Tuesday, May 30, 2017
The Sky This Week - Thursday June 1 to Thursday June 8
The First Quarter Moon is Thursday June 1. Mars is lost in the twilight.
Jupiter
and
the bright star Spica
are nearby in the evening
sky and are visited by the Moon on the 4th.
Saturn is in the evening
sky in the heart of the Milky Way. Venus climbs higher in the morning
sky, with Mercury below it. Venus is close to Uranus on the 3rd and 4th. Comet C/2015 V2 Johnson may be visible in
binoculars in the northern sky.
The First Quarter Moon is Thursday June 1.
Evening sky on Sunday June 4 looking north as seen from
Adelaide at 20:18 ACST (when Jupiter is highest in the sky). Jupiter is above the
horizon between
the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star Porrima, with the Mon making a triangle with the pair. Jupiter
is now closer to Porrima than Spica. The inset shows the telescopic
view of Jupiter at 18:00 ACST of Friday June 3.
Comet C/2015 V2 is moderately high above the horizon near Arcturus.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising before dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica. On the 4th the waxing Moon forms a triangle with Jupiter and Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising before the sun sets and is visible until the early morning. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from astronomical twilight on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Thu 1 Jun 0:22 Io : Transit Ends S
Thu 1 Jun 0:50 Gan: Reappears from Eclipse S
Thu 1 Jun 1:18 Eur: Reappears from Eclipse S
Thu 1 Jun 1:25 Io : Shadow Transit Ends
Thu 1 Jun 2:22 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Thu 1 Jun 19:23 Io : Disappears into Occultation
Thu 1 Jun 22:13 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Thu 1 Jun 22:39 Io : Reappears from Eclipse
Fri 2 Jun 17:32 Eur: Shadow Transit Begins STT
Fri 2 Jun 17:42 Io : Shadow Transit Begins SSTT
Fri 2 Jun 17:46 Eur: Transit Ends SST
Fri 2 Jun 18:05 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Fri 2 Jun 18:49 Io : Transit Ends SS
Fri 2 Jun 19:53 Io : Shadow Transit Ends S
Fri 2 Jun 19:57 Eur: Shadow Transit Ends
Sat 3 Jun 23:52 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Sun 4 Jun 19:43 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Tue 6 Jun 1:30 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Tue 6 Jun 21:22 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Wed 7 Jun 17:13 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Wed 7 Jun 21:50 Gan: Disappears into Occultation
Wed 7 Jun 23:13 Eur: Disappears into Occultation
Thu 8 Jun 0:00 Io : Transit Begins T
Thu 8 Jun 0:18 Gan: Reappears from Occultation T
Thu 8 Jun 1:08 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST
Thu 8 Jun 2:12 Io : Transit Ends S
Thu 8 Jun 21:13 Io : Disappears into Occultation
Thu 8 Jun 23:00 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Evening sky on Saturday June 3 looking east as seen from
Adelaide at 20:00 ACST. Saturn is reasonably high above the horizon.
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 10 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars.
Saturn is at opposition next week, but watching the rings over the coming week should see them brighten ahead of the planet,
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Comet C/2015 V2 is in a good position to view at the moment, it is dimmer than predicted at around magnitude 8, while with good binoculars and under dark skies it should be visible as a fuzzy dot. The bright star Arcturus is readily visible and you can star hop from it down to the comet. For more details off how to view the comet see here.
Mars is lost in the twilight.
Morning sky on Saturday June 3 looking east as seen from Adelaide
at 6:17 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise). Venus is dazzling and Mercury
is prominent below it. Uranus is close to Venus. The inset shows the telescopic view of Venus at
this time.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a "half-Moon". Over the next few days Uranus comes close to Venus and is closest on the 3rd and 4th. Blue-green Uranus will be easily visible in binoculars as it draw close to brilliant Venus. Uranus, Venus and the brightish star omicron Pisces from a triangle, and you can watch Uranus move from day to day.
Mercury is easily visible low to the horizon.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
The First Quarter Moon is Thursday June 1.
Comet C/2015 V2 is moderately high above the horizon near Arcturus.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising before dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica. On the 4th the waxing Moon forms a triangle with Jupiter and Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising before the sun sets and is visible until the early morning. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from astronomical twilight on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Thu 1 Jun 0:22 Io : Transit Ends S
Thu 1 Jun 0:50 Gan: Reappears from Eclipse S
Thu 1 Jun 1:18 Eur: Reappears from Eclipse S
Thu 1 Jun 1:25 Io : Shadow Transit Ends
Thu 1 Jun 2:22 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Thu 1 Jun 19:23 Io : Disappears into Occultation
Thu 1 Jun 22:13 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Thu 1 Jun 22:39 Io : Reappears from Eclipse
Fri 2 Jun 17:32 Eur: Shadow Transit Begins STT
Fri 2 Jun 17:42 Io : Shadow Transit Begins SSTT
Fri 2 Jun 17:46 Eur: Transit Ends SST
Fri 2 Jun 18:05 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Fri 2 Jun 18:49 Io : Transit Ends SS
Fri 2 Jun 19:53 Io : Shadow Transit Ends S
Fri 2 Jun 19:57 Eur: Shadow Transit Ends
Sat 3 Jun 23:52 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Sun 4 Jun 19:43 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Tue 6 Jun 1:30 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Tue 6 Jun 21:22 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Wed 7 Jun 17:13 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Wed 7 Jun 21:50 Gan: Disappears into Occultation
Wed 7 Jun 23:13 Eur: Disappears into Occultation
Thu 8 Jun 0:00 Io : Transit Begins T
Thu 8 Jun 0:18 Gan: Reappears from Occultation T
Thu 8 Jun 1:08 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST
Thu 8 Jun 2:12 Io : Transit Ends S
Thu 8 Jun 21:13 Io : Disappears into Occultation
Thu 8 Jun 23:00 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 10 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars.
Saturn is at opposition next week, but watching the rings over the coming week should see them brighten ahead of the planet,
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Comet C/2015 V2 is in a good position to view at the moment, it is dimmer than predicted at around magnitude 8, while with good binoculars and under dark skies it should be visible as a fuzzy dot. The bright star Arcturus is readily visible and you can star hop from it down to the comet. For more details off how to view the comet see here.
Mars is lost in the twilight.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a "half-Moon". Over the next few days Uranus comes close to Venus and is closest on the 3rd and 4th. Blue-green Uranus will be easily visible in binoculars as it draw close to brilliant Venus. Uranus, Venus and the brightish star omicron Pisces from a triangle, and you can watch Uranus move from day to day.
Mercury is easily visible low to the horizon.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Labels: weekly sky
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Astrophiz Podcast 34 is Out
Our feature interview is with Dr. Anthony Horton β Instrument
Scientist at the AAO who tells us all about life as an Instrument
Scientist for AAO and the Huntsman Telescope and the Space-Eye CubeSat
telescope project.
I give you the skinny on the great current conditions for observing our Gas Giants.
In the news:
I give you the skinny on the great current conditions for observing our Gas Giants.
In the news:
1. Vale Harold Weaver, 99, discoverer of Masers in space.
2. Renegrade Supermassive Black Hole hunted down
3. The smallest (oxymoronic) Supermassive Black Hole
4. The first image of a black hole (almost)
2. Renegrade Supermassive Black Hole hunted down
3. The smallest (oxymoronic) Supermassive Black Hole
4. The first image of a black hole (almost)
Labels: Astrophiz
Geomagnetic warning (26-27 May)
The SWS has issued a geomagnetic warning for 26-27 May (UT) due to glancing blow
from a coronal mass ejection. This is expected to arrive late in the UT day on
the 26th (which is the morning of the 27th Australian time). However, the Space Weather Prediction Service has no prediction of storms at this time, so a wait
and see approach may be needed (see also here).
If these geomagnetic events occur and result in aurora they could be seen from Tasmania and Southern Victoria, weather permitting. The Moon is just off new, so will not interfere. Be patient, as the activity may rise and fall of the magnetic polarity of the wind may fluctuate significantly.
Dark sky sites have the best chance of seeing anything, and always allow around 5 minutes for your eyes to become dark adapted.
As always look to the south for shifting red/green glows, beams have been reported consistently over the last few aurora, as well as bright proton arcs and "picket fences".
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
The all sky aurora camera in Northern Tasmania at Cressy is being upgraded and is not yet online.
SUBJ: SWS GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING 17/27
ISSUED AT 2343UT/23 MAY 2017
BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE.
Partial Halo CME observed using STEREO and LASCO C2 imagery.
INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED
DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION
FROM 26-27 MAY 2017
_____________________________________________________________
GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST
26 May: Minor to Major Storm
27 May: Minor Storm
If these geomagnetic events occur and result in aurora they could be seen from Tasmania and Southern Victoria, weather permitting. The Moon is just off new, so will not interfere. Be patient, as the activity may rise and fall of the magnetic polarity of the wind may fluctuate significantly.
Dark sky sites have the best chance of seeing anything, and always allow around 5 minutes for your eyes to become dark adapted.
As always look to the south for shifting red/green glows, beams have been reported consistently over the last few aurora, as well as bright proton arcs and "picket fences".
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
The all sky aurora camera in Northern Tasmania at Cressy is being upgraded and is not yet online.
SUBJ: SWS GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING 17/27
ISSUED AT 2343UT/23 MAY 2017
BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE.
Partial Halo CME observed using STEREO and LASCO C2 imagery.
INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED
DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION
FROM 26-27 MAY 2017
_____________________________________________________________
GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST
26 May: Minor to Major Storm
27 May: Minor Storm
Labels: aurora
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
The Sky This Week - Thursday May 25 to Thursday June 1
The New Moon is Friday May 26, the First Quarter Moon is Thursday June 1. Mars is low in the twilight.
Jupiter
and
the bright star Spica
are nearby in the evening
skies.
Saturn is in the evening
sky in the heart of the Milky Way. Venus climbs higher in the morning
sky, with Mercury below it. Comet C/2015 V2 Johnson may be visible in
binoculars in the northern sky.
The New Moon is Friday May 26, and is at perigee, when it is closest to Earth. The First Quarter Moon is Thursday June 1.
Evening sky on Saturday May 27 looking west as seen from Adelaide
at 17:57 ACST (45 minutes after sunset). Mars is low above the horizon.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 45 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Mars is in the western evening skies in Taurus It is is low in the dusk sky, but is the brightest object above the western horizon low in the late twilight. You will need a clear, unobscured level horizon to see it though.
Evening sky on Saturday May 27 looking north as seen from
Adelaide at 20:47 ACST (when Jupiter is highest in the sky). Jupiter is above the
horizon between
the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter
is now closer to Porrima than Spica. The inset shows the telescopic
view of Jupiter at this time.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising at dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising as the sun sets and is visible all night long. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from around 7 pm on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Evening sky on Saturday May 27 looking east as seen from
Adelaide at 21:00 ACST. Saturn is reasonably high above the horizon.
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 10 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars.Saturn is not far from the dim star 58 Ophiuchi and will leave it behind over the week.
Saturn is at opposition next month, but watching the rings over the coming weeks should see them brighten ahead of the planet,
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Morning sky on Tuesday May 23 looking east as seen from Adelaide
at 6:13 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise). Venus is dazzling and Mercury is prominent below it. The inset shows the telescopic view of Venus at
this time.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a waxing crescent.
Mercury is easily visible low to the horizon.
Location of comet C/2015 V2
(indicated by the circle) looking north as seen from Adelaide at 11 pm on the 27th. Similar views will be seen
elsewhere in Australia (and most of the southern hemisphere) at the
equivalent local time. Click to
embiggen
Comet C/2015 V2 is in a good position to view at the moment, it is dimmer than predicted at around magnitude 8, while with good binoculars and under dark skies it should be visible as a fuzzy dot. The bright star Arcturus is readily visible and you can star hop from it down to the comet. For more details off how to view the comet see here.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
The New Moon is Friday May 26, and is at perigee, when it is closest to Earth. The First Quarter Moon is Thursday June 1.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 45 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Mars is in the western evening skies in Taurus It is is low in the dusk sky, but is the brightest object above the western horizon low in the late twilight. You will need a clear, unobscured level horizon to see it though.
Evening sky on Saturday May 27 looking north as seen from
Adelaide at 20:47 ACST (when Jupiter is highest in the sky). Jupiter is above the
horizon between
the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter
is now closer to Porrima than Spica. The inset shows the telescopic
view of Jupiter at this time.Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising at dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising as the sun sets and is visible all night long. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from around 7 pm on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Thu 25 May 1:35 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 25 May 17:33 Io : Disappears into Occultation Thu 25 May 20:44 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Thu 25 May 21:26 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Fri 26 May 17:18 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Fri 26 May 17:20 Eur: Shadow Transit Ends S Fri 26 May 17:59 Io : Shadow Transit Ends Sat 27 May 23:05 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sun 28 May 18:56 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Tue 30 May 0:43 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Tue 30 May 2:04 Eur: Transit Begins T Tue 30 May 20:35 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Wed 31 May 18:11 Gan: Disappears into Occultation Wed 31 May 20:37 Gan: Reappears from Occultation Wed 31 May 20:48 Eur: Disappears into Occultation Wed 31 May 22:11 Io : Transit Begins T Wed 31 May 22:33 Gan: Disappears into Eclipse T Wed 31 May 23:14 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST
Thu 1 Jun 00:22 Io : Transit Ends S Thu 1 Jun 00:50 Gan: Reappears from Eclipse S Thu 1 Jun 1:18 Eur: Reappears from Eclipse S Thu 1 Jun 01:25 Io : Shadow Transit Ends Thu 1 Jun 02:22 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 1 Jun 19:23 Io : Disappears into Occultation Thu 1 Jun 22:13 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 1 Jun 22:39 Io : Reappears from Eclipse
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 10 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars.Saturn is not far from the dim star 58 Ophiuchi and will leave it behind over the week.
Saturn is at opposition next month, but watching the rings over the coming weeks should see them brighten ahead of the planet,
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a waxing crescent.
Mercury is easily visible low to the horizon.
Comet C/2015 V2 is in a good position to view at the moment, it is dimmer than predicted at around magnitude 8, while with good binoculars and under dark skies it should be visible as a fuzzy dot. The bright star Arcturus is readily visible and you can star hop from it down to the comet. For more details off how to view the comet see here.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Labels: weekly sky
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Seeing Comet C/2015 V2 (Johnson) from Australia (21-31 May)
Comet C/2015 V2 is a comet predicted to get at least binocular bright in the next few week. Im Australia, it has only just crept high enough in the sky to be decent viewing in Australia.
The comet is currently passing through Bootes, the Herder, in the northern sky. As the week couse onit will climb higher in the sky, making it easier to see. It is best to look around 23:30 local time, when the comet will be at its highest above the horizon murk.
The comet has been reported around magnitude 8, which shloud be just visible with 10x50 binolculars or better under dark skies. I have seen a recent report of it being magnitude 7, wich is comfortable binocular level.
The comet should be relatively easy to find as a tiny fuzzy blob if you star hop down from Arturus towards the horizon via epsilon (π) Bootes (see map), the next brightest star sweeping down diagonally from Arturus. Contiue on towards the next brightest star, delta (π³) Bootes. For this week the comet will be between epsilon and delta Bootes, by the end of the week the comet will be to the right of epsilon (π) Bootes. During this time the comet should be brightening slightly (and be easiler to see being bhigher above the horizon.
The comet should be readily visible in small telescopes.
Labels: binoculars, C/2015 V2, comet
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
The Sky This Week - Thursday May 18 to Thursday May 25
The Last Quarter Moon is Friday May 19. Mars is low in the twilight.
Jupiter
and
the bright star Spica
are nearby in the evening
skies.
Saturn is in the evening
sky in the heart of the Milky Way. Venus climbs higher in the morning sky, with Mercury below it. The crescent Moon visits Venus on the 23rd, and Mercury on the 24th. Comet C/2015 V2 Johnson may be visible in binoculars in the northern sky.
The Last Quarter Moon is Friday May 19.
Evening sky on Saturday May 20 looking west as seen from Adelaide
at 18:02 ACST (45 minutes after sunset). Mars is low above the horizon, below
Aldebaran.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 45 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Mars is in the western evening skies in Taurus It is is low in the dusk sky, but is the brightest object above the western horizon low in the late twilight. You will need a clear, unobscured level horizon to see it though.
Evening sky on Saturday May 20 looking east as seen from
Adelaide at 18:46 ACST (90 minutes after sunset). Jupiter is above the
horizon between
the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter
is now closer to Porrima than Spica. The inset shows the telescopic
view of Jupiter at 20:15 ACST on the 24th, Ganymede has just come out of eclipse and Io is transiting the face of
Jupiter.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. that is 90 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising at dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising as the sun sets and is visible all night long. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from around 8 pm on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Evening sky on Saturday May 13 looking east as seen from
Adelaide at 21:00 ACST. Saturn is reasonably high above the horizon.
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 10 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars.Saturn is also very close by the dim star 58 Ophiuchi and will glide by it over the week.
Saturn is at opposition next month, but watching the rings over the coming weeks should see them brighten ahead of the planet,
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Morning sky on Tuesday May 23 looking east as seen from Adelaide
at 5:36 ACST (90 minutes before sunrise). Mercury is prominent below it. The inset shows the telescopic view of Venus at
this time.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a waxing crescent.
Mercury is easily visible low to the horizon, it is within binocular distance of Uranus, and will make an interesting pairing.
The Moon will form a line with Venus and Mercury on the 22nd, the thin crescent Moon will be just below Venus on the 23rd and just above Mercury on the 24th.
Location of comet C/2015 V2
(indicated by the circle) looking north as seen from Adelaide at midnight on the 20th. Similar views will be seen
elsewhere in Australia (and most of the southern hemisphere) at the
equivalent local time. Click to
embiggen
Comet C/2015 V2 is in a good position to view at the moment, it is dimmer than predicted at around magnitude 8, while with good binoculars and under dark skies it should be visible as a fuzzy dot. The bright star Arcturus is readily visible and you can star hop from it down to the comet.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
The Last Quarter Moon is Friday May 19.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 45 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Mars is in the western evening skies in Taurus It is is low in the dusk sky, but is the brightest object above the western horizon low in the late twilight. You will need a clear, unobscured level horizon to see it though.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. that is 90 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising at dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising as the sun sets and is visible all night long. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from around 8 pm on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Thu 18 May 0:48 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 18 May 18:49 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Thu 18 May 20:40 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sat 20 May 2:27 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sat 20 May 22:18 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sun 21 May 0:43 Gan: Transit Begins T Sun 21 May 3:04 Gan: Transit Ends Sun 21 May 18:10 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Mon 22 May 23:39 Eur: Transit Begins T Mon 22 May 23:57 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Tue 23 May 1:35 Eur: Shadow Transit Begins ST Tue 23 May 1:55 Io : Transit Begins STT Tue 23 May 2:07 Eur: Transit Ends ST Tue 23 May 2:51 Io : Shadow Transit Begins SST Tue 23 May 19:48 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Tue 23 May 23:06 Io : Disappears into Occultation Wed 24 May 2:16 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Wed 24 May 18:25 Eur: Disappears into Occultation Wed 24 May 18:33 Gan: Disappears into Eclipse Wed 24 May 20:22 Io : Transit Begins T Wed 24 May 20:51 Gan: Reappears from Eclipse T Wed 24 May 21:19 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST Wed 24 May 22:33 Io : Transit Ends S Wed 24 May 22:44 Eur: Reappears from Eclipse S Wed 24 May 23:30 Io : Shadow Transit Ends Thu 25 May 1:35 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 25 May 17:33 Io : Disappears into Occultation Thu 25 May 20:44 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Thu 25 May 21:26 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 10 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars.Saturn is also very close by the dim star 58 Ophiuchi and will glide by it over the week.
Saturn is at opposition next month, but watching the rings over the coming weeks should see them brighten ahead of the planet,
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a waxing crescent.
Mercury is easily visible low to the horizon, it is within binocular distance of Uranus, and will make an interesting pairing.
The Moon will form a line with Venus and Mercury on the 22nd, the thin crescent Moon will be just below Venus on the 23rd and just above Mercury on the 24th.
Comet C/2015 V2 is in a good position to view at the moment, it is dimmer than predicted at around magnitude 8, while with good binoculars and under dark skies it should be visible as a fuzzy dot. The bright star Arcturus is readily visible and you can star hop from it down to the comet.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Labels: weekly sky
Tuesday, May 09, 2017
The Sky This Week - Thursday May 11 to Thursday May 18
The Full Moon is Thursday May 11. Mars is low in the twilight.
Jupiter
and
the bright star Spica
are nearby in the evening
skies.
Saturn is low in the evening
sky and is visited by the Moon on the 13th. Venus climbs higher in the morning sky, with Mercury below it.
The Full Moon is Thursday May 11. The Moon is at apogee, when it is furthest from the Earth, on the 13th.
Evening sky on Saturday May 13 looking west as seen from Adelaide
at 18:04 ACST (45 minutes after sunset). Mars is low above the horizon, below
Aldebaran.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 45 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Mars is in the western evening skies in Taurus It is is low in the dusk sky, but is the brightest object above the western horizon low in the late twilight to the right of Aldebaran. You will need a clear, unobscured level horizon to see this though.
Evening sky on Saturday May 13 looking east as seen from
Adelaide at 18:50 ACST (90 minutes after sunset). Jupiter is above the
horizon between
the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica. The inset shows the telescopic
view of Jupiter at 21:15 ACST Ganymede is transiting the face of Jupiter.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. that is 90 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising at dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising as the sun sets and is visible all night long. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from around 8 pm on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Evening sky on Saturday May 13 looking east as seen from
Adelaide at 22:00 ACST. Saturn is reasonably high above the horizon. The Moon is close to Saturn.
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 11 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars. However, this week the bright Moon drowns out the faint cluster. The Moon is close to Saturn on the 13th, and a bit further away on the 14th.
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Morning sky on Saturday May 13 looking east as seen from Adelaide
at 6:04 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise). Mercury is becoming more prominent below it. The inset shows the telescopic view of Venus at
this time.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a waxing crescent.
Mercury is easily visible low to the horizon, it is within binocular distance of Uranus, and will make an interesting pairing.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
The Full Moon is Thursday May 11. The Moon is at apogee, when it is furthest from the Earth, on the 13th.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 45 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Mars is in the western evening skies in Taurus It is is low in the dusk sky, but is the brightest object above the western horizon low in the late twilight to the right of Aldebaran. You will need a clear, unobscured level horizon to see this though.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. that is 90 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising at dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising as the sun sets and is visible all night long. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from around 8 pm on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Thu 11 May 0:02 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 11 May 19:54 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sat 13 May 1:41 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sat 13 May 21:15 Gan: Transit Begins T Sat 13 May 21:32 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sat 13 May 23:33 Gan: Transit Ends Sun 14 May 0:25 Gan: Shadow Transit Begins S Sun 14 May 2:44 Gan: Shadow Transit Ends Sun 14 May 2:55 Eur: Disappears into Occultation Sun 14 May 17:23 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Mon 15 May 2:51 Io : Disappears into Occultation Mon 15 May 3:19 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Mon 15 May 21:17 Eur: Transit Begins T Mon 15 May 22:58 Eur: Shadow Transit Begins ST Mon 15 May 23:10 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Mon 15 May 23:43 Eur: Transit Ends S Tue 16 May 0:07 Io : Transit Begins ST Tue 16 May 0:56 Io : Shadow Transit Begins SST Tue 16 May 1:24 Eur: Shadow Transit Ends ST Tue 16 May 2:18 Io : Transit Ends S Tue 16 May 3:07 Io : Shadow Transit Ends Tue 16 May 19:01 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Tue 16 May 21:18 Io : Disappears into Occultation Wed 17 May 0:21 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Wed 17 May 18:34 Io : Transit Begins T Wed 17 May 19:25 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST Wed 17 May 20:10 Eur: Reappears from Eclipse ST Wed 17 May 20:45 Io : Transit Ends S Wed 17 May 21:36 Io : Shadow Transit Ends Thu 18 May 0:48 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 18 May 18:49 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Thu 18 May 20:40 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 11 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars. However, this week the bright Moon drowns out the faint cluster. The Moon is close to Saturn on the 13th, and a bit further away on the 14th.
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a waxing crescent.
Mercury is easily visible low to the horizon, it is within binocular distance of Uranus, and will make an interesting pairing.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Labels: weekly sky
Sunday, May 07, 2017
James Stone's Amazing Shot of the ISS and Orion's Belt
Now remeber, the image is copyright to James Stone, so play nice and ask him if you want to use it. Otherwise kick back and enjoy.
@james_stone_photography
Labels: astrophotography, ISS, readers pictures
Astrophiz Podcast 33 is Out
Our feature interview is with Dr Elodie Thilliez. Elodie is a Data
Scientist at the Deakin University Software and Technology Innovation
Laboratory in Melbourne Australia.
She completed her PhD at the Centre
for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University.
Elodie
tells us about her research into debris disks and the role of big data
in modern astronomy. Follow Elodie on Twitter as @ET_Astro
I tell you when and where to find our planets, how to catch the Eta Aquariid meteor shower this weekend (a bit late I know), exoplanets and rings around asteroids.
In the news:
I tell you when and where to find our planets, how to catch the Eta Aquariid meteor shower this weekend (a bit late I know), exoplanets and rings around asteroids.
In the news:
With the Cassini mission all over the internet, we instead give you the background on Cassini the scientist.
Labels: Astrophiz
Saturday, May 06, 2017
Southern Skywatch May, 2017 edition is now out!
The May edition of Southern Skywatch is up (still late again, sorry, but getting better).
This month Mars is low to the horizon.
Jupiter is in an ideal position to watch the banded world in a telescope. Jupiter is a a bit over a hand-span from the bright star Spica for most of this month. On the 8th the Moon, Jupiter and Spica from a triangle.
Saturn climbs higher in the evening sky this month. Saturn is close to the Triffid and Lagoon Nebulae. On the 13th Saturn is close to the waning Moon.
Mercury climbs higher in the morning sky this month, and is in an excellent position for viewing. On the 24th Mercury and the crescent Moon are close.
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky this month. The crescent Moon is close to crescent Venus on the 23rd.
The eta Aqauriid meteor shower is visible in the morning on the 7th -9th.
Labels: southern skywatch
Friday, May 05, 2017
A Very Nice Occultation of Regulus (4 May 2017)
 |  |
| Regulus shortly before occultation. 7:09 pm ACST. Stack of 10 x 1/60 second images, 400 ASA, Canon IXUS. Stacked in Registax. Click to embiggen. | Regulus disappearing at 7:24 pm ACST. Animation of 5 x 1/80 second images, 400 ASA, Canon IXUS. Click to embiggen. |
After days of cloud tonight was virtually cloud free (at first) so I set up Don the 8" Newtonian in between preparing dinner ready for the occultation of Regulus. Just after 7:00 I fired off some test shots ... then the battey ran out. It wasn't until just before the occulation that I got the amera back on again, and managed to get Rgulus just as it winked out.
 |  |
| Regulus reappearing (screen capture from video), Regulus indicated by bracket). 8:38:26 pm ACST, Thin clouds interfering. Click to embiggen. | Regulus shortly after occultation. 8:51 pm ACST. Stack of 10 x 1/120 second images, 400 ASA, Canon IXUS. Thin cloud interfering. Stacked in Registax. Click to embiggen. |
After a longer recharge I set the camera up again (infinity-infinity imaging through a 20 mm Plossly lens on the 8"). There was a lot of thin cloud about but the Moon was still fairly clear. This time I tried something different and instead of taking static shots ran a video form my Canon IXUS. It worked pretty well excet a) going to video more undid the focus and b) the video is in quick time MOV format which I can't edit with any of my set-up.
Still, I got very nice, if slightly out of focus, video of Regulus coming out from behind the Moon, tming was pretty good too. Had to take a screen shot to show the emergence as I can't extract single frames from the video (or crop or resize or anything).
A very nice night. Compare these shots with the occultation of Regulus back in February.
Labels: astrophotography, Moon, Occultation, telescope
Wednesday, May 03, 2017
Geomagnetic warning and Aurora Watch (3-5 May)
The SWS has issued a geomagnetic warning and an aurora watch for 3-5 May due to
a glancing blow from a coronal mass ejection. This is expected to arrive late in
the UT day on the 3rd (which is the morning of the 4th Australian time). If
these geomagnetic events occur and result in aurora they could be seen from
Tasmania and Southern Victoria, weather permitting . The Moon is approaching
first quarter, so should not interfere much with evening events, and leave the
mornings Moon free.
Be patient, as the activity may rise and fall of the magnetic polarity of the wind may fluctuate significantly.
Dark sky sites have the best chance of seeing anything, and always allow around 5 minutes for your eyes to become dark adapted.
As always look to the south for shifting red/green glows, beams have been reported consistently over the last few aurora, as well as bright proton arcs and "picket fences".
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
The all sky aurora camera in Northern Tasmania at Cressy is being upgraded and is not yet online.
SUBJ: SWS GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING 17/22
ISSUED AT 0455UT/03 MAY 2017
BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE.
A weak, slow moving CME is expected to have a glancing impact
on Earth in the later half of UT day 03 May. There is a small
chance of geomagnetic activity reaching Minor Storm levels at
high latitudes in the later half of the UT day 03 May.
INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED
DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION
FROM 03-05 MAY 2017
_____________________________________________________________
GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST
03 May: Quiet to Active, with possible isolated Minor Storm later in the UT day
04 May: Active
05 May: Unsettled
==============================================================
SUBJ: SWS AURORA WATCH
ISSUED AT 0458 UT ON 03 May 2017 by Space Weather Services
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE
A weak slow moving coronal mass ejection is expected to have a
glancing impact at Earth within the next 48 hours, possibly resulting
in minor geomagnetic activity. There is a small chance of visible
auroras during local nighttime hours at high latitudes on 03 May and
possibly 04 May. Aurora alerts will follow if significant geomagnetic
activity actually occurs.
Be patient, as the activity may rise and fall of the magnetic polarity of the wind may fluctuate significantly.
Dark sky sites have the best chance of seeing anything, and always allow around 5 minutes for your eyes to become dark adapted.
As always look to the south for shifting red/green glows, beams have been reported consistently over the last few aurora, as well as bright proton arcs and "picket fences".
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
The all sky aurora camera in Northern Tasmania at Cressy is being upgraded and is not yet online.
SUBJ: SWS GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING 17/22
ISSUED AT 0455UT/03 MAY 2017
BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE.
A weak, slow moving CME is expected to have a glancing impact
on Earth in the later half of UT day 03 May. There is a small
chance of geomagnetic activity reaching Minor Storm levels at
high latitudes in the later half of the UT day 03 May.
INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED
DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION
FROM 03-05 MAY 2017
_____________________________________________________________
GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST
03 May: Quiet to Active, with possible isolated Minor Storm later in the UT day
04 May: Active
05 May: Unsettled
==============================================================
SUBJ: SWS AURORA WATCH
ISSUED AT 0458 UT ON 03 May 2017 by Space Weather Services
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE
A weak slow moving coronal mass ejection is expected to have a
glancing impact at Earth within the next 48 hours, possibly resulting
in minor geomagnetic activity. There is a small chance of visible
auroras during local nighttime hours at high latitudes on 03 May and
possibly 04 May. Aurora alerts will follow if significant geomagnetic
activity actually occurs.
Labels: aurora
The Sky This Week - Thursday May 4 to Thursday May 11
The Full Moon is Thursday May 11. The Moon occults the bright
star Regulus on the 4th. Mars is low in the twilight below Aldebaran. Jupiter
and
the bright star Spica
are nearby in the evening
skies.
Saturn is low in the evening
sky. Venus climbs higher in the morning sky, with Mercury below it. The eta Aquariid meteor shower is at its best in the morning from the 7th to the 9th.
The Full Moon is Thursday May 11. The Moon occults the bright star Regulus on the 4th.
Evening sky on Saturday May 6 looking west as seen from Adelaide
at 18:24 ACST (60 minutes after sunset). Mars is low above the horizon, below
Aldebaran.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Mars is in the western evening skies in Taurus It is is low in the dusk sky, but is the brightest object above the western horizon low in the late twilight below Aldebaran. Over the week Mars passes the Hyades cluster, you will need a clear, unobscured level horizon to see this though.
Evening sky on Monday May 8 looking east as seen from
Adelaide at 18:54 ACST (90 minutes after sunset). Jupiter is above the horizon between
the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star Porrima. The Moon, Juiter and Spica form a triangle. The inset shows the telescopic
view of Jupiter at 18:54 ACST Europa is transiting the face of Jupiter.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. that is 90 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising at dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is close to the Moon, forming a triangle with Spica, on the 8th.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on the 8th. Jupiter is rising as the sun sets and is visible all night long. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from around 8 pm on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Evening sky on Saturday May 6 looking east as seen from
Adelaide at 22:00 ACST. Saturn is reasonably high above the horizon.
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 11 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars.
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Morning sky on Saturday May 6 looking east as seen from Adelaide
at 5:45 ACST (45 minutes before sunrise). The inset shows the telescopic view of Venus at
this time.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a crescent.
Mercury is is visible low to the horizon, it is within binocular distance of Uranus, and will make an interesting pairing.
The northern horizon as seen from Adelaide at 18:17 ACDST on Thursday
May 4, the
bright star Regulus is close to the Moon an hour before it is occulted.
The inset shows the Moon and Regulus at 19:24 ACST, just as Regulus is
occulted.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent
local
time. Click to embiggen.
Viewing hints and exact times for other cities are here.
On the early evening of Thursday 4 April the bright star Regulus is occulted by the Moon as seen from the most of Australia. This is the second of two occultations of Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo the lion, this year. The Moon is a very obvious signpost for where to look and Regulus will be the brightest object near the Moon.
Morning sky on Saturday May 7 looking east as seen from Adelaide
at 4:00 am ACST. The radiant of the eta Aquariid meteor shower is
shown. This year the radiant is neatly bracketed by the bright stars
Altair and Fomalhaut and the planet Venus. Similar views will be seen
elsewhere in Australia at the
equivalent local time. (click
to embiggen).
The eta Aquariids meteor shower, the debris from Halleys comet, will peak on May 6 UT . However, the best rates will be seen from Australia on the mornings of the 7th, 8th and 9th.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
The Full Moon is Thursday May 11. The Moon occults the bright star Regulus on the 4th.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Mars is in the western evening skies in Taurus It is is low in the dusk sky, but is the brightest object above the western horizon low in the late twilight below Aldebaran. Over the week Mars passes the Hyades cluster, you will need a clear, unobscured level horizon to see this though.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. that is 90 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising at dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is close to the Moon, forming a triangle with Spica, on the 8th.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on the 8th. Jupiter is rising as the sun sets and is visible all night long. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from around 8 pm on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Thu 4 May 19:08 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sat 6 May 0:55 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sat 6 May 17:52 Gan: Transit Begins T Sat 6 May 20:06 Gan: Transit Ends Sat 6 May 20:26 Gan: Shadow Transit Begins S Sat 6 May 20:46 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sat 6 May 22:46 Gan: Shadow Transit Ends Sun 7 May 0:37 Eur: Disappears into Occultation Sun 7 May 3:55 Io : Transit Begins T Sun 7 May 4:19 Eur: Reappears from Eclipse T Sun 7 May 4:34 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST Mon 8 May 1:04 Io : Disappears into Occultation Mon 8 May 2:33 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Mon 8 May 3:57 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Mon 8 May 18:56 Eur: Transit Begins T Mon 8 May 20:20 Eur: Shadow Transit Begins ST Mon 8 May 21:22 Eur: Transit Ends S Mon 8 May 22:21 Io : Transit Begins ST Mon 8 May 22:24 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Mon 8 May 22:47 Eur: Shadow Transit Ends T Mon 8 May 23:02 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST Tue 9 May 0:32 Io : Transit Ends S Tue 9 May 1:13 Io : Shadow Transit Ends Tue 9 May 18:15 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Tue 9 May 19:31 Io : Disappears into Occultation Tue 9 May 22:26 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Wed 10 May 4:11 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Wed 10 May 17:31 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST Wed 10 May 17:36 Eur: Reappears from Eclipse ST Wed 10 May 18:58 Io : Transit Ends S Wed 10 May 19:42 Io : Shadow Transit Ends Thu 11 May 0:02 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 11 May 19:54 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 11 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars.
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a crescent.
Mercury is is visible low to the horizon, it is within binocular distance of Uranus, and will make an interesting pairing.
Viewing hints and exact times for other cities are here.
On the early evening of Thursday 4 April the bright star Regulus is occulted by the Moon as seen from the most of Australia. This is the second of two occultations of Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo the lion, this year. The Moon is a very obvious signpost for where to look and Regulus will be the brightest object near the Moon.
The eta Aquariids meteor shower, the debris from Halleys comet, will peak on May 6 UT . However, the best rates will be seen from Australia on the mornings of the 7th, 8th and 9th.
More details here.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Labels: weekly sky
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