Moon, Jupiter Encounter!

The full Hunter Moon of October and its spring tides combined with Hurricane/Blizzard Sandy to make for an Atlantic Ocean that reached farther inland along the east coast than most anyone had ever seen. Sandy is headed north and as the southern skies clear that waning moon is sliding closer and closer to Jupiter.  If the skies clear for All Hallows Eve, trick or treaters will see the bright moon between the Pleiades and Jupiter. November 1st will be a treat with Jupiter sitting right above the moon.  Aldebaran is the red star just to the right (west) of Jupiter and while bright on it's own right is much dimmer than the king of the planets. The moon and Jupiter have even a closer encounter at month's end (28th) when the moon is full.  That full moon will also graze the earth's partial shadow (penumbra) for the western US.
The new moon on the 13th/14th will be lined up with the earth and sun and cast the shadow of a totally eclipsed sun on earth for the first time in over 2 years. You will either need to be in northern Australia or the southern Pacific to see this one. I wonder if late bookings are available for eclipse cruises?
The constellations of winter are rising earlier and earlier and there is less and less daylight so get out and check out the space around you, today on earth.

Quarter Moon and Jupiter

Quite a lovely spectacle presented in the wee hours of this Saturday: Jupiter just above the first quarter moon. Both far outshone the brightest star of Taurus, Aldebaran and Jupiter will continue to out shine the eye of the bull for some time to come. Jupiter is retrograding away from Aldebaran but will soon continue its westward movement rising earlier and earlier in the evening sky. The moon will be to the lower left of the king of the planets early Sunday morning on it slide toward a close encounter with Venus Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Venus is near the beehive in Cancer but the moon will wash that out for naked eye observers. Venus is up about 3 1/2 hours before the sun and more than 90 degrees away from Earth and in a gibbous phase.
Mars is now east of Saturn in the western sky at dusk, both barely 10 degrees above the horizon. Mars will stay there working eastward out of Virgo and into Libra by month's end while Saturn continues to slide into the sunset, gone by early October. The waxing crescent moon will pass by the evening planets around the time of the autumnal equinox, 10:49am EDT on the 22nd.
Clear skies and cool, dry air should make for a nice few days of sky gazing, get out and check our your world, today on earth.

Perseid Meteor Shower!!

As is often the case in early August, the first real breath of northern air will arrive in Virginia later today  clearing skies and dropping temps to near 60 for the Perseid meteor shower.  Tonight, by midnight and into the wee hours streaks of light will zoom across the sky as bits of dust left behind as comet Swift-Tuttle last orbited the sun. The comet won't be back until 2126 but every year Earth passes through the debris trail at this time in August and offers one of the more reliable showers of the year. At a meteor or two a minute, you probably won't have to wait long to see "shooting stars".
To watch a meteor shower is easy; put on some bug spray, set up a lounge chair or blanket in an open spot away from lights and lay back and look up into space. The quick movement will catch your eye. The shower is called the Perseids because the meteors, if traced back to a point of origin seem to come out of the constellation Perseus.  Don't worry about not knowing what Perseus looks like or where it is, the meteors will seem to come from everywhere.
While you're watching for meteors the constellations of summer will be your background: the 3 bright stars of the summer triangle will be overhead with the Milky Way running through the triangle if your location is truly dark, Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn will rule the south but by meteor time the big dipper will be below (or near) the northern horizon. The North Star will still be north, at the end of the little dipper handle. It should be a clear, cool evening; perfect for meteor watching and star gazing.
If you are up in the middle of the night (3am) the waning crescent moon will be hanging with Jupiter (higher) and Venus (lower). Check out the sky show tonight on Earth!!

Blue Moons for August

Tonight's FULL MOON at 11:27pm EDT means that August will have the new version of a Blue Moon on the 31st. Before becoming two full moons in one month (a Sky & Telescope mis-statement 70+ years ago) a blue moon was 4 full moons in a season. Summer will not have an old style blue moon.
Mars is still lower (to the west) of Saturn and Spica but will catch up with the star and the ringed world by mid-month as Earth leaves both behind in the solar circling. Watch their dance in the west as the sky darkens all month.  Early risers can watch Venus and Jupiter before the sun rises. On the 13th, in broad daylight, the thin waning crescent moon will occult Venus. Binoculars and a shady view of the western sky will be needed to watch it here in Va. Western observers will have an easier time viewing the blocking of the planet but will need at least binocs to find the moon and Venus in full daylight.

Last Quarter Moon, Venus Dives Lower!

The third quarter moon (5:37EDT) will rise tonight about 1am in Capricorn and will share the sky only with Saturn- still near Spica in Virgo - at that time. Venus will be long down as it speeds toward the June 5th slide across the sun and Mars - still hanging with Regulus in Leo - will be close to down by moonrise. They are all out there at sunset though, check them out it, should be a lovely night on earth.

Lovely Quarter Moon!!

Clear skies and a quarter moon make for a lovely evening of sky gazing. The moon has pulled away from bright Venus and is approaching Mars but is still one night away from its closest encounter this cycle. Jupiter is too close to the horizon to be easily seen, ducking directly behind the sun on May 13 but returning in late May as a morning star. Saturn, hanging with Spica in Virgo, rises quickly into the evening sky and will get the moon flyby on May 3rd & 4th. There is fine ring viewing in telescopes!!
Hope for clear skies for the June 5th, 6pm-ish start to Venus' last transit of the sun for 105 years.
Go out and look!!

Earth Shine Alert

The waxing crescent moon is in the earth shine zone for a few days.  Having just slid between the earth and sun and only showing us a sliver of it's light side the moon's dark side will be lit the next several days by light bouncing from the lighted earth to the dark moon and back: earth shine.  While the crescent gets noticed, a closer look will show the outline of the dark side of the moon. But, only for this week, as the moon approaches the first quarter, the sunny side will wash out the earth shine.
Venus still rules the west, Jupiter slips lower and lower below it, Mars shines red high in the southeast and Saturn is just peeking above the eastern horizon at sunset. 4 planets, scattered about the ecliptic at dark, check 'em out.

Winter Constellations Slip Away

The Winter Hexagon eases lower into the west each night as we continue our trip around the sun. Venus is actually just inside the Hexagon between Auriga and Aldebaran and far outshines all other evening stars and planets. Jupiter is about 15 degrees above the horizon as dark settles in and was hard to see in high clouds tossed ahead of the massive storm system that spawned over 120 tornadoes in the plains yesterday.  Mars, second only to Venus in brightness, is now higher than the Goddess of Love and glowing red-orange almost due south at dusk, just east of much dimmer Regulus, the heart of Leo.
Saturn is at opposition to earth today, directly behind us from the sun, and is rising low in the east in Virgo as the sun sets. While highest for viewing at 1am EDT, the giant ringed world is up all night tonight!!
It's still warm as June outside tonight, check it out.

Venus and Mars Rule the Evening Sky

Bright Venus continues to hang high in the west above Taurus' Aldebaran while reddish Mars is even higher in the southeast, still just below Leo's Regulus. Jupiter continues to fade lower each night in the western sky, losing its orbit race with the earth. Saturn rises just after sunset in the east, still outshining its neighbor Spica, alpha Virgo.
The waning gibbous moon makes for a bright midnight and early morning as it slides above Scorpio tonight and on toward the teapot of Sagittarius.
If the clouds stay away tonight get out and check out the setting constellation's of winter and the rising one's of spring.

Bright Planets, Big Moon

Venus continues to rule the western sky at dusk while its winter companion, Jupiter, continues to fall closer to the horizon as both Earth and Venus speed away from the King of the Planets.
Mars hangs to the left of Regulus near the lion's belly and outshines everything in the southern sky with the Moon sliding into its waning cycle after yesterday's full moon.
Saturn rises higher and earlier every night in Virgo, near half as bright Spica. Saturn will be directly behind the earth from the sun on April 15 and be up all night. The rings are tipped pretty well for viewing!!
Mercury is pulling away from us and will require binoculars for early morning risers.
The cool, dry air tonight will make for lovely star gazing.
Get out and look around!!

Jupiter Leaving and Saturn Arrives

Jupiter continues to sink lower in the west, where Venus still hangs brightly, outshining red Mars on the other side of the sky. The tiny, waning crescent moon is only visible late night or just before the sun and will be new just after the spring equinox. Look for earthshine this week!
The sun will cross the equator at 1:14 EDT Tuesday morning beginning spring in the northern hemisphere and fall in the southern. The north pole will see the sun for the first time in 6 months and the research station at the south pole will be locked down in the dark until the planet get back to "equal" in September. (I'm glad I'm not there! But they will have some fine stargazing.)
Hope your skies are clear and your neighbor's lights are off.

Clear, Cold Star (and Planet) Gazing

Tonight will be the last early sunset until November as we move to Daylight Savings Time at 2am Sunday. With clear, dry, cold skies it will be a spectacular night for gazing at the universe around us. The moon won't be up until well after dark making Venus, Jupiter and Mars that much more dominant in the early evening sky. Venus and Jupiter continue to draw closer to one another mid-way up in the west at sunset and red-orange Mars outshines all the stars above the opposite, eastern horizon.
Orion still sits center stage as dusk in the south, surrounded by the bright winter hexagon of Sirius, Procyon, Castor and Pollux, Capella, Aldebaran and lastly the left knee of the Hunter, Rigel. A later evening check of the sky reveals the Spring constellations rising in the east (with the waning gibbous moon) lead by Leo and Virgo with bright Saturn in tow.
The Great Bear awakens in the northeast with his hindquarters, the Big Dipper, returning to take command of the northern sky. The Dipper also acts as a guide to the spring sky (more to come on that one).
BUT, YA GOTTA GET OUT AND LOOK!!!

A Big Waxing Moon!!

A bright, waxing gibbous moon will wash out the dim stars but highlight the bright stars (and planets) of the winter sky over the next couple of nights.
Jupiter and Venus close in on each other in the west and Mars is up earlier and earlier in the east.  Orion is centered in the south at sunset and the winter hexagon will be easy to follow enclosing the Hunter.
Hope for clear skies!!

New Moon and Bright Stars

Tomorrow's New Moon will make for a stars only sky tonight and it's likely to be cold and clear out. Jupiter and Venus continue their approach, Venus winning the race around the sun battle, gets higher, Jupiter drops lower and it's hard to miss the bright pair in the west at dark. The waxing crescent moon will glide past them as it returns by mid-week and will be to the right of Mercury on Washington's real birthday, the 22nd, but you will need a viewing sight with a fine west view. Uranus was close to Venus 11 days ago but would take some work to find in the west now; telescope required.
Red Mars rises not long after sunset in the east in Leo, closing in on the lion's heart, Regulus, with Mars much brighter than the still bright star. It's hard to miss the red planet and it will be directly behind the Earth from the sun - opposition- on March 3rd.
Saturn rises in eastern Virgo about 10pm and compares nicely in brightness with Spica, the dominate star in the long, hard to figure constellation.
Get out and look, the winter sky is spectacular right now.  The winter hexagon, with Orion trapped inside is glorious as the sky darkens.

Moon in Scorpio

If you have been up early the last couple mornings you may have seen a lovely waning crescent moon approach and slide through Scorpio, just above the red supergiant Antares this morning and near the stinger  tomorrow morning. New Moon is early Sunday morning and next week the waxing crescent will approach and hang out with Venus, now the bright spot high in the west at sunset. Venus moves higher and Jupiter approaches, almost south at sunset. Mars is rising earlier and its red color jumps out when you see it near the head of Virgo; compare it to not far off Betelgeuse and Mars wins the redness award. Saturn is not far behind Mars and also bright near not quite as bright Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. It's rings are tilted nicely for telescope viewing (or a camera on a tripod with 20x zoom).
The bright stars of winter dominate the sky after dark, get out and look, just bundle up.

Catch a Clear Sky When You Can

Clear nights are scattered about in a central Va. winter so catch a look when you can; tonight may cloud back up ahead of rain tomorrow with clear skies likely returning by week's end. The waning gibbous moon slides into Cancer tonight on its way to a Fri/Sat flyby of Mars which is rising earlier and earlier in the winter evenings. Jupiter dominates the SE sky after dark in Pisces and continues its march toward bright Venus in the SW, still in Capricorn (and near Neptune - with a close encounter with Uranus coming in February). The 3/4 moon will be near Saturn for late night viewers Monday.
Orion and the bright stars of winter make any clear night a good one to check out the winter sky. Bundle up and check it out.