* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: September 2009

Blobrana · L

Asteroid (42) Isis (Sept. 15.4, V = 9.5) is at opposition.

Expand (5kb, 560 x 421)

Distance from Earth: 0.9570 AU
Distance from Sun:     1.9364 AU
Rise             :       21:35 Azimuth:+132°33'
Culmination:       1:05
Set               :      4:35 Azimuth:+227°27'

Position(2000): RA 23h33m04.20s, Dec -21°53'07.1"

Blobrana · L

On the morning of the 16th September, 2009, a bright (magnitude -3.9) Venus is close to a thin (7%) crescent Moon in the constellation Leo.
Look to the east at sunrise.

Expand (23kb, 560 x 421)

Blobrana · L

Even if you're not really into stargazing, you can't help but see that super bright object in the southeastern sky as evening begins. That's Jupiter, the kingpin of our solar system.
Jupiter is nearly at its closest point to Earth for 2009. Actually, Jupiter and Earth made their closest pass in their respective orbits around the sun last month, referred to officially as opposition. At that time, Jupiter was just less than 374 million miles from Earth. This week, it's just less than 387 million miles away. While you can't get there in a weekend, Jupiter is still near enough to make a great telescope target.
Read more

Blobrana · L

Amateur Astronomy Sky this Week 2009-09-19

Click to Play | View Details

Dark sky weekend has arrived again. Great time to view some of the great summer objects in the early evening, fall objects around midnight, and early winter objects close to dawn. There are a few ISS passes this week but most are low in the north. The great red spot on Jupiter makes a number of transits this week as do Jupiters moons. Messier 52 and the nearby bubble nebula are the dark sky objects featured this week. M52 is easily found but dark skies and 10 inch or larger scope will be needed to view the bubble.

Blobrana · L

If you live somewhere fairly dark, it is a good week to trace the dim zodiac constellation Capricornus, currently the host constellation for Jupiter.

Read more

Blobrana · L

What's Up for September? Jupiter!

Click to Play | View Details

Blobrana · L

The king of the planets will get your attention in the Rochester southeast sky this month.
Jupiter reached its closest approach to Earth last month, something astronomers call opposition, but it's still 381 million miles away. Because Earth's and Jupiter's orbits are not exactly circular, Jupiter is the closest it's been to Earth since 1999. It's by far the largest planet in our solar system with an equatorial diameter of 88,000 miles, dwarfing our 8,000-mile-wide Earth.

Read more

Blobrana · L

On the 10th September, 2009, the Moon passes through the Pleiades, 15:00 UT.
The event is visible from Eastern Asia, Japan, Philippine Islands.

Expand (5kb, 560 x 420)
17:24 UT

Blobrana · L

I don't know when summer ends. The calendar says on Sept. 21, though that's debatable.
But I know how it ends.
The first hint of summer's end rains down with the Perseids in mid-August. The meteor shower is like some cosmic farmer slinging the seeds of Autumn across the Valley.
Read more