Monday, March 27, 2023
Thursday March 30 to Thursday April 6
The Full Moon is Thursday, April 6. Venus is prominent in the twilight and is heading towards the iconic Pleiades cluster. Venus is withing binocular distance of Uranus on the 31st. Saturn is low in the morning twilight. Bright Mars, is leaving the Hyades cluster behind. Daylight savings ends Sunday April 2.
The Full Moon is Thursday, April 6. The Moon is at apogee, when it is furthest from the Earth, on the 4th. Daylight savings ends Sunday April 2.
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes before sunrise).
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent
local time (90 minutes after sunset).
Between the bright star
Canopus and the Southern Cross are another wealth of binocular objects to
discover. However the waxing Moon will begin to wash them out.
Elsewhere
in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).
Mercury returns to the morning twilight, but will be almost impossible to see.
Venus climbs higher in the twilight and is close to Uranus on the 31st.
Mars is obvious between Aldebaran and Betelgeuse.
Jupiter is now lost in the twilight.
Saturn climbs higher in the morning skies.
Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.
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
Thursday, March 23, 2023
Minor Planet (1) Ceres close to Galaxy M100 26-27 March
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| Location of Minor planet (1) Ceres at 00:10 am ACDST on Sunday 26 March as seen from Adelaide. Similar views will be seen at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen) | Telescopic view of Minor planet (1) Ceres and galaxy M100 at 00:10 am ACDST on Sunday 26 March as seen from Adelaide. Similar views will be seen at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen) |
Minor planet Ceres is at opposition at the moment, and is currently around magnitude 7, easily visible in binoculars even under suburban skies. Ceres is currently beyween Beta (β) Leonis (Denebola) and epsilon (ε) Virginis (Vindemiatrix). Over the next few days it is in an easily recognised cluster of dim stars, and Ceres can be seen moving from night to night.
On the late evening of the 25th, Early morning of the 26th Ceres is next to the spiral galaxy M100. At magnitude 9 it is too fail to be picked up clearly without a telescope, but is an interesting telephotography challenge. By the late evening 26th early morning 27th Ceres is n the other side of M100.
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| Chart suitable for black and white printing to help locate Ceres. Chart is at 00:10 am ACDST. Note that the chart locations are out by 1 day fro come reason (even with a fresh Ceres download) so the 27th is in fact the 26th, the circle is the field of view of 10x50 binoculars. (click to embiggen and print) | Binocular chart suitable for black and white printing to help locate Ceres. Chart is at 00:10 am ACDST. Note that the chart locations are out by 1 day fro come reason (even with a fresh Ceres download) so the 27th is in fact the 26th, the circle is the field of view of 10x50 binoculars. (click to embiggen and print) |
Labels: astrophotography, binocular, Ceres, Opposition, telescope
Monday, March 20, 2023
Thursday March 23 to Thursday March 30
The First Quarter Moon is Wednesday, March 29. Venus is just above the thin crescent Moon on the 24th. Saturn is low in the morning twilight. Bright Mars, the stars Elnath and Zeta Taurii, the stars that form the tips of the Horns of the Bull, form a triangle. Mars is close to the Moon on the 28th.
The First Quarter Moon is Wednesday, March 22.
Morning
sky on Saturday, March 25 as seen from Adelaide at 05:58 ACDST, (90 minutes before sunrise, click
to embiggen). Saturn is low above the horizon.
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent
local time (90 minutes before sunrise).
Evening sky on Friday, March 24 as seen from Adelaide at 20:17 ACDST, (60 minutes after sunset, click
to embiggen). Venus is low above the horizon with the thin crescent Moon below. You will need an unobstructed horizon to see the pair at their best.
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent
local time (60 minutes after sunset).
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent
local time (60 minutes after sunset).
Between the bright star
Canopus and the Southern Cross are another wealth of binocular objects to
discover.
Elsewhere
in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).
Mercury is lost in the morning twilight.
Venus climbs higher in the twilight and is above the thin crescent Moon on the 25th.
Mars the star Elnath and Zeta Taurii the stars that form the tips of the Horns of the Bull, form a triangle. The Moon joins mars on the 28th.
Jupiter is now lost in the twilight.
Saturn climbs higher in the morning skies.
Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.
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, March 14, 2023
Thursday March 16 to Thursday March 23
The New Moon is Wednesday, March 22. Earth is at Equinox on the 21st. Venus and the thin cresent Moon are visible together at the end of the week. Jupiter is lost in the twilight. Saturn is low in the twilight and is visited by the crescent Moon on the 20th. Bright Mars, the star Elnath and Zeta Taurii, the stars that form the tips of the Horns of the Bull, form a triangle.
The New Moon is Wednesday, March 22. The perigee Moon, when the Moon is closest to Earth, is on the 20th. Earth is at Equinox on the 21st, when day and night are equal length.
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent
local time (60 minutes before sunrise).
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent
local time (45 minutes after sunset).
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent
local time (90 minutes after sunset).
Between the bright star
Canopus and the Southern Cross are another wealth of binocular objects to
discover.
Elsewhere
in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).
Mercury is lost in the morning twilight.
Venus climbs higher in the twilight and is near the thin crescent Moon on the 23rd.
Mars the star Elnath and Zeta Taurii the stars that form the tips of the Horns of the Bull, form a triangle.
Jupiter is now lost in the twilight.
Saturn enters the morning skies but is hard to see low in the twilight. It is near the thin crescent Moon on the 20th.
Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.
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, March 07, 2023
Thursday March 9 to Thursday March 16
The Last Quarter Moon is Wednesday, March 15. Jupiter and Venus are drawing apart after their close approach last week as Jupiter descends into the twilight. Mercury is lost in the twilight and Saturn is low in the twilight. Bright Mars, the star Elnath and Zeta Taurii the stars that form the tips of the Horns of the Bull, form a line.
The Last Quarter Moon is Wednesday, March 15.
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent
local time (45 minutes before sunrise).
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).
Evening sky on Saturday, March 11 as seen from Adelaide at 21:06 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click
to embiggen). Mars, the star Elnath and Zeta Taurii the stars that form the tips of the Horns of the Bull, form a line.
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).
Between the bright star
Canopus and the Southern Cross are another wealth of binocular objects to
discover.
Elsewhere
in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).
Mercury is lost in the morning twilight.
Venus climbs higher in the twilight and pulls away from Jupiter.
Mars the star Elnath and Zeta Taurii the stars that form the tips of the Horns of the Bull, form a line.
Jupiter is now sinking to the west in the twilight.
Saturn enters the morning skies but is hard to see low in the twilight.
Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.
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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