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 asterism disappear into the evening twilight. Now another asterism, the Big Dipper (Ursa Major), is well placed for observation. Follow the curve of its "handle" to the bright star, Arcturus (Bootes) and continue on to another bright star, Spica (Virgo) in the SE. Regulus (Leo) is still high in the SW while Vega (Lyra), one of the stars of the upcoming Summer Triangle, becomes visible in the NE. Don't confuse bright Capella (Auriga) with the pale yellow planet, Saturn, as it moves along the ecliptic in the NW. Look for my favorite spring constellation, Corvus, with its rather dim but distinctive kite-shaped asterism low in the SSE. Later this month look for the familiar "W" shaped asterism of constellation Cassiopeia high in the N. If you follow a "line" along the end side of the Big Dipper's "bowl" up about half way up to Cassiopeia, you will discover Polaris (Ursa Minor). This is the North Star, about which the rest of the stars appear to rotate.
Elusive MERCURY will be very difficult to see this month. It will only be about 5 degrees above the E horizon by the month's end and lost in the brightening morning twilight. VENUS is our poster planet this month. Look W about a half hour after sunset. It will be the brightest object in the night sky. It won't set until about 10 PM. in the NW. MARS becomes visible in the SW a sunset fades. By month's end its eastward motion will bring it very close to the bright white star Regulus (Leo). JUPITER appears in the predawn sky above the E horizon. It will be the brightest object in that part of the sky until the rising Sun "blots" it out. SATURN is visible almost all night. It appears high in the S after sunset and fades from view in the SW as the sky brightens during sunrise. When visible, it is always the darling of the amateur observer. The annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks early in the morning of the 6th. this year.
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 |
03 |
Look for a pseudo conjunction (6 degrees)of Venus and the bright star Aldebaran (Taurus). |
06 |
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks. Comet 1P/Halley has deposited dust and debris is in this area of the Earth's orbit for uncounted eons and, when rammed by the Earth, becomes the meteors that light up the night sky. The shower's radiant (apparent source of these meteors) rises in the E at about 2:30 AM and climbs to some 15 degrees above the horizon by 4 AM. Twilight soon follows so this is the best time to view. Unfortunately the last quarter Moon will "drown out" some of the dimmer events so only about 20 events/hour are expected to be visible. |
09-10 |
Look E at dawn (about an hour before the Sun rises) to see The crescent Moon above the Jupiter on the 9th. and to the left on the 10th. at the same time. |
12 |
Look for a conjunction of the Moon and Mercury just above the horizon at midnight. A clear view of the horizon and a good deal of luck will be necessary.. |
15-16 |
Look WNW at dusk (as the sky darkens after sunset) to see a very thin crescent Moon below and to the right of Venus on the 15th. At the same time, on the 16th., the Moon is now above and slightly to the left of Venus. |
15 |
Look for the crescent Moon's "horns" pointing towards Venus this evening. It reminds me a little of the Turkish flag. |
23 |
Look for a conjunction (8 degrees) of the Moon and Saturn at 6 AM |
27 |
Look for a pseudo-conjunction (6 degrees) of the Moon and the bright, reddish star, Antares (Scorpius). Antares is often mistaken for the planet Mars because of its color. Its name means: "Ant" (against) "ares" (Mars). |
| 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:
Leo, the Fifth Constellation of the Zodiac
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Leo is a large, zodiacal constellation. There are two prominent asterisms in Leo, one: the famous "sickle" (which reminds me of a backward question mark) ending at the constellation's brightest star, Regulus, and, two: the lion. NOTE: to see these figures outlined you must open the image attachment. The sickle appears in red while the lion is outlined in white
--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.
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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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