Monday, May 29, 2023
Mars Crosses the Beehive cluster 1-3 June, 2023
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| Evening sky on Thursday, June 1 as seen from Adelaide at 18:44 ACST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen). Mars is on the outskirts of the Beehive cluster (M44). The inset is the binocular view of Mars and the cluster. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset). | Mars and M44 on 2 June, 18:42 ACST. 10 degree field of view. Simulated in Stellarium. | Mars and M44 on 3 June, 18:42 ACST. 10 degree field of view. Simulated in Stellarium. |
From Thursday 1 June to Saturday 3 June, Mars crosses the Beehive cluster (M44). Under dark skies this delightful open cluster looks like a faint nebulous patch, but binoculars or a telescope will reveal it's wonderful starry mass.
While in principle seeing Mars in the heart of the beehive is possible with the unaided eye, This is far better seen with binoculars or a small telescope, On the 1st Mars on on the outskirts of the cluster, and on the 2nd and 3rd it is in the heart of the cluster. The cluster fits neatly into medium power telescope eyepiece fields. On the days leading up to the crossing and a couple of days after, Mars and the cluster are in the same binocular field.
The sight is best at Astronomical twilight, and hour and a half after sunset, much later than this and the beehive gets too close to the horizon to be seen clearly. Mars is not so bright that it will drown out the clusters dimmer starts, so this will be a nice opportunity for some astrophotography.
Labels: Beehive cluster, binocular, Mars, telescope
Thursday, July 01, 2021
Venus in the Heart of the Beehive cluster (July 2-4, 2021)
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| Evening twilight sky on Saturday, July 3 looking north-west as seen from Adelaide at 18:15 ACST (60 minutes after sunset). Venus is low above the horizon below Mars and is in front of the Beehive cluster. You will require binoculars to see this. Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). | The approximate binocular view of Venus and the Beehive on Friday, July 2. Venus is on the edge of the Beehive. |
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| The approximate binocular view of Venus and the Beehive on Saturday, July 3. Venus is in the heart of the Beehive. | The approximate binocular view of Venus and the Beehive on Sunday, July 4. Venus is once again on the edge of the Beehive. |
Over the next few days Brilliant Venus passes over the lovely Beehive Cluster (M44), a rather delightful open cluster. The highlight is on the Saturday, when Venus blazes in the heart of the cluster.
Although the cluster is notionally (just) visible to the unaided eye, the proximity to the horizon muk and bright Venus means you will need binoculars to see it. Especially on Saturday when Venus is in the centre of the cluster, which will drown out all but the dimmer members of the cluster. This will also be good in medium power telescope eyepieces (high power eyepieces will miss most of the cluster).
The best time to look will be be around an hour after sunset (nautical twilight), balancing the not complete darkness of the sky against the height above the horizon. Venus is obvious as the brightest object above the north-west horizon, just point your binoculars at venus and the cluster will be in view too.
If you have a level uncluttered horizon then you should be able to follow Venus and the Beehive until the sky is fully dark. However, horizon murk may dim everything cancelling out the dark advantage..
Labels: Beehive cluster, binocular, Venus
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Mars in front of the Beehive (June 23-24, 2021)
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| Approximate binocular view of Mars and the Beehive cluster on Wednesday June 23, 2021 (click to embiggen) | Approximate binocular view of Mars and the Beehive cluster on Thursday June 24, 2021 (click to embiggen) |
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| Evening twilight sky on Wednesday, June 23 looking north-west as seen from Adelaide at 18:44 ACST (90 minutes after sunset). | Evening twilight sky on Thursday, June 24 looking north-west as seen from Adelaide at 18:44 ACST (90 minutes after sunset). |
Over the next two days there will be a really lovely event. Mars will pass over the beehive cluster in the constellation of Cancer. While the beehive cluster is technically visible to the unaided eye, it is at the very threshold and the cluster and Mars will be only 13 degrees above the horizon (about two hand-spans) in the horizon murk.
However, the cluster and Mars will early fit within a binoculars or medium field of view telescope eye piece, so it will be a magnificent sight in even small instruments. Finding Mars above the horizon is easy as the relatively bright reddish object over the horizon, and in binoculars the cluster will be obvious.
Even if you miss these two days (looks at rain bucketing down) Mars will be within a binocular field of th cluster for another tw days at least.
Labels: Beehive cluster, binocular, Mars
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