the eclipse, Saturn lies about 3Â northeast of the Moon and shines brightly (mv = +0.2) because it is near opposition. Special website with live broadcast can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website August 16 - Partial Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2008 is a partial lunar eclipse at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. It is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere as well as eastern South America Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) Meteor Showers for 2008All times are UT Name Date of PeakTime in UT (help with time) Moon Phase Quadrantids January 4, 7h Waning Crescent Lyrids April 22, 4h almost Full Eta Aquarids May 5, 18h New Moon Perseids August 12, 11h Waxing Gibbous Orionids October 21, 4h Last Quarter Leonids November 17, 10h Waning Gibbous Geminids December 13, 23h Full Moon Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2008" RASC