May 13, 2009

Planets:

1:00 AM …    The Moon will rise in the Southeast and travel across the south until sunrise.

10:00 PM …. Saturn will be in the Southwest. It will be at about 50° above the

                        horizon. Saturn will set in the West at around 4:00 AM.

4:00 AM …    Jupiter will rise from the Southeast just about 20° above the horizon before it is washed out by the sunrise. It will be to the left of the Moon.

4:00 AM …    Venus will peak out over the horizon in the East and may be visable in the increasing light of the sunrise. Venus, Jupiter and the Moon will form a line from the East to the South.  

Stars and Constellations:

10:00 PM …  Orion will be in the West Southwest at around 10° – 20°.

10:00 PM …  Cassiopeia will be in the North. It will look like a “W”.  Polaris is the bright star above Cassiopeia

10:00 PM …..Capella, a very bright star, will be at about 20° to the Northwest.  

10:00 PM …  The two brightest stars of the Gemini Constellation, Castor & Pollux, will be West Northwest at about 30° above the horizon. Pollus will be on the left and Castor on the right.  

10:00 PM …  Procyon is a bright star in the South Southwest at about 50°. Procyon, Serius & Betelgeuse form the Winter Triangle. The winter triangle will not be visable in the summer sky.

10:00 PM …  If you follow the arc of the Big Dipper’s handle, almost directly overhead, and you will come to a bright star; its Arcturus in the North. If you continue the arc, you will come to Spica at about 10° aboue the horizon in the South Southeast

Current Events:

The summer triangle will be visable, in the East, after Midnight.

·        12:00 AM….. Find the Summer Triangle.

Vega (East Northeast at 45°), Deneb (Northeast at 30°) and Altari (East at 15°).

9:00 PM …    The Moon will be in the West between Betelgeuse (in Orion) and the Castor & Pollux Genini twins. The Moon will set at about midnight.

9:00 PM ….  Saturn will be in the South. It will be at about 55°

above the horizon. Saturn will set in the West at around 4:00 AM.

5:00 AM …    Jupiter will rise from the Southeast just  about 20° above the horizon before it is washed out by the sunrise.

5:00 AM …    Venus will peak out over the horizon in the East and may be visable in the increasing light of the sunrise.   

Stars and Constellations:

9:00 PM …    Orion will be in the West Southwest at around 10° – 20°.

9:00 PM …    Sirius will be about 15° above the horizon. It will be to the left of Orion (follow a line from the three stars that form the “Belt of Orion”).

9:00 PM …    The Pleiades (7 sisters) star cluster will be visible in the West at about 15° above the horizon. It will be to the right of Orion; follow the belt of Orion until you see a small star cluster.

9:00 PM …    Cassiopeia will be in the North Northwest. Polaris is the bright star to the upper right of Cassiopeia.

9:00 PM …..  Capella, a very bright star, will be high overhead at about 40° to the West Northwest. It will be above and to the right of the Pleiades.

9:00 PM …    The two brightest stars of the Gemini Constellation, Castor & Pollux, will be West at about 70° above the horizon. Draw a line from Rigel & Betelgeuse (in Orion) and extend it upward and there will be the two bright stars of Gemini.

9:00 PM …    Procyon is a bright star in the South Southwest at about 50°. Procyon, Serius & Betelgeuse form the Winter Triangle.

10:00 PM …  If you follow the arc of the Big Dipper’s handle, almost directly overhead, and you will come to a bright star; its Arcturus in the East Southeast. If you continue the arc, you will come to Spica at about 20° aboue the horizon in the Southeast.

If the skys are clear, and it’s February 27^th, and you can see to the West… You will be in for a very pleasant celestial observation. The Crescent moon and Veneus will move into conjunction. We have been watching Venus in the evening sky shining brightly, even in the bright sky of dusk, for a while now. Now, this bright object, so near the crescent moon, will frame a truly special picture. It will only be seen on the evening of February 27^th so keep an eye out.

February 17, 2009

Planets:

5:00 AM ….   The Moon will be rising  in the South at about 30° above the Horizon.

6:00 PM…..   Venus will be very bright in the South Southwest just at 30° above the horizon. Venus will set at around  8:00 PM.  

9:00 PM ….  Saturn will be rising from the East, It will be at about 20° above the  

                        Horizon. Saturn will be high in the Southern Sky ( about 55°) at

                        about 1:00 AM and set at around Sunrise.

Stars and Constellations: 

2:00 AM …    A very bright star, Vega, will be in the Northeast at about 20° above the horizon. These are the last days of the Summer Triangle consisting of Deneb, Altair and Vega. They will be visable at about 5:00 AM.

7:00 PM …    Orion will be overhead in the South at about 50°.

9:00 PM …    Orion will be at 40° above the Horizon in the Southwest

9:00 PM …    Sirius will be about 30° above the horizon. It will be to the left of Orion (follow a line from the three stars that form the “Belt of Orion”).

9:00 PM …    The Pleiades (7 sisters) star cluster will be visible in the West Northwest at about 45° above the horizon. It will be to the right of Orion; follow the belt of Orion until you see a small star cluster.

9:00 PM …    Cassiopeia will be in the Northwest. Polaris is the bright star to the right of Cassiopeia.

9:00 PM …..  Capella, a very bright star, will be high  overhead at about 70° to the West. It will be above the Pleiades.

9:00 PM …    The two brightest stars of the Gemini Constellation, Castor & Pollex, will be in the Southeast. Draw a line from Rigel & Betelgeuse (in Orion) and extend it to the left and there will be the two bright stars of Gemini.

Stars and Constellations:
8:00 PM …The Big Dipper will be North Northwest (NNW) at about 20°.
8:00 PM…If you follow the arc of the handle of Big Dipper, you will come to a bright star. It is Arcturus and it will be at about 15° above the horizon in the West Northwest.
9:00 PM …Vega, a very bright star, will be visible, most of the night, high in the sky. Look straight up and to the West.
9:00 PM…Cassiopeia (makes a big “W”) will be in the Northeast at about 50° above the horizon. The “W” will be on it’s side.

Current Events:
9:00 PM….. Find the Summer Triangle. Vega, Deneb and Altair. Look Straight
overhead and to the south. Deneb will be almost at the Zenith. Vega will be to the West and Altair will be to the left of Vega at about 60°. They will form a triangle.
11:00 PM …The Pleiades will be rising in the East at about 30°.
2:00 AM …..Below the Pleiades, you will find Aldebaran at about 50°
just rising over the horizon, Orion will be in the East Southeast at about 30°. Just to the left of the Orion will be Castor & Pollux (the twins) in Gemini. Look to the East Northeast.

• 7:30    PM … The Moon will set in the West Southwest at about 10°.   If you have    a clear horizon, you could also see Venus to the West.

·         12:00 AM …  Jupiter will be rising in the South at about 25° above the

 horizon.  It will be unmistakenly bright.

 Stars and Constellations: 

• 9:30 PM …    The Big Dipper will be North Northwest (NNW)  at about 30°.  If you follow the arc of the handle of Big Dipper, you will come to a bright star, Arcturus.
• 9:30 PM…     Arcturus will be a bright star at about 20° above the horizon in the West. At about 7:30 PM, if you continue the arc of the Big Dipper and Arcturus, you come to Spica in the West Southwest just above the horizon & to the left of the setting moon.

·         9:30 PM …    Vega, a very bright star, will be visible most of the night 

high in the sky. Look straight up and to the West Southwest.

·         9:30 PM…     Cassiopeia (makes a big “W”) will be in the Northeast

                        at about 40° above the horizon. The “W” will be on it’s side.

Current Events:     

·         9:30 PM….. Find the Summer Triangle. Vega, Deneb and Altari. Look

Straight overhead and to the south. Deneb and Vega will be left and right of each other and Altari will be below (forming a triangle).

·         1:30 AM …    The Pleiades will be rising in the East at about 40°. Below

the Pleiades, you will find Aldebaran at about 20° and just peaking over the horizon, Orion will be in the ESE at sunrise (about 4:40 AM).

Note: Stars “twinkle” since they are essentially a “point source” of light seen from tremendous distances. Planets will not “twinkle” because they are much closer and reflect our own Sun’s light. 

From Sunset and all thru the night, Jupiter and the Moon will make a terrific pair. Look in the South East at Sunset and to the south at around Midnight. This view is for Thursday the 17th. Each night, Jupiter will be farther to the right of the moon. Enjoy how bright Jupiter is dispite the brightness of the full moon.

Watch for the ISS flyovers in the next week or so. While most of the time, the ISS will be seen only about 30 degrees above the horizon, it will be very bright and unmistakable in it’s movement. Notice that on the 21st. the ISS will be very high in the Sky. Watch for this, it’s worth it.

On July 4^th at sunset,  aprox.  8:45 PM, look to the West and see Saturn, Mars, Regulus and the Moon in a nice line. They will be low on the horizon so look for a place that has an unobstructed view of the western horizon. Once the sun sets look for bursting colors and pyrotechnics in the night sky. Happy 4^th  !