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| - | ====== Sky Highlights for APRIL 2015 ====== | + | ====== Sky Highlights and NEKAAL Events for NOVEMBER 2016 ====== |
| - | * April 4 -- Full Moon (the "Grass Moon" or "Egg Moon")\\ | + | * November 8 -- First Quarter |
| - | * April 11 -- Last Quarter (moon absent from evening sky)\\ | + | * November 14 -- Full Moon |
| - | * April 11 -- OPEN HOUSE at Farpoint Observatory, beginning 8:30 pm\\ | + | * November 21 -- Last Quarter |
| - | * April 18 -- __**New Moon**__\\ | + | * November 17 -- General Meeting, Mater Dei Catholic School, 7 pm. Join us! |
| - | * April 25 -- First Quarter\\ | + | * November 19 -- **Open House** at Farpoint Observatory, 7:30 pm to ? Join us! |
| + | * November 29 -- New Moon | ||
| - | ===== PLANETS in April 2015 ===== | + | ===== PLANETS in November 2016 ===== |
| Evening Sky: | Evening Sky: | ||
| - | * **Mercury** -- in west | + | * **Mercury** -- in southwest |
| - | * **Venus** -- in west | + | * **Venus** -- in southwest |
| - | * **Mars** -- in west, bright orange | + | * **Mars** -- in south |
| - | * **Jupiter** -- high in south, very bright | + | * **Saturn** -- in southwest |
| + | * **Uranus** -- in east | ||
| + | * **Neptune** -- in southeast | ||
| Midnight: | Midnight: | ||
| - | * **Jupiter** -- in west, very bright | + | * **Uranus** -- in southwest |
| - | * **Saturn** -- in southeast | + | * **Neptune** -- in west |
| + | |||
| Morning Sky: | Morning Sky: | ||
| - | * **Saturn** -- in southwest | + | * **Jupiter** -- in southeast |
| - | * **Uranus** -- in east | + | |
| - | * **Neptune** -- in east | + | |
| - | ===== CONSTELLATIONS well placed in evening during April 2015 ===== | + | |
| - | North to South, at 9-11 pm: | + | ===== CONSTELLATIONS well placed in evening during November 2016 ===== |
| + | 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 | ||
| - | * **Ursa Major**, the Big Bear, also the Big Dipper | + | * **Cepheus**, the King of Ethiopia |
| - | * **Camelopardalis**, the Giraffe | + | * **Cassiopeia**, the wife of King Cepheus |
| - | * **Lynx**, //not a Lynx//--so named because you need Lynx eyes to see it | + | * **Draco**, the Dragon |
| - | * **Leo Minor**, the smaller Lion | + | * **Lacerta**, the Lizard |
| - | * **Leo**, the Lion | + | * **Cygnus**, the Swan |
| - | * **Cancer**, the Crab | + | * **Sagitta**, the Arrow |
| - | * **Sextans**, the Sextant | + | * **Pegasus**, the Winged Horse |
| - | * **Hydra**, the Water Snake | + | * **Delphinus**, the Dolphin |
| + | * **Aquarius**, the Water Bearer | ||
| + | * **Capricornus**, the Sea-Goat | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== SKY EXTRAS in November 2016 ===== | ||
| + | * Still LOTS of evening planets in November! 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. Jupiter's back with us, but you'll have to see it in the morning now, low in the eastern twilight. | ||
| + | * Best evening comet should still be C/2016 A8 (LINEAR), fairly high in the southern sky and large but fading slowly, so you'll need a scope of at least 8" aperture, an eyepiece giving low magnification...and patience. | ||
| + | * The Leonids meteor shower peaks November 17, but a nearly full moon once again washes out the show. | ||
| + | * And speaking of bright moons--the November 14 full moon is only 2.5 hours after the closest perigee (approach to earth), so this will be the largest full moon of 2016. | ||
| - | ===== EXTRAS in April 2015 ===== | ||
| - | * In April, especially in evenings with no moonlight, you can still see the evening **zodiacal light**, reaching almost vertically from the west horizon. Look about 45 minutes after sunset. | ||
| - | * Several planets continue to grace the evening sky in April. Jupiter is up very high, and Venus and Mars are is low in the west. Saturn is up by midnight. Mercury's back too, after April 18, just above the west horizon. | ||
| - | * We finally get a meteor shower break in April: the Lyrids peak near New Moon! Look for them April 22/23, especially after the moon sets around midnight. Best times will be 2-6 am, very high in the sky. | ||
| - | * There's a lunar eclipse April 4 before dawn. In Kansas, the moon becomes totally eclipsed at 6:54 am, and then right away sets at 7:13 am. Look west, and be quick! | ||
| - | * Comet C/2012 Q2 (Lovejoy) is fading and very low in the north all night. Probably best to catch it around 9:30-10 pm low in the NW sky, with binoculars or a small scope. Otherwise tough going for comets in April. | ||
| - | * Venus passes close to the Pleiades cluster around April 10. | ||
| - | * Remember: it's springtime by day, but April can be winter-like on clear nights. 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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| - | ====== Sky Highlights for MARCH 2015 ====== | ||
| - | * March 5 -- Full Moon (the "Crow Moon")\\ | ||
| - | * //March 7/8 -- Set your clocks forward for Daylight Savings Time//\\ | ||
| - | * March 13 -- Last Quarter (moon absent from evening sky)\\ | ||
| - | * March 14 -- OPEN HOUSE at Farpoint Observatory, beginning 8:00 pm\\ | ||
| - | * March 20 -- __**New Moon**__\\ | ||
| - | * March 27 -- First Quarter\\ | ||
| - | |||
| - | ===== PLANETS in March 2015 ===== | ||
| - | Evening Sky: | ||
| - | * **Venus** -- in west | ||
| - | * **Mars** -- in west, bright orange | ||
| - | * **Jupiter** -- in east, very bright | ||
| - | * **Uranus** -- in southwest | ||
| - | * **Neptune** -- in west | ||
| - | |||
| - | Midnight: | ||
| - | * **Jupiter** -- in south, very bright | ||
| - | |||
| - | Morning Sky: | ||
| - | * **Mercury** -- low in southeast | ||
| - | * **Jupiter** -- in west, very bright | ||
| - | * **Saturn** -- in south | ||
| - | |||
| - | ===== CONSTELLATIONS well placed in evening during March 2015 ===== | ||
| - | North to South, at 7-9 pm: | ||
| - | * **Draco**, the Dragon, very low in the North | ||
| - | * **Ursa Minor**, the Little Bear, also the Little Dipper | ||
| - | * **Camelopardalis**, the Giraffe | ||
| - | * **Lynx**, //not a Lynx//--so named because you need Lynx eyes to see it | ||
| - | * **Gemini**, the twins | ||
| - | * **Orion**, the Hunter | ||
| - | * **Canis Minor**, the Smaller Dog | ||
| - | * **Canis Major**, the Big Dog | ||
| - | |||
| - | ===== 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! | ||
