Saturday, June 13, 2009
C/2008 Q3 Garrad's amazing journey
Comet C/2008 Q3 Garrad near Centaurus A (NGC 5128), click to embiggenComet C/2008 Q3 Garrad is in outburst. This comet should be very faint, around magnitude 12-13 (and is still listed as such in the MPC ephemeris), but is currently around magnitude 8. Well within the reach of modest telescopes and, if you have good eyesight and are in a dark sky location, 7x50 and 10x50 binoculars. Due to a variety of factors (like cloud and an inconvenient Moon), I haven't been able to see Q3 Garrad in binoculars yet.
Which is disappointing, as the comet has been traversing some really beautiful territory. It has been near the stunning globular cluster Omega Centauri, globular cluster NGC 6362 and the galaxy Centaurus A recently. However, I was able to use the Global-Rent-a-Scope system to image C/2008 Q3 Garrad near NGC 6362 and Centaurus A.
Comet C/2008 Q3 Garrad and globular cluster NGC 6362. Click to embiggen. Sadly, the Rent-a-scope system was clouded out when I wanted to image Omega Centauri. The images you see were taken with the widefield G12 using a 90 second 1x1 binned exposure with luminance filtering. I also took a RBG colour series of the Centaurus A encounter, but I have been unable to assemble the images into something worth while yet (anyone who has experience with Global Rent a Scopes RBG images and Image J, please contact me).
The comet is now in a quieter part of the sky, However, it will come within 3 degrees of globular cluster M68 between 21-23 June. If you would like to look for it it, there is a spotters map to the left, click to embiggen and print, and a PDF format binocular map is here.Other images of C/2008 Garrad are here, here, and a stunning colour picture of the comet near Centaurus A by Rob Kau is here and another here.
Labels: astrophotography, binocular, comets
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad, September 20 and 22
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Left Image: Comet 2009 P1 Garrad on 20/9/2011. Right Image: Comet Garrad on the 22/09/11. Click to embiggen. Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad imaged using the Global-Rent-a-Scope GRAS-05 instrument.
The left image was done from 120sec luminance RGB filers at 1x binning, the right luminance 120 sec 2x binning and RGB 60 secs with 2x binning. Images stretched with FITS-Liberator, aligned and cropped in ImageJ then luminance and RGB channels assembled in the GIMP, with a little contrast enhancement.
Not as good as Rolando Ligustri's image using the same exposure and binning on the GRAS-11 instrument. I still have a lot to learn about colour image processing.
Labels: astrophotography, comet, Global Rent-a-Scope
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The Sky This Week - Thursday October 27 to Thursday November 3
The First Quarter Moon is Thursday November 3. Venus is easily visible in the western evening twilight with Mercury below it. The Moon joins Venus and Mercury on the 28th. Jupiter now dominates the evening sky and is at opposition on the 29th. Mars is visible in the morning sky nearing the star Regulus . Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:30 am local daylight saving time on Sunday October 30 showing Mars and the brighter stars. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The First Quarter Moon is Thursday November 3.
Jupiter is at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on Saturday the 29th. Jupiter is visible all night long now.
In the morning Jupiter low is above the north-western horizon.
In the evening Jupiter is readily visible in the north-eastern sky, from about 7 pm local time on. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars. For good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 10 pm - 1 am. Although it is biggest and brightest on the 20th, Jupiter will be excellent viewing for a couple of months now.
Mars is low in the north-eastern morning sky, in the constellation of Leo. Mars comes closer to the bright star Regulus over the week.
Comet 45P Honda is in the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twilight sky without a decent telescope.
Saturn is lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Friday October 28 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 8:30 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Venus and Mercury. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)
Bright white Venusand Mercury are now readily visible in the evening western twilight sky from around half an hour after sunset for somewhat over an hour.
Mercury is visible below Venus at the beginning of the week, and becomes more prominent, and closer to Venus, as the week wears on. Both planets climb higher in the evening sky over the week. On the evening of Friday the 28th, the thin crescent Moon is close to the pair, making excellent viewing.
ALthough Jupiter is the most prominent now, 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.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:00 pm local daylight saving time Saturday October 29 looking north-west from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky, in the constellation of Ophiuchus.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 6.5. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail.
The best viewing is just before 9:00 pm, when the sky is dark enough to reveal the comet and it is not too close to the horizon. This will be the last week the comet will be easily visible, before it comes too close to the horizon for viewing. It will enter the morning sky in November.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:30 am local daylight saving time on Sunday October 30 showing Mars and the brighter stars. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.The First Quarter Moon is Thursday November 3.
Jupiter is at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on Saturday the 29th. Jupiter is visible all night long now.
In the morning Jupiter low is above the north-western horizon.
In the evening Jupiter is readily visible in the north-eastern sky, from about 7 pm local time on. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars. For good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 10 pm - 1 am. Although it is biggest and brightest on the 20th, Jupiter will be excellent viewing for a couple of months now.
Mars is low in the north-eastern morning sky, in the constellation of Leo. Mars comes closer to the bright star Regulus over the week.
Comet 45P Honda is in the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twilight sky without a decent telescope.
Saturn is lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Friday October 28 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 8:30 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Venus and Mercury. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)Bright white Venusand Mercury are now readily visible in the evening western twilight sky from around half an hour after sunset for somewhat over an hour.
Mercury is visible below Venus at the beginning of the week, and becomes more prominent, and closer to Venus, as the week wears on. Both planets climb higher in the evening sky over the week. On the evening of Friday the 28th, the thin crescent Moon is close to the pair, making excellent viewing.
ALthough Jupiter is the most prominent now, 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.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:00 pm local daylight saving time Saturday October 29 looking north-west from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky, in the constellation of Ophiuchus.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 6.5. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail.
The best viewing is just before 9:00 pm, when the sky is dark enough to reveal the comet and it is not too close to the horizon. This will be the last week the comet will be easily visible, before it comes too close to the horizon for viewing. It will enter the morning sky in November.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Labels: weekly sky
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The Sky This Week - September 29 to Thursday October 6
The First Quarter Moon is Tuesday October 4. Venus is low in the western evening twilight along with Saturn. Jupiter appears in the evening sky. Mars is visible in the morning sky and on the 29th and 1st is in the heart of the Beehive Cluster. Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:30 am local time on Sunday October 2 showing Mars and the brighter stars. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The First Quarter Moon is Tuesday October 4.
In the morning Jupiter is above the north-western horizon. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars.
Jupiter is visible in the evening sky, from about 10 pm local time on. However, for good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 1-3 am.
Mars is low in the eastern morning sky, in the constellation of Cancer. At the beginning of the week Mars is not far from the bright star cluster the Beehive cluster. On the 30th of September and 1st of October Mars will be in the heart of the Beehive. This is best viewed with binoculars.
Comet 45P Honda is low in the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twilight sky without a decent telescope.
Bright white Venus is now visible low in the evening western twilight sky not far from Saturn. You will need a clear level horizon (like the ocean) to see them, and may need binoculars to pick out Saturn. Look around half an hour after sunset.
Mercury is lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Sunday October 2 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 11 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Jupiter. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).
Saturn is too close to the horizon to be seen without binoculars at twilight.
Despite Saturns closeness 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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 8:00 pm on Saturday October 1 looking north-east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is well past opposition, but is still readily visible in binoculars and is not far below the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 6.9).
Vesta starts the week above the relatively bright star Phi Capricorni, making it very easy to find. During the week it gets closer to Phi Capricorni.
Vesta is nearly at a stand still, so you may have to follow it for a few days to be sure. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 8:00 pm Saturday October 1 looking north-west from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky, in the constellation of Hercules.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 6.9. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 8:00 pm, when the comet is still reasonably high in the sky.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:30 am local time on Sunday October 2 showing Mars and the brighter stars. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.The First Quarter Moon is Tuesday October 4.
In the morning Jupiter is above the north-western horizon. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars.
Jupiter is visible in the evening sky, from about 10 pm local time on. However, for good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 1-3 am.
Mars is low in the eastern morning sky, in the constellation of Cancer. At the beginning of the week Mars is not far from the bright star cluster the Beehive cluster. On the 30th of September and 1st of October Mars will be in the heart of the Beehive. This is best viewed with binoculars.
Comet 45P Honda is low in the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twilight sky without a decent telescope.
Bright white Venus is now visible low in the evening western twilight sky not far from Saturn. You will need a clear level horizon (like the ocean) to see them, and may need binoculars to pick out Saturn. Look around half an hour after sunset.
Mercury is lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Sunday October 2 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 11 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Jupiter. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).Saturn is too close to the horizon to be seen without binoculars at twilight.
Despite Saturns closeness 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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 8:00 pm on Saturday October 1 looking north-east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,The asteroid Vesta is well past opposition, but is still readily visible in binoculars and is not far below the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 6.9).
Vesta starts the week above the relatively bright star Phi Capricorni, making it very easy to find. During the week it gets closer to Phi Capricorni.
Vesta is nearly at a stand still, so you may have to follow it for a few days to be sure. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 8:00 pm Saturday October 1 looking north-west from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky, in the constellation of Hercules.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 6.9. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 8:00 pm, when the comet is still reasonably high in the sky.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Labels: weekly sky
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
The Sky This Week - Thursday August 4 to Thursday August 11
The First Quarter Moon is Saturday August 6. Jupiter is high in the morning sky. Mars enters Gemini. Saturn is low in the western evening sky. The Moon visits Saturn on August 4. Mercury is lost to sight in the twilight. Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 6:30 am local time on Sunday August 7 showing the Mars and the constellations. Mars is close to the open cluster M35. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The First Quarter Moon is Saturday August 6.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the north-eastern sky. Mars is low in the eastern sky, closing in on Gemini. On Sunday August 7 Mars is near the open cluster M35 (you will need binoculars to see M35).
Bright white Venus is now lost in the twilight glow and swift Mercury will follow at the end of the week.
Evening sky on Thursday August 4 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 9:00 pm local time in South Australia showing the Moon, and Saturn in the early evening sky. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).
Mercury is still close to the bright star Regulus at the beginning of the week, but you will need a fairly clear, level horizon to see them. By the end of the week Mercury is lost in the twilight glow.
Saturn is readily visible as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is getting lower in the sky, and the window for telescopic observation is narrower. OnThursday August 4 the waxing Moon is close to Saturn.
Even in small telescopes you can see Saturn's rings and it's moon Titan. Despite being past opposition, when Saturn was at its biggest, Saturn is still big and beautiful.
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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 9:00 pm on August 7 looking east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is becoming brighter and is now readily visible in binoculars and is just over the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 5.7). To see it with the unaided eye you will need to be in a dark sky location though.
Vesta is now close to the relatively bright star 24 Capricorni, making it very easy to find. 24 Capricorni is the fifth star up and to the right of the brightest star in Capricornus (see image to left). Vesta moves significantly night to night, so will be easy to follow. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 10:00 pm August 6 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is now visible in binoculars in the northern sky, in the constellation of Pegasus. It is only a fuzzy dot, and will be hard to locate under suburban skies, but it is within binocular distance of the globular cluster M15 on the 4th and 5th. So if you have dark skies it is well worth watching. A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 6:30 am local time on Sunday August 7 showing the Mars and the constellations. Mars is close to the open cluster M35. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.The First Quarter Moon is Saturday August 6.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the north-eastern sky. Mars is low in the eastern sky, closing in on Gemini. On Sunday August 7 Mars is near the open cluster M35 (you will need binoculars to see M35).
Bright white Venus is now lost in the twilight glow and swift Mercury will follow at the end of the week.
Evening sky on Thursday August 4 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 9:00 pm local time in South Australia showing the Moon, and Saturn in the early evening sky. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).Mercury is still close to the bright star Regulus at the beginning of the week, but you will need a fairly clear, level horizon to see them. By the end of the week Mercury is lost in the twilight glow.
Saturn is readily visible as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is getting lower in the sky, and the window for telescopic observation is narrower. OnThursday August 4 the waxing Moon is close to Saturn.
Even in small telescopes you can see Saturn's rings and it's moon Titan. Despite being past opposition, when Saturn was at its biggest, Saturn is still big and beautiful.
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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 9:00 pm on August 7 looking east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,The asteroid Vesta is becoming brighter and is now readily visible in binoculars and is just over the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 5.7). To see it with the unaided eye you will need to be in a dark sky location though.
Vesta is now close to the relatively bright star 24 Capricorni, making it very easy to find. 24 Capricorni is the fifth star up and to the right of the brightest star in Capricornus (see image to left). Vesta moves significantly night to night, so will be easy to follow. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 10:00 pm August 6 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,Comet C/2009 Garrad is now visible in binoculars in the northern sky, in the constellation of Pegasus. It is only a fuzzy dot, and will be hard to locate under suburban skies, but it is within binocular distance of the globular cluster M15 on the 4th and 5th. So if you have dark skies it is well worth watching. A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Labels: weekly sky
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
The Sky This Week -September 8 to Thursday September 15
The Full Moon is Monday September 12. Jupiter appears in the evening sky and is close to the Moon on the 15th. Mars is visible in the morning sky. Saturn is low in the western evening sky. Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:30 am local time on Sunday September 4 showing Mars, the brighter stars and the location of comet 485P Honda. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The Full Moon is Monday September 12.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the north-western ern sky. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars.
Jupiter is visible in the evening sky, from about 11 pm local time on. However, for good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 2-4 am. The waning Moon visits Jupiter on Thursday the 15th.
Mars is low in the eastern sky, in the constellation of Gemini. From the 11th to the 15th Mars froms a rough line with the bright stars Castor and Pollux.
Bright white Venus is still lost in the twilight glow, returning to the evening sky later this month.
Mercury is quite close to the horizon in the morning skies. Mercury starts the week close to the bright star Regulus, although you will need a clear level horizon to see it. By the end of the week Mercury is lost in the twilight glow.
Comet 45P Honda enters the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twlight sky without a decent telescope.
Evening sky on Thursday September 15 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 11:00 pm local time in South Australia showing Jupiter in the late evening sky not far from the waning Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).
Saturn is still visible low in the westen sky as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is now too low in the sky for successful telescopic observation.
Despite Saturns closeness to the horizon , 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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 8:00 pm on Saturday September 10 looking north-east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is now past opposition, but is still readily visible in binoculars and is just below the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 6.5).
Vesta starts the week not far from the relatively bright star Phi Capricorni, making it very easy to find. During the week it moves away from Phi Capricorni. Later in the week bright Moonlight will make it difficult to see.
Vesta moves significantly night to night, so will be easy to follow. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 8:00 pm Saturday September 10 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky, in the constellation of Sagitta, the Arrow.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 7. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 8:00 pm, when the comet is almost due north and highest in the sky. During the week the comet will become harder to see as the Moonlight brigtens.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:30 am local time on Sunday September 4 showing Mars, the brighter stars and the location of comet 485P Honda. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.The Full Moon is Monday September 12.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the north-western ern sky. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars.
Jupiter is visible in the evening sky, from about 11 pm local time on. However, for good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 2-4 am. The waning Moon visits Jupiter on Thursday the 15th.
Mars is low in the eastern sky, in the constellation of Gemini. From the 11th to the 15th Mars froms a rough line with the bright stars Castor and Pollux.
Bright white Venus is still lost in the twilight glow, returning to the evening sky later this month.
Mercury is quite close to the horizon in the morning skies. Mercury starts the week close to the bright star Regulus, although you will need a clear level horizon to see it. By the end of the week Mercury is lost in the twilight glow.
Comet 45P Honda enters the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twlight sky without a decent telescope.
Evening sky on Thursday September 15 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 11:00 pm local time in South Australia showing Jupiter in the late evening sky not far from the waning Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).Saturn is still visible low in the westen sky as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is now too low in the sky for successful telescopic observation.
Despite Saturns closeness to the horizon , 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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 8:00 pm on Saturday September 10 looking north-east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,The asteroid Vesta is now past opposition, but is still readily visible in binoculars and is just below the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 6.5).
Vesta starts the week not far from the relatively bright star Phi Capricorni, making it very easy to find. During the week it moves away from Phi Capricorni. Later in the week bright Moonlight will make it difficult to see.
Vesta moves significantly night to night, so will be easy to follow. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 8:00 pm Saturday September 10 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky, in the constellation of Sagitta, the Arrow.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 7. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 8:00 pm, when the comet is almost due north and highest in the sky. During the week the comet will become harder to see as the Moonlight brigtens.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Labels: weekly sky
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The Sky This Week - Thursday October 13 to Thursday October 20
The Last Quarter Moon is Thursday October 20. Venus is easily visible in the western evening twilight with Mercury catching it up below. Jupiter appears in the evening sky and is close to the Moon on October 14. Mars is visible in the morning sky nearing the constellation of Leo. Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:00 am local daylight saving time on Sunday October 16 showing Mars and the brighter stars. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The Last Quarter Moon is Thursday October 20.
In the morning Jupiter is above the north-western horizon. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars.
Jupiter is readily visible in the north-eastern evening sky, from about 9 pm local time on. Jupiter's Moons can be readily seen in binoculars, however, for good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 11 pm - 1 am. On Thursday October 14 the Moon is below Jupiter.
Mars is low in the north-eastern morning sky, heading into the constellation of Leo. Mars starts the week nearly equidistant from the bright stars Pollux and Regulus, and nears Regulus over the week
Comet 45P Honda is in the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twilight sky without a decent telescope.
Saturn is lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Saturday October 16 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 7:45 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Venus and Mercury. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)
Bright white Venus is now is now readily visible low in the evening western twilight sky from around half an hour after sunset.
Mercury is just visible below Venus at the beginning of the week, and becomes more prominent, and closer to Venus, as the week wears on.
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.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:00 pm local daylight saving time Saturday October 16 looking north-west from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky, in the constellation of Ophiuchus.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 6.5. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 9:00 pm, when the sky is dark enough to reveal the comet, even thought it is coming closer to the horizon.
At the beginning of the week Moonlight will make viewing the comet difficult, but during the week the comet is easier to observe as the Moon wanes and rises later.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:00 am local daylight saving time on Sunday October 16 showing Mars and the brighter stars. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.The Last Quarter Moon is Thursday October 20.
In the morning Jupiter is above the north-western horizon. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars.
Jupiter is readily visible in the north-eastern evening sky, from about 9 pm local time on. Jupiter's Moons can be readily seen in binoculars, however, for good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 11 pm - 1 am. On Thursday October 14 the Moon is below Jupiter.
Mars is low in the north-eastern morning sky, heading into the constellation of Leo. Mars starts the week nearly equidistant from the bright stars Pollux and Regulus, and nears Regulus over the week
Comet 45P Honda is in the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twilight sky without a decent telescope.
Saturn is lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Saturday October 16 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 7:45 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Venus and Mercury. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)Bright white Venus is now is now readily visible low in the evening western twilight sky from around half an hour after sunset.
Mercury is just visible below Venus at the beginning of the week, and becomes more prominent, and closer to Venus, as the week wears on.
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.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:00 pm local daylight saving time Saturday October 16 looking north-west from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky, in the constellation of Ophiuchus.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 6.5. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 9:00 pm, when the sky is dark enough to reveal the comet, even thought it is coming closer to the horizon.
At the beginning of the week Moonlight will make viewing the comet difficult, but during the week the comet is easier to observe as the Moon wanes and rises later.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Labels: weekly sky
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
The Sky This Week - Thursday August 11 to Thursday August 18
The Full Moon is Sunday August 14. Jupiter is high in the morning sky. Mars close to stars in Gemini. Saturn is low in the western evening sky. Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 6:00 am local time on Saturday August 13 showing the Mars and the constellations. Mars is close to the open cluster M35. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The Full Moon is Sunday August 14.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the north-eastern sky. Mars is low in the eastern sky, in the constellation of Gemini. Mars forms and attractive triangle with some of the moderately bright stars (Propus and Tejat). By the end of the week it is close to Mebsuta (eta Geminorium).
Bright white Venus and swift Mercury are now lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Saturday August 13 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 8:00 pm local time in South Australia showing the Moon, and Saturn in the early evening sky. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).
Mercury is lost in the twilight glow.
Saturn is readily visible as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is getting lower in the sky, and the window for telescopic observation is narrower.
In this short timespan, even in small telescopes you can see Saturn's rings and it's moon Titan. Despite being past opposition, when Saturn was at its biggest, Saturn is still big and beautiful.
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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 9:00 pm on August 13 looking east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is becoming brighter and is now readily visible in binoculars and is just over the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 5.7). To see it with the unaided eye you will need to be in a dark sky location though.
Vesta starts the week close to the relatively bright star 24 Capricorni, making it very easy to find. 24 Capricorni is the fifth star up and to the right of the brightest star in Capricornus (see image to left). It then heads further up the sky towards another relatively bright star Phi Capricorni.
Mid-week bright moonlight will interfere with your ability to see Vesta, although it should remain visible in good binoculars.
Vesta moves significantly night to night, so will be easy to follow. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:00 pm August 14 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is now visible in binoculars in the northern sky, in the constellation of Delphinus, the Dolphin. It is only a fuzzy dot, and will be hard to locate under suburban skies. So if you have dark skies it is well worth watching. However, mid-week bright moonlight will make it difficult to see the comet.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 6:00 am local time on Saturday August 13 showing the Mars and the constellations. Mars is close to the open cluster M35. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The Full Moon is Sunday August 14.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the north-eastern sky. Mars is low in the eastern sky, in the constellation of Gemini. Mars forms and attractive triangle with some of the moderately bright stars (Propus and Tejat). By the end of the week it is close to Mebsuta (eta Geminorium).
Bright white Venus and swift Mercury are now lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Saturday August 13 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 8:00 pm local time in South Australia showing the Moon, and Saturn in the early evening sky. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).
Mercury is lost in the twilight glow.
Saturn is readily visible as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is getting lower in the sky, and the window for telescopic observation is narrower.
In this short timespan, even in small telescopes you can see Saturn's rings and it's moon Titan. Despite being past opposition, when Saturn was at its biggest, Saturn is still big and beautiful.
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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 9:00 pm on August 13 looking east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is becoming brighter and is now readily visible in binoculars and is just over the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 5.7). To see it with the unaided eye you will need to be in a dark sky location though.
Vesta starts the week close to the relatively bright star 24 Capricorni, making it very easy to find. 24 Capricorni is the fifth star up and to the right of the brightest star in Capricornus (see image to left). It then heads further up the sky towards another relatively bright star Phi Capricorni.
Mid-week bright moonlight will interfere with your ability to see Vesta, although it should remain visible in good binoculars.
Vesta moves significantly night to night, so will be easy to follow. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:00 pm August 14 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is now visible in binoculars in the northern sky, in the constellation of Delphinus, the Dolphin. It is only a fuzzy dot, and will be hard to locate under suburban skies. So if you have dark skies it is well worth watching. However, mid-week bright moonlight will make it difficult to see the comet.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Labels: weekly sky
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Comet 2009 P1 Garrad and M15, July 31
Comet 2009 P1 Garrad imaged near the globular cluster M15 with the GRAS 14 instrument at Global Rent a Scope with 1 x 120 sec Red filter FITS image, 1 x 120 sec Green filter FITS image and 1 x 120 sec Blue filter FITS image. Images stacked and contrast enhanced using Image J then assembled into a RGB composite.Definitely click to embiggen, it will be worth it.
Comet 2009 P1 Garrad is currently magnitude 8 and in the constellation Pegasus, ideally located for northern hemisphere viewers. It will pass lots of interesting clusters and galaxies as it goes by. On August 1 and 2 it will be quite lose to the globular cluster M15.
Labels: astrophotography, cluster, comet, Global Rent-a-Scope
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Comet 2009 P1 Garrad and M15, August 2
Comet 2009 P1 Garrad imaged near the globular cluster M15 with the GRAS 16 instrument (Nepio, Spain) at Global Rent a Scope with 1 x 120 sec clear filter. The image was stretched with FITS-Liberator using the Arcsinx transform and scaled to 1000x600 px using Image J .Definitely click to embiggen, it will be worth it. Compare it to the July 31st image.
Comet 2009 P1 Garrad is currently magnitude 8 and in the constellation Pegasus, ideally located for northern hemisphere viewers. It will pass lots of interesting clusters and galaxies as it goes by.
Labels: astrophotography, cluster, comet, Global Rent-a-Scope
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Sky This Week - Thursday August 18 to Thursday August 25
Last Quarter Moon is Monday August 22. Jupiter is high in the morning sky and visted by the Moon on the 19th and 20th. Mars is close to stars in Gemini, and visited by the thin crescent Moon on the 25th. Saturn is low in the western evening sky. Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 6:00 am local time on Saturday August 20 showing the Moon, Jupiter, Mars and the constellations. Mars is close to the star Mebsuta. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The Last Quarter Moon is Monday August 22.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the north-eastern sky. It is visted by the waning Moon on the 19th and 20th.
Mars is low in the eastern sky, in the constellation of Gemini. Mars stars the week close to the relatively bright star Mebsuta (eta Geminorium). On the 25th Mars is close to the thin Crescent Moon.
Bright white Venus and swift Mercury are now lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Saturday August 20 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 8:00 pm local time in South Australia showing Saturn in the early evening sky. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).
Saturn is readily visible as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is getting lower in the sky, and the window for telescopic observation is narrower.
In this short timespan, even in small telescopes you can see Saturn's rings and it's moon Titan. Despite being past opposition, when Saturn was at its biggest, Saturn is still big and beautiful.
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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 8:00 pm on August 20 looking east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is now past opposition, but is still readily visible in binoculars and is just over the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 5.9). To see it with the unaided eye you will need to be in a dark sky location though.
Vesta starts the week between the relatively bright stars 24 Capricorni and Phi Capricornii, making it very easy to find. 24 Capricorni is the fifth star up and to the right of the brightest star in Capricornus (see image to left). During the week it gets even closer to Phi Capricorni.
Vesta moves significantly night to night, so will be easy to follow. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:00 pm Saturday August 21 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky, initially in the constellation of Delphinus, the Dolphin, then moving to Sagitta, the Arrow.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 7. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 11 pm, when the comet is almost due north and highest in the sky. By the end of the week the comet will be in binocular range of a number of cluates, including M71.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 6:00 am local time on Saturday August 20 showing the Moon, Jupiter, Mars and the constellations. Mars is close to the star Mebsuta. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The Last Quarter Moon is Monday August 22.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the north-eastern sky. It is visted by the waning Moon on the 19th and 20th.
Mars is low in the eastern sky, in the constellation of Gemini. Mars stars the week close to the relatively bright star Mebsuta (eta Geminorium). On the 25th Mars is close to the thin Crescent Moon.
Bright white Venus and swift Mercury are now lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Saturday August 20 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 8:00 pm local time in South Australia showing Saturn in the early evening sky. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).
Saturn is readily visible as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is getting lower in the sky, and the window for telescopic observation is narrower.
In this short timespan, even in small telescopes you can see Saturn's rings and it's moon Titan. Despite being past opposition, when Saturn was at its biggest, Saturn is still big and beautiful.
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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 8:00 pm on August 20 looking east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is now past opposition, but is still readily visible in binoculars and is just over the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 5.9). To see it with the unaided eye you will need to be in a dark sky location though.
Vesta starts the week between the relatively bright stars 24 Capricorni and Phi Capricornii, making it very easy to find. 24 Capricorni is the fifth star up and to the right of the brightest star in Capricornus (see image to left). During the week it gets even closer to Phi Capricorni.
Vesta moves significantly night to night, so will be easy to follow. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:00 pm Saturday August 21 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky, initially in the constellation of Delphinus, the Dolphin, then moving to Sagitta, the Arrow.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 7. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 11 pm, when the comet is almost due north and highest in the sky. By the end of the week the comet will be in binocular range of a number of cluates, including M71.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Labels: weekly sky
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Sky This Week -September 15 to Thursday September 22
The Last Quarter Moon is Tuesday September 20. Jupiter appears in the evening sky and is close to the Moon on the 15th and 16th. Mars is visible in the morning sky. Saturn is low in the western evening sky. Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:30 am local time on Sunday September 18 showing Mars, the brighter stars and the location of comet 45P Honda. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The Last Quarter Moon is Tuesday September 20.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the north-western sky. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars.
Jupiter is visible in the evening sky, from about 11 pm local time on. However, for good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 2-4 am. The waning Moon visits Jupiter on Thursday the 15th and Friday the 16th.
Mars is low in the eastern sky, in the constellation of Gemini. At the beginning of the week Mars forms a rough line with the bright stars Castor and Pollux.
Bright white Venus is still lost in the twilight glow, returning to the evening sky later this month.
Mercury is lost in the twilight glow.
Comet 45P Honda enters the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twilight sky without a decent telescope.
Evening sky on Thursday September 16 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 11:00 pm local time in South Australia showing Jupiter in the late evening sky not far from the waning Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).
Saturn is still visible low in the westen sky as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is now too low in the sky for successful telescopic observation.
Despite Saturns closeness 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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 8:00 pm on Saturday September 17 looking north-east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is well past opposition, but is still readily visible in binoculars and is just below the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 6.5).
Vesta starts the week above from the relatively bright star Phi Capricorni, making it very easy to find. During the week it stays roughly the same distance from Phi Capricorni. Early in the week bright Moonlight will make it difficult to see, but by the weekend you should have lots of dark viewing time.
Vesta is nearly at a stand still, so you may have to folow it for a few days to be sure. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 8:00 pm Saturday September 17 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky, in the constellation of Hercules.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 6.9. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 8:00 pm, when the comet is almost due north and highest in the sky. Early in the week the comet will be hard to see due to Moonlight, but by the weekend the skies should be dark enough to pick it up easily.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:30 am local time on Sunday September 18 showing Mars, the brighter stars and the location of comet 45P Honda. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.The Last Quarter Moon is Tuesday September 20.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the north-western sky. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars.
Jupiter is visible in the evening sky, from about 11 pm local time on. However, for good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 2-4 am. The waning Moon visits Jupiter on Thursday the 15th and Friday the 16th.
Mars is low in the eastern sky, in the constellation of Gemini. At the beginning of the week Mars forms a rough line with the bright stars Castor and Pollux.
Bright white Venus is still lost in the twilight glow, returning to the evening sky later this month.
Mercury is lost in the twilight glow.
Comet 45P Honda enters the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twilight sky without a decent telescope.
Evening sky on Thursday September 16 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 11:00 pm local time in South Australia showing Jupiter in the late evening sky not far from the waning Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).Saturn is still visible low in the westen sky as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is now too low in the sky for successful telescopic observation.
Despite Saturns closeness 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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 8:00 pm on Saturday September 17 looking north-east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,The asteroid Vesta is well past opposition, but is still readily visible in binoculars and is just below the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 6.5).
Vesta starts the week above from the relatively bright star Phi Capricorni, making it very easy to find. During the week it stays roughly the same distance from Phi Capricorni. Early in the week bright Moonlight will make it difficult to see, but by the weekend you should have lots of dark viewing time.
Vesta is nearly at a stand still, so you may have to folow it for a few days to be sure. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 8:00 pm Saturday September 17 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky, in the constellation of Hercules.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 6.9. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 8:00 pm, when the comet is almost due north and highest in the sky. Early in the week the comet will be hard to see due to Moonlight, but by the weekend the skies should be dark enough to pick it up easily.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Labels: weekly sky
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The Sky This Week - Thursday October 20 to Thursday October 27
The New Moon is Thursday October 27. Venus is easily visible in the western evening twilight with Mercury below it. Jupiter appears in the evening sky. Mars is visible in the morning sky nearing the star Regulus and is close to the Moon on October 22 . Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky. The Orionid meteors peak on the morning of the 22nd.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:00 am local daylight saving time on Saturday October 22 showing Mars, the waning Moon and the brighter stars. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The New Moon is Thursday October 27.
In the morning Jupiter low is above the north-western horizon.
In the evening Jupiter is readily visible in the north-eastern sky, from about 9 pm local time on. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars. For good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 10 pm - 1 am.
Mars is low in the north-eastern morning sky, in the constellation of Leo. Mars nears the bright star Regulus over the week. On the morning of Saturday, October 22, Mars and the waning Moon are close together.
Comet 45P Honda is in the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twilight sky without a decent telescope.
Saturn is lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Sunday October 23 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 8:00 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Venus and Mercury. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)
Bright white Venus is now is now readily visible low in the evening western twilight sky from around half an hour after sunset for somewhat over an hour.
Mercury is visible below Venus at the beginning of the week, and becomes more prominent, and closer to Venus, as the week wears on. Both planets climb higher in the evening sky over the week.
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.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:00 pm local daylight saving time Saturday October 22looking north-west from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky, in the constellation of Ophiuchus.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 6.5. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail.
The best viewing is around 9:00 pm, when the sky is dark enough to reveal the comet, even thought it is coming closer to the horizon. By the end of the week the window for observing the comet is narrower.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
The location of the Orionid meteor radiant (yellow cross) as seen looking north-east at 3:00 am October 23 local daylight saving time from Adelaide. Similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere.
The Orionid Meteor shower peaks on October 22 at 13h UTC, (around midnight AEDST) in Australia, the radiant for the Orionids rises around 1 am on October 23, with the best meteor viewing being between 3:00 am and 4:00 am. You can expect to see roughly a meteor every 5 minutes or so under dark skies.
As the name suggest, the meteors will seem to originate just below Orion. Allow several minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness and be patent, it may take ages for a meteor to turn up, then you may see a few in a row.
You can use the Meteor Flux Estimator to predict the number of meteors you might see at your location. Choose 8 Orionids, and make sure the date is 2011 and you have DST on if you are in daylight saving zones.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:00 am local daylight saving time on Saturday October 22 showing Mars, the waning Moon and the brighter stars. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.The New Moon is Thursday October 27.
In the morning Jupiter low is above the north-western horizon.
In the evening Jupiter is readily visible in the north-eastern sky, from about 9 pm local time on. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars. For good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 10 pm - 1 am.
Mars is low in the north-eastern morning sky, in the constellation of Leo. Mars nears the bright star Regulus over the week. On the morning of Saturday, October 22, Mars and the waning Moon are close together.
Comet 45P Honda is in the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twilight sky without a decent telescope.
Saturn is lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Sunday October 23 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 8:00 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Venus and Mercury. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)Bright white Venus is now is now readily visible low in the evening western twilight sky from around half an hour after sunset for somewhat over an hour.
Mercury is visible below Venus at the beginning of the week, and becomes more prominent, and closer to Venus, as the week wears on. Both planets climb higher in the evening sky over the week.
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.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:00 pm local daylight saving time Saturday October 22looking north-west from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky, in the constellation of Ophiuchus.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 6.5. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail.
The best viewing is around 9:00 pm, when the sky is dark enough to reveal the comet, even thought it is coming closer to the horizon. By the end of the week the window for observing the comet is narrower.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
The location of the Orionid meteor radiant (yellow cross) as seen looking north-east at 3:00 am October 23 local daylight saving time from Adelaide. Similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. The Orionid Meteor shower peaks on October 22 at 13h UTC, (around midnight AEDST) in Australia, the radiant for the Orionids rises around 1 am on October 23, with the best meteor viewing being between 3:00 am and 4:00 am. You can expect to see roughly a meteor every 5 minutes or so under dark skies.
As the name suggest, the meteors will seem to originate just below Orion. Allow several minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness and be patent, it may take ages for a meteor to turn up, then you may see a few in a row.
You can use the Meteor Flux Estimator to predict the number of meteors you might see at your location. Choose 8 Orionids, and make sure the date is 2011 and you have DST on if you are in daylight saving zones.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Labels: weekly sky
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
The Sky This Week - Thursday October 6 to Thursday October 13
The Full Moon is Wednesday October 12. Venus is low in the western evening twilight. Jupiter appears in the evening sky and is close to the Moon on October 13. Mars is visible in the morning sky in binocular distance of the Beehive cluster. Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:30 am local daylight saving time on Sunday October 9 showing Mars and the brighter stars. Although the simulation shows comet Elenin, if there is any remnants of this comet they will be too faint to see. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The Full Moon is Wednesday October 12.
In the morning Jupiter is above the north-western horizon. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars.
Jupiter is visible in the evening sky, from about 10 pm local time on. However, for good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 12-2 am. On Thursday October 13 the Moon is close to Jupiter.
Mars is low in the eastern morning sky, in the constellation of Cancer. At the beginning of the week Mars is within binocular range of the Beehive Cluster.
Comet 45P Honda is in the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twilight sky without a decent telescope.
Bright white Venus is now visible low in the evening western twilight sky. You will need a clear level horizon (like the ocean) to see Venus. Look around half an hour after sunset.
Mercury returns to the evening sky and should just be visible below Venus by the end of the week.
Saturn is lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Sunday October 13 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 11 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Jupiter and the Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)
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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 8:00 pm on Saturday October looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is well past opposition, but is still visible in binoculars (magnitude 7). However late in the week increasing moonlight may make it difficult to see.
Vesta starts the week below the relatively bright star Phi Capricorni, making it very easy to find. During the week moves further away from Phi Capricorni.
A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 8:00 pm local daylight saving time Saturday October 8 looking north-west from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky, in the constellation of Hercules.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 6.9. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 8:00 pm, when the comet is still high in the sky. By the end of the week Moonlight will make viewing the comet difficult.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 5:30 am local daylight saving time on Sunday October 9 showing Mars and the brighter stars. Although the simulation shows comet Elenin, if there is any remnants of this comet they will be too faint to see. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.The Full Moon is Wednesday October 12.
In the morning Jupiter is above the north-western horizon. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars.
Jupiter is visible in the evening sky, from about 10 pm local time on. However, for good telescopic observation Jupiter is best from 12-2 am. On Thursday October 13 the Moon is close to Jupiter.
Mars is low in the eastern morning sky, in the constellation of Cancer. At the beginning of the week Mars is within binocular range of the Beehive Cluster.
Comet 45P Honda is in the morning sky, but will be very hard to see in the twilight sky without a decent telescope.
Bright white Venus is now visible low in the evening western twilight sky. You will need a clear level horizon (like the ocean) to see Venus. Look around half an hour after sunset.
Mercury returns to the evening sky and should just be visible below Venus by the end of the week.
Saturn is lost in the twilight glow.
Evening sky on Sunday October 13 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 11 pm local daylight saving time in South Australia showing Jupiter and the Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 8:00 pm on Saturday October looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,The asteroid Vesta is well past opposition, but is still visible in binoculars (magnitude 7). However late in the week increasing moonlight may make it difficult to see.
Vesta starts the week below the relatively bright star Phi Capricorni, making it very easy to find. During the week moves further away from Phi Capricorni.
A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 8:00 pm local daylight saving time Saturday October 8 looking north-west from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the north-western sky, in the constellation of Hercules.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 6.9. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 8:00 pm, when the comet is still high in the sky. By the end of the week Moonlight will make viewing the comet difficult.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Labels: weekly sky
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
The Sky This Week -September 1 to Thursday September 8
The First Quarter Moon is Monday September 5. Jupiter is high in the morning sky. Mars and Mercury are visible in the morning sky. Saturn is low in the western evening sky and visited by the Moon September 1. Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 6:00 am local time on Sunday September 4 showing Mars, Mercury and the brighter stars. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The First Quarter Moon is Monday September 5.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the northern sky. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars.
Mars is low in the eastern sky, in the constellation of Gemini. Mars starts the week not far from the relatively bright star Wasat.
Bright white Venus is still lost in the twilight glow.
Mercury is quite close to the horizon in the morning skies. Mercury comes close to the bright star Regulus during the week, although you will need a clear level horizon to see it.
Evening sky on Thursday September 1 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 7:30 pm local time in South Australia showing Saturn in the early evening sky not far form the crescent Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).
Saturn is readily visible as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is now too low in the sky for successful telescopic observation.
Saturn is not far from the crescent Moon on Thursday September 1, the Moon will be very close to the bright star Spica at this time.
Despite Saturns closeness to the horizon , 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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 9:00 pm on Saturday September 3 looking north-east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is now past opposition, but is still readily visible in binoculars and is just atthe threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 6). To see it with the unaided eye you will need to be in a dark sky location though.
Vesta starts the week very close to the relatively bright star Phi Capricorni, making it very easy to find. During the week it moves away from Phi Capricorni.
Vesta moves significantly night to night, so will be easy to follow. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:30 pm Saturday September 3 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky, in the constellation of Sagitta, the Arrow.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 7. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 10:00 pm, when the comet is almost due north and highest in the sky. During the week the comet will be in binocular range of a number of clusters, including Brocchi's cluster .
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 6:00 am local time on Sunday September 4 showing Mars, Mercury and the brighter stars. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The First Quarter Moon is Monday September 5.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the northern sky. Now is a good time to begin telescopic observation of this massive world, or follow its moons in binoculars.
Mars is low in the eastern sky, in the constellation of Gemini. Mars starts the week not far from the relatively bright star Wasat.
Bright white Venus is still lost in the twilight glow.
Mercury is quite close to the horizon in the morning skies. Mercury comes close to the bright star Regulus during the week, although you will need a clear level horizon to see it.
Evening sky on Thursday September 1 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 7:30 pm local time in South Australia showing Saturn in the early evening sky not far form the crescent Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).
Saturn is readily visible as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is now too low in the sky for successful telescopic observation.
Saturn is not far from the crescent Moon on Thursday September 1, the Moon will be very close to the bright star Spica at this time.
Despite Saturns closeness to the horizon , 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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 9:00 pm on Saturday September 3 looking north-east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is now past opposition, but is still readily visible in binoculars and is just atthe threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 6). To see it with the unaided eye you will need to be in a dark sky location though.
Vesta starts the week very close to the relatively bright star Phi Capricorni, making it very easy to find. During the week it moves away from Phi Capricorni.
Vesta moves significantly night to night, so will be easy to follow. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:30 pm Saturday September 3 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky, in the constellation of Sagitta, the Arrow.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 7. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 10:00 pm, when the comet is almost due north and highest in the sky. During the week the comet will be in binocular range of a number of clusters, including Brocchi's cluster .
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Labels: weekly sky
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
The Sky This Week - Thursday August 25 to Thursday September 1
The New Moon is Monday August 29. Jupiter is high in the morning sky. Mars is visited by the thin crescent Moon on the 25th. Mercury enters the morning sky and is close to the thin crescent Moon on August 28. Saturn is low in the western evening sky and visited by the Moon August 31. Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 6:00 am local time on Thursday August 25 showing the Moon, Mars, Mercury and the constellations. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The New Moon is Monday August 29.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the north-eastern sky.
Mars is low in the eastern sky, in the constellation of Gemini. Mars starts the week not far from the relatively bright star Mebsuta (eta Geminorium) and heads towards the star Wasat. On the 25th Mars is close to the thin Crescent Moon.
Bright white Venus is still lost in the twilight glow.
Mercury enters the morning skies, but is still quite close to the horizon, on Sunday August 28 the thin crescent Moon is close to Mercury, although you will need a clear level horizon to see it.
Evening sky on Wednesday August31 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 7:00 pm local time in South Australia showing Saturn in the early evening sky not far form the crescent Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).
Saturn is readily visible as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is getting lower in the sky, and the window for telescopic observation is narrower.
In this short timespan, even in small telescopes you can see Saturn's rings and it's moon Titan. Despite being past opposition, when Saturn was at its biggest, Saturn is still big and beautiful.
On Wednesday August 31 the Crescent Moon is not far from Mars.
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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 8:00 pm on August 27 looking east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is now past opposition, but is still readily visible in binoculars and is just over the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 5.9). To see it with the unaided eye you will need to be in a dark sky location though.
Vesta starts the week close to the relatively bright star Phi Capricornii, making it very easy to find. During the week it gets even closer to Phi Capricorni.
Vesta moves significantly night to night, so will be easy to follow. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:00 pm Saturday August 27 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky, in the constellation of Sagitta, the Arrow.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 7. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 10:30 pm, when the comet is almost due north and highest in the sky. During the week the comet will be in binocular range of a number of clusters, including M71.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Morning sky looking north-east as seen from Adelaide at 6:00 am local time on Thursday August 25 showing the Moon, Mars, Mercury and the constellations. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.
The New Moon is Monday August 29.
In the morning Jupiter is high above the north-eastern sky.
Mars is low in the eastern sky, in the constellation of Gemini. Mars starts the week not far from the relatively bright star Mebsuta (eta Geminorium) and heads towards the star Wasat. On the 25th Mars is close to the thin Crescent Moon.
Bright white Venus is still lost in the twilight glow.
Mercury enters the morning skies, but is still quite close to the horizon, on Sunday August 28 the thin crescent Moon is close to Mercury, although you will need a clear level horizon to see it.
Evening sky on Wednesday August31 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 7:00 pm local time in South Australia showing Saturn in the early evening sky not far form the crescent Moon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).
Saturn is readily visible as the bright yellowish object not far from the bright star Spica. It is getting lower in the sky, and the window for telescopic observation is narrower.
In this short timespan, even in small telescopes you can see Saturn's rings and it's moon Titan. Despite being past opposition, when Saturn was at its biggest, Saturn is still big and beautiful.
On Wednesday August 31 the Crescent Moon is not far from Mars.
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.
The location of Vesta as seen at 8:00 pm on August 27 looking east from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
The asteroid Vesta is now past opposition, but is still readily visible in binoculars and is just over the threshold of unaided eye visibility (magnitude 5.9). To see it with the unaided eye you will need to be in a dark sky location though.
Vesta starts the week close to the relatively bright star Phi Capricornii, making it very easy to find. During the week it gets even closer to Phi Capricorni.
Vesta moves significantly night to night, so will be easy to follow. A chart showing Vesta's location is here.
The location of Comet C/2009 Garrad as seen at 9:00 pm Saturday August 27 looking north from Adelaide, similar views will be seen at equivalent local times elsewhere. Click to embiggen,
Comet C/2009 Garrad is visible in binoculars in the northern sky, in the constellation of Sagitta, the Arrow.
Although it has brightened substantially, it is still only a fuzzy dot at magnitude 7. The best views will be under dark skies, where you might spy a short faint tail. The best viewing is around 10:30 pm, when the comet is almost due north and highest in the sky. During the week the comet will be in binocular range of a number of clusters, including M71.
A chart showing C/2009 P1's location is here.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ADST, Western sky at 10 pm ADST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Labels: weekly sky
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