Astroblog

The Full Moon is Tuesday, November 8 (Twilight Lunar eclipse). Two bright classical planets are visible in the early morning sky, Jupiter low in the west, and Mars to the north. Jupiter is now easy to see as brightest object in the evening sky aside from the Moon. The Moon is close to Jupiter on the 4th and 5th of November. Mars forms a triangle with the bright stars Elnath and Zeta Taurii, the tips of the horns of the Bull. Mars is now rising just before midnight, but is still best to see in the morning. Opposition of Uranus.

The Full Moon is Tuesday, November 8. A Twilight Lunar eclipse will occur that will be seen from most of Australia.

 Morning sky on Saturday, November 6 as seen from Adelaide at 04:36 ACDST (90 minutes before sunrise). Mars forms a triangle the bright stars Elnath and Zeta Taurii. 

Mars is rising around 22:00 am non-daylight saving time (23:00 daylight saving time) but is best seen in the morning.

 

 

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes before sunrise. click to embiggen). 

 Evening sky on Friday, November 5 as seen from Adelaide at 21:23 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Saturn forms a line with iota, delta and gamma Capricornii with Jupiter below. Jupiter is close to the waxing Moon.

The insets are the telescopic views of Saturn and Jupiter at the same magnification at this time.

 Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).   

Labels: weekly sky

Evening sky on November 8 looking east as seen from Sydney at 21:15 AEDST (left panel) and Adelaide at 20:45 ACDST,(right panel) as total eclipse starts. From the central states the moon will yellowish where not eclipsed and ashen in the eclipsed section.

The November edition of Southern Skywatch is now up. 

This month the planetary action remains mostly in the evening skies, with 3 bright planets visible in the evening. Venus and Mercury return to the evening skies towards the end of the month, low in the taillight.  The Leonid meteor Shower is washed out by the bright Moon. Twilight total Lunar eclipse.

Moon at perigee October 30. November the 1st will be a perigee First Quarter Moon. November 1-2; the Moon is close to Saturn. November 4-5; the Moon close to Jupiter. November 8; Full Moon (twilight total eclipse). November 11; Mars is close to the waning Moon, Mars and Beta Taurii (Elnath) form a triangle. November 14; apogee Moon. November 16; Last Quarter Moon. Morning November 19; Leonid meteor shower peaks. November 23; New Moon. Moon at perigee November 26. November 29; the crescent Moon is close to Saturn again.

Mercury  returns to the evening sky this month, but never really makes it out of the twilight glow until late in the month, next month it will be excellent. On the 30th Mercury is just under a hand-span above the eastern horizon 30 minutes after sunset, just above Venus. You will need a clear, unobstructed horizon like the desert or ocean and you may need binoculars to see them.

Venus returns to the evening sky this month, but never really makes it out of the twilight glow until late in the month, next month it will be excellent. On the 30th Venus is just under a three finger-widths above the eastern horizon 30 minutes after sunset, just below mercury. You will need a clear, unobstructed horizon like the desert or ocean and you may need binoculars to see them.

Mars is becoming brighter as it nears opposition, it starts the Month between Beta 9Elnath and Zeta Taurii (the tips of the horns) then reverses direction and climbs the “horns” of Taurus the Bull, towards the Hyades and Red Aldebaran. Mars is now rising before midnight but remains best seen in the morning skies. On the 11th Mars is around 3° from the waning moon, forming a triangle with Elnath (beta Taurii), mid power binocular fields will fit the trio in.

Jupiter rises before the sky is fully dark and climbs higher in the evening sky and is an excellent telescopic object in the early evening to early morning. Jupiter was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth on September the 27th. Jupiter is visible the whole night setting just before e astronomical twilight. On the 4th and 5th Jupiter is just above, and then below the waxing Moon.

Saturn is visible all evening long setting just after midnight. Saturn was at opposition on the 15th of August and is visible high above the north-western sky when the sky is fully dark. Saturn will be high enough for good telescopic observation in the evening and very early morning. Saturn forms a line with delta and gamma Capricorn, and is close to iota capricornii at the beginning of the month. On the 1st and 2nd  the First Quarter and waxing Moon is close to Saturn. On November 29; the crescent Moon is close to Saturn again. Nov 1,9, 17 and 25 sees Titan close to Saturn.

Moon: perigee October 30 (November the 1st will be a perigee First Quarter Moon) and November 26. Apogee November 14

Labels: southern skywatch

The First Quarter Moon is Tuesday, November 1 (perigee First Quarter Moon). Two bright classical planets are visible in the early morning sky, Jupiter low in the west, and Mars to the north. Jupiter is now easy to see as brightest object in the evening sky aside from the Moon. The Moon is close to Saturn on the 1st and 2nd of November. Mars forms a triangle with the bright stars Elnath and Zeta Taurii, the tips of the horns of the Bull.

The First Quarter Moon is Tuesday, November 1. The Moon is at Perigee, when it is closest to the Earth on October 30th.

Morning sky on Saturday, October 29 as seen from Adelaide at 04:45 ACDST (90 minutes before sunrise). Mars forms a triangle the bright stars Elnath and Zeta Taurii. 

Mars is rising around 22:30 am non-daylight saving time (23:30 daylight saving time) but is best seen in the morning.

 

 

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes before sunrise. click to embiggen). 

Evening sky on Tuesday, November 1 as seen from Adelaide at 21:06 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Saturn forms a line with iota, delta and gamma Capricornii with Jupiter below. Saturn is close to the perigee ("super") First Quarter Moon.

The insets are the telescopic views of Saturn and Jupiter at the same magnification at this time.

 Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).   

Labels: weekly sky

Morning sky as seen from Darwin facing north at 5:05 am ADST on 23 October (90 minutes before sunrise), the Orionid radiant is indicated with a starburst. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at an equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.	Morning sky as seen from Brisbane facing north at 3:43 am AEST on 23 October (90 minutes before sunrise), the Orionid radiant is indicated with a starburst. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at an equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.	Morning sky as seen from Adelaide facing north at 4:54 am ACDST on 23 October (90 minutes before sunrise), the Orionid radiant is indicated with a starburst. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at an equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.

The Orionids are a worthwhile shower that somewhat favours the Southern Hemisphere,best seen between 2-5 am, the radiant, the point where meteors appear to originate from, being just under Betelgeuse, the bright red star in Orion. The maps above show the views from Darin, Brisbane and Adelaide at astronomical twilight (90 minutes before sunrise). Similar views will be seen at the equivalent local time at similar latitudes (Adelaide stands in for Melbourne, Sydney and Perth)

If you draw an imaginary line between Procyon and Aldebaran, then drop another imaginary line from Betelgeuse to the horizon, the radiant is just next to the intersection of those two lines.

The Orionids are the debris from Halley's comet. The Orionids maximum is on October 21 UT (October 22 Australian time, but the best rates are predicted to be on the 23rd as the Moon wanes).

This year the waning/crescent Moon rises after the radiant rises so won't interfere with the shower too much.

Unfortunately, both Chrome and Firefox have changed their security settings to prevent plugins from running, and the flux estimator only runs under Internet Explorer now.
You can follow the progress of the shower at the IMO Orionids live page.

If you decide to get up, allow at least 5 minutes for your eyes to adjust, and be patient, it may be several minutes before you are rewarded with you first meteor, then a couple will come along in quick succession.

Choose a viewing spot where you can see a large swathe of sky without trees or buildings getting in the way, or with street-lights getting in your eyes. The darker the spot the better (but do be sensible, don't choose a spot in an unsalubrious park for example). Look to the north-east, and the distinctive red star Betelgeuse below the saucepan will be easy to spot with red Mars just below it. The meteors should originate just below here. However, let your eyes roam a bit to pick up meteors that begin their "burn" a fair distance from the radiant.

A lawn chair or something similar will make your observing comfortable (or a picnic rug spread on the ground and a nice pillow), and having a Thermos of hot coffee, tea or chocolate to swig while watching will increase your comfort. (Here's some hints on dark adaption of your eyes so you can see meteors better).

The following table shows the predicted peak rates at around the peak maximum local time (roughly 2 hours before local sunrise on the mornings of the 21st, 22nd and 23rd of October for a number of cities under dark sky conditions (rates under suburban or city light conditions will be lower). Rates will be similar at the same latitude as these cities, and rates will be intermediate at spots between these cities.

Town	Morning October 21	Morning October 22	Morning October 23
Adelaide	10 meteors/hr	13 meteors/hr	14 meteors/hr
Brisbane	11 meteors/hr	15 meteors/hr	16 meteors/hr
Cairns	12 meteors/hr	17 meteors/hr	19 meteors/hr
Canberra	9 meteors/hr	13 meteors/hr	14 meteors/hr
Darwin	13 meteors/hr	18 meteors/hr	19 meteors/hr
Perth	10 meteors/hr	13 meteors/hr	14 meteors/hr
Melbourne	9 meteors/hr	12 meteors/hr	13 meteors/hr
Sydney	10 meteors/hr	13 meteors/hr	14 meteors/hr
Hobart	8 meteors/hr	11 meteors/hr	11 meteors/hr

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.   

 

Labels: Meteors, Orionids, unaided eye

The New Moon is Tuesday, October 25. Two bright classical planets are visible in the early morning sky, Jupiter low in the west, and Mars to the north. Jupiter is now easy to see as brightest object in the evening sky aside from the Moon. Mars is between the bright stars Elnath and Zeta Taurii, the tips of the horns of the Bull. On the mornings of the 21st to the 23rd the Orionid meteor shower is visible.

The New Moon is Tuesday, October 25.

Morning sky on Saturday, October 22 as seen from Adelaide at 04:55 ACDST (90 minutes before sunrise). Mars is between the bright stars Elnath and Zeta Taurii. 

The Orionids are at their best between the 21st and 23rd of October. They can be seen from around 2 am until just before astronomical twilight. Rates of a meteor every 4 minutes should be seen from dark sky sites. The meteor showers radiant is indicated with a star burst.

Mars is rising around 11 :00 am non-daylight saving time (00:00 daylight saving time) but is best seen in the morning.

 

 

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes before sunrise. click to embiggen). 

 Evening sky on Saturday, October 22 as seen from Adelaide at 21:06 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Saturn forms a line with iota, delta and gamma Capricornii with Jupiter below. 

The insets are the telescopic views of Saturn and Jupiter at the same magnification at this time.

 Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).  

Labels: weekly sky

The Last Quarter Moon is Tuesday, October 18. Three bright classical planets from a long line in the early morning sky, Saturn and Jupiter low in the west, and Mars to the north. Jupiter is now easy to see as brightest object in the evening sky aside from the Moon. Mars is between the bright stars Elnath and Zeta Taurii, the tips of the horns of the Bull. On the morning of the 15th the waning Moon forms a triangle with Mars and Elnath.

The Last Quarter Moon is Tuesday, October 18. The Moon is at apogee, when it is furthest from the Earth, on the 17th.

 Morning sky on Saturday, October 15 as seen from Adelaide at 05:16 ACDST (90 minutes before sunrise). Mars is between the bright stars Elnath and Zeta Taurii. The waning Moon forms a triangle with Mars and Elnath.

Mars is rising around 11 :30 am non-daylight saving time (00:30 daylight saving time) but is best seen in the morning.

 

 

 

 

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes before sunrise. click to embiggen). 

 

Evening sky on Saturday, October 15 as seen from Adelaide at 20:58 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Saturn forms a shallow triangle with delta and gamma Capricornii with Jupiter below. 

The insets are the telescopic views of Saturn and Jupiter at the same magnification at this time.

 Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset). 

Labels: weekly sky

Morning sky on Saturday October 15 as seen from Adelaide at 05:08 ACDST (90 minutes before sunrise). The waning Moon, Mars and Beta Tauri (Elnath) form a triangle. 

 

 

 

 

 

Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes before sunrise), click to embiggen

The October edition of Southern Skywatch is now up (sorry about another delay, travel and sickness). The planetary action is moving back to the evening skies, Jupiter is just past opposition and Saturn is still excellent. Mercury and Venus are is lost to view  this month. Saturn, Jupiter and Mars are still visible in the morning skies, though Saturn is progressively harder to see.

October 3; First Quarter Moon. October 5; the Moon is close to Saturn. Moon at perigee October 5. October 8-9; the Moon close to Jupiter. October 10; Full Moon. October 15; Mars is close to the waning Moon, Mars and Beta Taruii (Elnath) form a triangle. Apogee; October 17. October 18; Last Quarter Moon. Mornings of the 21st to 23rd; Orionid Meteor Shower. October 25; New Moon. Moon at perigee October 30 (November the 1st will be a perigee First Quarter Moon).

Mercury  returns to the morning sky this month, but never really makes it out of the twilight glow. 

Venus is lost in the twilight.

Mars is becoming brighter as it nears opposition, it is traveling down the “horns” of Taurus the Bull, away from the Hyades and Red Aldebaran and by the end of the Month will be between Beta and Zeta Tauri (the tips of the horns). On October 15th, the waning Moon, Mars and Beta Tarui (Elnath) form a triangle.

Jupiter rises shortly before the sky is fully dark and climbs higher in the evening sky and is an excellent telescopic object in the mid evening to early morning. Jupiter was at opposition, when it was biggest and brightest as seen from Earth on September the 27th. Jupiter is visible the whole night long. On the 8th and 9th Jupiter is just above, and then below the waxing Moon.

Saturn is now visible all evening long setting in the Early morning. Saturn was at opposition on the 15th of August and is visible high above the north-eastern sky when the sky is fully dark. Saturn will be high enough for good telescopic observation in the evening and very early morning. Saturn forms a line with delta and gamma Capricorn, coming close to iota Capricornii by the end of the month. On the 5th the waxing Moon is close to Saturn. Oct 9, 17 and 24 sees Titan close to Saturn.

Moon: perigee October 5 and 30 (November the 1st will be a perigee First Quarter Moon). Apogee October 17

Labels: southern skywatch

The Full Moon is Monday, October 10. Three bright classical planets from a long line in the early morning sky, Saturn and Jupiter low in the west, and Mars to the north. Jupiter is now easy to see as brightest object in the evening sky aside from the Moon. The Moon is close to Jupiter on the 8th. Mars is between the bright stars Elnath and Zeta Taurii, the tips of the horns of the Bull.

The Full Moon is Monday, October 10.

Morning sky on Saturday, October 8 as seen from Adelaide at 05:15 ACDST (90 minutes before sunrise). Mars is between the bright stars Elnath and Zeta Taurii.

 

 

 

 

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes before sunrise. click to embiggen). 

  

Evening sky on Saturday, October 8 as seen from Adelaide at 20:51 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Saturn forms a shallow triangle with delta and gamma Capricornii with Jupiter below.  The waxing Moon is close to Jupiter. Jupiter is visible all night.

The insets are the telescopic views of Saturn and Jupiter at the same magnification at this time.

 Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).  

Labels: weekly sky