Features: Calendar | Lunar Almanac | Monthly Topic
This Month's Night Sky - NOTE: The next paragraph describes the sky as it
appears at 10 pm EST (11 pm EDT) near mid- month. The sky also looks
this way at 11 pm EST (midnight EDT) during the beginning of the month and
at 9 pm EST (10 pm EDT) by month's end.
Angular Measurement Review: It is interesting to note that the relationship between the angle subtended by combinations of fingers on your fully outstretched arm are the same for all viewers. This is due to the fact that the hand's size is proportional to the arm's length. A shorter arm is attached to a smaller hand while a longer arm is attached to a larger hand, thus the angle measured remains the same. If you hold your arm fully outstretched, your little finger, when sighted down your arm, is one degree wide. Your three middle fingers is five degrees, your fist, 10 degrees, and the distance between your little finger and your pointer finger is 15 degrees no matter what your age or size.
As the days lengthen, the stars of the Winter Triangle fade into evening's dusk. The "Big Dipper" asterism (Ursa Major) is well placed for viewing this month since it is almost directly overhead. Follow the curve of its handle to Arcturus (Bootes) and continue on the curve to Spica (Virgo). Regulus (Leo) is on the ecliptic (the path traced by the planets and Moon), just W. of overhead. Further W., on the ecliptic, find the Gemini Twins, Castor and Pollux, and finally the Pleiades, the famous open star cluster of Taurus.
MERCURY is about 10 degrees above the W horizon at sunset. It will remain visible until about the 14th. Brilliant VENUS is also above the W horizon at sunset and only a few degrees to the right of Mercury. Both planets travel together until around the 8th. when Mercury's smaller orbit carries it back towards the Sun. MARS is also in the night sky at sunset. Look for it high in the S, about 65 degrees above the horizon. JUPITER, however, makes its appearance late in the morning just before sunrise. Look for it low in the E. SATURN is in the SE at sunset and remains in the night sky almost until sunrise. By midnight it has travelled S and will set in the W. The Lyrid meteor shower peaks before dawn on the 22nd. Its radiant is near the bright star Vega.
Calendar of Events
NOTE: For those observers not in the ET zone, convert the calendar times to your zone's time by subtracting one hour for CT, two for MT and three for PT. Don't forget to adjust for Daylight Savings Time when necessary by subtracting one hour from your planisphere's time.; Dawn and dusk times must also be corrected. See your local newspaper, TV news, or cable TV's Weather Channel for sunrise and sunset times. Unfortunately some of these events may occur during daylight hours in your area.
| DATE | EVENT |
31-15 |
Look for evening zodiacal light. From a dark site, look W for a tall, left- leaning cone of light as twilight ends. Its bottom will be centered on Venus and it will reach high between open star clusters, the Hyades and the Pleiades, both of Taurus and both visible to the naked eye. |
01 |
The government has finally solved the riddle of the extraterrestrial star drive in the space ship stored in Area 51 for low these many years. It runs on water...and will take astronauts to Mars in 20 minutes! |
03 |
At dawn, look for a very close pseudo-conjunction (+/-1 degree) of the Moon and the bright star Antares (Scorpius). |
08 |
Mercury makes its best appearance this evening. |
11 |
Look for a conjunction (5 degrees) of Jupiter (below) and the Moon (above). |
12 |
Again look for a near conjunction (11 degrees) of the Jupiter (right) and the Moon (left). |
13-20 |
Mars and the Beehive star cluster (M44 of Cancer) travel together all night. This is a fine binocular sight! |
15 |
Look for a close conjunction (1.5 degrees) of the Moon and Mercury at 7 pm. If you are fortunate enough to be observing from a dark site, look for zodiacal light as Mercury and the Moon set. Since Venus is also involved, bring your binoculars. |
22 |
The Lyrid Meteor Shower peaks before dawn. However, it is active between 16th.
and the 25th. Since the Moon sets before 3 am, obervers at a dark site can
expect to see from 15 to 25 events/hour until the rising Sun blots out view of
the shower.
Look for a conjunction (5 degrees) of the Moon and Mars at 5 am. |
23-25 |
Venus and the Pleiades fit within the field of most binoculars (5 degrees) early in the evening. Although this is a fine naked eye sight it is even better in binoculars. |
25 |
Look for a near conjunction (8 degrees) of the Moon and Saturn at 8 pm. |
| Phases of the Moon | Phase and Date(s) | Best viewed before local midnight |
 |
New |
Deep Space Objects |
 |
1st. Qtr |
Planets & Moon |
 |
Full |
Moon |
 |
Last |
Deep Space & Planets |
Topic of the month:
Cancer, the Fourth Constellation of the Zodiac
|
Although Cancer is a small zodiacal constellation, lying between Gemini and Leo, , it was very big in Greek mythology. Hera, the queen of Olympus, was aware of King Zeus's amorous liaisons. Alcmene bore Hercules only three days after her affair with Zeus. When Hercules began his quest to destroy the multi-headed monster, Hydra, jealous Hera tried to destroy him by sending a sea crab to bite his foot. Although Hercules simply stomped it to death, Hear placed its image in the heavens; thus Cancer, the crab.
--See
you next month!
The star chart above was generated by Stellarium, a free open source planetarium program. The above image was created by Dawn Jenkins, using Stellarium and a graphic editing program to format the image for this web page. Editing was done for educational purposes only. Stellarium offers much more to amatuer astronomers and is being used in planetariums and to guide telescopes in the field. Simple charts like the one above can be used on the internet for non-profit, illustration purposes. Proper credit is due of course! Thank you to the makers of this fine program from Astra's Star Gate. Ron was just kidding about the Area 51 spacecraft --Astra 8^)
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This installment of "Whats Up?" is ©2010 Ronald A. Leeseberg, encoded by Dawn Jenkins for Astra's Stargate.
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