Astroblog

   

North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Tuesday, August 4 as seen from Adelaide at 5:41 ACST (90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).  Saturn is high above the northern horizon with the waning Moon nearby.  Mars is low in the east, below the bright red star Aldebaran, forming a second tip to the horns of Taurus the Bull pairing with Elnath (Beta Tauri). Saturn is rising before midnight, but is still best for telescopic observation in the morning, and its rings are widening.  The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time.  Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (90 minutes before sunrise).	North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Sunday, August 9 as seen from Adelaide at 5:41 ACST (90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).  Saturn is high above the north-western horizon.  Mars is low in the east, below the bright red star Aldebaran, forming a second tip to the horns of Taurus the Bull pairing with Elnath (Beta Tauri).  The Moon is near Mars and will occult Elnath at roughly 4:30 am everywhere but WA. For detailed times see below.  Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (90 minutes before sunrise) .
North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Saturday, August 15 as seen from Adelaide at 5:31 ACST (90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). Mars is at its closest to the open cluster M35. The inset is the binocular view of Mars and the cluster. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (90 minutes before sunrise).	Western sky on the evening of Sunday, August 16 as seen from Adelaide at 19:19 ACST (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Venus, and the thin crescent Moon are close together, with the bright star Spica above. The inset shows the telescopic view of Venus at this time. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (60 minutes after sunset).

Evening Sky:

Venus climbs higher in the evening sky and is now in Virgo and well visible after the sky is fully dark. Venus is a distinct “Half Moon” phase in even small telescopes. On the 15th, Venus reaches its greatest elongation 46° east of the Sun. On the 15th, Venus, crescent Moon and Spica form a line in evening sky. On the 16th, Venus is less than 2°from the 4-day-old waxing crescent Moon, an impressive sight in the evening sky.

Saturn s is low in the late evening skies in August in Pisces Saturn rises around 10:30 pm at the start of the month in the eastern sky. By the end of the month, Saturn is rising at 8:30 pm ahead of its September opposition. Saturn is still best in the morning sky for most of August. 

Jupiter is lost in the twilight glow.

Morning sky:

Mercury returns to the morning skies but remains low in the twilight and difficult to see.  

Mars is above the eastern horizon at astronomical twilight in the morning. Mars in Gemini. On the 3rd the Red Planet passes with 1.5° of the Crab Nebula (M1), the famous supernova remnant (difficult in binoculars). Between the 14th and 17th, Mars is within 1° of the open cluster M35 (visible in binoculars). 

On the 9th the crescent Moon is near Mars very close to Elnath (Beta Tauri, occultation).  

Saturn Saturn is about 7° from the waning Moon on the 4th. 

First Quarter Moon at 17:00 ACST (06:30 UT) on August 20 as seen from Adelaide. The moon is in twilight, but the lunar X is still visible.The inset shows the Lunar X (top) and Lunar V (bottom),

Occultation of Elnath, 9 August, 2026

The eastern sky at 04:54 ACST Sunday, August 9, as seen from Adelaide. The Moon is about to finish occulting the bright star Elnath. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen).	The eastern sky at 04:34 AEST Sunday, August 9, as seen from Brisbane. The Moon is about to occult the bright star Elnath. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen).	The eastern sky at 04:41 AEST Sunday, August 9, as seen from Melbourne. The Moon is about to occult the bright star Elnath. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen).

An occultation of Elnath, (Beta Tauri) occurs in the early morning of Sunday August 9.
This is best seen from the east coast. For Mebourne and Hobart, the Moon occults Elnath when it is very low, so egress may be better for observation.Western Australia sees a close approach. The Moon is past last quarter low in the eastern sky for easy binocular/telescope observation, although telescope is best

Place	Disappears Bright Limb	Reappears Dark Limb
Adelaide ACST	-	4:54
Brisbane  AEST	04:34	5:35
Canberra AEST	04:42	05:27
Darwin ACST	04:00	04:26
Hobart AEST	05:04	05:14
Melbourne AEDST	04:41	05:24
Perth AWST	-	-
Sydney AEST	04:43	05:29

Stars:

The northern sky as seen at 23:00 ACST from Adelaide. The bright stars Altair, Deneb and Vega are seen forming the 'Winter triangle" in the northern sky.  Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time.	The winter triangle with the constellation names and lines added.

In August the Milky way passes across the Zenith in the early evening, making Scorpius, the scorpion, and Sagittarius the distinct Teapot asterism dominating the sky. Unfortunately that means you will get a crick in the Neck trying to watch them unless lying on the ground

This month we look to the northern skies and the constellation Aquila. The constellation is faint, and the most notable stars are the bright star Altair, flanked by two dimmer, but still bright stars. This grouping is instantly recognisable as there are no other bright stars close by. 
The name Aquila means eagle in Latin and in Greco-Roman mythology Aquila is the bird that carried Zeus’s (Jupiter's) thunderbolts.

The eagle motif of Aquila also appears in Indigenous astronomy. For the Koori people of Victoria, Altair represented Bunjil the Eaglehawk. The stars to each side of him were his two wives, a pair of black swans. To the Boorong people of western Victoria, Altair was Totyerguil, the son of Neilloan (the mallee fowl, represented by the star Vega), and the stars on either side were his two wives. Totyerguil may also represent an eagle.

While there are no thunderbolts for this celestial eagle, Aquila covers a nice swath of the Milky Way and a dust lane. Unfortunately there are no bright clusters or galaxies to enchant us, but if you sweep the area around Altair with binoculars under dark skies you will be rewarded with faint but delightful star clouds. In dark sky locations there is an “E” shaped dark nebula west of Altair that is easily visible in binoculars. 

Altair is also the vertex of the pattern of stars known as the Winter Triangle in the southern hemisphere (or the Summer Triangle in the northern hemisphere). This is made up of Altair itself, the bright star Vega which is close to the northern horizon and the bright star Deneb, which is even closer to the horizon (and may be difficult to see in southern Australia). This large triangle encloses a large section of the Milky.

The position of the Southern Cross and the pointers makes Omega Centauri, a magnificent globular cluster, easy to find in the evening as it forms the apex of a triangle with the Beta Crucis  and Beta Centauri forming the base.

Meteors: Perseids, August 12.

The famous Perseids are not readily observable from most of Australia. The radiant will be below the horizon for many southern observers. Observers in Darwin and Cape York may see some meteors looking north at around 3-4 am.. 

Labels: Astrophiz, Monthly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 11:28 pm 0 comments

   

Eastern horizon on the morning of Saturday, July 4 as seen from Adelaide at 5:54 ACST (90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).Mars is closest to Uranus and between the Hyades and Pleiades clusters. The inset shows the binocular view of Mars, Uranus and the Pleiades at this time.   Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (90 minutes before sunrise).	Eastern horizon on the morning of Wednesday, July 8 as seen from Adelaide at 5:54 ACST (90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). Saturn and Mars form a long line in the twilight. Saturn is close to the waning Moon. Saturn is now high enough for telescopic observation, and its rings are widening. Mars is in between Pleiades and Hyades and forms a second eye for Taurus the Bull with Aldebaran.The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen from the r est of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (90 minutes before sunrise).
Western sky on the evening of Thursday, July 9 as seen from Adelaide at 18:18 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Jupiter is coming close to the horizon. Venus is closest to the bright star Regulus (Alpha Leonis). Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (60 minutes after sunset).	Western sky on the evening of Friday, July 17 as seen from Adelaide at 18:22 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Venus, the thin crescent Moon and  the bright star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) form a line. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (60 minutes after sunset).

Stars:

South-Eastern sky as seen from Adelaide at 18:51 ACST on July 15 (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Scorpius is high in the sky. The inset shows the binocular view of the "sting" in the scorpions tail, with Ptolemy’s cluster. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (90 minutes after sunset)	Southern sky as seen from Adelaide at 18:51 ACST on July 15 (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). The Southern Cross is at its highest. The inset shows the binocular view of the the Southern Pleiades around Theta θ Carina and the eta Carina nebula. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (90 minutes after sunset)

Scorpius the scorpion, is well above the eastern horizon in the east when the sky is fully dark.  It is almost galaxy season, with Sagittarius, and the heart of the Milky way, rising.  By around 11 pm local time, Scorpius lies across the Zenth with Sagittarius and the heart of the galaxy beneath. 

The scorpion is an excellent binocular hunting ground now. Where the “sting of the tail begins to around is a star grouping dominated by zeta 1 and 2 Scorpii of the called the false comet, below the end of the sting is Ptolemy’s cluster and the Butterfly cluster, heading on westward towards the lid of the Teapot of Sagittarius in the Triffid nebula and then below that the Globular cluster M22. 

At around astronomical twilight (090 minutes after sunset when the sky is fully dark) the Southern Cross will almost be at its highest due south. To the right and a bit below alpha Crucis , almost half-way between the Southern cross and the false cross is theta carina, the brightest star in the Southern Pleiades. Just above that is the broad fuzzy patch that is the Carina Nebula, with variable star eta Carina (too dim to see) across this nebulosity is a dark band, the keyhole nebula best seen with binoculars or a small telescope. 

The position of the Southern Cross and the pointers makes Omega Centauri, a magnificent globular cluster, easy to find in the evening as it forms the apex of a triangle with the Beta Crucis  and Beta Centauri forming the base.

Meteors: Southern delta Aquariids:

The Southern Delta-Aquarids meteor shower runs from 12 July to 23rd August, peaking on Sunday July the 30th. The number of meteors you will see depends on how high the radiant is above the horizon, and how dark your sky is. The ZHR for Southern Delta Aquariids is 25 meteors per hour. 

In practice, you will never see these many meteors as the radiant will be some distance below the zenith. Also, unless you are out deep in the countryside, the darkness will be less than ideal. This shower is fairly faint, with the highest rate of around a meteor every 4-5 minutes. 

Sadly, this year the full Moon is on the 30th, so there will be lots of moonlight interference. This shower is best seen from best seen from midnight to 3 am. 

Labels: Astrophiz, Monthly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 12:23 am 0 comments

 

Western sky on the evening of Wednesday, June  8 as seen from Adelaide at 18:11 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Venus Jupiter, Pollux and Castor form a battered line, with Mercury below, very close to epsilon Geminorum.  Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (60 minutes after sunset).	Western sky on the evening of Thursday, June 17 as seen from Adelaide at 18:11 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).  Mercury, Jupiter and the thin crescent Moon form a triangle, as does Jupiter Venus and the Moon. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (60 minutes after sunset).
Western sky on the evening of Wednesday, June 24 as seen from Adelaide at 18:12 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).  Mercury is at its greatest elongation from the Sun. Mercury, Jupiter and Venus and the Moon form a line. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (60 minutes after sunset).	Eastern morning sky on Tuesday, June 30 as seen from Adelaide at 5:54 ACST (90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).  Mars is within binocular distance of the Pleiades (brackets) and Uranus. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes before sunrise)

Dates and time Lunar X and V are visible. Typically visible from about 4hours from the starting time.

First Quarter Moon at 20:11 ACST (9:41 UT) on June 22. The inset shows the Lunar X (top) and Lunar V (bottom), 

The First Quarter Moon is clearly visible high above the north-western horizon forming. The Lunar X and V may be seen in a telescope or strong binoculars. The image shows the telescopic view at this time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time.

 

 Occultation of Antares 28 June: 

The western sky at 02:22 AEST Sunday, June 28, as seen from Canberra. The Moon is about to occult the bright star Antares. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen). Click to embiggen	The western sky at 02:27 AEST Sunday, June 28, as seen from Sydney. The Moon is about to occult the bright star Antares. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen). Click to embiggen	The western sky at 02:12 AEST Sunday, June 28, as seen from Melbourne. The moon is about to occult the bright star Antares. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen). Click to embiggen

An early morning occultation best seen from the east coast south of the Gold Coast (which sees a graze). Everywhere else in Australia sees a close approach. The Moon is two days of full and sufficiently high in the sky for easy binocular/telescope observation, although telescope is best.

Place	Disappears dark Limb	Reappears Bright Limb
Adelaide ACST	-	-
Brisbane  AEST	-	-
Canberra AEST	02:22	03:01
Darwin ACST	-	-
Hobart AEST	01:58	03:01
Melbourne AEDST	02:12	02:57
Perth AWST	-	-
Sydney AEST	02:27	03:03

Stars:

South-Eastern sky as seen from Adelaide at 18:48 ACST on June 15 (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). The dark constellation of the Emu is prominent. Scorpius form the fringe of feathes on the  Emus body. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (90 minutes after sunset)	Southern sky as seen from Adelaide at 20:20 ACST on June 15 . The Southern Cross is at its highest, and the magnificent globular cluster Omega Centauri (indicated by brackets) is also at its highest. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen)

Scorpius the scorpion, is well above the eastern horizon in the east when the sky is fully dark.  It is almost galaxy season, with Sagittarius, and the heart of the Milky way, rising.  

By midnight, Scorpius lies across the Zenith with Sagittarius and the heart of the galaxy beneath. Now is a good time to see the dark constellation of the Emu rising in the sky shortly after astronomical twilight. The appearance of the Emu in June tells the people to stop collecting emu eggs for food.

At 8 pm local time, the southern cross is at its highest, and the magnificent globular cluster Omega Centauri is also at its highest. The globular cluster 47 Tucana is at its lowest almost due south.  The False cross, the southern Pleiades and the riot of clusters around eta Carina are also prominent.

Labels: Astrophiz, Monthly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 11:42 pm 0 comments

Eastern morning sky on Thursday, April 14  as seen from Adelaide at 6:04 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).  Saturn, the crescent Moon and Mars form a triangle above the horizon. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes before sunrise)	North-western sky on Tuesday, April 19 as seen from Adelaide at 18:16 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).  Venus and he thin crescent Moon are close together. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (30 minutes after sunset)

The north-eastern horizon as seen from Adelaide at 5:00 am ACST on Thursday,  7 May, the eta Aquariid radiant is marked with a starburst. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen). 

The eta Aquariid meteor shower, which is produced by the debris from Halley’s Comet, should peak on May 7 (strictly speaking May 6, 3UT). This year the waning gibbous moon interferes. Dark sky sites could expect to see meteor every 6 minutes. 

 

 

 

 

 

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time.

 

 

 Comets:

 

Western sky on Thursday, April 30  as seen from Adelaide at 18:30 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Comet C/2025 R3 may be visible in the twilight.

Comet C/2025 R3 has survived perihelion so we have a chance to view it after it is closest to the earth on April 27. 

It may be visible in Australia from the 27th if the brightest predictions are correct (probably not) and from the 30th if more modest predictions are correct.  The comet is low in the twilight and may fade substantially before it gets high enough in dark skies to see properly. Nonetheless, at the very least it will be a nice little binocular comet.

A printable B&W spotters chart and viewing guides are at my comet C/2025 R3 viewing page.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (60 minutes after sunset).

Stars:

South-Eastern sky as seen from Adelaide at 18:47 ACST on May 17 (90 minutes after sunset at new Moon, click to embiggen). The constellation of Crux is prominent with Scorpius ring below. Omega Centauri is indicated by the box. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen)	South-Western sky as seen from Adelaide at 18:47 ACST on May 17 (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Eta Carina id indicated by the circle. The large and Small Magellanic clouds are also visible. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen)

Orion the hunter is sinking low the west and his nemesis, Scorpius the scorpion, is rising in the east when the sky is fully dark.  

It is almost galaxy season, with Sagittarius, and the heart of the Milky way, rising. At 10 pm local time, the southern cross is at its highest, and the magnificent globular cluster Omega Centauri is also at its highest. The False cross, the southern Pleiades and the riot of clusters are around eta Carina are also prominent.

Occultation of Antares 31 May: 

The eastern sky at 17:19 ACST Sunday, May 31, as seen from Adelaide. The moon is about to occult the bright star Antares. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen). Click to embiggen	The eastern sky at 17:31 AEST Sunday, May 31, as seen from Sydney. The moon is about to occult the bright star Antares. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen). Click to embiggen	The eastern sky at 17:48 AEST Sunday, May 31, as seen from Melbourne. The moon is about to occult the bright star Antares. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen). Click to embiggen

The occultation of Antares, the brightest start in Scorpio, on the 31st of May by the Full (blue) Moon will be difficult, low on the horizon starting at twilight. Telescope only, unaided eye and binoculars will not be enough. 

Labels: Monthly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 11:38 pm 0 comments

Eastern morning sky on Thursday, April 16  as seen from Adelaide at 5:45 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).  Mars, the crescent Moon and Mercury form a triangle above the horizon with Saturn just below. Mars and Mercury are at their closest on the 21st with Saturn close by. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes before sunrise)

North-western sky on Sunday, April 19 as seen from Adelaide at 18:13 ACST (30 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).  Venus and he thin crescent Moon are close together. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (30 minutes after sunset)

Dates and time Lunar X and V are visible. Typically visible from about 4hours from the starting time.

Sky looking North-west on Friday April 24 as seen from Adelaide at 20:20 ACST (click to embiggen). 

The First Quarter Moon is clearly visible above the horizon forming a triangle with  Jupiter and Porcyon. The Lunar X and V may be seen in a telescope or strong binoculars. The inset shows the telescopic view at this time. 

 

 

 

 

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset). 

 Comets:

 
C/2026 A1 (MAPS): UPDATE: Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) did not survive perihelion https://astroblogger.blogspot.com/2026/04/upate-comet-c2026-a1-maps-did-not.html. This is a Kreutz family comet, one of a group of related comets that pass close to the sun. Everyone was excited that it might become a super bright comet. However, it’s brightness increase stalled (everyone gasped) then started up again (everyone cheered), with what looked to be an eruption plume. 

Currently the two most likely outcomes are that the comet disintegrates before it reaches the sun (like comet ISON) or it breaks up after perihelion and forms a “headless” comet like C/2011 (W3) Lovejoy. In the latter case we may see a bright tail starching up from the horizon as twilight fades. 

There is still (given the restart in brightness) the possibility that the comet will survive, and we will see a decent comet. The comet has passed intact through the STEREO H1 imager and is in the field of view of the PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) satellite, It has a magnitude of 6.5 and a tail extending more than 3 degrees. So fingers crossed for its survival.

There is the possibility the comet head will be around -3—4 magnitude, (about as bright as Venus), but it will fade rapidly and may be difficult to distinguish against the twilight by the time it is above the horizon in Australia. 

Western sky on the evening of Tuesday, April 7 as seen from Adelaide at 18:28 ACST ( 30 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). If it hasn't disintegrated,  Comet C/2026 A1 may be visible low in the twilight. 

C/2026 A1 perihelion is 4 April, the soonest we can see the comet head is probably the 6th or 7th depending on how bright it turns out to be. If there is a decent tail we should see it as the twilight fades. 

Look to the west, bright Venus will be your guide, the comet should be to the west and a bit below. As the twilight fades the comet and its tail may become more visible. As the days progress the comet gets higher, but it will also be dimming rapidly. 

We may see the tail in the late twilight, we may be in a C/2011 (W3) Lovejoy situation, where a bright, long headless tail was seen for a couple of days, or a C/2024 G3 Atlas situation, where a modest length but faint tail was visible in the late twilight for nearly a week.  Either would be good.

Latest images and spotters charts are at my Comet C/2026 A1 page. 

C/2025 R3 (PANSTARS): This is also getting a fair bit of attention. While not predicted to be as bright as C/2026 A1, it could be either a good binocular comet or a modest to good unaided eye comet, depending on multiple factors. C/2025 R3’s perihelion is 20 April and is closest to the earth on April 27. It may be visible in Australia from the 27th if the brightest predictions are correct and from the 30th if more modest predictions are correct.

Western sky on Thursday, April 30  as seen from Adelaide at 18:30 ACST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Comet C/2025 R3 may be visible in the twilight.

C/2025 R3 is not a sungrazer, it only gets as close to the sun as between the orbits of Mercury and Venus. Magnitude predictions run anywhere between magnitude 8 (about as bright as Neptune) and 2.8 (about as bright as delta Crucis), not spectacular but easily visible after nautical twilight. 

Stars:

North-Eastern sky as seen from Adelaide at 19:13 ACST on April 17 (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). The constellation of Leo is prominent. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen)	North-Eastern sky as seen from Adelaide at 19:04 ACST on April 26 (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). The constellation of Leo is prominent and the Moon is close to Regulus. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen)

As Taurus and Orion sink to the west, an important classical constellation, Leo, is coming to the northern sky. Not the zodiac sign Leo, due to the precession of the equinoxes this now covers Cancer. 

Looking north you can see the pair of bright Procyon and Pollux, forming a triangle with Jupiter, looking east of this triangle the next bright star you see is blue white Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo the Lion.  

From Regulus towards the horizon is a curved trail of stars, this is the sickle of leo, the Leonid meteor shower 's radiant is in the sickle of Leo. 

Returning to Regulus, looking east the next brightish star you see is  theta Leonis. In  10x50 binoculars, under dark skies,  in the same binocular field you may see a whiteish smudge, the is the galaxy M66. In a telescope the galaxy M65 is nearby.

On the 26th the Moon is close to Regulus, and an occultation is seen in North and South America.  

Labels: Monthly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 11:27 pm 0 comments

Eastern morning sky on Wednesday, March 18  as seen from Adelaide at 6:37 ACDST (45 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).  Mars, the crescent Moon and Mercury form a triangle above the horizon. The inset is the binocular view a this time. Mars and Mercury are at their closest on the 16th. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (45 minutes before sunrise)

North-western sky on Thursday, March 26  as seen from Adelaide at 20:43 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).  Jupiter is close to the waxing Moon, forming a narrow triangle with Castor and Pollux and a broad triangle with the bright stars Procyon and Betelgeuse.The inset is the telescopic view Jupiter at this time. Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset)

Sky looking North-east on Tuesday March 3 as seen from Adelaide at 21:18 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). 

The rising full Moon is partially eclipsed. Totality will start at 22:33 and be at maximum eclipse at 23:03. Other states will see similar views at the equivalent local times. The inset show the binocular view at this time. 

Detailed times for selected cites and viewing charts are at my Lunar Eclipse page. 

 

 

 

 

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

Stars:

North-Eastern sky as seen from Adelaide at midnight1 ACDST on March 12. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen)	Southern sky as seen from Adelaide at 21:05 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset). Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia 90 minutes after sunset. Omega Centauri is indicated by the brackets, The inset is the binocular view of Omega Centauri  at this time (click to embiggen)

March nights see the summer constellations of Orion the Hunter and Canis major (Orion’s hunting dog) head towards the western horizon, while Orion’s nemesis, Scorpius the Scorpion, rises in the east.
If you face east around midnight, the distinctive curled shape of Scorpius lies curled above the horizon. Slightly less romantically, it looks like one of those “use no hooks” signs on its side.  

In Greek mythology, Scorpius was a scorpion sent to kill Orion for his hubris. Indigenous Australians interpreted the constellation in a variety of ways. The sting of Scorpius the Scorpion (the curled “hook”) is variously the head of Ingalpir, the crocodile, Karick Karick a pair of hawks or a fringe of feathers around the wings of dark constellation the Emu. The body of the Scorpion contains the bright star Antares the “rival of Mars”. 

Omega Centauri, a magnificent globular cluster, will be readily visible late in the evening forming a triangle with the Southern cross and pointers.

Mira:

North western sky as seen from Adelaide at 21:05 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset) on March 11, when the Moon has not yet risen. Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia 90 minutes after sunset. The variable star Mira is above the western horizon and indicated by the jagged circle. The inset is the binocular view of the Mira and the two obvious stars Zeta and Chi Ceti at this time (click to embiggen).

The location of Uranus is indicated by the smooth circle. 

 
The variable star Mira is now around magnitude 3.5, and should be readily visible when the moon is out of the way. 

Labels: binocular, Monthly sky, unaided eye

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 1:18 am 0 comments

Northern sky on Friday, February 27  as seen from Adelaide at 21:22 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).  Jupiter is close to the nearly full Moon, forming a narrow triangle with Castor and Pollux and a broad triangle with the bright stars Procyon and Betelgeuse. 

The First Quarter Moon is clearly visible above the horizon close to he Pleiades cluster. the Lunar X and V may bee seen in a telescope or strong binoculars. The insets show the telescopic and binocular views at this time. 

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset). 

Stars:

North western sky as seen from Adelaide at 21:41 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset). Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia 90 minutes after sunset. The inset is the binocular view of the Pleides and Uranus at this time (click to embiggen)	Southern sky as seen from Adelaide at 21:41 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset). Similar views will been seen elsewhere in Australia 90 minutes after sunset. Theta Carina is indicated by the circle, The inset is the binocular view of the the Southern Pleiades and Theta Carina  at this time (click to embiggen)

February nights see the summer constellations of Taurus the Bull, Orion the Hunter and Canis major (Orion’s hunting dog) slip into the north-western sky.

Orion is still visible,  as are the Pleiades, a close grouping of six stars.   A line drawn westward through Betelgeuse, the red star that forms the shoulder of Orion, and Aldebaran brings you to the Pleiades.

Although faint, the Pleiades is pretty to the unaided eye, and delightful in binoculars. If you’re fortunate enough to have a decent telescope, you’ll be able to see a hint of the nebulous cloud that makes photographs of this cluster an astronomical icon. 

The Pleiades is also known as the Seven Sisters in European culture.  Interestingly, many Indigenous Australian groups also saw the cluster as women. The Boorong people of north-western Victoria called it Larnankurrk and described it as a group of women watching Kulkunbulla (the two dancing youths represented by the Saucepan of Orion’s belt).   However, the people of the Lake Albert area saw the Pleiades as a clutch of turkey eggs.

In February, you can also see a constellation called the “Southern Pleiades” (it’s only visible in the southern hemisphere).  It’s a lot less obvious to the unaided eye than the Pleiades themselves, but is truly beautiful in binoculars or a small telescope.  It’s made up of a cluster of stars around theta Carina, which also glories in the name Vathorz Posterior.

To find this small gem, look up from Acrux, the brightest star in the Southern Cross. The second bright star you come to is surrounded by a halo of dim stars, this is the Southern Pleiades. 
You can easily see the Pleiades and the Southern Pleiades from around an hour after sunset as they emerge from the twilight.

 As the night progresses the Pleiades sink into the west. In contrast, the Southern Pleiades rise higher above the southern horizon as February progresses but they will become harder to see due to moonlight.  

Mira:

 
The variable star Mira (omicron Ceti) should start to brighten in February, rising from below unaided eye visibility to around magnitude 4 before peaking in March at around magnitude 3. It will be seen low above the western horizon when the sky is fully dark. 

Labels: binoculars, Monthly sky, unaided eye

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 7:27 pm 0 comments