Astroblog

Ten years have passed, and that hole is still there, but it was once explained to me that although our grief doesn't get smaller, the life around it gets bigger.  There have been joyous occasions, birthdays, reunions and weddings. And tragedy, funerals of friends and children of friends lost all too soon potential lives of promise that will never blossom. 

Jack's brothers are thriving. Mikey is still making music, and has been able to turn his Sonic Arts degree into a job doing sound design for computer games. Unknown Entity completed a Cert III in bakery at TAFE and is now doing an apprenticeship at a bakery, he is loving it. 

In Terry Pratchett's "Reaper Man": he writes,  ‘No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away…’ Jack is still causing ripples in the world. 

 The biggest ripple is his writing.  His posthumous story "my Bung Leg and Me" was published in  published in  Voiceworks no. 106 Summer 2016-2017 periodical issue pg. 55-61 , his first paid writing work, is a semi-autobiographical history of talipes. If this story helps even one person cope better with disability, it will be a fitting legacy. Also you can find Jacks other writing here where he made Satan a warbling magpie, rhapsodised over Paralympic fencing, took weightlifting to absurd heights, explored pie floaters, weirdly rhapsodized the Olympics, did cult interviews and made a persimmon tree a dark harbinger of fate.

Jack was also mentioned at a funeral service for one of our aunts, a haunting reminder that he touched many lives. Another set of lives he touched was this fencing comrades, we were just recently contacted by the Melbourne University Fencing Club who want to mention him in a history of the club. Jack loved fencing and mentoring fellow fencers, and he was legendary for his pink socks. He also was devoted to wheel chair fencing. Unknown Entity, sadly, has abandoned fencing, claiming work and study makes it too difficult.  

I worry that I will forget Jack, not forget as such, but I worry that my memories will just be constructed from the photos we have, brief flashes of a luminous life. But I cannot truly forget him while we hve his stories, and the memories of his friends and cousins to weave a more complete tapestry of this life. 

Jack is buried under a Moona tree near his beloved grandparents place, with the sound of the waves and bird song for company. We visit him regularly and listen to the magpies song.  The Persimmon tree planted in honour of one of his stories has grown and taken over a corner of the front garden and is laden with fruit.  

This may be the last time I publicly write about Jack.  You can read my previous anniversary posts  counting up the years and five years since Jacks death. 

We will continue to remember him and keep his memory close, we don't cry as often but still on occasion the grey swirls in and the tears come. But I don't think I have it in me to write again. 

Labels: home life, homelife

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 2:36 am 0 comments

The First Quarter Moon is Tuesday November 17. Moon at apogee on November 14.

North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Monday,  November 16 as seen from Adelaide at 5:00 ACDST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). 

Mars forms a line with Jupiter and the bright star Regulus. The pair are in the "sickle" of Leo and come closer over the week. On the 16th they are close enough to fit together in wide field telescope objectives, forming a triangle with Regulus.

Venus and Spica are close low above the horizon  

The insets shows the  telescopic view of Mars, Jupiter and Venus at this time.  

  

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

North-eastern horizon on the evening of Saturday,  November 14 as seen from Adelaide at 21:36 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen). 

Saturn is the brightest object above the eastern horizon. Saturn is past opposition, but is still a magnificent telescopic sight.

The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time.     

 

 

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

Whole sky on Saturday,  November 14  as seen from Adelaide at 21:36 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

 

Scorpius, and the core of the Milky way are sinking to the west. Scorpius forms an inverted question mark above the western horizon. Orion the hunter, Scorpius's nemesis rises on the eastern horizon.

 

The Pointers are low in the Southern sky as the Southern Cross is almost above the Southern horizon.  The Moon is almost new and the fainter clusters and nebula are easily seen.      

   

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

  

Mercury is lost in the the evening twilight. 

Venus climbs higher in the morning twilight close to Spica.

Mars is  not far from Jupiter. Mars and Jupiter are spectacularly close on the 16th, close enough to fit together in wide field telescope objectives, and forming a triangle with Regulus.

Jupiter climbs higher the morning twilight. Mars and Jupiter are spectacularly close on the 16th, close enough to fit together in wide field telescope objectives, and forming a triangle with Regulus.

Saturn  Saturn was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on October the 4th. Saturn is the brightest object above the north-eastern horizon. 

Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ACDST, Western sky at 10 pm ACDST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see the monthly sky roundup. 

 

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/

Labels: weekly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 1:08 am 0 comments

The New Moon is Monday November 9.

North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Saturday,  November 7 as seen from Adelaide at 5:23 ACDST (45 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). 

Saturn has set in the western horizon.  

Venus and Spica are close low above the horizon 

Mars forms a line with Jupiter and the bright star Regulus. The pair are in the "sickle" of Leo and come closer over the week ahead of a spectacular meeting next week.

The insets shows the  telescopic view of Mars, Jupiter and Venus at this time.  

  

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (45 minutes before sunrise). 

North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Tuesday,  November 10 as seen from Adelaide at 5:23 ACDST (45 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). 

Saturn  has set.  

Venus and Spica are at their closest close low above the horizon 

Mars forms a line with Jupiter and the bright star Regulus. The pair are in the "sickle" of Leo and are closer ahead of a spectacular meeting next week.

 

 

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time  (45 minutes before sunrise). 

North-eastern horizon on the evening of Saturday,  November 7 as seen from Adelaide at 21:26 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen). 

Saturn is the brightest object above the eastern horizon. Saturn is past opposition, but is still a magnificent telescopic sight.

The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time.     

 

 

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

Whole sky on Saturday,  November 7  as seen from Adelaide at 21:26 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

 

Scorpius, and the core of the Milky way are sinking to the west. Scorpius forms an inverted question mark above the western horizon. Orion the hunter, Scorpious's nemesis rises on the eastern horizon.

 

The Pointers are low in the Southern sky as the Southern Cross is almost above the Southern horizon.  The Moon is almost new and the fainter clusters and nebula are easily seen.      

   

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

  

Mercury is lost in the the evening twilight. 

Venus enters the morning twilight close to Spica.

Mars is low in the twilight not far from Jupiter. The pair come closer over the week ahead of a spectacular meeting nest week.

Jupiter climbs higher the morning twilight but remains low on the horizon forming a line with Mars and the bright star Regulus. The pair are in the "Sickle" of Leo.

Saturn  Saturn was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on October the 4th. Saturn is the brightest object above the north-eastern horizon. 

Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ACDST, Western sky at 10 pm ACDST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see the monthly sky roundup. 

 

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/

Labels: weekly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 2:38 pm 0 comments

To be read in conjunction with the astrophiz podcast #245

https://astrophiz.com/2026/10/29/astrophiz-245-november-sky-guide-a-daylight-occultation-of-jupiter-mars-and-jupiter-close-together-uranus-at-opposition-and-the-leonid-storms-to-come/

  

North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Tuesday,  November 3 as seen from Adelaide at 4:52 ACDST (90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).  Saturn is just above the western horizon.  Mars forms a line with Jupiter and the bright star Regulus. The pair come closer over the week ahead of a spectacular meeting mid November. The waning Moon is in between Mars and Jupiter, with the Moon occulting Jupiter later in the morning. The insets shows the  telescopic view of Mars Jupiter at this time.   Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes before sunrise).	North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Saturdayday,  November 7 as seen from Adelaide at 5:23 ACDST (45 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).  Mars forms a line with Jupiter and the bright star Regulus. The pair come closer over the week ahead of a spectacular meeting on the 16th. The Thin crescent Moon is close to the pair of Venus and Spica, low to the horizon. Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (45 minutes before sunrise).
North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Monday,  November 16 as seen from Adelaide at 5:00 ACDST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).  Mars and Jupiter  ~1°apart, close enough to fit together in wide field telescope objectives, and forming a triangle with Regulus. The pair of Venus and Spica are low to the horizon. Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (60 minutes before sunrise).	North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Wednesday,  November 25 as seen from Adelaide at 4:53 ACDST (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).  Mars is close to Regulus forming a triangle with Jupiter. The pair of Venus and Spica are low to the horizon. Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (60 minutes before sunrise).

North-eastern sky at midnight on 26 November. Uranus between The Pleiades and Hyades. The inset is the binocular view. Uranus is theoretically unaided eye visible under dark sky sites if you know where to look but is best with binoculars or telescope.

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time.

Daylight Occultation of Jupiter, Tuesday, 3 November 2026:

The north-western sky as seen from Brisbane at 9:59 AEST on Tuesday 3 November. The moon is obvious above the horizon, but you will need binoculars or a telescope to see Jupiter.  The left-hand inset shows the magnified view just as the occultation starts, and the right-hand view is the view as Jupiter comes out from behind the Moon.	The north-western sky as seen from Adelaide at 9:50 ACDST on Tuesday 3 November. The moon is obvious above the horizon, but you will need binoculars or a telescope to see Jupiter.  The left-hand inset shows the magnified view just as the occultation starts, and the right-hand view is the view as Jupiter comes out from behind the Moon.	The northern sky as seen from Perth at 6:46 AWST on Tuesday 3 November. The moon is obvious above the horizon, but you will need binoculars or a telescope to see Jupiter.  The left-hand inset shows the magnified view just as the occultation starts, and the right-hand view is the view as Jupiter comes out from behind the Moon.

On the morning of Tuesday 3 November Jupiter is occulted by waning Moon as seen from the most of Australia, Indonesia, Papua new Guinea  and New Zealand. However far north Queensland misses out. The Moon is just past last quarter and high in the north to northwest. It is an obvious signpost for where to look.  Jupiter will not be visible to the unaided eye, but in binoculars and telescopes Jupiter will be obvious close to the Moon. The times of disappearance and reappearance of Jupiter is in the table below. For more details viewing guides and sun safe procedures, see my Daylight Occultation of Jupiter page.  

The western sky as seen at 20:53 ACDST from Adelaide on November 9, 60 minutes after sunset (New Moon). Scorpius is setiing as its arch nemesis, Orion the Hunter, is rising. The Southern Cross is grazing the horizon almost due south.	The Eastern sky as seen at 23:00 ACDST from Adelaide on November 9 (New Moon).  TOrion the hunter can be clearly see, with Sirius and Canopus rising as well.

Scorpius forms a reversed question mark sinking into the western horizon.

Sagittarius  and with it the centre of the galaxy have departed the Zenith and are low on the western horizon. 

Orion, Canis Major and the stars of Carina, Puppis and Vela begin to rise and will be prominent in the late evening sky by the end of the month.

At around 10:00 pm local time the Southern Cross will almost due South in the sky. Most of the magnificent Southern clusters and nebula are sitting on the southern horizon, however, the Lesser Magellanic cloud (there is a move to rename it) and the magnificent globular cluster 47 Tucana are high due south and a delight, the much smaller globular cluster NGC 362 is in the same binocular field. The faint constellation Tucana celebrates the Toucan of the South American Jungles. Sweeping up with binoculars from 47 Tucana is the faint double star Lambda Tucana, sweeping up further is the bright double star beta Tucana.Sweeping east and a little down by 3 binocular fields is the Large Magellanic Cloud, the other dwarf galaxy of our own, with the iconic Tarantula nebula and a wealth of small clusters to explore.

Here are links to printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ACDST and Western sky at 10 pm ACDST.

Meteors:  The Leonid meteor shower peaks on November 18 but has low rates no more than 3-4 meteors per hour are expected originating in the sickle of Leo. 

Labels: Astrophiz, Monthly sky, Occultation, podcasts

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 7:41 pm 2 comments

The Last Quarter Moon is Monday November 2.   The Moon at perigee, when it is closest to the Earth, on October 29, difficult occultation of Beta Tauri is also on the 29th. Daytime occultation of Jupiter Tuesday November 3.

North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Tuesday,  November 3 as seen from Adelaide at 4:52 ACDST (90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). 

Saturn is just above the western horizon.  Mars forms a line with Jupiter and the bright star Regulus. The pair come closer over the week ahead of a spectacular meeting mid November.

The waning Moon is in between Mars and Jupiter, with the Moon occulting Jupiter later in the morning.

The insets shows the  telescopic view of Mars and Jupiter 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 evening of Saturday, October 31 as seen from Adelaide at 21:17 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen). 

Saturn is the brightest object above the eastern horizon. Saturn was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on the 4th and is still a magnificent telescopic sight.

The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time.     

 

 

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

The north-western sky as seen from Adelaide at 9:50 ACDST on Tuesday 3 November. The moon is obvious above the horizon, but you will need binoculars or a telescope to see Jupiter.  

The left-hand inset shows the magnified view just as the occultation starts, and the right-hand view is the view as Jupiter comes out from behind the Moon.  

For a full list of occultation times from representative cities, viewing guides and sun safe procedures, see my Daylight Occultation of Jupiter page.  

 

 

 

 

 

Occultation of Beta Tauri (Elnath), Thursday October 29/30. (waning)

The western sky at 23:37 ACDST Thursday, October 29, as seen from Adelaide. The Moon is about to occult the bright star Elnath low on the horizon.The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen).	The western sky at 00:0 AEDST Friday, October 30, as seen from Canberra. The Moon is about to occult the bright star Elnath low on the horizon. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen).	The western sky at 00:51 AEST Friday, October 30, as seen from Melbourne. The Moon is about to occult the bright star Elnath low on the horizon. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen).

An occultation best seen from the east coast around midnight. The Moon is waning and low above the horizon. The Moon rises with Elnath occulted in most locations.

Place	Disappears Dark Limb	Reappears Bright Limb
Adelaide ACDST	-	00:07 (30th)
Brisbane  AEST	-	23:48
Canberra AEDST	23:54	00:53(30th)
Darwin ACST	-	-
Hobart AEDST	-	01:00 (30th)
Melbourne AEDST	-	00:51 (30th)
Perth AWST	-	-
Sydney AEDST	23:55	00:55 (30th)

 

Whole sky on Saturday,  October 31  as seen from Adelaide at 21:17 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Saturn is visible in the northeast

 

Scorpius, and the core of the Milky way are sinking to the west. Scorpius forms an inverted question mark above the western horizon

 

The Pointers are low in the Southern sky as the Southern Cross is almost above the Southern horizon.  The Moon is waning and the fainter clusters and nebula are easier to see.      

   

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

  

Mercury is lost in the the evening twilight. 

Venus is lost in the twilight.

Mars is low in the twilight not far from Jupiter. The pair come closer over the week ahead of a spectacular meeting mid November. The waning Moon is in between Mars and Jupiter.

Jupiter climbs higher the morning twilight but remains low on the horizon forming a line with Mars and the bright star Regulus. The waning Moon is in between Mars and Jupiter, with the Moon occulting Jupiter  later in the morning.

Saturn  Saturn was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on the 4th. Saturn is the brightest object above the north-eastern horizon. 

Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ACDST, Western sky at 10 pm ACDST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.


 

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/

Labels: weekly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 11:20 pm 0 comments

The north-western sky as seen from Brisbane at 9:59 AEST on Tuesday 3 November. The moon is obvious above the horizon, but you will need binoculars or a telescope to see Jupiter.  The left-hand inset shows the magnified view just as the occultation starts, and the right-hand view is the view as Jupiter comes out from behind the Moon.	The north-western sky as seen from Adelaide at 9:50 ACDST on Tuesday 3 November. The moon is obvious above the horizon, but you will need binoculars or a telescope to see Jupiter.  The left-hand inset shows the magnified view just as the occultation starts, and the right-hand view is the view as Jupiter comes out from behind the Moon.	The northern sky as seen from Perth at 6:46 AWST on Tuesday 3 November. The moon is obvious above the horizon, but you will need binoculars or a telescope to see Jupiter.  The left-hand inset shows the magnified view just as the occultation starts, and the right-hand view is the view as Jupiter comes out from behind the Moon.

WARNING! This daytime occultation occurs not far from the Sun and should be attempted by experienced observers only. The Moon will be 76 degrees (around 12 hand-spans) from the Sun. Exposure to the Sun through a telescope eye-piece can result in instant blindness. Any observation should be carried out with the sun blocked from view by a building or similar large, obscuring object with no possibility of the sun being accidentally observed.

On the morning of Tuesday 3 November Jupiter is occulted by waning Moon as seen from the most of Australia, Indonesia, Papua new Guinea  and New Zealand. However far north Queensland misses out. The Moon is just past last quarter and high in the north to northwest. It is an obvious signpost for where to look.  Jupiter will not be visible to the unaided eye, but in binoculars and telescopes Jupiter will be obvious close to the Moon. The times of disappearance and reappearance of Jupiter is in the table below. 

Most of Australia sees Jupiter's satellite Europa get occulted first, then Jupiter will take around 2 minutes to disappear behind the Moon. For Darwin and  Brisbane Jupiter will skim along the Moons surface as it exits from occultation. Caloundra sees the Moon graze Jupiter, every where in QLD above Caloundra on the coast and Cape York sees a very close approach, well worth watching.  

Telescopic view of Jupiter and its satellites just before the occultation. Europa leads the way.	Telescopic view of Jupiter and its satellites just after the occultation. Europa still leads the way and the other satellites will appear to "pop" out.

Start watching about half an hour before hand to get set up and familiar with the sky. This is a daytime occultation requiring a small telescope or binoculars and extreme caution and attention to Sun safety. 

My blog of the 2012 Daylight Jupiter Moon graze should give you a feel for what it will look like, and some photography hints. 

Jupiter and its satellites will appear to "wink out" as it goes behind the bright limb of the Moon, reappearance will be harder to see as you have to be looking just at the right moment.

The occultation occurs in the early morning with the Moon reasonably high above the north-western to northern horizon. The Moon just past last quarter and should be obvious, but you will still need extreme care with the sun. 

The Moon is a signpost to Jupiter which will only be visible in binoculars or telescopes. It is advisable to set up and practice on the Moon in the morning before the event, so you are familiar with your telescope set-up. Set up at least half an hour ahead of time so that you can be sure everything is working well and you can watch the entire event comfortably (trying to focus your telescope moments before the occultation will cause a lot of unnecessary stress). Jupiter will be clearly visible in a telescope or binoculars near the Moon. Again, the Sun will be close by, so only experienced observers who can block out the Sun should attempt this.

Labels: binocular, Daylight, Daytime, Jupiter, Moon, Occultation, telescope

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 6:12 pm 0 comments

Morning sky as seen from Darwin facing north at 4:00 am ACST on 22 October (90 minutes before sunrise), the Orionid radiant is indicated with a starburst. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at an equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.	Morning sky as seen from Brisbane facing north at 3:44 am AEST on 22 October (90 minutes before sunrise), the Orionid radiant is indicated with a starburst. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at an equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.	Morning sky as seen from Adelaide facing north at 4:55 am ACDST on 22 October (90 minutes before sunrise), the Orionid radiant is indicated with a starburst. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at an equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.

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

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

The Orionids are the debris from Halley's comet. The Orionids maximum is on October 21 UT (October 22 Australian time).

This year the waning Moon will significantly interfere with viewing in the early evening and the rates will be low. Once the moon sets around 4 am the rates will be better.

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

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

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

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds http://satview.bom.gov.au/

Labels: Meteors, Orionids, unaided eye

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 4:19 pm 0 comments

The Full Moon is Monday October 26.  The Moon at perigee, when it is closest to the Earth, on October 29, difficult occultation of Beta Tauri is also on the 29th.

North-Eastern horizon on the morning of Saturday,  October 24 as seen from Adelaide at 4:52 ACDST (90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). 

Saturn is low above the north-western horizon.  Mars forms a line with Jupiter and the bright star Regulus. The pair come closer over the week ahead of a spectacular meeting in November.

The insets shows the  telescopic view of Mars Jupiter at this time. 

 

 

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  Saturday,  October 24 as seen from Adelaide at 20:36 ACDST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). 

Mercury is low above the horizon under Scorpios. 

Venus is lost in the twilight 

 

 

 

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

North-eastern horizon on the evening of Saturday, October 24 as seen from Adelaide at 21:08 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen). 

Saturn is the brightest object above the eastern horizon. Saturn was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on the 4th and is still a magnificent telescopic sight.

The Moon is not far from Saturn making it easy to find the ringed world. 

The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time.     

 

 

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

Morning sky as seen from Adelaide facing north at 4:00 am ACDST on Thursday 22 October, the Orionid radiant is indicated with a starburst. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at an equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.

The Orionids are a normally worthwhile shower, best seen between 2-4 am, the radiant being just under Betelgeuse, the bright red star in Orion. This year the waning Moon will significantly interfere with viewing in the early evening and the rates will be low, once the moon sets around 4 am the rates will be better. The best viewing is the mornings of the 21st to 23rd with the highest rates on the morning of the 22nd, when between 4-5 am under dark skies you should see about a meteor every 4-5 minutes or so. 

 

 

 

 

Occultation of Beta Tauri (Elnath), Thursday October 29/30. (waning)

The western sky at 23:37 ACDST Thursday, October 29, as seen from Adelaide. The Moon is about to occult the bright star Elnath low on the horizon.The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen).	The western sky at 00:0 AEDST Friday, October 30, as seen from Canberra. The Moon is about to occult the bright star Elnath low on the horizon. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen).	The western sky at 00:51 AEST Friday, October 30, as seen from Melbourne. The Moon is about to occult the bright star Elnath low on the horizon. The inset shows the telescopic view at the time. (click to embiggen).

An occultation best seen from the east coast around midnight. The Moon is waning and low above the horizon. The Moon rises with Elnath occulted in most locations.

Place	Disappears Dark Limb	Reappears Bright Limb
Adelaide ACDST	-	00:07 (30th)
Brisbane  AEST	-	23:48
Canberra AEDST	23:54	00:53(30th)
Darwin ACST	-	-
Hobart AEDST	-	01:00 (30th)
Melbourne AEDST	-	00:51 (30th)
Perth AWST	-	-
Sydney AEDST	23:55	00:55 (30th)

 

Whole sky on Saturday,  October 24  as seen from Adelaide at 21:08 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Saturn is visible in the northeast

 

Scorpius, and the core of the Milky way are sinking to the west. 

 

The Pointers are declining from their zenith in the Southern sky as the Southern Cross sinks to the south west.  The Moon is waxing and the fainter clusters and nebula are harder to see.     

 

   

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

  

Mercury is lowering in the the evening twilight. 

Venus is lost in the twilight.

Mars is low in the twilight not far from Jupiter. The pair come closer over the week ahead of a spectacular meeting in November.

Jupiter climbs higher the morning twilight but remains low on the horizon forming a line with Mars and the bright star Regulus.

Saturn  Saturn was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on the 4th. Saturn is the brightest object above the north-eastern horizon. The moon is not far from Saturn on the 24th making it easy to find the ringed world. 

Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm ACST, Western sky at 10 pm ACST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.


 

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/

Labels: weekly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 6:17 pm 0 comments