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.
The constellations Taurus, with its Pleiades (a tiny "dipper-like" asterism), Orion and the Winter Triangle are now sinking in the W. Castor and Pollux (the Gemini "twins") are shining in the NW while Capella (Auriga) glows above them. Regulus (Leo) shines high in the S as the wandering constellation Hydra appears to create a void below since it has no bright stars. The "Big Dipper" asterism (Ursa Major) high in the NE has appeared to "rotate" so its "handle" is now nearly horizontal. Spica (Virgo) and Arcturus (Bootes) are now rising in the E. Spring is coming!
This month the ecliptic has an unusually steep angle to the horizon. As a result, MERCURY appears unusually high during the evening later this month. It may be spotted as early as the 22nd. some 20 minutes after sunset. By the 31st. it will stand about 10 degrees above the W horizon around a half hour after sunset. VENUS begins the month about 5 degrees above the horizon around a half hour after sunset. It rises a bit higher each evening until it stands some 15 degrees above the W horizon at month's end. Orangish MARS can be found near the Gemini Twins (Castor and Pollux) all month. It will be high in the SE at sunset and will then move S later in the evening. JUPITER reappears low above the E horizon about a half hour before sunrise at the end of the month. On the 1st., both SATURN and the nearly full Moon rise just before 8 PM. EST By month's end, it will be some 40 degrees above the horizon at 10 PM EDT. The SUN is at equinox on the 20th. when it crosses the celestial equator. Thus Spring begins in the northern hemisphere.
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 |
01 |
Look for a conjunction (8 degrees) of Moon and Saturn at 5 PM. |
03 |
At dawn, look for a pseudo-conjunction (5 degrees) of the Moon and the bright star Spica (Virgo). |
07 |
07 Look for a pseudo-conjunction (5 degrees) of the Moon and the bright star Antares (Scorpius) at dawn. |
14 |
Daylight Savings Time begins for most of the U. S. and Canada. If you are using a planisphere, don't forget to make the appropriate adjustment to your planisphere's dial. |
16 |
Look for a conjunction (6 degrees) of the crescent Moon and Venus about a half hour after sunset. |
17 |
Again look for a wide conjunction (10 degrees) of the Moon and Venus at dusk. This time the Moon is above Venus. |
20 |
The Vernal Equinox occurs at 1:32 PM EDT. Spring begins! |
30 |
Look for close conjunction (3 degrees) of Venus and Mercury very low in the W about a half hour after sunset. |
| 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:
Gemini, the Third Constellation of the Zodiac
| Gemini is one of the important constellations of the winter sky and is located E of Taurus and S of Auriga. One of the spiral arms of our galaxy, the Milky Way, "passes" through the bottom of Gemini. It contains several interesting star clusters and nebulae. It is also one of the few constellations that contains two 1st. magnitude (bright) stars, Castor and Pollux, known as the "twins". Gemini is also the radiant of one of our best meteor showers (the Geminids) which peaks around December 12th. each year. --See
you next month!
|
This installment of "Whats Up?" is ©2010 Ronald A. Leeseberg, encoded by Dawn Jenkins for Astra's Stargate.
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