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sky_highlights [2015/03/01 17:55] edose a bit of formatting |
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| - | ====== Sky Highlights for MARCH 2015 ====== | + | ====== Sky Highlights and NEKAAL Events for DECEMBER 2016 ====== |
| - | * March 5 -- Full Moon (the "Crow Moon")\\ | + | * December 7 -- First Quarter |
| - | * //March 7/8 -- Set your clocks forward for Daylight Savings Time//\\ | + | * December 13 -- Full Moon |
| - | * March 13 -- Last Quarter (moon absent from evening sky)\\ | + | * December 20 -- Last Quarter |
| - | * March 14 -- OPEN HOUSE at Farpoint Observatory, beginning 8:00 pm\\ | + | * December 29 -- New Moon |
| - | * March 20 -- __**New Moon**__\\ | + | * January 26, 2017 -- first General Meeting of New Year, Topeka Library, 7 pm. |
| - | * March 27 -- First Quarter\\ | + | |
| - | ===== PLANETS in March 2015 ===== | + | ===== PLANETS in December 2016 ===== |
| Evening Sky: | Evening Sky: | ||
| - | * **Venus** -- in west | + | * **Mercury** -- in southwest |
| - | * **Mars** -- in west, bright orange | + | * **Venus** -- in southwest |
| - | * **Jupiter** -- in east, very bright | + | * **Mars** -- in south |
| - | * **Uranus** -- in southwest | + | * **Uranus** -- in southeast |
| - | * **Neptune** -- in west | + | * **Neptune** -- in south |
| Midnight: | Midnight: | ||
| - | * **Jupiter** -- in south, very bright | + | * **Uranus** -- in west |
| + | |||
| Morning Sky: | Morning Sky: | ||
| - | * **Mercury** -- low in southeast | + | * **Jupiter** -- in southeast |
| - | * **Jupiter** -- in west, very bright | + | * **Saturn** -- in southeast, starting late in December |
| - | * **Saturn** -- in south | + | |
| - | ===== CONSTELLATIONS well placed in evening during March 2015 ===== | + | |
| - | North to South, at 7-9 pm: | + | ===== CONSTELLATIONS well placed in evening during December 2016 ===== |
| - | * **Draco**, the Dragon, very low in the North | + | North to South, at 8-10 pm: |
| * **Ursa Minor**, the Little Bear, also the Little Dipper | * **Ursa Minor**, the Little Bear, also the Little Dipper | ||
| - | * **Camelopardalis**, the Giraffe | + | * **Cepheus**, the King of Ethiopia |
| - | * **Lynx**, //not a Lynx//--so named because you need Lynx eyes to see it | + | * **Cassiopeia**, the wife of King Cepheus |
| - | * **Gemini**, the twins | + | * **Lacerta**, the Lizard |
| - | * **Orion**, the Hunter | + | * **Perseus**, vanquisher of Medusa and rescuer of Andromeda |
| - | * **Canis Minor**, the Smaller Dog | + | * **Andromeda**, the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia |
| - | * **Canis Major**, the Big Dog | + | * **Pegasus**, the Winged Horse |
| + | * **Triangulum**, yes, the triangle | ||
| + | * **Aries**, the Ram | ||
| + | * **Taurus**, the Bull | ||
| + | * **Sagitta**, the Arrow | ||
| + | * **Cetus**, the Sea Monster | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== SKY EXTRAS in December 2016 ===== | ||
| + | * Still LOTS of evening planets in December ! Check out the planet list above. Uranus is easily visible in binoculars, even visible naked-eye with deep dark-vision adaptation, from very dark skies. Mars is readily visible, but don't mistake it for its visual twin, the red star Antares. | ||
| + | * The great Geminid meteor shower peaks December 13, unfortunately right at full moon, which will wash out this year's show. | ||
| + | * Comet fans: we're coming into a 6-8 month period offering lots of comets. Already late in December, one evening comet should be visible in binoculars: periodic comet 45P, with the unlikely name of Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova. Look fairly low in the western sky in evening twilight, best late in the month within the constellation Capricorn. | ||
| - | ===== EXTRAS in March 2015 ===== | ||
| - | * March is by far the best month to see the evening **zodiacal light**, reaching almost vertically from the west horizon. And this year the moon is new at the equinox. Look about 45 minutes after sunset. On the clearest evenings around mid-March, the roughly triangular pillar will reach up 45 degrees, to the Pleiades. Not to be missed. | ||
| - | * OK, Kansas nights are still a bit cold in March. **Think binoculars!** Even in a Michelin Man coat and gloves, it's hard to set up a telescope and stay out. BUT!--a coat, hat, folding chair, and modest binocs and you're good for 15 minutes or more--//and you can see a lot.// We'll make suggestions here. SO, we're going to start emphasizing binocular Sky Highlights during the winter months. | ||
| - | * This is **Messier Marathon** month. Best nights by far will be the weekend of March 20-22. Because of this early date, the object at highest risk of being lost in twilight is--the last one, M 30, a heartbreak scenario, but there it is. Anyone up for an all-nighter? | ||
| - | * Several evening planets grace the sky in March. Jupiter is already high in the southeast in the evening, and Venus, Mars, and Uranus are low in the west. Saturn is up pre-dawn. Mercury and Neptune have passed the sun and are up pre-dawn as well. | ||
| - | * Venus and Mars flirt shamelessly early March. Look above the west horizon perhaps 30-60 minutes after sunset. | ||
| - | * A tough month for comets: C/2012 Q2 (Lovejoy) is fading and very low in the north all night, and C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) is high pre-dawn but will probably require a 10" telescope and patience. | ||
| - | * | ||
| - | * Remember: stay warm during wintertime observing--take and put on more clothes than you think you'll need, and take a break now and then. But the skies are great--go look! | ||
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