* Astronomy

Astronomers at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute alert all early morning risers to a spectacular meeting of the two brightest planets on the morning Feb. 1. Venus, the brightest of all the planets, has been dominating the predawn skies in the east since early September. The second bright...

The January Night Sky January is a fair month for viewing the planets. Mars, Saturn and Venus are visible all month. Jupiter will be visible in the morning sky for all but the start of the month. Mercury may just be visible in the evening twilight around the middle of the month. The Earth is at perihelion...

July 2005 astronomy calendar now online:

The Celtic new year begins on the 1st. The holiday was called Samhain (Sah-ween). The date marked the beginning of winter. The Celts believed that at the time of Samhain, more so than any other time of the year, the ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living, because at Samhain the souls of th...

Earth and Mars are converging December is Mars month. Look in the constellation Gemini on the first of the month at 8 p.m. About 20 degrees above the horizon, you will see Mars right on Castor's leg. Mars will make its closest 2007 approach to Earth this month, on Dec. 19, and should be a great telescopic...

MERCURY is in the morning sky, rising before the Sun, during December, but will be a very difficult object to observe. At its greatest elongation west of the Sun, on December 13, Mercury will rise only 1 hour before the Sun as seen from New Zealand, and still be only a degree or two up by the time mo...

Dec ?? - Hai Yang 1B (No. 2) CZ-2C Launch (China) Dec ?? - Feng Yun 2-D CZ-3A Launch (China) Dec 01 - Asteroid 3261 Tvardovskij Occults HIP 62915 (6.5 Magnitude Star) Dec 01 - [url=http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-b...

May ?? - New Horizons, Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM) May ?? - Cbers 2B CZ-4B Launch May ?? - Cosmos-Oko N88 Molniya M Launch May ?? - TerraSAR-X Dnepr 1 Launch May ?? - Genesis 2 Dnepr 1 Launch May ?? - Cosmos (Parus N97)/ Orbcomm-CDS 3 Cosmos 3M Launch May 02 - Full Moon, 11:09.4 UT May 02 - Asteroid 9...

Earth at Aphelion on July 7 On July 7 at 12 noon, the Earth is at its furthest point from the Sun (aphelion), on its year-long slightly elliptical orbit around the Sun. The distance at that time is 152,097,040 km, which is about 5 million km further away than its closest point in early January. Because of...

June is the month with the longest nights and shortest days. June is an excellent month for viewing the planets. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible for all of the month. Mercury will be visible for all but the very end of the month. Mercury will be visible in the Western evening sky for all bu...

September evenings provide our best views of the Milky Way as it flows overhead from the south-west to the north-east. Of course, its faint ribbon of light is swamped by moonlight and the blight of light pollution from street-lighting and the like, so a timely escape to darker skies is recommended. I...

Oct ?? - Winds H-2A Launch (Japan) Oct ?? - Sumbandila/ Vulcan/Compass 3 (2N) Oct ?? - Intelsat 11/ Optus D-2 Ariane 5 Launch Oct 01 - Chang'e 1 CZ-3A Launch (Chinese Lunar Orbiter) Oct 01 - Asteroid 73491 Robmatson Closest Approach To Earth (1.881 AU) Oct 01-03 - Workshop: MHD Laboratory Experiments f...

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Soon after sunset on Saturday evening, March 3, skywatchers in eastern North America can watch the rising full moon undergoing its first total eclipse in nearly 2-½ years. In Europe and Africa the eclipse takes place late at night high in a dark sky. [url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17074307/]...

Mercury: starts the month in the constellation Sagittarius and is at superior conjunction on January 7, and moves into the evening sky. . At magnitude -1.0, The planet is low in the evening sky and difficult to see. (On January 23rd, RA=21h08m01s Dec=-18°23.8' (J2000) Distance=1.293AU...

365 Days of Skywatching A free, downloadable ebook. Brought to you by Universe Today. If you like the weekly “What’s Up this Week” column in Universe Today, you’ll love this. The entire viewing schedule for 2007 is available as a free, 410+ downloadable ebook. You can download the whole...

Re-entry times of Space junk. Name Date Size 29122 SL-14 DEB 1985-108L CIS 2006-07-30 0.59 29153 SL-14 DEB 1985-108AN CIS 2006-07-31 0.1 29149 SL-14 DEB 1985-108AJ CIS 2006-08-04 0.21 29152 SL-14 DEB 1985-108AM CIS 2006-08-08 0.17 29220 SL-1...

[url=http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?forumID=58381&p=3&topicID=85...

There are two eclipses this month, but only one, a partial lunar eclipse on the 7th, is visible from Europe. Unfortunately, the event is already half over by the time of sunset and moonrise for the UK. Mid-eclipse is at 19:51 BST with only the northern 19% of the Moon's disk covered by the umbra (the cent...

May ?? - Hai Yang 1B (No. 2) CZ-2C Launch (China) May ?? - Mitex Delta 2 Launch May ?? - Cosmos-Don N8 Soyuz U Launch May ?? - [url=http://...

Earth will be at aphelion, its furthest orbital distance from the Sun, around midnight on 3 July. It will then be 152,095,745 km from the Sun, compared with its minimum distance from the Sun (perihelion) of 147,103, 622 km in January. Since the eccentricity of our planet’s orbit is very small and...

Jun ?? - Sinosat 2 CZ-3B Launch Jun 01 - Asteroid 3783 Morris Closest Approach To Earth (...

There are many meteor showers this month... Orionids produce rates of 5-15/hour with occasional surges in activity that may reach 25 or even 50/hour. The shower's radiant near Betelgeuse is best-placed just before morning twilight begins. Its radiant is R.A. 6hr 20m Dec +16 degrees, wh...

Mercury and Venus are both very close to the Sun, so they are more or less out of sight this month. Mars is high up in the western sky at dusk, and Jupiter is now playing the role of Morning Star: it rises in the east about three hours before sunrise. Saturn on the other hand is high in the east at dusk, and does...

Planets in the Morning Sky Click to Play | View Details

On June 3rd, there is a New Moon -- a good time to observe the planets and stars all night without a bright light ruining your view. On June 7th, Mars is real close to the crescent Moon in the West at Sunset. Saturn is just above the crescent Moon on the 8th. [url=http://www.steubencourier.com/news/200...

Starting with the natural events in our sky, May has the second of the two "really good" meteor showers of the year, with the best-coinciding Moon phase to look for meteors. The Moon is "new," or dark during the shower, which means there is no moonlight to compete with the streak...

July days may be blistering, but its nights are full of cool astronomical sights. The southern horizon belongs to Scorpius, the celestial scorpion, which climbs into the southeastern sky as night falls in early July. Scorpius is one of the 12 signs of the zodiac, that band of constellations through...

August sports many celestial highlights for those that dare to look up. The five brightest planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible this month along with the annual Perseid Meteor Shower. As August starts out, look to the western sky, about 30 minutes after sunset, to find t...

On August 29 from midnorthern latitudes, Venus will be visible low above the western horizon after sunset. If you're lucky you might catch Mars and Mercury too. If you can't find it, keep looking during the coming weeks; Venus will set later after sunset every night, eventually becoming an unmissab...

The two brightest planets in the night sky make a spectacular pairing near months' end. As November begins, find Venus brilliantly shining in the southwestern sky as evening twilight darkens. During the month, Venus, shining at a magnitude of -4.0, will climb higher in the sky each night. Jupiter s...

October is just about the perfect time for Valley stargazers - monsoon clouds have finally departed and evening temperatures are becoming pleasant. With the constellations of autumn wheeling into the evening sky, what better time to blow the dust off your telescopes and reacquaint yourself with...

Autumn has finally arrived, bringing comfortable, mostly cloud-free observing conditions for Arizona star-gazers. One of the more interesting fall constellations is Capricornus, perhaps the weirdest mythological being ever imagined - part goat, part fish. The way star charts depict it, tho...

Look to the southwest after sunset on Dec. 1 for a close conjunction between three bright solar system objects: the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter. If you have binoculars, you might even be able to fit all three of them in the field of view. Between now and then, you can see Jupiter and Venus getting closer tog...

Astronomers expect the Quadrantid meteor shower to put on an especially good display before sunrise Jan. 3. The best time should be around 6 a.m., when you might spot dozens of meteors an hour. Because you don't need telescopes or other equipment, observing meteor showers is a great social activity...

There's good news and bad news as March turns to April and a long winter finally fades. The bad news: the spring sky has nowhere near as many bright deep-sky objects for small telescopes as winter, at least for northern-hemisphere observers. The good news? All five bright planets are visible this mo...

The nights grow warmer this month as the stars of spring finally wheel into view. Along with the seasonal beauties like M35, M44, and the galaxy fields of Leo and Virgo, this month treats us to a spectacular view of Saturn and Venus. And Comet Lulin is still bright enough to see in binoculars, while in...

Once again in May, five planets will stretch along the early morning horizon. On Friday, around 5:30 a.m., Mars stands right in the east, and as you move your gaze toward the south, you will see Venus, Uranus and Neptune (for these two, you'll need binoculars or a telescope), and then Jupiter in the sou...

There are many interesting celestial highlights to enjoy this month, as there are every month. Our sister planet, Venus, reaches its maximum brilliancy for the year, three planets gather in the morning sky along with a crescent moon, our largest asteroid makes its closest approach in 2,000 years,...

Most of the planetary action in June is in the early morning hours, and because sunrise comes early, few people will see Venus, Mars, and Mercury this month. The focus then goes to objects visible after sunset while people linger in the warm outdoors. For the Northern Hemisphere, summer officially b...

There will be a couple of rare and unusual highlights this September. Another rare event will happen around the King of the Planets. All four of Jupiter's large Galilean moons, first discovered by Galileo through his telescope 400 years ago, will disappear at the same time. That only happens a few ti...

As we enter the "dog days of summer," Evening Sky Tours is welcomes Jupiter into the night skies over red rock country. The planet will be "available" for visitors viewing pleasure for the next several months. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system - a huge gas giant t...

Saturn can still be found in the evening sky of July. By looking high in the southwestern sky after sunset, you will be able to find the golden glow of this planet. As July begins, Saturn's rings are tilted towards the Earth by only 3.2 degrees and by months' end, only 1.9 degrees. Looking at Saturn throu...

Meteor Showers There are many minor meteor showers this month... The northern Taurids and southern Taurids start to become active about October 1st, but do not reach maximums until early November. Both have fairly slow meteors, with the northern Taurids velocity at 29 km per second, and the southe...

Highlights: Winter Solstice on December 22nd. This is officially the longest night of 2009, (even though the year's earliest sunset occurs two weeks earlier). The Geminid meteors on the night of the 13th-14th. Watch out for this reliable shower. Capricornus, the Sea Goat: Sign of the Zodiac for bi...

During our cold January nights, the transparent and crystal clear windows to our Wyoming skies may last up to 15 hours, so our viewing is spectacular. The Milky Way runs from the southeast horizon, through the zenith directly overhead to the northwest. Parallel to the Milky Way are the constellatio...

Meteor Showers February has no major meteor showers but there are a couple of minor showers for Southern hemisphere observers, the Alpha and Beta Centaurids. Although the Alpha Centaurids is considered a minor shower, in some years the number of meteors rises enough to reach the level of a major sho...

Ancient Chinese Calendar A lunar calendar uses the time that it takes the Moon to go round the Earth as one month. A lunar year is about 11 days shorter than a solar year. The ancient Chinese calendar is a solar-lunar calendar. The months are set according to the cycles of the Moon, and the years are set ac...

Venus shines brightly low in the western sky as March begins. About 30 minutes after the Sun sets, look low on the western horizon to find Venus shining at a bright magnitude of -3.9. By the end of March, Venus is almost 12 degrees above the horizon 30 minutes after the Sun sets. On March 16, find Venus jus...

Usually, we try to dodge April showers, but the one that arrives the morning of the 22nd may be worth seeking out. That would be the Lyrid meteor shower, which peaks around 7 a.m. Trouble is, a bright waxing moon interferes until well past midnight, leaving meteor fans only a couple of hours between moo...

On the 1st May, 1949, Nereid the second moon of the planet Neptune was discovered by Gerard Kuiper.

June has two main meteor showers, the Arietids and the June Bootids. Unfortunatly, the Arietids are during the daylight hours. The Earth will pass through a stream of dusty debris. Thought no one is sure where the Arietidsdust comes from, although some suspect its debris from the sungrazing astero...

One of the 64 comets discovered by Australian astronomer Robert McNaught may become a splendid sight the first few days of July. At 10 p.m. on the northwest horizon, you will see the stars Castor and Pollux, the heads of the Gemini twins. Comet McNaught (C/2009 R1) should be swooping in from the north a...

The parent comet of the Perseid shower, is Comet Swift Tuttle, discovered by joint observers. Astronomer Lewis Swift discovered the comet on July 16, 1862, and Astronomer Horace Tuttle on July 19, 1862. The comet has an official designation as 109P/Swift Tuttle ... this being the 109th periodic co...

Meteor Showers There are no major meteor showers this month... September is a month with the best sporadic rates and a few mysterious minor showers. The Alpha Aquarids are active from Aug. 25 to Sept. 5, normally with a ZHR of 10. this year it may be quite active The Delta Aquarids are active September 5...

Meteor Showers There are many minor meteor showers this month... Orionids produce rates of 5-15/hour with occasional surges in activity that may reach 25 or even 50/hour. The shower's radiant near Betelgeuse is best-placed just before morning twilight begins. Its radiant is R.A. 6hr 20m Dec +16 d...

The nights are really closing, in so make sure you wrap up before any outdoor observing. In Novembers night sky, due north is the Ursa Major (The plough). The star Polaris can be found by following the 'pointer stars' to the end of the tail of Ursa Minor (the little bear). Arcturus, the brightest star in...

December brings stargazers a sleighful of astronomical gifts, among them a lovely lunar eclipse, terrific views of Jupiter and an always reliable meteor shower. One of the best lunar eclipses in several years (at least for observers in North America) starts around 11 p.m. Dec. 20 and ends about 3:3...

Meteor Showers February has no major meteor showers but there are a couple of minor showers for Southern hemisphere observers, the Alpha and Beta Centaurids. Although the Alpha Centaurids is considered a minor shower, in some years the number of meteors rises enough to reach the level of a major sho...

It's March in Australia so welcome to the best skies in the world. Out of the 88 constellations we've got the pick of the crop! So, it's just you, me and the starry night. Depending on your age and your eyesight, you can see up to about 1500 to 2000 stars on a clear night. Ready? Then let's go! You'll need a bl...

June has two main meteor showers, the Arietids and the June Bootids. Unfortunatly, the Arietids are during the daylight hours. The Earth will pass through a stream of dusty debris. Thought no one is sure where the Arietids dust comes from, although some suspect its debris from the sungrazing astero...

The celtic festival of Beltane is on May 1st. North American Nebula this is an enormous and vivid cloud of gas and dust which has striking resemblance to North America. Due to its large size (four degrees across, eight times the angular size of the Moon), the nebula ("NGC7000") must be view...

HighlightsThe Summer Triangle -- Vega, Deneb, and Altair -- holds the central position, high in the south. The scorpion sits low to the south and slightly west. Directly to the arachnid's east is Sagittarius, the Archer, and between the two lies the direction toward the Milky Way galaxy's centre. T...

Meteor Showers August has one major meteor shower. The Perseids Meteor Shower that peaks on August 13th. Shower Activity Period Maximum Radiant Velocity ZHR DateR.A. Dec. km/s S. Delta-AquariidsJuly 14-Aug 1830th July3.9h-51.8d14 km/s11.2Gamma Aquarids 2 August Alpha Ursa Majorid...

Meteor Showers There are no major meteor showers this month... September is a month with the best sporadic rates and a few mysterious minor showers. The Alpha Aquarids are active from Aug. 25 to Sept. 5, normally with a ZHR of 10. this year it may be quite active The Delta Aquarids are active September 5...

Highlights: Winter Solstice on December 22nd. This is officially the longest night of 2010, (even though the year's earliest sunset occurs two weeks earlier). The Geminid meteors on the night of the 13th-14th. Watch out for this reliable shower. Capricornus, the Sea Goat: Sign of the Zodiac for bi...

Meteor Showers There are many minor meteor showers this month... The northern Taurids and southern Taurids started to become active about October 1st, but do not reach maximums until early November. Both have fairly slow meteors, with the northern Taurids velocity at 29 km per second, and the sout...

Meteor Showers There are many minor meteor showers this month... Orionids produce rates of 5-15/hour with occasional surges in activity that may reach 25 or even 50/hour. The shower's radiant near Betelgeuse is best-placed just before morning twilight begins. Its radiant is R.A. 6hr 20m Dec +16...

There are many meteor showers this month... The Quadrantids Meteors Shower Peaks on January 4. It is active from January 1 through January 5.ShowerActivity PeriodMaximumRadiantVelocityZHR DateR.A.Dec.km/s Zeta AurigidsDec 11-Jan 21Dec. 31/Jan. 1 QuadrantidsJan 1-5Jan. 416.3h...

Mercury: at magnitude -1.1, starts the month in the constellation of Capricornus. (On February 14th, RA=22h14m47s Dec=-12°42.5' (J2000) Distance=1.339AU Elongation= 6° Phase k=98% Diameter=5.0") Venus: is at magnitude -4.1. The planet is in constellation Aquarius at the start...

	Forum	Replies	Views	Last Post
Calendar August 2007 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	18	7167	Aug 13 19:20 2007 by Blobrana

Calendar February 2008 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	34	8235	Feb 26 08:17 2008 by Blobrana
Astronomers at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute alert all early morning risers to a spectacular meeting of the two brightest planets on the morning Feb. 1. Venus, the brightest of all the planets, has been dominating the predawn skies in the east since early September. The second bright...
Calendar January 2008 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	36	8160	Feb 1 22:21 2008 by Blobrana
The January Night Sky January is a fair month for viewing the planets. Mars, Saturn and Venus are visible all month. Jupiter will be visible in the morning sky for all but the start of the month. Mercury may just be visible in the evening twilight around the middle of the month. The Earth is at perihelion...
Calendar July 2005 calendar (Preview)	Events	0	1333	Jun 30 20:19 2005 by Blobrana
July 2005 astronomy calendar now online:
Calendar November 2007 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	18	5970	Nov 30 22:02 2007 by Blobrana
The Celtic new year begins on the 1st. The holiday was called Samhain (Sah-ween). The date marked the beginning of winter. The Celts believed that at the time of Samhain, more so than any other time of the year, the ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living, because at Samhain the souls of th...
Calendar December 2007 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	28	6707	Dec 29 12:20 2007 by Blobrana
Earth and Mars are converging December is Mars month. Look in the constellation Gemini on the first of the month at 8 p.m. About 20 degrees above the horizon, you will see Mars right on Castor's leg. Mars will make its closest 2007 approach to Earth this month, on Dec. 19, and should be a great telescopic...
Calendar December (Preview)	Events	1	1466	Dec 17 17:18 2005 by Blobrana
MERCURY is in the morning sky, rising before the Sun, during December, but will be a very difficult object to observe. At its greatest elongation west of the Sun, on December 13, Mercury will rise only 1 hour before the Sun as seen from New Zealand, and still be only a degree or two up by the time mo...
Calendar December 2006 (Preview)	Events	9	6076	Dec 29 16:09 2006 by Blobrana
Dec ?? - Hai Yang 1B (No. 2) CZ-2C Launch (China) Dec ?? - Feng Yun 2-D CZ-3A Launch (China) Dec 01 - Asteroid 3261 Tvardovskij Occults HIP 62915 (6.5 Magnitude Star) Dec 01 - [url=http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-b...
Calendar May 2007 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	25	10055	Jan 30 02:02 2009 by Blobrana
May ?? - New Horizons, Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM) May ?? - Cbers 2B CZ-4B Launch May ?? - Cosmos-Oko N88 Molniya M Launch May ?? - TerraSAR-X Dnepr 1 Launch May ?? - Genesis 2 Dnepr 1 Launch May ?? - Cosmos (Parus N97)/ Orbcomm-CDS 3 Cosmos 3M Launch May 02 - Full Moon, 11:09.4 UT May 02 - Asteroid 9...
Calendar July 2007 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	32	10964	Jul 26 11:26 2007 by Blobrana
Earth at Aphelion on July 7 On July 7 at 12 noon, the Earth is at its furthest point from the Sun (aphelion), on its year-long slightly elliptical orbit around the Sun. The distance at that time is 152,097,040 km, which is about 5 million km further away than its closest point in early January. Because of...
Calendar June 2007 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	25	11914	Jun 29 12:40 2007 by Blobrana
June is the month with the longest nights and shortest days. June is an excellent month for viewing the planets. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible for all of the month. Mercury will be visible for all but the very end of the month. Mercury will be visible in the Western evening sky for all bu...
Calendar September 2007 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	18	6503	Sep 28 20:29 2007 by Blobrana
September evenings provide our best views of the Milky Way as it flows overhead from the south-west to the north-east. Of course, its faint ribbon of light is swamped by moonlight and the blight of light pollution from street-lighting and the like, so a timely escape to darker skies is recommended. I...
Calendar October 2007 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	18	6330	Oct 28 15:52 2007 by Blobrana
Oct ?? - Winds H-2A Launch (Japan) Oct ?? - Sumbandila/ Vulcan/Compass 3 (2N) Oct ?? - Intelsat 11/ Optus D-2 Ariane 5 Launch Oct 01 - Chang'e 1 CZ-3A Launch (Chinese Lunar Orbiter) Oct 01 - Asteroid 73491 Robmatson Closest Approach To Earth (1.881 AU) Oct 01-03 - Workshop: MHD Laboratory Experiments f...
Calendar February 2007 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	12	9387	Feb 19 12:26 2007 by Blobrana
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Calendar March 2007 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	38	18387	Apr 3 08:51 2007 by Blobrana
Soon after sunset on Saturday evening, March 3, skywatchers in eastern North America can watch the rising full moon undergoing its first total eclipse in nearly 2-½ years. In Europe and Africa the eclipse takes place late at night high in a dark sky. [url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17074307/]...
Calendar January 2007 (Preview)	Events	5	3197	Jan 28 13:15 2007 by Blobrana
Mercury: starts the month in the constellation Sagittarius and is at superior conjunction on January 7, and moves into the evening sky. . At magnitude -1.0, The planet is low in the evening sky and difficult to see. (On January 23rd, RA=21h08m01s Dec=-18°23.8' (J2000) Distance=1.293AU...
Calendar What’s Up in 2007 (Preview)	Events	0	1202	Dec 29 06:35 2006 by Blobrana
365 Days of Skywatching A free, downloadable ebook. Brought to you by Universe Today. If you like the weekly “What’s Up this Week” column in Universe Today, you’ll love this. The entire viewing schedule for 2007 is available as a free, 410+ downloadable ebook. You can download the whole...
Calendar August 2006 (Preview)	Events	8	2066	Aug 29 12:05 2006 by Blobrana
Re-entry times of Space junk. Name Date Size 29122 SL-14 DEB 1985-108L CIS 2006-07-30 0.59 29153 SL-14 DEB 1985-108AN CIS 2006-07-31 0.1 29149 SL-14 DEB 1985-108AJ CIS 2006-08-04 0.21 29152 SL-14 DEB 1985-108AM CIS 2006-08-08 0.17 29220 SL-1...
Calendar November 2006 (Preview)	Events	4	3770	Nov 27 23:14 2006 by Blobrana
[url=http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?forumID=58381&p=3&topicID=85...
Calendar September 2006 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	10	6145	Sep 22 23:39 2006 by Blobrana
There are two eclipses this month, but only one, a partial lunar eclipse on the 7th, is visible from Europe. Unfortunately, the event is already half over by the time of sunset and moonrise for the UK. Mid-eclipse is at 19:51 BST with only the northern 19% of the Moon's disk covered by the umbra (the cent...
Calendar May 2006 (Preview)	Events	3	3142	May 27 01:09 2006 by Blobrana
May ?? - Hai Yang 1B (No. 2) CZ-2C Launch (China) May ?? - Mitex Delta 2 Launch May ?? - Cosmos-Don N8 Soyuz U Launch May ?? - [url=http://...
Calendar July 2006 (Preview)	Events	3	3546	Jul 27 21:44 2006 by Blobrana
Earth will be at aphelion, its furthest orbital distance from the Sun, around midnight on 3 July. It will then be 152,095,745 km from the Sun, compared with its minimum distance from the Sun (perihelion) of 147,103, 622 km in January. Since the eccentricity of our planet’s orbit is very small and...
Calendar June 2006 (Preview)	Events	5	5045	Jun 20 09:32 2006 by Blobrana
Jun ?? - Sinosat 2 CZ-3B Launch Jun 01 - Asteroid 3783 Morris Closest Approach To Earth (...
Calendar October 2006 (Preview)	Events	6	3583	Oct 23 01:27 2006 by Blobrana
There are many meteor showers this month... Orionids produce rates of 5-15/hour with occasional surges in activity that may reach 25 or even 50/hour. The shower's radiant near Betelgeuse is best-placed just before morning twilight begins. Its radiant is R.A. 6hr 20m Dec +16 degrees, wh...
Calendar April 2008 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	16	4920	Apr 25 17:20 2008 by Blobrana
Mercury and Venus are both very close to the Sun, so they are more or less out of sight this month. Mars is high up in the western sky at dusk, and Jupiter is now playing the role of Morning Star: it rises in the east about three hours before sunrise. Saturn on the other hand is high in the east at dusk, and does...
Calendar March 2008 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	17	5666	Mar 29 17:54 2008 by Blobrana
Planets in the Morning Sky Click to Play \| View Details
Calendar June 2008 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	11	5079	Jun 21 16:04 2008 by Blobrana
On June 3rd, there is a New Moon -- a good time to observe the planets and stars all night without a bright light ruining your view. On June 7th, Mars is real close to the crescent Moon in the West at Sunset. Saturn is just above the crescent Moon on the 8th. [url=http://www.steubencourier.com/news/200...
Calendar May 2008 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	18	5500	May 23 17:47 2008 by Blobrana
Starting with the natural events in our sky, May has the second of the two "really good" meteor showers of the year, with the best-coinciding Moon phase to look for meteors. The Moon is "new," or dark during the shower, which means there is no moonlight to compete with the streak...
Calendar July 2008 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	19	7564	Jul 27 16:22 2008 by Blobrana
July days may be blistering, but its nights are full of cool astronomical sights. The southern horizon belongs to Scorpius, the celestial scorpion, which climbs into the southeastern sky as night falls in early July. Scorpius is one of the 12 signs of the zodiac, that band of constellations through...
Calendar August 2008 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	17	7994	Aug 20 00:51 2008 by Blobrana
August sports many celestial highlights for those that dare to look up. The five brightest planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible this month along with the annual Perseid Meteor Shower. As August starts out, look to the western sky, about 30 minutes after sunset, to find t...
Calendar September 2008 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	15	5567	Sep 29 14:06 2008 by Blobrana
On August 29 from midnorthern latitudes, Venus will be visible low above the western horizon after sunset. If you're lucky you might catch Mars and Mercury too. If you can't find it, keep looking during the coming weeks; Venus will set later after sunset every night, eventually becoming an unmissab...
Calendar November 2008 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	26	5552	Nov 28 20:08 2008 by Blobrana
The two brightest planets in the night sky make a spectacular pairing near months' end. As November begins, find Venus brilliantly shining in the southwestern sky as evening twilight darkens. During the month, Venus, shining at a magnitude of -4.0, will climb higher in the sky each night. Jupiter s...
Calendar October 2008 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	32	7082	Oct 31 17:50 2008 by Blobrana
October is just about the perfect time for Valley stargazers - monsoon clouds have finally departed and evening temperatures are becoming pleasant. With the constellations of autumn wheeling into the evening sky, what better time to blow the dust off your telescopes and reacquaint yourself with...
Calendar October 2009 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	36	6006	Oct 31 18:34 2009 by Blobrana
Autumn has finally arrived, bringing comfortable, mostly cloud-free observing conditions for Arizona star-gazers. One of the more interesting fall constellations is Capricornus, perhaps the weirdest mythological being ever imagined - part goat, part fish. The way star charts depict it, tho...
Calendar December 2008 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	28	5812	Dec 28 15:20 2008 by Blobrana
Look to the southwest after sunset on Dec. 1 for a close conjunction between three bright solar system objects: the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter. If you have binoculars, you might even be able to fit all three of them in the field of view. Between now and then, you can see Jupiter and Venus getting closer tog...
Calendar January 2009 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	30	11864	Jan 30 22:11 2009 by Blobrana
Astronomers expect the Quadrantid meteor shower to put on an especially good display before sunrise Jan. 3. The best time should be around 6 a.m., when you might spot dozens of meteors an hour. Because you don't need telescopes or other equipment, observing meteor showers is a great social activity...
Calendar April 2009 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	15	4283	Apr 30 21:11 2009 by Blobrana
There's good news and bad news as March turns to April and a long winter finally fades. The bad news: the spring sky has nowhere near as many bright deep-sky objects for small telescopes as winter, at least for northern-hemisphere observers. The good news? All five bright planets are visible this mo...
Calendar March 2009 (Preview)	Events	2	2513	Apr 3 20:51 2009 by Blobrana
The nights grow warmer this month as the stars of spring finally wheel into view. Along with the seasonal beauties like M35, M44, and the galaxy fields of Leo and Virgo, this month treats us to a spectacular view of Saturn and Venus. And Comet Lulin is still bright enough to see in binoculars, while in...
Calendar May 2009 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	30	5732	May 27 18:09 2009 by Blobrana
Once again in May, five planets will stretch along the early morning horizon. On Friday, around 5:30 a.m., Mars stands right in the east, and as you move your gaze toward the south, you will see Venus, Uranus and Neptune (for these two, you'll need binoculars or a telescope), and then Jupiter in the sou...
Calendar February 2009 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	10	5631	Feb 17 20:58 2009 by Blobrana
There are many interesting celestial highlights to enjoy this month, as there are every month. Our sister planet, Venus, reaches its maximum brilliancy for the year, three planets gather in the morning sky along with a crescent moon, our largest asteroid makes its closest approach in 2,000 years,...
Calendar June 2009 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	28	11066	Jun 30 17:26 2009 by Blobrana
Most of the planetary action in June is in the early morning hours, and because sunrise comes early, few people will see Venus, Mars, and Mercury this month. The focus then goes to objects visible after sunset while people linger in the warm outdoors. For the Northern Hemisphere, summer officially b...
Calendar September 2009 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	38	6357	Sep 29 17:34 2009 by Blobrana
There will be a couple of rare and unusual highlights this September. Another rare event will happen around the King of the Planets. All four of Jupiter's large Galilean moons, first discovered by Galileo through his telescope 400 years ago, will disappear at the same time. That only happens a few ti...
Calendar August 2009 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	20	5058	Aug 19 17:16 2009 by Blobrana
As we enter the "dog days of summer," Evening Sky Tours is welcomes Jupiter into the night skies over red rock country. The planet will be "available" for visitors viewing pleasure for the next several months. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system - a huge gas giant t...
Calendar July 2009 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	11	3690	Jul 27 09:26 2009 by Blobrana
Saturn can still be found in the evening sky of July. By looking high in the southwestern sky after sunset, you will be able to find the golden glow of this planet. As July begins, Saturn's rings are tilted towards the Earth by only 3.2 degrees and by months' end, only 1.9 degrees. Looking at Saturn throu...
Calendar November 2009 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	24	5453	Nov 23 18:21 2009 by Blobrana
Meteor Showers There are many minor meteor showers this month... The northern Taurids and southern Taurids start to become active about October 1st, but do not reach maximums until early November. Both have fairly slow meteors, with the northern Taurids velocity at 29 km per second, and the southe...
Calendar December 2009 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	25	5904	Dec 31 16:58 2009 by Blobrana
Highlights: Winter Solstice on December 22nd. This is officially the longest night of 2009, (even though the year's earliest sunset occurs two weeks earlier). The Geminid meteors on the night of the 13th-14th. Watch out for this reliable shower. Capricornus, the Sea Goat: Sign of the Zodiac for bi...
Calendar January 2010 ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) (Preview)	Events	40	7903	Jan 30 18:04 2010 by Blobrana
During our cold January nights, the transparent and crystal clear windows to our Wyoming skies may last up to 15 hours, so our viewing is spectacular. The Milky Way runs from the southeast horizon, through the zenith directly overhead to the northwest. Parallel to the Milky Way are the constellatio...
Calendar February 2010 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	28	6205	Mar 6 00:19 2010 by Blobrana
Meteor Showers February has no major meteor showers but there are a couple of minor showers for Southern hemisphere observers, the Alpha and Beta Centaurids. Although the Alpha Centaurids is considered a minor shower, in some years the number of meteors rises enough to reach the level of a major sho...
Calendar Ancient Lunar Calendar (Preview)	Events	1	1469	Nov 22 20:28 2010 by Blobrana
Ancient Chinese Calendar A lunar calendar uses the time that it takes the Moon to go round the Earth as one month. A lunar year is about 11 days shorter than a solar year. The ancient Chinese calendar is a solar-lunar calendar. The months are set according to the cycles of the Moon, and the years are set ac...
Calendar March 2010 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	24	5626	Mar 28 19:44 2010 by Blobrana
Venus shines brightly low in the western sky as March begins. About 30 minutes after the Sun sets, look low on the western horizon to find Venus shining at a bright magnitude of -3.9. By the end of March, Venus is almost 12 degrees above the horizon 30 minutes after the Sun sets. On March 16, find Venus jus...
Calendar April 2010 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	30	6721	Apr 29 07:17 2010 by Blobrana
Usually, we try to dodge April showers, but the one that arrives the morning of the 22nd may be worth seeking out. That would be the Lyrid meteor shower, which peaks around 7 a.m. Trouble is, a bright waxing moon interferes until well past midnight, leaving meteor fans only a couple of hours between moo...
Calendar May 2010 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	22	6031	May 27 23:17 2010 by Blobrana
On the 1st May, 1949, Nereid the second moon of the planet Neptune was discovered by Gerard Kuiper.
Calendar June 2010 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	28	6612	Jun 25 14:45 2010 by Blobrana
June has two main meteor showers, the Arietids and the June Bootids. Unfortunatly, the Arietids are during the daylight hours. The Earth will pass through a stream of dusty debris. Thought no one is sure where the Arietidsdust comes from, although some suspect its debris from the sungrazing astero...
Calendar July 2010 ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) (Preview)	Events	41	6673	Jul 30 18:33 2010 by Blobrana
One of the 64 comets discovered by Australian astronomer Robert McNaught may become a splendid sight the first few days of July. At 10 p.m. on the northwest horizon, you will see the stars Castor and Pollux, the heads of the Gemini twins. Comet McNaught (C/2009 R1) should be swooping in from the north a...
Calendar August 2010 ( 1 2 3 4 5 … 7 ) (Preview)	Events	62	8674	Aug 28 00:33 2010 by Blobrana
The parent comet of the Perseid shower, is Comet Swift Tuttle, discovered by joint observers. Astronomer Lewis Swift discovered the comet on July 16, 1862, and Astronomer Horace Tuttle on July 19, 1862. The comet has an official designation as 109P/Swift Tuttle ... this being the 109th periodic co...
Calendar September 2010 (Preview)	Events	8	2136	Sep 23 19:21 2010 by Blobrana
Meteor Showers There are no major meteor showers this month... September is a month with the best sporadic rates and a few mysterious minor showers. The Alpha Aquarids are active from Aug. 25 to Sept. 5, normally with a ZHR of 10. this year it may be quite active The Delta Aquarids are active September 5...
Calendar October 2010 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	11	4813	Oct 29 09:52 2010 by Blobrana
Meteor Showers There are many minor meteor showers this month... Orionids produce rates of 5-15/hour with occasional surges in activity that may reach 25 or even 50/hour. The shower's radiant near Betelgeuse is best-placed just before morning twilight begins. Its radiant is R.A. 6hr 20m Dec +16 d...
Calendar November 2010 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	15	4872	Nov 27 08:04 2010 by Blobrana
The nights are really closing, in so make sure you wrap up before any outdoor observing. In Novembers night sky, due north is the Ursa Major (The plough). The star Polaris can be found by following the 'pointer stars' to the end of the tail of Ursa Minor (the little bear). Arcturus, the brightest star in...
Calendar December 2010 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	25	6291	Dec 30 22:24 2010 by Blobrana
December brings stargazers a sleighful of astronomical gifts, among them a lovely lunar eclipse, terrific views of Jupiter and an always reliable meteor shower. One of the best lunar eclipses in several years (at least for observers in North America) starts around 11 p.m. Dec. 20 and ends about 3:3...
Calendar February 2011 (Preview)	Events	6	2549	Feb 13 20:53 2011 by Blobrana
Meteor Showers February has no major meteor showers but there are a couple of minor showers for Southern hemisphere observers, the Alpha and Beta Centaurids. Although the Alpha Centaurids is considered a minor shower, in some years the number of meteors rises enough to reach the level of a major sho...
Calendar March 2011 ( 1 2 ) (Preview)	Events	17	3335	Mar 27 00:10 2011 by Blobrana
It's March in Australia so welcome to the best skies in the world. Out of the 88 constellations we've got the pick of the crop! So, it's just you, me and the starry night. Depending on your age and your eyesight, you can see up to about 1500 to 2000 stars on a clear night. Ready? Then let's go! You'll need a bl...
Calendar June 2011 ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) (Preview)	Events	44	7032	Jun 30 23:03 2011 by Blobrana
June has two main meteor showers, the Arietids and the June Bootids. Unfortunatly, the Arietids are during the daylight hours. The Earth will pass through a stream of dusty debris. Thought no one is sure where the Arietids dust comes from, although some suspect its debris from the sungrazing astero...
Calendar May 2011 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	39	6820	May 29 23:14 2011 by Blobrana
The celtic festival of Beltane is on May 1st. North American Nebula this is an enormous and vivid cloud of gas and dust which has striking resemblance to North America. Due to its large size (four degrees across, eight times the angular size of the Moon), the nebula ("NGC7000") must be view...
Calendar July 2011 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	24	3827	Jul 30 21:13 2011 by Blobrana
HighlightsThe Summer Triangle -- Vega, Deneb, and Altair -- holds the central position, high in the south. The scorpion sits low to the south and slightly west. Directly to the arachnid's east is Sagittarius, the Archer, and between the two lies the direction toward the Milky Way galaxy's centre. T...
Calendar August 2011 ( 1 2 3 ) (Preview)	Events	24	3834	Aug 29 23:36 2011 by Blobrana
Meteor Showers August has one major meteor shower. The Perseids Meteor Shower that peaks on August 13th. Shower Activity Period Maximum Radiant Velocity ZHR DateR.A. Dec. km/s S. Delta-AquariidsJuly 14-Aug 1830th July3.9h-51.8d14 km/s11.2Gamma Aquarids 2 August Alpha Ursa Majorid...
Calendar September 2011 ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) (Preview)	Events	44	6465	Sep 29 23:09 2011 by Blobrana
Meteor Showers There are no major meteor showers this month... September is a month with the best sporadic rates and a few mysterious minor showers. The Alpha Aquarids are active from Aug. 25 to Sept. 5, normally with a ZHR of 10. this year it may be quite active The Delta Aquarids are active September 5...
Calendar December 2011 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	36	5310	Dec 29 23:42 2011 by Blobrana
Highlights: Winter Solstice on December 22nd. This is officially the longest night of 2010, (even though the year's earliest sunset occurs two weeks earlier). The Geminid meteors on the night of the 13th-14th. Watch out for this reliable shower. Capricornus, the Sea Goat: Sign of the Zodiac for bi...
Calendar November 2011 ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) (Preview)	Events	40	5820	Nov 29 00:03 2011 by Blobrana
Meteor Showers There are many minor meteor showers this month... The northern Taurids and southern Taurids started to become active about October 1st, but do not reach maximums until early November. Both have fairly slow meteors, with the northern Taurids velocity at 29 km per second, and the sout...
Calendar October 2011 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	34	5072	Oct 27 23:13 2011 by Blobrana
Meteor Showers There are many minor meteor showers this month... Orionids produce rates of 5-15/hour with occasional surges in activity that may reach 25 or even 50/hour. The shower's radiant near Betelgeuse is best-placed just before morning twilight begins. Its radiant is R.A. 6hr 20m Dec +16...
Calendar January 2012 ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) (Preview)	Events	45	5409	Jan 31 08:44 2012 by Blobrana
There are many meteor showers this month... The Quadrantids Meteors Shower Peaks on January 4. It is active from January 1 through January 5.ShowerActivity PeriodMaximumRadiantVelocityZHR DateR.A.Dec.km/s Zeta AurigidsDec 11-Jan 21Dec. 31/Jan. 1 QuadrantidsJan 1-5Jan. 416.3h...
Calendar February 2012 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	35	6206	Feb 29 03:02 2012 by Blobrana
Mercury: at magnitude -1.1, starts the month in the constellation of Capricornus. (On February 14th, RA=22h14m47s Dec=-12°42.5' (J2000) Distance=1.339AU Elongation= 6° Phase k=98% Diameter=5.0") Venus: is at magnitude -4.1. The planet is in constellation Aquarius at the start...
Calendar April 2011 ( 1 2 3 4 ) (Preview)	Events	35	5661	Apr 29 23:00 2011 by Blobrana