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sky_highlights [2015/04/28 20:53] edose add May 2015, remove March |
sky_highlights [2016/12/04 08:47] edose add December 2016, remove November |
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| - | ====== Sky Highlights for MAY 2015 ====== | + | ====== Sky Highlights and NEKAAL Events for DECEMBER 2016 ====== |
| - | * May 3 -- Full Moon (the "Milk Moon")\\ | + | * December 7 -- First Quarter |
| - | * May 9 -- OPEN HOUSE at Farpoint Observatory, beginning 9:00 pm\\ | + | * December 13 -- Full Moon |
| - | * May 11 -- Last Quarter (moon absent from evening sky)\\ | + | * December 20 -- Last Quarter |
| - | * May 17 -- __**New Moon**__\\ | + | * December 29 -- New Moon |
| - | * May 25 -- First Quarter\\ | + | * January 26, 2017 -- first General Meeting of New Year, Topeka Library, 7 pm. |
| - | ===== PLANETS in May 2015 ===== | + | ===== PLANETS in December 2016 ===== |
| Evening Sky: | Evening Sky: | ||
| - | * **Mercury** -- in northwest | + | * **Mercury** -- in southwest |
| - | * **Venus** -- in west, very bright | + | * **Venus** -- in southwest |
| - | * **Jupiter** -- southwest, very bright | + | * **Mars** -- in south |
| - | * **Saturn** -- southeast | + | * **Uranus** -- in southeast |
| + | * **Neptune** -- in south | ||
| Midnight: | Midnight: | ||
| - | * **Jupiter** -- in west, very bright | + | * **Uranus** -- in west |
| - | * **Saturn** -- in southeast | + | |
| Morning Sky: | Morning Sky: | ||
| - | * **Saturn** -- in southwest | + | * **Jupiter** -- in southeast |
| - | * **Uranus** -- in east | + | * **Saturn** -- in southeast, starting late in December |
| - | * **Neptune** -- in southeast | + | |
| - | ===== CONSTELLATIONS well placed in evening during May 2015 ===== | + | |
| - | North to South, at 9-11 pm: | + | ===== CONSTELLATIONS well placed in evening during December 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 | ||
| - | * **Draco**, the Dragon | + | * **Cepheus**, the King of Ethiopia |
| - | * **Ursa Major**, the Big Bear, also the Big Dipper | + | * **Cassiopeia**, the wife of King Cepheus |
| - | * **Canes Venatici**, the Hunting Dogs | + | * **Lacerta**, the Lizard |
| - | * **Leo Minor**, the smaller Lion | + | * **Perseus**, vanquisher of Medusa and rescuer of Andromeda |
| - | * **Leo**, the Lion | + | * **Andromeda**, the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia |
| - | * **Coma Berenices**, the Hair of Queen Berenice of Egypt | + | * **Pegasus**, the Winged Horse |
| - | * **Virgo**, the Virgin | + | * **Triangulum**, yes, the triangle |
| - | * **Corvus**, the Crow | + | * **Aries**, the Ram |
| - | * **Hydra**, the Water Snake | + | * **Taurus**, the Bull |
| + | * **Sagitta**, the Arrow | ||
| + | * **Cetus**, the Sea Monster | ||
| - | ===== SKY EXTRAS in May 2015 ===== | + | ===== SKY EXTRAS in December 2016 ===== |
| - | * Several planets grace the evening sky again in May. MERCURY pops up in the west-southwest sky for its best view of the year--but only in early May, best around May 6. VENUS remains high and bright in the west, Jupiter is higher still, and SATURN is back in the late evening--look southeast. | + | * 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. |
| - | * Planet fans: At about 10:50 pm Kansas time May 27, Jupiter's moons Ganymede rudely eclipses another moon Io, so that their glows merge--and their shadows on Jupiter will merge at the same time. | + | * The great Geminid meteor shower peaks December 13, unfortunately right at full moon, which will wash out this year's show. |
| - | * The Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks the morning of May 6, and while it's a pretty active shower, there will be a nearly full moon to deal with. | + | * 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. |
| - | * Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) is still visible in binoculars in the north in Cassiopeia, but will fade all month. You might catch newly discovered comet C/2015 F3 (SWAN), also far in the north in Cassiopeia, but you'll need a 6-8 inch scope May 1 and a 10 inch scope by May 31. | + | |
| - | * Remember: it's late springtime by day, but May evenings can be chilly, especially on the clearest ones. Take a jacket, and have more clothes than you think you'll need. But the skies are great--go look! | + | |
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| - | ====== Sky Highlights for APRIL 2015 ====== | + | |
| - | * April 4 -- Full Moon (the "Grass Moon" or "Egg Moon")\\ | + | |
| - | * April 11 -- Last Quarter (moon absent from evening sky)\\ | + | |
| - | * April 11 -- OPEN HOUSE at Farpoint Observatory, beginning 8:30 pm\\ | + | |
| - | * April 18 -- __**New Moon**__\\ | + | |
| - | * April 25 -- First Quarter\\ | + | |
| - | ===== PLANETS in April 2015 ===== | ||
| - | Evening Sky: | ||
| - | * **Mercury** -- in west | ||
| - | * **Venus** -- in west | ||
| - | * **Mars** -- in west, bright orange | ||
| - | * **Jupiter** -- high in south, very bright | ||
| - | Midnight: | ||
| - | * **Jupiter** -- in west, very bright | ||
| - | * **Saturn** -- in southeast | ||
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| - | Morning Sky: | ||
| - | * **Saturn** -- in southwest | ||
| - | * **Uranus** -- in east | ||
| - | * **Neptune** -- in east | ||
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| - | ===== CONSTELLATIONS well placed in evening during April 2015 ===== | ||
| - | North to South, at 9-11 pm: | ||
| - | * **Ursa Minor**, the Little Bear, also the Little Dipper | ||
| - | * **Ursa Major**, the Big Bear, also the Big Dipper | ||
| - | * **Camelopardalis**, the Giraffe | ||
| - | * **Lynx**, //not a Lynx//--so named because you need Lynx eyes to see it | ||
| - | * **Leo Minor**, the smaller Lion | ||
| - | * **Leo**, the Lion | ||
| - | * **Cancer**, the Crab | ||
| - | * **Sextans**, the Sextant | ||
| - | * **Hydra**, the Water Snake | ||
| - | ===== 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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