What's Happening in the Night Sky? Upcoming Astronomy Events to Look Out For!

[~angel~]

Don't know if anyone's mentioned this. August 27th is the night Mars will be at it's brightest. It'll be about the same size as the moon because it is at it's closest distance from the earth.

Maybe I mentioned this too early.

 

[GOD__AM]

Don't know if anyone's mentioned this. August 27th is the night Mars will be at it's brightest. It'll be about the same size as the moon because it is at it's closest distance from the earth.

Maybe I mentioned this too early.

To the naked eye Mars will appear to be the largest and brightest natural light in the night sky. It will not be anywhere near the size of the moon to the naked eye. It seems that looking through a powerful enough telescope, that Mars will appear close to the size of the moon; when the moon is viewed with the naked eye.

MARS WILL APPEAR AS BIG AS THE MOON is a great headline, and probably gets a lot of people to read articles, but it is misleading.

As mentioned already Saturn, Venus, and Mercury are visible in the west sky just after sunset. Venus is especially large and bright, and the position of saturn should allow for decent viewing of the rings with a 20x or higher power telescope or binoculars.

 

[hypatia]

July 4
On or around this time, a NASA SPACECRAFT will rendez-vous and collide with COMET 9P/TEMPEL 1.

This will be the FIRST time that an Earth launched Spacecraft is to make a close encounter with a comet since the Giotto Probe of 1985/6 which was sent to study Comet p-HALLEY 'close-hand'.

This probe, DEEP IMPACT, is designed to collide with Comet 9P/Tempel 1 in order to study the composition of a comet and maybe unlock some more of the secrets of the origin of our Solar System.

You can follow the progress of this mission by logging on to the following web-site: http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

The new moon is the 6th, and the full moon around the 21. Moon is near Antares on the 17th. It is at perigee, its closest to the Earth on the 21st, so the full Moon will appear slightly larger than usual.

 

[hypatia]

Starting around the 7th of August... The Perseid meteor showers! One of my favoirt things to watch. This year it reaches a peak of 50 meteors + per hour Thursday night. Look to the southeast from 2 a.m. until dawn. The shower will be visible all week, with the best nights being Thursday through Saturday.
As noted above, Mars will shine this month. While not as big as the moon, I'm hopeing for clear skies. On August 31, Mars and Earth will slide past each other at a distance of forty-three million miles. That is close enough for you to enjoy watching Mars swell and brighten during the course of the month. Amateur astronomers with backyard telescopes will be able to spot polar ice caps and dust storms and strange dark markings on the planet

 

[hypatia]

I saw my first meteors last night! It must of been a big one, for me to see it with all my city lights around.

 

[Orion1]

Perseid Particles...

The annual Perseids, known as one of the best meteor showers of the year, is expected to be at its North American best during the predawn hours Friday, said Patrick Wiggins, NASA Solar System Ambassador, in a statement.

These meteors are called the Perseids because they appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, he said.

Telescopes and binoculars should not be used for viewing this or any meteor shower since they limit how much of the sky the observer can see, Wiggins said. A lawn chair, the naked eye "and a few munchies" are the best devices for viewing meteor showers, he said.

Often called shooting stars or falling stars, the majority of meteors are actually tiny bits of rock that burn up due to air friction when they strike Earth's extreme upper atmosphere, he said. The resultant meteor ash then drifts harmlessly and invisibly to Earth.

The Perseids are among the fastest meteors known, "tearing into our atmosphere at some 60 kilometers per second," Wiggins said.

Most meteors are thought to be debris left behind by comets, he said. The Perseids's parent comet, Swift/Tuttle, was last closest to the Earth in the early 1990s and will not return until 2126.

Reference:
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db_shm?sstr=109P&group=all&search=Search

Orion1 Pacific Ocean Impact simulation:
Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle
Ground Zero impact parameters: (crater rim perspective)

Orion1 Inputs:
Distance from Impact: 160.00 km = 99.36 miles
Projectile Diameter: 31200.00 m = 102336.00 ft = 19.38 miles
Projectile Density: 1000 kg/m3
Impact Velocity: 60.00 km/s = 37.26 miles/s
Impact Angle: 45 degrees
Target Density: 1000 kg/m3
Target Type: Liquid Water of depth 4280.00 meters, over typical rock.

Energy:
Energy before atmospheric entry: 2.86 x 10^25 Joules = 6.84 x 10^9 MegaTons TNT
The average interval between impacts of this size somewhere on Earth during the last 4 billion years is 4.1 x 10^9 years.

Major Global Changes:
The Earth is not strongly disturbed by the impact and loses negligible mass.
The impact does not make a noticeable change in the Earth's rotation period or the tilt of its axis.
The impact does not shift the Earth's orbit noticeably.

Crater Dimensions:
The crater opened in the water has a diameter of 298 km = 185 miles

For the crater formed in the seafloor:
Transient Crater Diameter: 163 km = 101 miles
Transient Crater Depth: 57.6 km = 35.8 miles

Final Crater Diameter: 318 km = 197 miles
Final Crater Depth: 1.68 km = 1.04 miles
The crater formed is a complex crater.
The volume of the target melted or vaporized is 108000 km^3 = 25900 miles^3
Roughly half the melt remains in the crater , where its average thickness is 5.18 km = 3.22 miles

Thermal Radiation:
Time for maximum radiation: 10.2 seconds after impact

Your position is inside the fireball.
The fireball appears 866 times larger than the sun
Thermal Exposure: 5.31 x 10^11 Joules/m^2
Duration of Irradiation: 7950 seconds
Radiant flux (relative to the sun): 66800


Effects of Thermal Radiation:
Clothing ignites
Much of the body suffers third degree burns
Newspaper ignites
Plywood flames
Deciduous trees ignite
Grass ignites

Seismic Effects:
The major seismic shaking will arrive at approximately 32 seconds.
Richter Scale Magnitude: 11.0 (This is greater than any earthquake in recorded history)
Mercalli Scale Intensity at a distance of 160 km:


X. Most masonry and frame structures destroyed with their foundations. Some well-built wooden structures and bridges destroyed. Serious damage to dams, dikes, embankments. Large landslides. Water thrown on banks of canals, rivers, lakes, etc. Sand and mud shifted horizontally on beaches and flat land. Rails bent slightly.

XI. As X. Rails bent greatly. Underground pipelines completely out of service.

XII. As X. Damage nearly total. Large rock masses displaced. Lines of sight and level distorted. Objects thrown into the air.


Ejecta:
The ejecta will arrive approximately 183 seconds after the impact.
Your position is beneath the continuous ejecta deposit.
Average Ejecta Thickness: 1530 m = 5030 ft

Air Blast:
The air blast will arrive at approximately 485 seconds.
Peak Overpressure: 1.93e+08 Pa = 1930 bars = 27400 psi
Max wind velocity: 11200 m/s = 25000 mph
Sound Intensity: 166 dB (Dangerously Loud)
Damage Description:


Multistory wall-bearing buildings will collapse.

Wood frame buildings will almost completely collapse.

Multistory steel-framed office-type buildings will suffer extreme frame distortion, incipient collapse.

Highway truss bridges will collapse.

Highway girder bridges will collapse.

Glass windows will shatter.

Cars and trucks will be largely displaced and grossly distorted and will require rebuilding before use.

Up to 90 percent of trees blown down; remainder stripped of branches and leaves.

Reference:
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/impacteffects/

 

[hypatia]

On September 1 - Uranus at Opposition. The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth. This is the best time to view Neptune, although it will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

The new moon is the 3rd with the full moon being on the 18th. This full moon is known as the harvest moon.
Also on the 18th,the planets Venus and Jupiter are very low in the west just after dark. Mars rises out of the east about 8:30 p.m. The ringed planet Saturn rises out of the east about a hour before sunrise.
Overhead, the Milky Way and the two star-laden constellations of Scorpius and Sagittarius dominate the heavens. The bright red star, Antares, is often mistaken for Mars.

And of course the Autumnal Equinox occurs on the 22nd in the northern hemisphere. This is also the first day of fall, my favorit time of year! Happy fall everyone!

 

[hypatia]

October.
Sunday 10/2
The geometry of Earth's orbit is favorable (well, at least more favorable than usual) to see the Zodiacal Light (False Dawn) produced by sunlight reflecting off particles in the Earth's orbit. These conditions will persist for about two weeks, after which moonlight can interfere.
On the 3rd we have a solar eclipse, but N. Americia should be out of viewing range. On the 4th, the brand new moon will lay next to Jupiter and Murcury
By the 8th, Draco the fire-breathing dragon comes alive before dawn today and in the early evening hours.
The full moon{the hunters moon} comes on the 17th.
Fall brings in the crisp clear white stars, hope you find some time to enjoy them!

 

[alias25]

heyyy there's gunna be an annular eclipse on 3rd october that tomorrow!the phys dept in my skl are gunna set up a telescope hopefully the weather will be good, we'll be able to see about 60% of sun i think covered! itll be my first eclipse I've seen other on tv and internet, nothings like the real thing tho.

 

[Labguy]

heyyy there's gunna be an annular eclipse on 3rd october that tomorrow!the phys dept in my skl are gunna set up a telescope hopefully the weather will be good, we'll be able to see about 60% of sun i think covered! itll be my first eclipse I've seen other on tv and internet, nothings like the real thing tho.

Yes, being there is a whole different game. I took an annular from the centerline in 1994. Took a lot of shots but was a few seconds off on this one so it is not exactly centered.
http://www.users.qwest.net/~sherrodstephen/annular.htm

 

[hypatia]

Nice photo Labguy!

November
The first few days of this month bring us MARS!
Mars will rise near sunset and soar high into the southern sky near midnight, about 85% of the way up from the south point to overhead. To the unaided eye, Mars will appear as an extremely bright yellowish-orange star.
Around the 3rd, we have the peak of the Taurids meteor showers and a few comets slip past us around the 14th. The Leonid Meteor shower peeks on the 17th.
The full moon {the Cedar Moon} falls on the 16th

 

[hypatia]

December

The full Moon this December 15 reigns as the northernmost full Moon until December 27, 2023. This moon is called the long night moon. The moonlit nights this middle December make up for the waning days of sunlight in our northern hemisphere. On December 15 watch as the Moon rises around sunset and sets around sunrise, lighting up the sky for the whole night.
The Geminids-active from 12/7-12/17 hit their peak on the 13th. These have been consistently great for the last few years, even better than the Leonid. Maybe not as bright, but much more frequent.

 

[hypatia]

January opens with the crescent Moon sweeping past a brilliant Venus, en route to a rendezvous with the Pleiades on the 9-10th. If you can take the cold, January is one of the best months for star watching.
Quadrantids,Meteor Showers under moonless skies, on Jan. 3
Saturn reaches opposition on January 27. It spends the month in the constellation Cancer, in the same binocular field as the Beehive Cluster (M44). It brightens during the month from magnitude -0.1 to -0.2.
If you have a scope, it would be a great time to check out Saturns moons!

 

[hypatia]

February 1

The Great Square of Pegasus is at the right of the Moon early this first day of February. It stands on end now, so it forms a big diamond in the sky.
Also for any new star watchers, the Big Dipper stands straight up from the northeastern horizon a couple of hours after sunset tonight, with the bowl above the handle. You line up the two stars at the top of the bowl, then follow them left, you'll see Polaris, the north star.

This is the best month of the year to view Saturn. Which hangs out in the constalation Cancer
This is a great month to just go out and look up with the un-aided eye. Enjoy the night sky!

Note: Polaris, the North Star is a bright star but it IS NOT the brightest star in the sky. Sirius, visible in the winter, is the brightest star in the sky. Polaris is ranked the 46th brightest star in the night sky.

 

[SpaceTiger]

It appears that there is a currently a comet (Pojmanski) that's visible to the naked eye:

http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/article_1684_1.asp"

You'll have to get up early, but happy hunting!

 

[Astronuc]

Probably a bit too late with this , but

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/TSE2006/TSE2006.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_(29_March_2006)

 

[Astronuc]

Looking back at Earth from ISS during recent solar eclipse -
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17230

 

[russ_watters]

Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 may have two fragments visible to the naked eye in the evening in the east in early May. It is apparently going to be pretty active... http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/article_1704_1.asp

 

[russ_watters]

Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 is putting on quite a show for amateurs with enormous telescopes. I might give it a shot this weekend after the moon gets out of the way, but realistically, it is probably another week until it is in reach of my equipment.

From the same link as above:

There's much new to report on Periodic Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 (also known as Comet 73P), whose apparition is featured, with finder charts, starting on page 60 of the May 2006 Sky & Telescope.
Two fragments of the disintegrating comet are now visible in small scopes, a third is in reach of larger amateur scopes — and something like 40 much fainter pieces have also been detected, according to Eric Christensen using the 1.5-meter Mt. Lemmon telescope; this is a doubling of the previously known fragments, though the extra ones are still to be formally announced. All are brightening...

Many observers are suggesting that Fragment B is crumbling. Carl Hergenrother, observing with the 1.2-meter SAO telescope, says "a sharp central condensation is no longer visible in my images. The central condensation is now a diffuse bar about 8 arcseconds in length... Based on my images, I believe 73P-B has disrupted."

 

[batboy]

The next shower is Lyrids on April 22.

cheers

 

[Astronuc]

Pluto now has three named moons. Charon is joined by Nix and Hydra.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060621/ap_on_sc/pluto_s_moons

 

[Astronuc]

Astronomers Johann Galle and Heinrich D'Arrest discovered Neptune from Berlin Observatory 160 years ago tonight. They were looking in a region of the sky pinpointed by French astronomer Urbain Le Verrier. He had calculated the likely position of a planet based on its gravitational pull on the planet Uranus.

Neptune was in Aquarius when it was discovered -- not far away from its current position. But because it's so far from the Sun -- almost three billion miles -- it's still completing its first full circle against the background of stars since its discovery. It won't complete that loop for another five years. (2011)

http://stardate.org/radio/program.php?f=detail&id=2006-09-23

 

[Astronuc]

Some highlights for this month - October 2006

No bright planets shine in good view during the evening this month, but lots of bright stars do. Vega, "the summer star," is still the brightest, very high in the west after dark. Altair shines almost as high to Vega's left, in the south to southwest. Deneb is closer to the zenith. Fomalhaut is much lower in the south-southeast to south. And low in the northeast, bright Capella is making its autumn appearance.

Oct 6 - Full Moon. This is the Harvest Moon for 2006, defined as the full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox. The Moon also is at perigee.

Oct 9 - By 9 or 10 p.m. the waning gibbous Moon is well up in the east. Use binoculars to spot the Pleiades beside it. For parts of North America, the Moon actually crosses in front of the Pleiades tonight, temporarily occulting (covering) some of the cluster's stars.

Oct 16 - Look eastward after about 3 a.m. for the waning Moon with Saturn below it.

Mercury is at greatest elongation, 25 degrees from the Sun. Shortly after sunset, look for it below brighter Jupiter just above the west-southwest horizon.

Oct 20 - The Orionid meteor shower should be active this morning and tomorrow morning in the hours before dawn. If you have a good, dark sky, you might see a brief, swift meteor every few minutes. The direction to watch is wherever your sky is darkest. The meteors' directions of flight, if traced far enough back across the sky, diverge from a spot in Orion's club high in the southeast to south.

http://stardate.org/nightsky/almanac/s200610_alm.html

 

[George Jones]

Comet McNaught!

Currently, there is a bright, but fairly small, comet that is visible low in the west just after sunset. Although this comet is visible with naked eye, it is spectacuar (bright head, nice tail) in binoculars.

I saw it about 40 minutes after sunset.

In order to see it, you will need clear a view of the western horizon. With binoculars, scan to the right of, and down from, Venus. Here is a a http://skytonight.com/" .

 

[Chaos' lil bro Order]

Thanks, I'll have a looksy tommorrow to see if I can spot it.

 

[Threeheadedtoad]

Umm, I don't think the link works, Mentat.

Why are auroras only visible in Alaska?

We see them here in WA sometimes as well. In fact, the past 2 or 3 years, I have seen them at the Table Mountain Star Party. Not huge, and not like you see on TV or in pix, but there just the same.

 

[lanovia]

The solar eclipse (semi) is going to occur at Asia (include Russian, China, Asia East, Việt Nam) ...

 

[HiggsBoson]

Lunar Eclipse

"A lovely total lunar eclipse will be visible throughout the Bay Area and all of California before dawn Tuesday morning as the Earth's shadow darkens the bright full moon, and wherever skies are clear, it will be a time to look upward wide-eyed."
-- The San Francisco Chronicle


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/27/BAOFRP53L.DTL

 

[IBN ALHAITHAM]

unfortunately

I can't see the lunar eclipse in my country

 

[Astronuc]

Orionid meteor shower

The Orionid meteor shower is at its best the weekend of October 20-22, peaking before dawn on the 21st.

The Name

The shower is named for the constellation Orion, the hunter, which climbs into view in the east-southeast by around midnight. If you traced the paths of the meteors, they would all appear to start in Orion. That doesn't mean you have to look at Orion to see the meteors, though; they can streak across any part of the sky.

The Cause

Meteor showers are fickle, so their best showings can vary by several hours from year to year. That's because a meteor shower occurs when Earth crosses the orbital path of a comet. Such a path is littered with tiny grains of rock and dust from the comet itself. As Earth flies through this trail of dust, the particles slam into our atmosphere and burn up, forming the bright streaks of light known as meteors or shooting stars. The dust isn't distributed evenly, however. It forms clumps of different sizes. Over the years, meteor watchers have plotted many of the clumps, but there's still some uncertainty. So it's tough to be certain about just what hour is the best, and just how many meteors you may see.

Oh, well - it's written for the general public.

http://stardate.org/nightsky/meteors/orionids2007.html

 

[Astronuc]

Comet Holmes

http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/0017P/2007.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17P/Holmes

All of a sudden, it got much brighter!

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/10775326.html

 

[George Jones]

http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/0017P/2007.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17P/Holmes

All of a sudden, it got much brighter!

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/10775326.html

Saw it last night with my 15x70 binos. No tail, but still very nice. Looks like a star with unaided eyes.

 

[George Jones]

I just showed the comet to my wife. She was amazed that something out past the orbit of Mars could appear so bright and big.

 

[chemisttree]

I just saw it last night. It is a quite bright fuzzy star to the unaided eye. Looks like a glowing pom-pom under even modest magnification (20X), but very bright. It looked just like http://www.meade4m.com/cgi-bin/gal_display.cgi?image=1287

 

[Telmerk]

Comet 17P HOLMES from Hungary

Due to the clear skies in the last few night, a large amount of nice images has been taken by Hungarian astronomers about the comet outburst.

Take a glimpse if you feel interested:

http://hirek.csillagaszat.hu/aktualis_egi_esemenyek/20071026_holmes_kepek.html

I think that this page will be refreshed during these days. I hope that after the 2-3 cloudy nights we will have again the possibility to view the re-designed Perseus !