* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: October 2007

Blobrana · L

There is Full Moon tonight. (04:52 UT, October 26).
And the moon in its orbit around the earth will be at the closes position to the earth (eg at perigee). This will make the full moon appear to be the largest full moon this year.

Blobrana · L

"A special celebration will be held tomorrow to mark the sun shining on the face of the statute of Ramses II" a senior official announced yesterday.

Saber Sanad, head of the local council of Abu Simbel, Aswan, 1,202 kilometres south of Cairo, said the celebration would be held on the courtyard in front of Abu Simbel Temple in Upper Egypt.

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Blobrana · L

Rolling out of the sack, throwing on some clothes, and checking out the predawn star-filled sky this month is well worth losing sleep over.
You can grab a cup of coffee, but I think just gazing into the heavens will give you enough of a jolt. The stunningly bright winter constellations that we see in the evenings during the season are now putting on a preview.
I think they're the best in the heavens, with the bright constellation Orion the Hunter as the centerpiece of the delights. There are also three planets visible to the naked eye in the morning sky right now, as well as a meteor shower. You've got a lot to take in.

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Blobrana · L

Video: What's Up for October
Pull out your telescope to see Saturn's black-and-white moon Iapetus. And there's something for everyone on Halloween: Jupiter for the early crowd and Mars for the late-night trick or treaters.

Video: What's Up for October

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Blobrana · L

It was "the sound that forevermore separates the old from the new," the NBC radio announcer said on the evening of Oct. 4, 1957. And it could be heard by anyone in the world with a shortwave radio tuned to 20.07 and 40.002 megahertz. The "beep, beep, beep" of Sputnik marked the arrival of the Space Age.

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Blobrana · L

Near Earth Objects: Close Approaches to Earth this Month

Object Name	Close Approach Date	Distance (AU)	Distance (LD)	Estimated Diameter	Relative Velocity (km/s)
(1999 AQ10)	2007-Oct-02	0.1377	53.6	230 m - 520 m	5.19
(2004 RN9)	2007-Oct-02	0.1442	56.1	200 m - 440 m	11.65
(2007 RR12)	2007-Oct-02	0.0941	36.6	290 m - 640 m	23.71
85770 (1998 UP1)	2007-Oct-07	0.1584	61.7	220 m - 500 m	17.38
(2004 TJ10)	2007-Oct-08	0.1013	39.4	25 m - 57 m	16.85
(2007 RE1)	2007-Oct-09	0.0951	37.0	110 m - 240 m	9.97
(2006 HE2)	2007-Oct-10	0.1621	63.1	13 m - 30 m	9.82
(2006 QQ56)	2007-Oct-11	0.0802	31.2	18 m - 39 m	3.23
(2007 RA20)	2007-Oct-11	0.1880	73.1	270 m - 600 m	16.12
(2005 TC51)	2007-Oct-12	0.1361	53.0	9.4 m - 21 m	5.91
(2006 SU217)	2007-Oct-16	0.1448	56.4	22 m - 49 m	4.56
(2007 RU9)	2007-Oct-19	0.1356	52.8	180 m - 410 m	13.04
(2007 RV17)	2007-Oct-19	0.1668	64.9	420 m - 930 m	19.06
(2006 BJ55)	2007-Oct-21	0.1895	73.7	38 m - 85 m	3.81
2340 Hathor	2007-Oct-22	0.0600	23.3	380 m - 860 m	15.07
(2004 DM44)	2007-Oct-23	0.1888	73.5	200 m - 450 m	13.98
99907 (1989 VA)	2007-Oct-29	0.1552	60.4	740 m - 1.6 km	17.68

1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~3.84 x 10⁵ km / ~2.38 x 10⁵ miles

Blobrana · L

This week we pass an anniversary of a significant milestone in space exploration. It was Oct. 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I. It was the first artificial satellite put into orbit around our Earth.
That was just 50 years ago. Many of us remember where we were and whom we were with as we scanned the night sky for a glimpse of Sputnik.
This is a good week to look for the dimmer constellations because our moon is rising later and is reflecting less sunlight in the process.

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Blobrana · L

Mercury: at magnitude -1.0, starts the month in the constellation Virgo. Mercury is stationary: Getting Retrograde on the 12th. The Moon is 1.3 degrees from the planet on the 13th. Mercury is in conjunction onthe 24th. Mercury is close to the star Spica (2.8deg) on the 28th..
(On August 1st, RA= 7h40m08s Dec=+21°38.7' (J2000) Distance=1.140AU Elongation= 15° Phase k=75% Diameter=5.9")

Venus: is an evening morning star of magnitude -4.5, The planet is in constellation Leo at the start of the month. Venus is close to Regulus (2.7deg) on the 8th, and close to Saturn (2.9°) on the 14th. It is best seen from 3.3h -17.2h. The Moon is 3 degrees from the planet on the 7th.
(On October 1st, RA= 9h43m25s Dec=+10°06.2' (J2000) Distance=0.488AU Elongation= 43° Phase k=33% Diameter=34.2")


	Moon Phase Now!

Earth: Autumn Equinox was on the 23rd September.

The Moon is at Perigee on the 26th October 12:56.4 UT, and at apogee on the 13th, at 11:04.4 UT. The Moon is 1.1 degrees from the M44 Beehive cluster in Cancer on the 5th..The Moon is 1.0 degree from the M45 open cluster (the Pleiades), on the 28th.

Mars: at magnitude 0.1 starts the month in the constellation Gemini. The planet is best seen from 22.1h - 6.5h. Mars apparent diameter grows to 10 arcsec on the 5th. The Moon is 5 degrees from the planet on the 2nd. Mars is only 0.9 degrees from the M35 open cluster in Gemini, on the 3rd.
(On October 1st, RA= 6h03m23s Dec=+23°21.9' (J2000) Distance=0.966AU Elongation= 97° Phase k=86% Diameter=9.7")

Jupiter: is still bright at magnitude -2.0 in the constellation Ophiuchus and close to the bright star, Antares. The planet is best seen from 18.7h -21.1h. The Moon is close, 5 degrees, to Jupiter, on the 16th.
(On October 1st, RA=16h51m44s Dec=-22°09.9' (J2000) Distance=5.604AU Elongation= 66°)
The planet Jupiter is a source of huge radio storms. Click the link to hear the live audio stream.
The radio outbursts are in the frequency range 18 - 32 MHz. Sensitive receivers translate Jupiter's radio waves to audio sounds.
For alternative listening site.
for Great RedSpot Transit times.
Check forum for Satellite predictions.

Saturn: at magnitude 0.7 sits in the constellation Leo. The planet is 3 degrees south of Venus on the 15th.
The planet is best seen from 3.8h - 6.5h.
(On October 1st, RA=10h23m04s Dec=+11°32.5' (J2000) Distance=10.054AU Elongation= 34°)
click here! for interactive Saturn moon calculator .

Uranus is in the constellation Aquarius, near Lambda Aquarii, magnitude 3.7. Uranus at magnitude 5.7, has a bluish-green hue and appears 3.7 arcseconds wide. The planet is best seen from 20.1h - 4.5h. The Moon is 1.7 degrees from the planet on the 23rd.
This month the planet is located 1.5 degrees away from the 4th magnitude star Phi Aquarii.
(On October 1st, RA=23h08m53s Dec= -6°21.3' (J2000) Distance=19.159AU Elongation=158°)

Neptune: in the constellation Capricornus less than 3 degrees northeast of the 4.3 mag star Iota Capricornii. A telescope will usually show a tiny bluish dot, only 2.5 arcseconds wide (mag 7.9). Neptune is best seen from 21.1h -22.7h. Neptune is stationary: Getting Prograde in the 31st. The Moon is 1.3 degrees from the planet on the 21th.
(On October 1st, RA=21h27m33s Dec=-15°16.8' (J2000) Distance=29.375AU Elongation=131°)

Pluto is in the constellation Sagittarius (mag 13.9) is not visible in the southern sky this month. Normally, a finder chart is necessary to help in identifying the 0.1" diameter dwarf planet. The dwarf planet is best seen from 20.7h - 5.1h.
(On October 1st, RA=17h44m48s Dec=-16°47.7' (J2000) Distance=31.524AU Elongation= 79°)

The Sun enters the zodiac sign Scorpio on the 23rd October, 20:15 UT.

Asteroid 2 Pallas is stationary on the 22nd.

Blobrana · L

October Camelopardalis NEA