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sky_highlights [2016/04/09 10:50] edose add April 2016, remove March |
sky_highlights [2017/01/15 16:42] admin [SKY EXTRAS in December 2016] |
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| - | ====== Sky Highlights and NEKAAL Events for APRIL 2016 ====== | + | ====== Sky Highlights and NEKAAL Events for DECEMBER 2016 ====== |
| - | * April 7 -- __**New Moon**__\\ | + | * December 7 -- First Quarter |
| - | * April 9 -- **Open House** at Farpoint Observatory, 8 pm-? Join us! | + | * December 13 -- Full Moon |
| - | * April 13 -- First Quarter\\ | + | * December 20 -- Last Quarter |
| - | * April 22 -- Full Moon | + | * December 29 -- New Moon |
| - | * April 28 -- General Meeting, Topeka Library, 7 pm. Join us! | + | * January 26, 2017 -- first General Meeting of New Year, Topeka Library, 7 pm. |
| - | * April 29 -- Last Quarter | + | |
| - | ===== PLANETS in April 2016 ===== | + | ===== PLANETS in December 2016 ===== |
| Evening Sky: | Evening Sky: | ||
| - | * **Mercury** -- in west | + | * **Mercury** -- in southwest |
| - | * **Jupiter** -- in southeast | + | * **Venus** -- in southwest |
| + | * **Mars** -- in south | ||
| + | * **Uranus** -- in southeast | ||
| + | * **Neptune** -- in south | ||
| Midnight: | Midnight: | ||
| - | * **Mars** -- in southeast | + | * **Uranus** -- in west |
| - | * **Jupiter** -- in southwest | + | |
| - | * **Saturn** -- in southeast | + | |
| Morning Sky: | Morning Sky: | ||
| - | * **Neptune** -- in east | + | * **Jupiter** -- in southeast |
| - | * **Venus** -- in east | + | * **Saturn** -- in southeast, starting late in December |
| - | * **Mars** -- in southwest | + | |
| - | * **Saturn** -- in south | + | |
| - | ===== CONSTELLATIONS well placed in evening during April 2016 ===== | + | |
| - | North to South, at 9-10 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 | ||
| - | * **Camelopardalis**, the Giraffe | + | * **Cepheus**, the King of Ethiopia |
| - | * **Ursa Major**, the Big Bear, also the Big Dipper | + | * **Cassiopeia**, the wife of King Cepheus |
| - | * **Lynx**, not a Lynx--so named 1687 because one needs Lynx eyes to see it (true story). | + | * **Lacerta**, the Lizard |
| - | * **Gemini**, the Twins | + | * **Perseus**, vanquisher of Medusa and rescuer of Andromeda |
| - | * **Leo**, the Lion | + | * **Andromeda**, the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia |
| - | * **Canis Major**, the bigger dog | + | * **Pegasus**, the Winged Horse |
| - | * **Hydra**, the Water Monster | + | * **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. | ||
| - | ===== SKY EXTRAS in April 2016 ===== | ||
| - | * **Mercury** has its best appearance of the year, in the WSW dusk twilight, best around April 18. | ||
| - | * **Conjunction** of the month: April 25, around 3 am, The moon, Saturn, Mars, and bright red-orange star Antares all gather in the south sky. //Honorable mention//: Jupiter and Moon are very close all night April 18-19. | ||
| - | * **Challenge object** of the month: **Omega Centauri** is theoretically visible from Kansas. It's the Milky Way's largest globular cluster, falling right below bright star Spica and conspicuous constellation Corvus. Big as it is, Omega Centauri never gets more than 3.5 degrees above Topeka's south horizon. Best bet: Find it in binoculars right when it's due south, and //then// try for it naked-eye. | ||
| - | * Best **comet**: in binoculars, 252P/Linear, in Serpens Cauda moving into Ophiuchus, at magnitude 5.0. Look high in the morning twilight. | ||
| - | * No great meteor showers this month. (Lyrids are washed out in the Full Moon.) | ||
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