Sunday, April 16, 2006
Venus and Uranus close together (17-20 April)
Venus and Uranus spotter map for 17-20 April, circle is the field of view of 10x50 binoculars. Click to enlarge image enough to be useful.Although Uranus is bright enough to be (just) visible to the naked eye, Finding it can be quite difficult. Over the next few days we have a very bright signpost, Venus. Between Monday 17 April to Thursday 20 April Venus will be within binocular distance of Uranus. The Spotter map above (click it to get a full scale view) shows that most nights Venus is just above Uranus (the circle is the field of view of 10x50 binoculars). Uranus is the second brigthest object close to Venus (all except Lambda Aquarii and a star near the bottom are less than magnitude 6, while Uranus is magnitude 5.9). On the 17th Venus is also just 9' from Lambda Aquarii (the red star in the field just below Venus in the image above). See if you can see them separate with the unaided eye. On the 18th and the 19th Venus and Uranus will be within wide field telescopic eyepices. Venus will look like a half Moon, and Uranus should be (just) a visible disk.
# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 9:46 pm 
Click to read about or order
Click to read about or order
Click to read about or order
Click to read about or order
