November Celestial Calendar by Dave Mitsky
All times are UT (subtract five hours after DST ends and, when appropriate, one calendar day)
11/1 Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends today; asteroid 8 Flora (magnitude +8.1) is at opposition in the constellation of Cetus at 6:00; Mercury is 4.0 degrees northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 20:00
11/2 Mercury is at perihelion (0.3075 astronomical units from the Sun) at 3:00; the Moon is 5.8 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 12:00; Jupiter and Saturn are at heliocentric conjunction (longitude 301.8 degrees) at 19:00; the equation of time is at a maximum of 16.49 minutes at 21:00
11/3 The Moon is 4.5 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 6:00; Mercury is stationary, with prograde (direct) or eastern motion to resume, at 8:00
11/4 The Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 80.3 degrees) at 3:00; the Moon is 7.5 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Castor (Alpha Geminorum) at 15:00
11/5 The Moon is 0.2 degrees north of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 2:00; the peak of the Southern Taurid meteor shower (a zenithal hourly rate of 10 per hour) is predicted to occur at 6:00
11/6 The Moon is 3.8 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 20:00
11/7 The Moon is 2.5 degrees north-northeast of the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) in Cancer at 22:00
11/8 Asteroid 3 Juno is in conjunction with the Sun at 9:00; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 13:46
11/9 The Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 2:21; the Moon is 4.4 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 14:00
11/10 Mercury is at greatest western elongation (19.1 degrees) at 17:00
11/12 The peak of the Northern Taurid meteor shower (a zenithal hourly rate of 15 per hour) is predicted to occur at 5:00; Mercury is at its northernmost latitude from the ecliptic plane (7.0 degrees) at 8:00
11/13 Mars and Uranus are at heliocentric conjunction (longitude 38.8 degrees) at 0:00; the Moon is 2.8 degrees north-northeast of Venus at 1:00; the Moon is 6.4 degrees north-northeast of Spica at 8:00; the Moon is 1.6 degrees northeast of Mercury at 23:00
11/14 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 33' 23" from a distance of 357,837 kilometers (222,350 miles), at 11:43
11/15 New Moon (lunation 1211) occurs at 5:07; Mars is stationary at 19:00
11/16 The Moon is 5.5 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 9:00; Venus is 3.8 degrees north-northeast of Spica at 20:00
11/17 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 260.1 degrees) at 0:00; the peak of the Leonid meteor shower (a zenithal hourly rate of 15 per hour) is predicted to occur at 12:00
11/19 The Moon is 2.5 degrees southeast of Jupiter at 10:00; the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn lie within a circle with a diameter of 3.8 degrees at 13:00; the Moon is 2.8 degrees southeast of Saturn at 16:00
11/21 Venus is at its northernmost latitude from the ecliptic plane (3.4 degrees) at 10:00; the Moon is at a maximum libration for the year (9.4 degrees) at 20:00; the Sun is at an ecliptic longitude of 240 degrees at 21:00
11/22 First Quarter Moon occurs at 4:45; the Lunar X (Purbach or Werner Cross), an X-shaped clair-obscur illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to occur at 14:54
11/23 The Sun enters the constellation of Scorpius (ecliptic longitude 241.1 degrees) at 0:00; the Moon is 4.2 degrees southeast of Neptune at 16:00
11/26 The Moon is 4.5 degrees southeast of Mars at 1:00
11/27 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 26" from a distance of 405,894 kilometers (252,211 miles)
at 0:29; the Moon 3.1 degrees southeast of Uranus at 20:00
11/28 The Moon is 5.8 degrees southeast of M45 at 19:00; the Sun enters the constellation of Ophiuchus (ecliptic longitude 248.1 degrees) at 20:00
11/29 Neptune is stationary, with prograde or eastern motion to resume, at 9:00
11/30 A penumbral eclipse of the Moon begins at 7:32; Full Moon, known as the Beaver or Frost Moon, occurs at 9:30; the Moon is 4.5 degrees north of Aldebaran at 12:00
Edmund Halley, William Herschel, Harlow Shapley, and Edwin Hubble were born this month.
Copernicus observes a lunar eclipse on November 5, 1500. Wolfgang Schuler independently discovers Tycho’s Supernova on November 6, 1572. Cornelius Gemma independently discovers Tycho’s Supernova on November 9, 1572. Tycho Brahe observes Tycho’s Supernova on November 11, 1572. SN 1604 (Kepler’s Supernova) becomes visible to the unaided eye on October 9, 1604. Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc makes the first telescopic observations of M42 (the Orion Nebula) on November 26, 1610. Jan de Munck discovers Comet C/1743 X1 (the Great Comet of 1744) on November 29, 1743. Captain James Cook observes a transit of Mercury from New Zealand on November 9, 1769. William Herschel discovers the ring galaxy NGC 922 on November 17, 1784. E.E. Barnard discovers the emission nebula NGC 281 (the Pacman Nebula) on November 16, 1881. The first photograph of a meteor was taken on November 26, 1885. The minor planet/comet 2060 Chiron or 95P/Chiron was discovered by Charles Kowal on November 1, 1977.
The peaks of the Southern and Northern Taurid meteor showers take place on November 6th and November 12th respectively but will be severely compromised by bright moonlight. These streams form part of the complex associated with Comet 2P/Encke. The Leonid meteor shower occurs on the night of November 17th/18th. Leonid meteors are debris from the periodic comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, which last reached perihelion in 1998. Due to their high speed (71 kilometers or 44 miles per second), the fastest of any meteor shower, the Leonids produce more fireballs than most showers. Browse https://earthsky.org/?p=53077 for information on the 2020 Leonids. An article on the Northern and Southern Taurids and the Leonids can be found on page 50 of the November 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope. The minor Alpha Monocerotid and November Orionid meteor showers occur on November 21st and November 28th respectively. See https://www.skyandte...howers-in-2020/ for information on 2020’s better meteor showers.
Information on passes of the ISS, the X-37B, the HST, Starlink, and other satellites can be found at http://www.heavens-above.com/
The Moon is 15.0 days old, is 100.0% illuminated, subtends 29.7 arc minutes, and resides in Aries on November 1st at 0:00 UT. The Moon reaches its greatest northern declination on November 6th (+24.8 degrees) and its greatest southern declination on November 18th (-24.7 degrees). Longitudinal libration is at a maximum of +7.5 degrees on November 20th and a minimum of -7.4 degrees on November 8th. Latitudinal libration is at a maximum of +6.8 degrees on November 24th and a minimum of -6.7 degrees on November 11th. Favorable librations for the following lunar features occur on the indicated dates: Lacus Veris on November 5th, Crater Shaler on November 8th, Crater Schickard on November 11th, and Crater Vestime on November 21st. The Moon is at perigee (a distance of 56.11 Earth-radii) on November 14th and at apogee (a distance of 63.64 Earth-radii) on November 27th. New Moon occurs on November 15th. Large tides will take place for several days thereafter. The fourth lunar eclipse of the year, the 58th of Saros 116, occurs on November 30th. This penumbral eclipse will be fully visible from northwestern Europe, the North Atlantic Ocean, most of North America, Central America, the Pacific Ocean, and parts of Asia. Greatest eclipse occurs near the Hawaiian Islands at 9:42:52 UT1. See page 48 of the November 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope and http://www.eclipsewi...ml#LE2020Nov30N for additional information on the eclipse. Consult http://www.lunar-occ...ota/iotandx.htm for information on lunar occultation events. Visit https://saberdoesthe...does-the-stars/ for tips on spotting extreme crescent Moons and http://www.curtrenz.com/moon06.html for Full Moon data. Consult http://time.unitariu...moon/where.html or download http://www.ap-i.net/avl/en/start for current information on the Moon. Visit https://www.fourmila...odMJtNWK1OLMxYk for a list of lunar maria and https://upload.wikim...tCZImsof8HUNAKI for a simple map of the Moon showing the most prominent maria. See https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4768 for a lunar phase and libration calculator and https://quickmap.lro...UTBbSfI0yq8iioA for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Quickmap. Click on https://www.calendar...r/2020/november for a lunar phase calendar for this month. Times and dates for the lunar crater light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occ...o/rays/rays.htm
The Sun is located in Libra on November 1st at 0:00 UT. It moves into Scorpius on November 23rd and Ophiuchus on November 28th.
Brightness, apparent size, illumination, distance from the Earth in astronomical units, and location data for the planets and Pluto on November 1st: Mercury (magnitude +1.6, 9.0”, 14% illuminated, 0.75 a.u., Virgo), Venus (magnitude -4.0, 13.1", 81% illuminated, 1.27 a.u., Virgo), Mars (magnitude -2.1, 20.1", 98% illuminated, 0.47 a.u., Pisces), Jupiter (magnitude -2.2, 37.0", 99% illuminated, 5.33 a.u., Sagittarius), Saturn (magnitude +0.6, 16.3", 100% illuminated, 10.17 a.u., Sagittarius), Uranus (magnitude +5.7, 3.7", 100% illuminated, 18.83 a.u. on November 16th, Aries), Neptune (magnitude +7.9, 2.3", 100% illuminated, 29.51 a.u. on November 16th, Aquarius), and Pluto (magnitude +14.3, 0.1", 100% illuminated, 34.42 a.u. on November 16th, Sagittarius).
During the evening, Mars and Uranus are in the east, Jupiter and Saturn in the south, and Neptune in the southeast. Mars and Uranus lie in the southwest and Neptune in the west at midnight. Mercury and Venus are located in the east and Uranus in the west the morning sky.
A very thin crescent Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Spica form a trapezoid in the east-southeast on the morning of November 13th.
Mercury is visible in the eastern morning sky for the entire month. Northern hemisphere observers are favored. It brightens from magnitude +1.6 to magnitude -0.7 during November. The speediest planet increases in illumination from 14%, when it will appear as a tiny crescent, to 95%, while shrinking in apparent size from 9.0 to 5.0 arc seconds. Mercury shines at magnitude -0.6 when it attains greatest western elongation on November 10th and is at its greatest heliocentric latitude north on November 12th. The waning crescent Moon passes two degrees north of Mercury on November 13th. Mercury will rise almost an hour before the Sun as November ends.
Venus does not change much in brightness or angular size during November. The brightest planet lies just 20 arc minutes from the fourth-magnitude star Zaniah (Eta Virginis) on November 1st. The waxing crescent Moon passes three degrees north of Venus on November 15th.
As the Earth pulls away from the Mars, it fades from magnitude -2.1 to magnitude -1.1, decreases in angular size from 20.1 to 14.8 arc seconds, and changes in phase from 98% to 92% illumination. Mars continues to retrograde until it reaches its second stationary point on November 15th. The waxing gibbous Moon passes five degrees south of the Red Planet on November 25th. The next time that Mars will achieve an apparent diameter greater than 20.0 arc seconds will be in 2033. Articles on Mars appear on pages 44 to 47 of the October issue of Astronomy and pages 48 to 50 of the October 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope. See https://curtrenz.com/mars.html for more on the 2020-2021 Martian perihelic apparition. Click on https://skyandtelesc...ide-is-visible/ in order to determine what Martian surface features are visible.
Jupiter dims from magnitude -2.2 to magnitude -2.0 and shrinks in angular size from 37.0 to 34.5 arc seconds over the course of November. The gap between Jupiter and Saturn decreases from 5.1 degrees to 2.3 degrees this month as the two gas giants head for a historic conjunction next month. Jupiter and Saturn are at heliocentric conjunction on November 2nd. The waxing crescent Moon passes two degrees south of Jupiter on November 19th. Information on Great Red Spot transit times and Galilean satellite events is available on pages 50 and 51 of the November 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope and online at http://www.skyandtel...watching-tools/ and https://www.projectp....com/jevent.htm
At midmonth, Saturn's globe subtends 16 arc seconds and its rings are inclined by 22 degrees. The waxing crescent Moon passes three degrees south of Saturn on November 19th. Eighth-magnitude Titan is due north of Saturn on November 3rd and November 20th and due south of the planet on November 11th and November 27th. Iapetus shines at magnitude +10.2 when it reaches greatest western elongation eight arc minutes due west of Saturn on November 4th. The peculiar satellite dims to almost eleventh magnitude on November 25th when it is at superior conjunction. For information on the positions of Saturn’s major satellites, browse http://www.skyandtel...-watching-tools
On November 1st, Uranus is located three degrees southeast of the variable carbon star TX Piscium (19 Piscium). The ice giant is just one day past opposition on that date and is visible for the entire night. The gap decreases to 2.5 degrees by the end of the month. As Phil Harrington describes in the article appearing at https://www.cloudyni...ng-uranus-r3263, Uranus can be seen without optical aid from a dark site. The waxing gibbous Moon passes three degrees south of Neptune on November 27th. Visit http://www.nakedeyep....com/uranus.htm for a finder chart.
Neptune is positioned less than one degree from the fourth-magnitude star Phi Aquarii in eastern Aquarius for the entire month. By November 29th, Neptune has moved to its stationary point just 44 arc minutes east-northeast of the star. The waxing gibbous Moon passes five degrees south of Neptune on November 23rd. Browse http://www.nakedeyep...com/neptune.htm for a finder chart.
Finder charts for Uranus and Neptune are also available at https://skyandtelesc...W_WebFinder.pdf and an article on observing the ice giants is posted at https://skyandtelesc...une-and-uranus/
The faint dwarf planet Pluto lies just 41 arc minutes south of Jupiter in northeastern Sagittarius on November 12th. Finder charts for Pluto can be found at pages 48 and 49 of the July 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope and on page 243 of the RASC Observer’s Handbook 2020.
For more on the planets and how to locate them, see http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/
Comet 88P/Howell shines at ninth magnitude as it heads eastward through Sagittarius during November. It passes just south of the second-magnitude star Nunki (Sigma Sagittarii) on November 1st and north of the globular cluster M54 on November 1st and November 2nd. The periodic comet is located south of Jupiter on November 14th, south of Saturn on November 18th, and south of the globular cluster M75 on November 20th and November 21st. For additional information on comets visible this month, browse http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/ and http://www.aerith.ne...t/future-n.html
A list of the closest approaches of comets to the Earth is posted at http://www.cometogra.../nearcomet.html
The dwarf planet/asteroid 1 Ceres shines at ninth magnitude as it travels north-eastward through southern Aquarius this month. It passes about a degree south of the large planetary nebula NGC 7293 (the Helix Nebula) on November 19th and lies within a degree of NGC 7293 from November 18th through November 24th. Asteroid 8 Flora (magnitude +8.1) lies approximately one degree west of Gamma Ceti (magnitude +3.5) when it reaches opposition on November 1st and glides westward through Cetus for the remainder of the month. Asteroid 51 Nemausa (magnitude +10.8) is at opposition in Taurus on November 25th. For information on this year’s bright asteroids and upcoming asteroid occultation events respectively, consult https://curtrenz.com/asteroids.html and http://asteroidoccultation.com/
A wealth of current information on solar system celestial bodies is posted at http://nineplanets.org/ and https://curtrenz.com/astronomy.html
Information on the celestial events transpiring each week can be found at http://astronomy.com/skythisweek and http://www.skyandtel...ky-at-a-glance/
Two stars with exoplanetary systems, Upsilon Andromedae (magnitude +4.1) and 51 Andromedae (magnitude +5.5), can be seen this month without optical aid.
The famous eclipsing variable star Algol (Beta Persei) is at a minimum, decreasing in brightness from magnitude +2.1 to magnitude +3.4, on November 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 24th, 27th, and 30th. Consult http://www.skyandtel...watching-tools/ and page 50 of the November 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope for the times of the eclipses. Algol is at minimum brightness for observers in North America for about two hours centered at 12:11 a.m. EST on November 13th and at 9:00 p.m. EST on November 15th. The chance of seeing Algol at least one magnitude fainter than normal on a random night is about 1 in 30. For more on Algol, see http://stars.astro.i.../sow/Algol.html and http://solstation.co...ars2/algol3.htm
Free star charts for the month can be downloaded at http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html and https://www.telescop...thly-Star-Chart and http://whatsouttonight.com/
Data on current supernovae can be found at http://www.rochester...y.org/snimages/
Finder charts for the Messier objects and other deep-sky objects are posted at https://freestarcharts.com/messier and https://freestarcharts.com/ngc-ic and https://www.cambridg...ctober-december
Telrad finder charts for the Messier Catalog and the SAC’s 110 Best of the NGC are posted at http://www.custerobs...cs/messier2.pdf and http://sao64.free.fr...ataloguesac.pdf respectively.
Information pertaining to observing some of the more prominent Messier galaxies can be found at http://www.cloudynig...ur-astronomers/
Author Phil Harrington offers an excellent freeware planetarium program for binocular observers known as TUBA (Touring the Universe through Binoculars Atlas), which also includes information on purchasing binoculars, at http://www.philharrington.net/tuba.htm
Stellarium and Cartes du Ciel are useful freeware planetarium programs that are available at http://stellarium.org/ and https://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/start
Deep-sky object list generators can be found at http://www.virtualcolony.com/sac/ and http://tonightssky.com/MainPage.php and https://telescopius.com/
Freeware sky atlases of varying "depth" can be downloaded at http://www.deepskywa...nter-atlas.html and http://www.olle-erik...night-sky-maps/ and https://allans-stuff...ude-star-atlas/
Seventy binary and multiple stars for November: Otto Struve 514, Alpha Andromedae (Alpheratz), Struve 3, h1947, Struve 19, Struve 24, 26 Andromedae, Struve 40, Pi Andromedae, Delta Andromedae, Struve 47, Eta Andromedae, Struve 79, Beta Andromedae (Mirach), Struve 108, Struve 179, South 404 (Andromeda); 1 Arietis, Struve 178, Gamma Arietis, Lambda Arietis (Mesarthim) (Aries); Struve 3053, Struve 3057, Struve 16, Struve 30, Otto Struve 16, Alpha Cassiopeiae (Schedar), Struve 59, Eta Cassiopeiae, Burnham 1, Struve 70, Otto Struve 23, h1088, Struve 163, Struve 170, Struve 182 (Cassiopeia); 34 Piscium, Struve 8, 35 Piscium, Struve 15, 38 Piscium, 42 Piscium, 49 Piscium, 51 Piscium, 55 Piscium, 65 Piscium, Psi Piscium, Otto Struve 22, Struve 98, Otto Struve 26, Phi Piscium, Zeta Piscium, h636, Otto Struve 30, Struve 122, Struve 132, Otto Struve 31, 100 Piscium, Struve 145, 107 Piscium, h644 (Pisces); h5440, Kappa-1 Sculptoris, h1949, h3442, h3379, Tau Sculptoris, Epsilon Sculptoris (Sculptor); Struve 143, Struve 183 (Triangulum)
Notable carbon star for November: Z Piscium
Seventy deep-sky objects for November: M31, M32, M110, NGC 252, NGC 404, NGC 752 (Andromeda); NGC 680, NGC 691, NGC 697, NGC 772 (Aries); Cr 463, IC 1747, K14, M103, NGC 129, NGC 133, NGC 146, NGC 185, NGC 225, NGC 281, NGC 278, NGC 381, NGC 436, NGC 457, NGC 559, NGC 637, NGC 654, NGC 659, NGC 663, Tr 1 (Cassiopeia); NGC 40, NGC 188 (Cepheus); NGC 151, NGC 175, NGC 178, NGC 210, NGC 227, NGC 245, NGC 246, NGC 247, NGC 274, NGC 337, NGC 578, NGC 584, NGC 596, NGC 615, NGC 636, NGC 681, NGC 720, NGC 779 (Cetus); NGC 7814 (Pegasus); M76, St 4 (Perseus); M74, NGC 128, NGC 194, NGC 488, NGC 524 (Pisces); NGC 24, NGC 55, NGC 134, NGC 150, NGC 253, NGC 254, NGC 288, NGC 289, NGC 439, NGC 613 (Sculptor); M33, NGC 672 (Triangulum)
Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for November: M31, M33, M103, NGC 225, NGC 288, NGC 253, NGC 457, NGC 654, NGC 663, NGC 752
Top ten deep-sky objects for November: M31, M32, M33, M76, M103, M110, NGC 40, NGC 253, NGC 457, NGC 752
Challenge deep-sky object for November: IC 59 (Cassiopeia)
The objects listed above are located between 0:00 and 2:00 hours of right ascension.
9/1 The equation of time, which yields the difference between mean solar time and apparent solar time, equals 0 at 2:00
9/2 Full Moon (known as the Barley, Corn, or Fruit Moon) occurs at 5:22; asteroid 2 Pallas is stationary at 13:00
9/3 The Moon is 3.9 degrees southeast of Neptune at 1:00
9/4 The Martian winter solstice occurs at 4:00
9/6 The Moon is 0.03 degrees north of Mars, with an occultation occurring in southern Europe, northern Africa, Cape Verde Island, and central and northeastern South America, at 5:00; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 28" from a distance of 405,607 kilometers (252,032 miles), at 6:29
9/7 The Moon is 3.0 degrees south of Uranus at 4:00
9/8 Mercury is at the descending node through the ecliptic plane at 18:00
9/9 The Moon is 6.2 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in the constellation of Taurus at 0:00; the Moon is 4.1 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 18:00; Mars is stationary at 18:00
9/10 Last Quarter Moon occurs at 9:26; the Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 85.2 degrees) at 23:00
9/11 The Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 00:32; asteroid 19 Fortuna (magnitude +9.4) is at opposition in the constellation of Pisces at 7:00; the Moon is 0.3 degrees south of the bright open cluster M35 in the constellation of Gemini at 13:00; Neptune (magnitude +7.8, angular size 2.3") is at opposition at 20:00
9/13 Jupiter is stationary, with prograde (direct or eastward) motion to resume at 0:00; the Moon is 7.9 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Castor (Alpha Geminorum) at 0:00; the Moon is 4.3 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 5:00; Venus is 2.3 degrees south of the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) in the constellation of Cancer at 10:00
9/14 The Moon is 2.1 degrees north-northeast of M44 at 5:00; the Moon, Venus, and M44 lie within a circle with a diameter of 4.4 degrees at 6:00; a double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Callisto's shadow follows Io's) begins at 6:57; the Moon is 4.4 degrees north-northeast of Venus at 7:00; Jupiter is at its southernmost declination at 20:00
9/15 The Moon is 4.1 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 19:00
9/16 The Sun enters the constellation of Virgo, at longitude 174.2 degrees on the ecliptic, at 14:00
9/17 New Moon (lunation 1209) occurs at 11:00
9/18 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 33' 17" from a distance of 359,082 kilometers (223,123 miles), at 13:48
9/19 The Moon is 5.9 degrees north-northeast of Mercury at 3:00; Mercury is at aphelion (0.4667 astronomical units from the Sun) at 3:00; the Moon 6.4 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 10:00
9/22 Mercury is 0.3 degrees northeast of Spica at 12:00; the Sun's longitude is 180 degrees at 13:31; the northern hemisphere autumnal equinox occurs at 13:31; the Moon is 5.8 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 14:00
9/23 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 263.9 degrees) at 13:00
9/24 First Quarter Moon occurs at 1:55; the Lunar X, also known as the Werner or Purbach Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscur illumination effect involving various ridges and crater rims located between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to be fully formed at 13:09
9/25 The Moon is 1.6 degrees south of Jupiter at 7:00; the Moon is 2.3 degrees south of Saturn at 22:00
9/26 Venus at ascending node through the ecliptic plane at 22:00
9/29 Saturn is stationary, with prograde (direct or eastward) motion to resume, at 3:00
9/30 Asteroid 68 Leto (magnitude +9.6) is at opposition in the constellation of Cetus at 3:00; the Moon is 3.9 degrees southeast of Neptune at 6:00
Nicolas Louis de Lacaille and Johann Gottfried Galle were born this month.
Jean-Dominique Maraldi discovered the globular cluster M15 on September 7, 1746. On September 11, 1746, Jean-Dominique Maraldi discovered the globular cluster M2. Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille discovered NGC 104 (47 Tucanae), the second largest and brightest globular cluster, on September 14th, 1751. William Herschel discovered the barred spiral galaxy NGC 7753 on September 12, 1784. William Herschel discovered the Saturnian satellite Mimas on September 17, 1789. Comet C/1793 S2 (Messier) was discovered by Charles Messier on September 27th, 1793. Karl Harding discovered asteroid 3 Juno on September 1, 1804. Neptune was discovered by Johann Gottfried Galle on September 23, 1846, using Urbain Le Verrier’s calculations of its position. On September 19, 1848, William Bond discovered Saturn’s fourteenth-magnitude satellite Hyperion, the first irregular moon to be discovered. On September 13, 1850, John Russell Hind discovered the asteroid 12 Victoria. E. E. Barnard discovered Jupiter’s fifth satellite, fourteenth-magnitude Amalthea, using the 36-inch refractor at the Lick Observatory, on September 9, 1892.
Only very minor meteor showers occur this month.
Information on passes of the ISS, the USAF’s X-37B, the HST, Starlink, and other satellites can be found at http://www.heavens-above.com/
The Moon is 12.7 days old, subtends 30.4 arc minutes, is illuminated 98.1%, and is located in Capricornus on September 1st at 0:00 UT. The Moon is at its greatest northern declination (+24.3 degrees) on September 12th and its greatest southern declination (-24.4 degrees) on September 25th. Longitudinal libration is at a maximum of +7.1 degrees on September 25th and a minimum of -7.2 degrees on September 13th. Latitudinal libration is at a maximum of +6.5 degrees on September 3rd and a minimum of -6.5 degrees on September 17th. Favorable librations for the following lunar features occur on the indicated dates: Crater Compton on September 1st, Vallis Bouvard on September 14th, Crater Oken on September 21st, and Crater Humboldt on September 22nd. Parts of the eastern limb like Mare Marginis and the craters Goddard and Neper will be visible due to a favorable libration beginning on September 19th. New Moon occurs on September 17th. Large tides will occur for several days thereafter. The Moon is at apogee (63.59 Earth-radii distant) on September 6th and at perigee (56.30 Earth-radii distant) on September 18th. The Moon occults Mars on September 6th from certain parts of the world. Browse http://www.lunar-occ...ota/iotandx.htm for information on this event and other upcoming lunar occultations. Visit https://saberdoesthe...does-the-stars/ for tips on spotting extreme crescent Moons and http://www.curtrenz.com/moon06.html for Full Moon data. Consult http://time.unitariu...moon/where.html or download http://www.ap-i.net/avl/en/start for current information on the Moon. Visit https://www.fourmila...odMJtNWK1OLMxYk for a list of lunar maria and https://upload.wikim...tCZImsof8HUNAKI for a simple map of the Moon showing the most prominent maria. See https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4768 for a lunar phase and libration calculator and https://quickmap.lro...2vIBvAXwF1SizSg for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Quickmap. Click on https://www.calendar.../2020/september for a lunar phase calendar for this month. Times and dates for the lunar crater light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occ...o/rays/rays.htm
The zodiacal light, or the false dawn, is visible about two hours before sunrise from a dark site for two weeks beginning on September 15th. It can be seen in Leo, Cancer, Gemini, and Taurus. Articles on the zodiacal light appear at http://www.atoptics....ighsky/zod1.htm and http://oneminuteastr...zodiacal-light/
The Sun is located in Leo on September 1st. It enters Virgo on September 16th. The Sun crosses the celestial equator from north to south at 13:31 UT on September 22nd, the date of the autumnal equinox.
Brightness, apparent size, illumination, distance from the Earth in astronomical units, and location data for the planets and Pluto on September 1st: Mercury (magnitude -0.6, 5.0", 92% illuminated, 1.34 a.u., Leo), Venus (magnitude -4.3., 19.5", 60% illuminated, 0.86 a.u., Gemini), Mars (magnitude -1.8, 18.9", 92% illuminated, 0.50 a.u., Pisces), Jupiter (magnitude -2.6, 44.3", 99% illuminated, 4.45 a.u., Sagittarius), Saturn (magnitude +0.3, 18.0", 100% illuminated, 9.24 a.u., Sagittarius), Uranus (magnitude +5.7, 3.7", 100% illuminated, 19.08 a.u. on September 16th, Aries), Neptune (magnitude +7.8, 2.4", 100% illuminated, 28.93 a.u. on September 16th, Aquarius), and Pluto (magnitude +14.3, 0.1", 100% illuminated, 33.40 a.u. on September 16th, Sagittarius).
During the month of September, Mercury is located in the west, Jupiter and Saturn in the south, and Neptune in the east during the evening. At midnight, Mars and Uranus can be found in the east, Jupiter and Saturn in the southwest, and Neptune in the south. Venus is in the east, Mars and Uranus in the southwest, and Neptune is in the west in the morning sky.
This month, for the first time in decades, four planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) are all nearly at their best.
Mercury lies low in the west and sets less than 50 minutes after sunset as the month ends. The waxing crescent Moon passes six degrees north of Mercury on September 19th. Mercury passes within 0.7 degrees of Spica on September 21st. The two very different celestial objects are only five degrees in altitude 20 minutes after the Sun sets.
During September, Venus attains an altitude of almost 40 degrees in the mid-northern latitudes. It rises at approximately 3:00 a.m. local daylight-saving time on September 1st. The brightest planet is located in Gemini as September begins, crosses through Cancer, and ends the month in Leo. Venus decreases in brightness from magnitude -4.3 to magnitude -4.1, decreases in apparent size from 19.5 arc second to 15.6 arc seconds, and increases in illumination from 60% to 71%. At the time that the waning crescent Moon passes four degrees north of Venus on the morning of September 14th, the planet lies 2.5 degrees south of the large open cluster M44 in Cancer.
Mars rises about two hours after sunset as September begins and culminates around 4:00 a.m. local daylight-saving time. It brightens from magnitude -1.8 to magnitude -2.5, making it a bit brighter than Jupiter, and increases in angular size from 18.9 arc seconds to 22.4 arc seconds this month. Mars attains a maximum altitude of almost 60 degrees from mid-northern latitudes in the United States. The waning gibbous Moon passes very close to the Red Planet on the morning of September 6th, with an occultation taking place in certain parts of the world. Mars reaches its first stationary point approximately five degrees north of the fourth-magnitude star Alrescha (Alpha Piscium) on September 9th and then begins a retrograde loop. Prominent Martian surface features visible at 2:00 a.m. local daylight-saving time include Syrtis Major and the Hellas basin in early September, Mare Sirenum and Mare Cimmerium during the second week of the month, the Tharsis Ridge and Olympus Mons at mid-month, Vallis Marineris during the third week in September, and Sinus Sabaeus and Sinus Meridiani at the end of the month. Click on https://www.skyandte...watching-tools/ and https://www.calsky.c...gi/Planets/5/1? in order to use Martian surface feature simulators.
Jupiter decreases in brightness to magnitude -2.4 and shrinks in angular diameter by 3.6 arc seconds this month. The gas giant reaches its second stationary point on September 13th. It then resumes prograde or eastward motion. The gap between Jupiter and Saturn that has grown by three degrees since May begins to close by month's end as Saturn also resumes eastward motion. The waxing gibbous Moon passes less than two degrees south of the Jupiter on September 25th. A double Galilean satellite shadow transit takes place on the morning of September 14th. Information on Great Red Spot transit times and Galilean satellite events is available on pages 50 and 51 of the September 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope and online at http://www.skyandtel...watching-tools/ and https://www.projectp...jevent.htm
During September, Saturn fades from magnitude +0.3 to magnitude +0.5 and shrinks in apparent size from 18.0 arc seconds to 17.2 arc seconds. Saturn’s rings span 40 arc seconds and are tilted 23 degrees with respect to the Earth. The waxing gibbous Moon passes two degrees south of the Ringed Planet on September 25th. Saturn reaches its second stationary point on September 29th and subsequently begins prograde or eastward motion. Eighth-magnitude Titan, Saturn’s largest and brightest satellite, is due north of the planet on September 1st and September 17th and due south of it on September 9th and September 25th. Saturn’s peculiar satellite Iapetus shines at almost eleventh magnitude on September 7th, when it is passes 63 arc seconds due north of the planet. For further information on Saturn’s satellites, browse http://www.skyandtel...tching-tools/
Uranus is located in southwestern Aries, eleven degrees south of the second-magnitude star Hamal (Alpha Arietis). The planet is located 0.6 degrees southwest of the sixth-magnitude star 19 Arietis on September 1st. By the end of the month, Uranus is more than one degree from the star. The waning gibbous Moon passes three degrees south of Uranus on the morning of September 7th. Visit http://www.nakedeyep....com/uranus.htm for a finder chart.
Neptune can be found 2.5 degrees east of the fourth-magnitude star Phi Aquarii on the first day of September. The planet lies 1.5 degrees east of the star on September 30th. Neptune subtends 2.4 arc seconds, shines at magnitude +7.8, and lies at a distance of 4.0 light hours when it reaches opposition on September 11th. The Full Moon passes four degrees south of Neptune on September 1st. The waxing gibbous Moon passes four degrees south of the planet on the night of September 29th. Browse http://www.nakedeyep...com/neptune.htm for a finder chart. An article on Neptune complete with finder charts appears on page 48 of the September 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope.
Finder charts for Uranus and Neptune are also available at https://skyandtelesc...W_WebFinder.pdf and an article on observing the ice giants is posted at https://skyandtelesc...une-and-uranus/
The dwarf planet Pluto is located in the vicinity of the Teaspoon asterism in northeastern Sagittarius at a declination of more than -22.5 degrees. Finder charts can be found at pages 48 and 49 of the July 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope and on page 243 of the RASC Observer’s Handbook 2020.
For more on the planets and how to locate them, see htp://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/
The Distance, Brightness, and Apparent Size of Planets graphic (Home / Sun & Moon / Planets / Distance, Brightness, and Apparent Size of Planets) at https://www.timeandd...lanets/distance displays the apparent and comparative sizes of the planets, along with their magnitudes and distances, on a given date and time.
During September, Comet 88P/Howell travels southeastward through Libra and Scorpius. It is at perihelion on September 26th and may reaches a maximum brightness of approximately ninth magnitude. On September 4th, the periodic comet passes 14 arc minutes southwest of the eighth-magnitude globular NGC 5897 in Libra. It glides between the globular clusters M80 and M4 in Scorpius on the evenings of September 22th through September 25th. Comet Howell passes approximately one degree north of Antares on the evenings of September 26th and September 27th. Consult page 49 of the September 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope for a finder chart. Browse http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/ and http://www.aerith.ne...t/future-n.html for further information on comets visible this month. Other sources of information include https://theskylive.com/comets and http://www.shopplaza...mets/comets.htm and http://britastro.org...arts_comet.html
The dwarf planet/asteroid 1 Ceres shines at magnitude +7.7 as it heads southwestward between Aquarius and Piscis Austrinus this month. Asteroids brighter than magnitude +11.0 reaching opposition this month include 17 Thetis (magnitude +10.7) on September 9th, 22 Kalliope (magnitude +10.6) on September 10th, 19 Fortuna (magnitude +9.4) on September 11th, and 68 Leto (magnitude +9.6) on September 30th. Data on asteroid occultations taking place this month is available at http://www.asteroido.../2020_09_si.htm and http://www.poyntsour.../New/Global.htm
A wealth of current information on solar system celestial bodies is posted at http://nineplanets.org/ and http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomy.html
Information on the celestial events transpiring each week can be found at https://stardate.org/nightsky and http://astronomy.com/skythisweek and http://www.skyandtel...ky-at-a-glance/
Online data generators for various astronomical events are available at https://astronomynow.com/almanac/ and https://calsky.com/
The famous eclipsing variable star Algol (Beta Persei) is at a minimum, decreasing in brightness from magnitude +2.1 to magnitude +3.4, on September 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 16th, 19th, 22nd, 25th, and 28th. Consult page 50 of the September 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope for the minima times. On the morning of September 8th, Algol shines at minimum brightness (magnitude +3.4) for approximately two hours centered at 2:30 a.m. EDT (6:30 UT). It does the same at 11:19 p.m. EDT (3:19 UT September 11th) on the night of September 10th. For more on Algol, see http://stars.astro.i.../sow/Algol.html and http://www.solstatio...2/algol3.htm
Free star maps for this month can be downloaded at http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html and https://www.telescop...thly-Star-Chart
Data on current supernovae can be found at http://www.rochester...y.org/snimages/
Finder charts for the Messier objects and other deep-sky objects are posted at https://freestarcharts.com/messier and https://freestarcharts.com/ngc-ic and https://www.cambridg..._july-september
Telrad finder charts for the Messier Catalog are posted at http://www.custerobs...cs/messier2.pdf
Information pertaining to observing some of the more prominent Messier galaxies can be found at http://www.cloudynig...ur-astronomers/
Freeware sky atlases can be downloaded at http://www.deepskywa...-atlas-full.pdf and http://astro.mxd120....e-star-atlases
Author Phil Harrington offers an excellent freeware planetarium program for binocular observers known as TUBA (Touring the Universe through Binoculars Atlas), which also includes information on purchasing binoculars, at http://www.philharrington.net/tuba.htm
Stellarium and Cartes du Ciel are two excellent freeware planetarium programs that are available at http://stellarium.org/ and https://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/start
Deep-sky object list generators can be found at http://www.virtualcolony.com/sac/ and https://dso-browser.com/ and http://tonightssky.com/MainPage.php
Eighty binary and multiple stars for September: 12 Aquarii, Struve 2809, Struve 2838 (Aquarius); Alpha Capricorni, Sigma Capricorni, Nu Capricorni, Beta Capricorni, Pi Capricorni, Rho Capricorni, Omicron Capricorni, h2973, h2975, Struve 2699, h2995, 24 Capricorni, Xi Capricorni, Epsilon Capricorni, 41 Capricorni, h3065 (Capricornus); Kappa Cephei, Struve 2751, Beta Cephei, Struve 2816, Struve 2819, Struve 2836, Otto Struve 451, Struve 2840, Struve 2873 (Cepheus); Otto Struve 394, 26 Cygni, h1470, h1471, Omicron Cygni, Struve 2657, 29 Cygni, 49 Cygni, 52 Cygni, 59 Cygni, 60 Cygni, 61 Cygni, Struve 2762 (Cygnus); Struve 2665, Struve 2673, Struve 2679, Kappa Delphini, Struve 2715, Struve 2718, Struve 2721, Struve 2722, Struve 2725 (in the same field as Gamma Delphini), Gamma Delphini, 13 Delphini, Struve 2730, 16 Delphini, Struve 2735, Struve 2736, Struve 2738 (Delphinus); 65 Draconis, Struve 2640 (Draco); Epsilon Equulei, Lambda Equulei, Struve 2765, Struve 2786, Struve 2793 (Equuleus); 1 Pegasi, Struve 2797, h1647, Struve 2804, Struve 3112, 3 Pegasi, 4 Pegasi, Kappa Pegasi, h947, Struve 2841, Struve 2848 (Pegasus); h1462, Struve 2653, Burnham 441, Struve 2655, Struve 2769 (Vulpecula)
Notable carbon star for September: LW Cygni
Fifty deep-sky objects for September: M2, M72, M73, NGC 7009 (Aquarius); M30, NGC 6903, NGC 6907 (Capricornus); B150, B169, B170, IC 1396, NGC 6939, NGC 6946, NGC 6951, NGC 7023, NGC 7160, NGC 7142 (Cepheus); B343, B361, Ba6, Be87, Cr 421, Do9, IC 4996, M29, M39, NGC 6866, NGC 6871, NGC 6888, NGC 6894, NGC 6910, NGC 6960, NGC 6992, NGC 6994, NGC 6995, NGC 7000, NGC 7008, NGC 7026, NGC 7027, NGC 7039, NGC 7048, NGC 7063, NGC 7086 (Cygnus); NGC 6891, NGC 6905, NGC 6934, NGC 7006 (Delphinus); NGC 7015 (Equuleus); M15 (Pegasus); NGC 6940 (Vulpecula)
Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for September: IC 1396, LDN 906, M2, M15, M29, M30, M39, NGC 6939, NGC 6871, NGC 7000
Top ten deep-sky objects for September: IC 1396, M2, M15, M30, NGC 6888, NGC 6946, NGC 6960, NGC 6992, NGC 7000, NGC 7009
Challenge deep-sky object for September: Abell 78 (Cygnus)
The objects listed above are located between 20:00 and 22:00 hours of right ascension.
August Celestial Calendar by Dave Mitsky
All times, unless otherwise noted, are UT (subtract four hours and, when appropriate, one calendar day for EDT)
8/1 Mercury is at the ascending node through the ecliptic plane at 12:00; Venus is at its southernmost latitude from the ecliptic plane (-3.4 degrees) at 15:00
8/2 The Moon is 1.5 degrees south of Jupiter at 0:00; Mercury is 6.6 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 1:00; the Moon is 1.1 degrees south of Pluto, with an occultation taking place in most of eastern Antarctica, at 6:00; Uranus is at western quadrature at 11:00; the Moon is 2.3 degrees southeast of Saturn at 14:00
8/3 Mars is at perihelion (1.3814 astronomical units from the Sun) at 9:00; Full Moon (known as the Fruit, Grain, Green Corn, or Sturgeon Moon) occurs at 15:59
8/5 The astronomical cross-quarter day known as Lammas or Lughnasadh occurs today
8/6 Mercury is at perihelion (0.3075 astronomical units from the Sun) at 4:00; the Moon is 4.0 degrees southeast of Neptune at 19:00
8/9 Mercury is 0.1 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) in Cancer at 1:00; the Moon is 0.8 degrees southeast of Mars, with an occultation occurring in the Ascension Islands, southeastern South America, and most of western Antarctica, at 8:00; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 32" at a distance of 404,659 kilometers (251,443 miles) at 14:00
8/10 The Sun enters the constellation of Leo, at longitude 138.2 degrees on the ecliptic, at 9:00; Venus is 4.4 degrees south of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 11:00
8/11 The Moon is 3.3 degrees southeast of Uranus at 0:00; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 16:45
8/12 The Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscur illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 12:56; the peak of the Perseid meteor shower (a zenithal hourly rate of 90 or more per hour) occurs at 13:00; the Moon is 6.4 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 16:00; Venus is at dichotomy (50% illumination) at 21:00
8/13 Venus is at greatest western elongation (45.8 degrees) at 0:00; the Moon is 3.9 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 10:00
8/14 The Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 87.8 degrees) at 19:00
8/15 A double Galilean shadow transit (Io's shadow follows Ganymede's) begins at 4:08; the Moon is 0.6 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M35 at 5:00; the Moon is 4.0 degrees north of Venus at 14:00; Uranus is stationary, with retrograde (western) motion to begin, at 17:00
8/16 Mercury is at its northernmost latitude from the ecliptic plane (7.0 degrees) at 9:00; the Moon is 8.1 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Castor (Alpha Geminorum) at 15:00; the Moon is 4.5 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux at 20:00
8/17 Mercury is in superior conjunction with the Sun (1.354 astronomical units from Earth, latitude 7.0 degrees) at 15:00; the Moon is 2.0 degrees north-northeast of the bright open cluster M44 at 19:00
8/19 New Moon (lunation 1208) occurs at 2:42; the Moon is 2.7 degrees north-northeast of Mercury at 6:00; the Moon, Mercury, and the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) lie within a circle with a diameter of 4.0 degrees at 8:00; the Moon is 4.1 degrees north-northeast of Regulus at 9:00
8/20 Mercury is 1.3 degrees north-northeast of Regulus at 4:00
8/21 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32' 52'' from a distance of 363,513 kilometers (225,876 miles), at 11:00; the Sun's longitude is 150 degrees at 16:00
8/22 A double Galilean shadow transit (Ganymede's shadow follows Io's) begins at 6:32
8/23 The Moon is 6.6 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 2:00; Mars and Neptune are at heliocentric conjunction (longitude 349.4 degrees) at 22:00
8/25 First Quarter Moon occurs at 17:58
8/26 The Lunar X, also known as the Werner or Purbach Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscur illumination effect involving various ridges and crater rims located between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to be fully formed at 1:06; the Moon is 6.0 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 8:00
8/27 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 266.8 degrees) at 12:00
8/28 The dwarf planet/asteroid 1 Ceres is at opposition at 12:00
8/29 The Moon is 1.4 degrees south of Jupiter at 2:00; the Moon is 1.2 degrees south of Pluto, with an occultation taking place in most of western Antarctica and Queen Maude Land, at 11:00; the Moon is 2.2 degrees southeast of Saturn at 18:00
8/31 Venus is 8.6 degrees south of Pollux at 21:00
John Flamsteed, Christian Mayer, Pierre François André Méchain, Maria Mitchell, and Otto Struve were born this month.
The gibbous phase of Mars was first observed by Francesco Fontana on August 24, 1638. Abraham Ihle discovered the globular cluster M22 on August 26, 1665. Nicolas Sarabat discovered Comet C/1729 P1 (Sarabat) on August 1, 1729. Caroline Herschel discovered Comet C/1786 P1 (Herschel) on August 1, 1786. The Saturnian satellite Enceladus was discovered by William Herschel on August 28, 1789. Dominique Dumouchel was the first person to observe the return of Comet 1P/Halley on August 5, 1835. John Russell Hind discovered asteroid 7 Iris on August 13, 1847. Asaph Hall discovered Deimos on August 11, 1877 and Phobos on August 17, 1877. The first extragalactic supernova, S Andromedae, was discovered by Ernst Hartwig on August 20, 1885. David Jewitt and Jane Luu discovered the trans-Neptunian object (15760) 1992 QB1 on August 30, 1992. The Jovian satellite 2002 Laomedeia was discovered by Matthew Holman on August 13th, 2002.
The peak of the Perseid meteor shower takes place on the night of August 11th/August 12th and is compromised by moonlight from an almost Last Quarter Moon. The periodic comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle is the source of Perseid meteors. The shower’s radiant lies just to the southeast of the Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884). For more on this year’s Perseids, see page 50 of the August 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope or click on https://earthsky.org...d-meteor-shower and https://earthsky.org/?p=165416
Information on passes of the ISS, the USAF’s X-37B, the HST, and other satellites can be found at http://www.heavens-above.com/
The Moon is 11.1 days old, is illuminated 91.3%, subtends 31.6 arc minutes, and is located in Sagittarius on August 1st at 0:00 UT. The Moon is at its greatest northern declination on August 16th (+24.1 degrees) and its greatest southern declination on August 1st (-24.0 degrees) and on August 29th (-24.1 degrees). Longitudinal libration is at a maximum of +4.9 degrees on August 2nd and +5.9 degrees on August 28th and a minimum of -6.3 degrees on August 16th. Latitudinal libration is at a maximum of +6.7 degrees on August 7th and a minimum of -6.6 degrees on August 21st. Favorable librations for the following lunar features occur on the indicated dates: Mare Marginis on August 1st, Mare Orientale on August 16th, Mare Australe on August 24th, and Mare Smythii on August 27th. An article on observing lunar maria during librations taking place this month appears on pages 52 and 53 of the August 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope. The Moon is at apogee (at a distance 63.45 Earth-radii) on August 9th and at perigee (at a distance of 57:00 Earth-radii) on August 21st. New Moon (i.e., the dark of the Moon) occurs on August 19th. A young waxing crescent Moon passes a bit more than one degree from the binary star Porrima (Gamma Virginis) on August 21st. The Moon occults Pluto on August 2nd and August 29th and Mars on August 9th from certain parts of the world. Browse http://www.lunar-occ...bstar/bstar.htm for information on upcoming lunar occultations. Visit https://saberdoesthe...does-the-stars/ for tips on spotting extreme crescent Moons and http://www.curtrenz.com/moon06.html for Full Moon data. Consult http://time.unitariu...moon/where.html or download http://www.ap-i.net/avl/en/start for current information on the Moon. Visit https://www.fourmila...odMJtNWK1OLMxYk for a list of lunar maria. See https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4768 for a lunar phase and libration calculator and https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4768 for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Quickmap. Click on https://www.calendar...dar/2020/august for a lunar phase calendar for this month. Times and dates for the lunar crater light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occ...o/rays/rays.htm
The Sun is located in Cancer on August 1st. It enters the constellation of Leo on August 10th and achieves an ecliptic longitude of 150 degrees on August 21st.
Brightness, apparent size, illumination, distance from the Earth in astronomical units, and location data for the planets and Pluto on August 1: Mercury (magnitude -0.9, 6.1", 70% illuminated, 1.10 a.u., Gemini), Venus (magnitude -4.5, 27.2", 43% illuminated, 0.61 a.u., Taurus), Mars (magnitude -1.1, 14.6", 86% illuminated, 0.64 a.u., Pisces), Jupiter (magnitude -2.7, 47.2", 100% illuminated, 4.18 a.u., Sagittarius), Saturn (magnitude +0.1, 18.4", 100% illuminated, 9.01 a.u., Sagittarius), Uranus (magnitude +5.7, 3.6", 100% illuminated, 19.54 a.u. on August 16th, Aries), Neptune (magnitude +7.8, 2.4", 100% illuminated, 29.02 a.u. on August 16th, Aquarius), and Pluto (magnitude +14.3, 0.1", 100% illuminated, 33.11 a.u. on August 16th, Sagittarius).
Mercury lies very low in the eastern sky at dawn. It's at perihelion on August 6th and at its greatest heliocentric latitude north on August 16th. The speediest planet is in inferior conjunction on August 17th. It will become visible again in the evening sky near the end of the month.
During August, Venus dips in brightness from magnitude -4.5 to magnitude -4.3 and in angular size from 27.2 arc seconds to 21.7 arc seconds, while it grows in illumination from 43% to 59%. Venus and the third-magnitude star Zeta Tauri are less than two degrees apart in early August. Venus is at its greatest heliocentric latitude south on August 2nd. It reaches greatest western elongation on August 12th but doesn't attain its highest sunrise altitude of approximately 40 degrees until month's end. The waning crescent Moon passes four degrees to the north of the planet on August 15th. Venus travels eastward through Taurus and northern Orion and enters southern Gemini near the end of August.
Mars rises two hours after sunset by the end of August. The Red Planet brightens from magnitude -1.1 to magnitude -1.8 and increases in angular diameter from 14.6 arc seconds to 18.7 arc seconds. Mars is at perihelion on August 3rd. An impressive lunar conjunction takes place on August 9th, when the waning gibbous Moon passes about one degree to the south of Mars.
Jupiter decreases slightly in brightness from magnitude -2.7 to magnitude -2.6 and diminishes in apparent size from 47.2 to 44.4 arc seconds during August. Jupiter remains approximately eight degrees west of Saturn this month. The distance slowly increases as both gas giants retrograde. The Moon passes two degrees to the south of Jupiter on August 1st/August 2nd and again on August 28th/August 29th. Double Galilean satellite shadow transits occur on August 14th and August 22nd. Information on Great Red Spot transit times and Galilean satellite events is available on pages 50 and 51 of the August 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope and online at http://www.skyandtel...watching-tools/ and https://www.projectp...om/jevent.htm
Saturn shrinks from 18.4 to 18.0 arc seconds in angular diameter and drops in brightness from magnitude +0.1 to +0.3 this month. Its rings are inclined by more than 22 degrees with respect to the Earth and span 42 arc seconds. On August 2nd and August 29th, the Moon passes two degrees to the south of Saturn. For information on Saturn’s satellites, browse http://www.skyandtel...watching-tools/
Uranus is located in southern Aries. It transits the meridian around sunrise. The waning gibbous Moon passes three degrees southeast of Uranus on the night of August 10th/August 11th. Uranus reaches its first stationary point on August 15th. On that date, it will be at its highest declination (almost +15 degrees) since the early 1960s. Visit http://www.nakedeyep....com/uranus.htm for a finder chart.
Neptune can be found in eastern Aquarius. The waning gibbous Moon passes four degrees southeast of Neptune on August 6th. Mars and Neptune are at heliocentric conjunction on August 23rd. Browse http://www.nakedeyep...com/neptune.htm for a finder chart.
Finder charts for Uranus and Neptune are also available at https://skyandtelesc...W_WebFinder.pdf and an article on observing the ice giants is posted at https://skyandtelesc...une-and-uranus/
The dwarf planet Pluto is occulted by the Moon from some parts of the world on August 2nd and August 29th. Finder charts can be found at pages 48 and 49 of the July 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope and on page 243 of the RASC Observer’s Handbook 2020.
For more on the planets and how to locate them, see http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) put on a fine show last month, reaching naked-eye visibility from reasonably dark sites and producing rather long ion and dust tails. It reached perihelion on July 3rd and made its closest approach to the Earth on July 23rd. Comet NEOWISE will continue to dim as it moves increasingly farther from the Earth. See https://spaceweather...p?title=neowise for a photo gallery of the comet. For further information on comets visible this month, browse http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/ and http://www.aerith.ne...t/future-n.html
Asteroid 1 Ceres (magnitude +7.7), which is also classified as a dwarf planet, reaches opposition in southern Aquarius on August 28th. An article on the largest of the asteroids appears on pages 50 and 51 of the August 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope. Other asteroids brighter than magnitude +11.0 reaching opposition include 44 Nysa (magnitude +10.6), 138 Tolosa (magnitude +10.8), and 20 Massalia (magnitude +9.7). For information on asteroid occultations taking place this month, see http://www.asteroido.../2020_08_si.htm
A wealth of current information on solar system celestial bodies is posted at http://nineplanets.org/ and http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomy.html
Information on the celestial events transpiring each week can be found at https://stardate.org/nightsky and http://astronomy.com/skythisweek and http://www.skyandtel...ky-at-a-glance/
Free star maps for this month can be downloaded at http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html and https://www.telescop...thly-Star-Chart
Data on current supernovae can be found at http://www.rochester...y.org/snimages/
Finder charts for the Messier objects and other deep-sky objects are posted at https://freestarcharts.com/messier and https://freestarcharts.com/ngc-ic and https://www.cambridg..._july-september
Telrad finder charts for the Messier Catalog are posted at http://www.custerobs...cs/messier2.pdf
Information pertaining to observing some of the more prominent Messier galaxies can be found at http://www.cloudynig...ur-astronomers/
Freeware sky atlases can be downloaded at http://www.deepskywa...-atlas-full.pdf and http://astro.mxd120....ee-star-atlases
Author Phil Harrington offers an excellent freeware planetarium program for binocular observers known as TUBA (Touring the Universe through Binoculars Atlas), which also includes information on purchasing binoculars, at http://www.philharrington.net/tuba.htm
Stellarium and Cartes du Ciel are two excellent freeware planetarium programs that are available at http://stellarium.org/ and https://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/start
Deep-sky object list generators can be found at http://www.virtualcolony.com/sac/ and https://dso-browser.com/ and http://tonightssky.com/MainPage.php
Sixty binary and multiple stars for August: 5 Aquilae, Struve 2404, 11 Aquilae, Struve 2426, 15 Aquilae, Struve 2449, 23 Aquilae, Struve 2532, Pi Aquilae, 57 Aquilae (Aquila); Beta Cygni (Albireo), 16 Cygni, Delta Cygni, 17 Cygni (Cygnus); 41 & 40 Draconis, 39 Draconis, Struve 2348, Sigma Draconis, Struve 2573, Epsilon Draconis (Draco); 95 Herculis, 100 Herculis, Struve 2289, Struve 2411 (Hercules); Struve 2349, Struve 2372, Epsilon-1 & Epsilon-2 Lyrae (the Double-Double), Zeta-2 Lyrae, Beta Lyrae, Otto Struve 525, Struve 2470 & Struve 2474 (the Other Double-Double) (Lyra); 67 Ophiuchi, 69 Ophiuchi, 70 Ophiuchi, Struve 2276, 74 Ophiuchi (Ophiuchus); Mu Sagittarii, Eta Sagittarii, 21 Sagittarii, Zeta Sagittarii, H N 119, 52 Sagittarii, 54 Sagittarii (Sagittarius); Struve 2306, Delta Scuti, Struve 2373 (Scutum); Struve 2296, Struve 2303, 59 Serpentis, Theta Serpentis (Serpens Cauda); Struve 2445, Struve 2455, Struve 2457, 4 Vupeculae, Struve 2521, Struve 2523, Struve 2540, Struve 2586, Otto Struve 388, Struve 2599 (Vulpecula)
Notable carbon star for August: V Aquilae
Eighty deep-sky objects for August: B139, B142, B143, NGC 6709, NGC 6738, NGC 6741, NGC 6751, NGC 6755, NGC 6772, NGC 6778, NGC 6781, NGC 6804, PK64+5.1 (Aquila); NGC 6819, NGC 6826, NGC 6834, (Cygnus); NGC 6643, NGC 6742 (Draco); DoDz 9 (Hercules); M56, M57, NGC 6703, NGC 6791, Ste1 (Lyra); NGC 6572, NGC 6633 (Ophiuchus); H20, M71 (Sagitta); B86, B87, B90, B92, B93, M8, M17, M18, M20, M21, M22, M23, M24, M25, M28, M54, M55, M69, M70, M75, NGC 6520, NGC 6544, NGC 6546, NGC 6553, NGC 6565, NGC 6603, NGC 6818, NGC 6822 (Sagittarius); IC 4703, IC 4756, M16, NGC 6604 (Serpens Cauda); B100, B101, B103, B104, B110, B111, B113, Bas 1, IC 1295, M11, M26, NGC 6649, NGC 6712 (Scutum); Cr 399 (asterism), M27, NGC 6802, NGC 6823, NGC 6834, NGC 6940, St 1 (Vulpecula)
Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for August: Cr 399, IC 4756, M8, M11, M17, M22, M24, M25, M27, NGC 6633 (IC 4756 and NGC 6633 are collectively known as the Binocular Double Cluster)
Top ten deep-sky objects for August: M8, M11, M16, M17, M20, M22, M24, M27, M55, M57
Challenge deep-sky object for August: Abell 53 (Aquila)
The objects listed above are located between 18:00 and 20:00 hours of right ascension.
7/2 The Moon is 6.3 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 2:00; asteroid 532 Herculina (magnitude +9.5) is at opposition in Sagittarius at 14:00
7/4 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 269.1 degrees) at 3:00; Earth is at aphelion (152,095,295 kilometers or 94,507,635 miles from the Sun) at 12:00
7/5 A shallow penumbral eclipse of the Moon begins at 3:07; Full Moon, known as the Hay or Thunder Moon, occurs at 4:44; 4 Vesta is in conjunction with the sun at 6:00; the Moon is 1.9 degrees southeast of Jupiter at 22:00
7/6 The Moon is 2.5 degrees south of Saturn at 10:00
7/8 Mars is at is at its greatest heliocentric latitude south at 1:00 (-1.8 degrees); Venus is at its brightest (magnitude -4.7) at 12:00
7/10 Venus is at greatest illuminated extent (47.4 square arc seconds) at 8:00; the Moon is 4.1 degrees southeast of Neptune at 12:00; Venus is at aphelion (0.7282 astronomical units) at 14:00
7/11 Mars passes north of the celestial equator at 12:00; the Moon is 1.8 degrees southeast of Mars at 22:00
7/12 Venus is 1.0 degree north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 2:00; Mercury is stationary, with prograde or direct (eastward) motion to resume at 7:00; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 34" from a distance of 404,199 kilometers (251,158 miles) at 19:27; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 23:29
7/13 Asteroid/dwarf planet 1 Ceres is stationary at 2:00; asteroid 2 Pallas (magnitude +9.6) is at opposition in Vulpecula at 2:00; Mercury is at its greatest heliocentric latitude south (-7.0 degrees) at 10:00
7/14 The Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 1:55; Jupiter is at opposition (apparent size 47.6", magnitude -2.8) at 8:00; the Moon is 3.5 degrees southeast of Uranus at 15:00
7/15 Mercury (magnitude +1.6) is 6.0 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 3:00; Pluto is at opposition (apparent size 0.1", magnitude +14.3) at 12:00
7/16 The Moon is 6.6 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 8:00
7/17 The Moon is 3.7 degrees north of Aldebaran at 1:00; the Moon, Venus, and Aldebaran lie within a circle with a diameter of 4.1 degrees at 2:00; the Moon is 3.1 degrees north of Venus at 7:00
7/18 The Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 89.0 degrees) at 13:00; the Moon is 0.6 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 19:00
7/19 The Moon is 3.9 degrees north of Mercury at 5:00
7/20 The Moon is 8.2 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Castor (Alpha Geminorum) at 6:00; the Moon is 4.5 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 10:00; the Sun enters Cancer (ecliptic longitude 118.3 degrees) at 13:00; New Moon (lunation 1207) occurs at 17:33; Saturn is at opposition (apparent size 18.5", magnitude +0.1) at 22:00
7/21 The Moon is 2.0 degrees north-northeast of M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) at 10:00
7/22 The Sun's ecliptic longitude is 120 degrees at 9:00; Mercury is at greatest western elongation (20.1degrees from Sun) at 15:00
7/23 The Moon is 4.1 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 0:00
7/25 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32' 26" at a distance of 368,361 kilometers (228,889 miles) at 5:02; the equation of time, which yields the difference between mean solar time and apparent solar time, is at a minimum of -6.55 minutes at 18:00
7/26 The Moon is 6.7 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 19:00
7/27 The First Quarter Moon occurs at 12:33; the Lunar X, also known as the Werner or Purbach Cross, an X-shaped illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to be fully formed at 13:25
7/29 The peak of the Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower (a zenithal hourly rate of 20 per hour) is predicted to occur at 22:00
7/30 The Moon is 6.2 degrees north-northeast of Antares at 3:00
7/31 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 268.6 degrees) at 10:00
Saturn's disk subtends over 18 arc seconds and its rings, which are inclined almost 22 degrees, span 42 arc seconds. Saturn is located six degrees to the east of Jupiter on July 1st. On July 6th, a nearly Full Moon passes two degrees south of the Ringed Planet. Saturn is at opposition on July 20th. Eighth-magnitude Titan is due north of Saturn on July 15th and July 31st and due south of the planet on July 7th and July 23rd. The faint Saturnian satellite Iapetus is positioned one arc minute due north of Saturn on the nights of July 27th and July 28th. For further data on Saturn’s satellites, browse http://www.skyandtel...watching-tools/
6/2 The Moon is 6.8 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 8:00
6/3 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32' 48" from a distance of 364,366 kilometers (226,406 miles), at 3:38; Venus is at inferior conjunction with the Sun (0.289 astronomical units from the Earth and latitude 0.19 degrees) at 18:00
6/4 A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Ganymede’s shadow precedes Europa’s) begins at 11:21; Mercury is at its greatest eastern elongation (24 degrees) at 13:00
6/5 The Moon is 6.3 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 12:00; a penumbral lunar eclipse visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia begins at 17:45; Venus is at the descending node through the ecliptic plane at 19:00; Full Moon, known as the Rose or Strawberry Moon, occurs at 19:12
6/6 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 269.1 degrees) at 18:00; Mars is at western quadrature (90 degrees from the Sun) at 19:00
6/8 The Moon is 2.2 degrees southeast of Jupiter at 19:00; the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn lie within a circle with a diameter of 5.1 degrees at 22:00
6/9 The Moon is 2.7 degrees southeast of Saturn at 4:00
6/11 A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Europa’s shadow precedes Ganymede’s) begins at 14:33
6/12 The equation of time, which yields the difference between mean solar time and apparent solar time, equals 0 at 15:00; Mercury is at the descending node through the ecliptic plane at 19:00; Venus is 4.2 degrees north-northwest of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 21:00
6/13 The earliest sunrise of the year at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today; the Moon, Mars, and Neptune lie within a circle with a diameter of 4.2 degrees at 2:00; the Moon is 2.5 degrees southeast of Mars at 3:00; the Moon is 4.2 degrees southeast of Neptune at 4:00; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 6:24; Mars (magnitude -0.2) is 1.6 degrees southeast of Neptune (magnitude +7.9) at 13:00
6/14 The Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 15:02
6/15 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 32" from a distance of 404,595 kilometers (251,404 miles), at 00:57
6/17 The earliest morning twilight of the year at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today; the Moon is 3.6 degrees southeast of Uranus at 5:00; Mercury is stationary, with retrograde (western) motion to begin, at 20:00
6/18 A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Ganymede’s shadow precedes Europa’s) begins at 18:33; the Moon is 6.6 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 23:00
6/19 The Moon is 0.7 degrees north of Venus, with an occultation taking place in northern Mongolia, northern and central Russia, northwestern Europe, Greenland, northern and eastern Canada, the Canary Islands, and the Azores, at 9:00; the Moon, Venus, and Aldebaran lie within a circle with a diameter of 4.9 degrees at 11:00; the Moon is 3.7 degrees north of Aldebaran at 17:00
6/20 The middle of the eclipse season (i.e., the Sun is at same longitude as the Moon’s ascending node of 89.2 degrees) occurs at 1:00; Venus is 8.9 degrees southeast of M45 at 12:00; the northern hemisphere summer solstice occurs at 21:44; the Sun’s longitude is 90 degrees at 21:44
6/21 The Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 89.1 degrees) at 4:00; an annular solar eclipse visible from parts of Africa, Asia, and the western Pacific begins at 3:46; New Moon (lunation 1206) occurs at 6:41; the Sun enters the constellation of Gemini, at longitude 90.4 degrees on the ecliptic, at 9:00; the Moon is 0.7 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 11:00
6/22 The Moon is 3.9 degrees north of Mercury at 8:00; the Moon is 8.1 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Castor (Alpha Geminorum) at 22:00
6/23 The Moon is 4.5 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 2:00; Mercury is at aphelion (0.4667 astronomical units from the Sun) at 4:00; Neptune is stationary at 18:00
6/24 The latest evening twilight of the year at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today; the Moon is 2.0 degrees north-northeast of the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) in Cancer at 3:00; Venus is stationary, with prograde (eastern) motion to begin, at 18:00
6/25 The Moon is 4.2 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 18:00
6/27 The latest sunset of the year at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today
6/28 The Purbach Cross or Lunar X, an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to be fully formed at 1:52; asteroid 7 Iris (magnitude +7.9) is at opposition at 2:00; First Quarter Moon occurs at 8:16
6/29 The Moon is 6.8 degrees north-northeast of Spica at 14:00
6/30 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32' 23" from a distance of 368,958 kilometers (229,260 miles), at 2:13
Comet C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS) travels southeastward through Ursa Major and Canes Venatici this month. It passes less than a degree to the west of the spiral galaxy M109 in Ursa Major on June 16th. On June 23rd, the comet is located less than a degree west of the spiral galaxy M106 in Canes Venatici. Comet PanSTARRS T2 passes less than one degree west of a third spiral galaxy, NGC 4449, on June 27th. Visit http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/ and http://www.aerith.ne...t/future-n.html for information on comets visible this month.
5/2 The Moon is 4.0 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 6:00
5/4 Venus is at its northernmost declination (27.8 degrees) at 0:00; Mercury is in superior conjunction with the Sun (1.325 astronomical units from the Earth, latitude -0.45 degrees) at 22:00
5/5 The peak of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower (a zenithal hourly rate of 20 per hour for northern hemisphere observers) occurs at 5:00; Mercury is at the ascending node through the ecliptic plane at 12:00; the Moon is 6.7 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 23:00
5/6 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 33' 13'' from a distance of 359,654 kilometers (223,478 miles), at 3:03
5/7 Full Moon, known as the Milk or Planting Moon, occurs at 10:45
5/9 The Moon is 6.3 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 1:00
5/10 Mercury is at perihelion (0.3075 astronomical units from the Sun) at 4:00; the Moon is at the descending node (longitude 269.7 degrees) at 9:00
5/11 Saturn stationary at 9:00; asteroid 2 Pallas is stationary at 11:00
5/12 Mercury is 2.9 degrees southeast of the third-magnitude star Alcyone (Eta Tauri) in the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 4:00; the Moon is 2.2 degrees south of Jupiter at 11:00; the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn all lie within a circle with a diameter 4.7 degrees at 14:00; the Moon is 2.7 degrees southeast of Saturn at 20:00
5/13 Venus is stationary at 10:00; the equation of time is at a maximum of 3.65 minutes at 15:00; the Sun enters Taurus, at longitude 53.5 degrees on the ecliptic, at 20:00
5/14 Last Quarter Moon occurs at 14:03; Jupiter is stationary at 18:00
5 /15 The Moon is 2.6 degrees southeast of Mars at 5:00
5/16 The Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 3:52; Mars and Jupiter are at heliocentric conjunction (longitude 287.4 degrees) at 15:00; Mercury is 7.2 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 16:00; the Moon is 4.1 degrees southeast of Neptune at 19:00
5/18 Jupiter is 4.7 degrees west-southwest of Saturn, a quasi-conjunction, at 6:00; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 28'' from a distance of 405,583 kilometers (252,018 miles), at 7:45
5/20 Mercury is at its northernmost latitude from the ecliptic plane (7.0 degrees) at 9:00; the Sun reaches a longitude of 60 degrees at 14:00; the Moon is 3.6 degrees southeast of Uranus at 19:00
5/22 Mercury is 0.9 degree southeast of Venus at 10:00; the Moon is 6.6 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M45 at 16:00; New Moon (lunation 1205) occurs at 17:39
5/23 The Moon is 3.7 degrees north of Aldebaran at 9:00
5/24 The Moon is 3.6 degrees southeast of Venus at 5:00; the Moon, Mercury, and Venus all lie within a circle with a diameter of 4.4 degrees at 6:00; the Moon is 2.8 degrees southeast of Mercury at 13:00; the young crescent Moon is 0.6 degrees north of asteroid 4 Vesta, with an occultation occurring in the northern Middle East, western Russia, most of Europe, Greenland, the northern Caribbean, and most of North America, at 15:00; the Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 89.2 degrees) at 22:00
5/25 The Moon is 0.7 degree southeast of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 4:00
5/26 The Moon is 8.2 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Castor (Alpha Geminorum) at 15:00; the Moon is 4.5 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 20:00
5/27 Mercury is at its northernmost declination (25.7 degrees) at 5:00; asteroid 3 Juno is stationary at 14:00; the Moon is 2.0 degrees north-northeast of M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) in Cancer at 21:00
5/28 A double Galilean shadow transit (Europa’s shadow follows Ganymede’s) begins at 8:48
5/29 The Moon is 4.1 degrees north-northeast of Regulus at 12:00; the Lunar X (also known as the Werner or Purbach Cross), an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to be fully formed at 14:10
5/30 First Quarter moon occurs at 3:30
Venus shines at magnitude -4.7 as May begins. Over the course of the month, its apparent diameter increases from 38.9 to 57.4 arc seconds while it decreases in illumination from 25 to 6%. On May 1st, Venus is positioned 23 degrees above the western horizon. As May progresses, Venus descends sunward. Venus begins to decrease in brightness after May 10th, ending the month at magnitude -4.4. It is stationary on May 13th and then begins retrograde motion. Venus enters Gemini during the second half of May. A young Moon passes four degrees south of Venus on May 24th. By May 31st, Venus is only three degrees in altitude at sunset.
2/2 The astronomical cross-quarter day (i.e., a day half way between a solstice and an equinox) known as Imbolc, Candlemas, or Groundhog Day occurs today; First Quarter Moon occurs at 1:42; asteroid 4 Vesta is 0.5 degree south of the Moon, with an occultation occurring in western Canada, Alaska, eastern Russia, Japan, China, the northern Philippines, southern Asia, and eastern Afghanistan, at 9:00
2/3 The Moon is 7.2 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 14:00
2/4 The Moon is 3.0 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 7:00
2/5 The Moon is 1.4 degrees south of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 23:00
2/7 The Moon is 8.9 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Castor (Alpha Geminorum) at 9:00; the Moon is 5.3 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 13:00; Mercury is at the ascending node through the ecliptic plane at 13:00
2/8 The Moon is 1.3 degrees north-northeast of the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) in Cancer at 12:00
2/9 Full Moon (known as the Hunger, Snow, or Storm Moon) occurs at 7:33
2/10 The Moon is 3.6 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 0:00; Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation (18.2 degrees) at 14:00; the Moon is at perigee, subtending 33' 09" from a distance of 360,461 kilometers (223,980 miles), at 20:28
2/11 The equation of time, the difference between mean solar time (as indicated by clocks) and apparent solar time (as indicated by sundials), is at a minimum of -14.24 minutes at 22:00
2/12 Mercury is at perihelion (0.3075 astronomical units from the Sun) at 5:00
2/13 Saturn is at the descending node through the ecliptic plane at 3:00; asteroid 4 Vesta is stationary at 7:00; the Moon is 0.6 degree north of the asteroid 4 Vesta, with an occultation occurring in northern South America, the Caribbean, Central America, and North America with the exception of northeast Canada, at 10:00; the Moon is 7.0 degrees north-northeast of Spica at 16:00
2/15 Venus is at the ascending node through the ecliptic plane at 6:00; Mercury (magnitude +0.5) is 5.8 degrees west of Neptune (magnitude +8.0) at 21:00; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 22:18
2/16 Mercury is stationary in right ascension and begins retrograde motion at 10:00
2/17 Mercury stationary in longitude and begins retrograde motion at 1:00; the Sun enters Aquarius (longitude 327.9 degrees on the ecliptic) at 3:00; the Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 13:27
2/18 The Moon is 0.8 degree north of Mars, with an occultation occurring in the Azores, the southern portion of Greenland, northern South America, the Caribbean, most of Central America, and North America with the exception of western Canada and Alaska, at 13:00
2/19 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 277.3 degrees) at 0:00; the Sun’s longitude is 330 degrees at 5:00; the Moon is 0.9 degree south of Jupiter, with an occultation occurring in southern South America and Antarctica, at 20:00
2/20 The Moon is 1.7 degrees south of Saturn at 14:00; Mars is at its southernmost declination (-23.7 degrees) at 16:00
2/22 Mercury is at its northernmost latitude from the ecliptic plane (7.0 degrees) at 10:00
2/23 New Moon (lunation 1202) occurs at 15:32
2/24 The Moon is 8.1 degrees southeast of Mercury at 1:00; the Moon is 3.8 degrees southeast of Neptune at 19:00
2/26 Mercury is in inferior conjunction with the Sun (0.637 astronomical units from the Earth, latitude 6.6 degrees) at 2:00; Jupiter is at the descending node through the ecliptic plane at 3:00; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 25" from a distance of 406,278 kilometers (252,450 miles), at 11:34
2/27 The Moon is 5.8 degrees southeast of Venus at 18:00
2/28 The Moon is 4.0 degrees south of Uranus at 12:00
Nicolas Louis de Lacaille discovered the open cluster NGC 3228 in Vela on February 11, 1752. Nicolas Louis de Lacaille discovered the face-on barred spiral galaxy M83 in Hydra on February 23, 1752. Johann Bode discovered the globular cluster M53 in Coma Berenices on February 3, 1775. The planetary nebula M97 in Ursa Major was discovered by Pierre François André Méchain on February 16, 1781. Caroline Herschel discovered the open cluster NGC 2360 in Canis Major on February 26, 1783. William Herschel discovered the face-on barred spiral galaxy NGC 4027 in Corvus on February 7, 1785. William Herschel’s 40-foot-focal-length telescope saw first light on February 19, 1787. Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto on February 18, 1930. James Hey detected radio waves emitted by the Sun on February 27, 1942. Gerald Kuiper discovered the Uranian satellite Miranda (magnitude +15.8) on February 16, 1948. The first pulsar, PSR B1919+21, was discovered by Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony Hewish on February 24, 1967. Supernova 1987A was discovered by Ian Shelton, Oscar Duhalde, and Albert Jones on February 23, 1987.
Click on http://www.skyandtel...watching-tools/ for JavaScript utilities that will illustrate the positions of the five brightest satellites of Uranus and the position of Triton, Neptune’s brightest satellite.
The major meteor showers that will occur this year are discussed at https://www.skyandte...howers-in-2020/
Various events taking place within our solar system are discussed at http://www.bluewater...ed-4/index.html
Information on the celestial events transpiring each week can be found at http://astronomy.com/skythisweek and http://www.skyandtel...ky-at-a-glance/
Information on observing some of the more prominent Messier galaxies is available at http://www.cloudynig...ur-astronomers/
Finder charts for the Messier objects and other deep-sky objects are posted at https://freestarcharts.com/messier and https://freestarcharts.com/ngc-ic and https://www.cambridg...s_january-march
Telrad finder charts for the Messier Catalog and the SAC’s 110 Best of the NGC are posted at http://www.astro-tom...essier_maps.htm and http://sao64.free.fr...ataloguesac.pdf
Deep-sky object list generators can be found at https://dso-browser.com/ and http://www.virtualcolony.com/sac/ and http://tonightssky.com/MainPage.php
Free sky atlases can be downloaded at http://www.deepskywa...-atlas-full.pdf and https://allans-stuff.com/triatlas/
Forty binary and multiple stars for February: 41 Aurigae, Struve 872, Otto Struve 147, Struve 929, 56 Aurigae (Auriga); Nu-1 Canis Majoris, 17 Canis Majoris, Pi Canis Majoris, Mu Canis Majoris, h3945, Tau Canis Majoris (Canis Major); Struve 1095, Struve 1103, Struve 1149, 14 Canis Minoris (Canis Minor); 20 Geminorum, 38 Geminorum, Alpha Geminorum (Castor), 15 Geminorum, Lambda Geminorum, Delta Geminorum, Struve 1108, Kappa Geminorum (Gemini); 5 Lyncis, 12 Lyncis, 19 Lyncis, Struve 968, Struve 1025 (Lynx); Epsilon Monocerotis, Beta Monocerotis, 15 (S) Monocerotis (Monoceros); Struve 855 (Orion); Struve 1104, k Puppis, 5 Puppis (Puppis)
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/692689-february-2020-celestial-calendar/?p=9953136
January Celestial Calendar by Dave Mitsky
1/3 First Quarter Moon occurs at 4:45; Mars and Uranus are at heliocentric opposition (longitudes 215.3 degrees and 35.3 degrees) at 12:00
1/4 The peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower (40 to 120 or more per hour) is predicted to occur at 9:00; the Moon is 4.3 degrees southeast of Uranus at 23:00
1/5 The latest sunrise of the year at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today; the Earth is at perihelion (147,091,144 kilometers or 91,398,199 miles distant from the Sun) at 7:48
1/7 The Moon is 7.3 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 4:00; the Moon is 3.0 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 21:00
1/8 The latest onset of morning twilight of the year at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today
1/9 The Moon is 1.5 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 14:00; the Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 98.4 degrees) at 23:00
1/10 Mercury (1.43 astronomical units from the Earth at a latitude of -6.15 degrees) is in superior conjunction with the Sun at 15:00; a deep penumbral lunar eclipse visible from western Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa, extreme eastern South America, and extreme northern North America begins at 17:07; Full Moon (known as the Ice Moon, the Moon after Yule, the Old Moon, and the Wolf Moon) occurs at 19:21; the penumbral eclipse ends at 21:12; the Moon is 9.0 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Castor (Alpha Gemini) at 22:00
1/11 Uranus is stationary in longitude and resumes direct (i.e., eastward) motion at 0:00; the Moon is 5.3 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Gemini) at 3:00; Uranus is stationary in right ascension and resumes direct (i.e., eastward) motion at 6:00
1/12 The Moon is 1.0 degree north of the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) in Cancer at 0:00; Mercury (magnitude -1.2) is 2.0 degrees south of Saturn (magnitude +0.5) at 10:00
1/13 Pluto (at a distance of 34.94 astronomical units from the Earth at a latitude of -0.69 degree) is in conjunction with the Sun at 7:00; Saturn (at a distance of 11.02 astronomical units from the Earth at a latitude of 0.04 degree) is in conjunction with the Sun at 15:00; asteroid 1 Ceres in in conjunction at 18:00; the Moon is at perigee, subtending 32’ 39" from a distance of 365,958 kilometers (227,396 miles), at 20:21
1/16 Asteroid 5 Astraea (magnitude +8.9) is at opposition in Cancer at 7:00
1/17 The Moon is 7.1 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 9:00; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 12:58
1/18 The Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be begin at 20:32
1/19 Mercury is at its southernmost latitude (-7.0 degrees) from the ecliptic plane at 12:00
1/20 The Sun enters Capricornus (longitude 299.7 degrees on the ecliptic) at 9:00; the Moon is 7.0 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 18:00; the Moon is 2.2 degrees north-northeast of Mars at 21:00
1/22 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 278.4 degrees) at 21:00
1/23 The Moon is 0.4 degree south of Jupiter, with an occultation occurring in southwestern Polynesia, southern and eastern Melanesia, New Zealand, southern and eastern Australia, Kerguelen Island, and Madagascar at 3:00; the Moon is 0.4 degree southeast of Jupiter at 3:00; Uranus is at eastern quadrature (90 degrees from the Sun) at 7:00
1/24 New Moon (lunation 1201) occurs at 21:42
1/27 Venus (magnitude -4.1) is 0.08 degrees south of Neptune (magnitude +7.9) at 19:00
1/28 The Moon, Venus, and Neptune lie within a circle with a diameter of 3.9 degrees at 10:00; the Moon is 3.8 degrees southeast of Neptune at 10:00; the Moon is 3.8 degrees southeast of Venus at 10:00
1/29 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 29" from a distance of 405,393 kilometers (251,899 miles), at 21:27
The Moon is 5.6 days old, is illuminated 28.1%, subtends 29.8 arc minutes, and is located in Aquarius on January 1st at 0:00 UT. The Moon attains its greatest northern declination (+23.2 degrees) for the month on December 10th and greatest southern declination (-23.2 degrees) on December 23rd. Longitudinal libration is at a maximum of +5.4 degrees on December 21st. It’s at a minimum of -5.7 degrees on December 8th. Latitudinal libration is at a maximum of +6.9 degrees on December 3rd and +6.8 degrees on December 30th and a minimum of -6.8 degrees on December 16th. New Moon occurs on December 26th. The Moon is at perigee (distance 57.38 Earth-radii) on January 13th and at apogee (distance 63.43 Earth-radii) on January 2nd and again (distance 63.56 Earth-radii) on January 29th. A deep penumbral lunar eclipse, the 16th of Saros 144, reaches deepest eclipse in northwest India at 19:10:02 UT1 on January 10th. At maximum, 92% of the Moon will lie within the Earth’s penumbra. All four of the lunar eclipses that will occur in 2020 are penumbral. See http://www.eclipsewi...ml#LE2020Jan10N for further information. The Moon occults Jupiter on January 23rd from parts of the southern hemisphere. New Moon occurs on January 24th. Browse http://www.lunar-occ...ota/iotandx.htm for information on lunar occultation events. Visit https://saberdoesthe...does-the-stars/ for tips on spotting extreme crescent Moons and http://www.curtrenz.com/moon06.html for Full Moon data. Consult http://time.unitariu...oon/where.html or download http://www.ap-i.net/avl/en/start for current information on the Moon. See https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4768 for a lunar phase and libration calculator and https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4768 for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Quickmap. Click on https://www.calendar...ar/2020/january for a lunar phase calendar for this month. Times and dates for the lunar crater light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occ...o/rays/rays.htm
During January, Comet C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS) heads northwestward along the border of Cassiopeia and Perseus. It lies less than one degree north of the fourth-magnitude star Eta Cassiopeia on January 13th and less than one degree north of NGC 869 and NGC 884 (the Double Cluster) on January 26th and January 27th. Visit http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/ and http://www.aerith.ne...t/future-n.html for information on these and other comets visible this month.
December Celestial Calendar by Dave Mitsky
12/4 The earliest end of evening twilight at 40 degrees north takes place today; the Lunar X (Purbach or Werner Cross), an X-shaped illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to occur at 06:44; First Quarter Moon occurs at 6:58
12/5 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 33" from a distance of 404,446 kilometers (251,311 miles), at 4:08
12/7 The earliest sunset at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today
12/8 The Moon is 5 degrees north of Uranus at 11:00
12/10 The Moon is 7.3 degrees south of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 19:00
12/11 Venus is 1.8 degrees south of Saturn at 4:00; the Moon is 2.9 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Taurii) at 11:00
12/12 Full Moon (known as the Before Yule, Cold, Long Nights, and Oak Moon) occurs at 5:12; Venus, Saturn, and Pluto lie within a circle with a diameter of 2.7 degrees at 19:00
12/13 The Moon is 1.5 degrees south of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 4:00; the Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 98.4 degrees) at 14:00; Venus (magnitude -3.9) is 1.1 degrees south of Pluto (magnitude +14.3) at 16:00
12/14 The Moon is 5.3 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 18:00; the peak of the Geminid meteor shower (100 to 120 per hour) occurs at 19:00
12/15 The Moon is 1.0 degree north of the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) in Cancer at 16:00
12/16 Mercury is 5.0 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 7:00
12/17 The Moon is 3.7 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 7:00
12/18 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 33' 16" from a distance of 370,265 kilometers (230,072 miles), at 20:25; the Sun enters the constellation of Sagittarius (ecliptic longitude 266.6 degrees) at 20:00
12/19 Mercury is at the descending node today; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 4:57; Venus is at its southernmost latitude from the plane of the ecliptic (-3.4 degrees) at 23:00
12/20 The Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 9:23
12/21 The Moon is 7.2 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 4:00
12/22 The Sun’s longitude is 270 degrees and winter solstice in the northern hemisphere occurs at 4:19
12/23 The Moon is 4.0 degrees south of Mars at 2:00; the peak of the Ursid meteor shower (5 to 10 per hour) occurs at 3:00
12/24 The Moon is 7.1 degrees north-northeast of Antares at 11:00
12/25 The Moon is 1.9 degrees north-northeast of Mercury at 12:00; the equation of time equals 0 (i.e., mean solar time equals apparent solar time) at 16:00
12/26 An annular solar eclipse visible from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, southern India, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Singapore, Borneo, part of the Philippines, and Guam begins at 3:43 and ends at 7:01; New Moon (lunation 1200) occurs at 5:13; the Moon is 0.3 degree northeast of Jupiter at 8:00; the Moon is at the descending node (longitude 278.4 degrees) at 13:00; the Moon is at its southernmost declination (-23.2 degrees) for the year at 20:00
12/27 The Moon is 1.2 degrees south of Saturn at 12:00; the Moon is 0.6 degree south of Pluto, with an occultation taking place in southern Madagascar, southernmost Africa, Kerguelen Island, portions of Antarctica, South Georgia, and southern South America, at 15:00; Jupiter is in conjunction with the Sun at 19:00
12/29 The Moon is 1.0 degree south of Venus, with an occultation taking place in southernmost South America and Antarctica, at 2:00
12/30 Mercury is at aphelion today; the middle of the eclipse season (i.e., the Sun is at the same longitude as the Moon’s descending node, 278.3degrees) occurs at 8:00
September Celestial Calendar by Dave Mitsky
9/2 Mars is in conjunction with the Sun (2.675 astronomical units from Earth, latitude 1.7 degrees) at 11:00; the Moon is 7.1 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 15:00
9/3 Mercury (magnitude -1.8) is 0.6 degree north-northeast of Mars (magnitude +1.7) at 17:00
9/4 Mercury is in superior conjunction with the Sun (1.369 AU from Earth, latitude 6.5 degrees) at 1:00
9/5 The Moon is 7.6 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 23:00
9/6 Asteroid 135 Hertha (magnitude +9.6) is at opposition in Aquarius at 6:00; First Quarter Moon occurs at 3:10; the Moon is 2.3 degrees north-northeast of Jupiter at 8:00; the Lunar X, also known as the Werner or Purbach Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscur illumination effect involving various ridges and crater rims located between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to begin at 15:47
9/8 The Moon is 0.04 degree north of Saturn, with an occultation taking place in western Melanesia, western Micronesia, western and northern Australia, southern Indonesia, Madagascar, and eastern Africa, at 14:00; Jupiter is at eastern quadrature (90 degrees from the Sun) at 15:00; the Moon is at the descending node (longitude 286.0 degrees) at 18:00
9/9 The Moon is 0.1 degree north of Pluto, with an occultation taking place in northern South America, the Galapagos Islands, Easter Island, and most of Polynesia with the exception of Hawaii, at 3:00
9/10 Neptune (magnitude +7.8, apparent size 2.4") is at opposition at 8:00
9/13 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 24" from a distance of 406,377 kilometers (252,511 miles), at 1:32; Mercury is (magnitude -0.9) 0.3 degree south-southwest of Venus (magnitude -3.9) at 14:00; the Moon is 3.4 degrees southeast of Neptune at 21:00
9/14 Full Moon (known as the Barley, Corn, or Fruit Moon), this year’s Harvest Moon, occurs at 4:33
9/17 The Sun enters Virgo, at longitude 174.2 degrees on the ecliptic, at 8:00; the Moon is 4.0 degrees south of Uranus at 20:00
9/18 Saturn is stationary in right ascension, with prograde (direct) motion to commence, at 5:00; Saturn is stationary in longitude, with prograde (direct) motion to commence, at 7:00
9/19 The Moon is 7.6 degrees southeast the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 23:00; Mars and Neptune are at heliocentric opposition (longitudes 167.4 degrees and 347.4 degrees) at 23:00
9/20 The Moon is 2.6 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 16:00
9/22 Last Quarter Moon occurs at 2:41; the Moon is 2.0 degrees south of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 9:00; the Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 16:28; Mercury is at the descending node through the ecliptic plane at 21:00
9/23 The Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 104.4 degrees) at 7:00; the Sun is at a longitude of 180 degrees at 7:50; the autumnal equinox occurs in the northern hemisphere at 7:50; the Moon is 9.5 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Castor (Alpha Geminorum) at 19:00
9/24 The Moon is 5.9 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 0:00; the Moon is 0.4 degree north of the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) in Cancer at 22:00
9/25 Asteroid 4 Vesta (magnitude +7.3) is stationary in Taurus at 5:00
9/27 Saturn is at its southernmost declination (-22.5 degrees) at 21:00
9/28 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 33' 24" from a distance of 357,803 kilometers (222,328 miles), at 2:24; asteroid 21 Lutetia (magnitude +9.0) is at opposition in Capricornus at 4:00; New Moon (lunation 1197) occurs at 18:26
9/29 Mercury (magnitude -0.2) is 1.3 degree north-northeast of Spica at 9:00; the Moon is 4.0 degrees north-northeast of Venus at 16:00
9/30 The Moon is 7.0 degrees north-northeast of Spica at 1:00; the Moon is 5.8 degrees north-northeast of Mercury at 3:00
8/2 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 33' 15'' from a distance of 359,398 kilometers (223,320 miles), at 7:11; the Moon is 3.1 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 14:00
8/3 Venus is 0.3 degree south of M44 at 7:00
8/6 Asteroid 16 Psyche (magnitude +9.3) is at opposition at 4:00; the Moon is 7.3 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 6:00
8/7 The astronomical cross-quarter day known as Lammas or Lughnasadh occurs today; First Quarter Moon occurs at 17:31
8/8 The Lunar X, also known as the Werner or Purbach Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscur illumination effect involving various ridges and crater rims located between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to begin at 3:43; Mercury is 9.1 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 5:00; Venus is at perihelion (a distance of 0.7185 astronomical units from the Sun) at 9:00
8/9 The Moon is 7.7 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 17:00; the Moon is 2.0 degrees south of Jupiter at 23:00; Mercury is at greatest western elongation (19.0 degrees) at 23:00
8/11 The Sun enters Leo, at longitude 138.2 degrees on the ecliptic, at 3:00; Jupiter is stationary in right ascension, with direct (eastern) motion to begin, at 16:00
8/12 Uranus is stationary in right ascension, with retrograde (western) motion to begin, at 6:00; the Moon is 0.04 degree south of Saturn, with an occultation taking place in most of Polynesia, Melanesia, northern New Zealand, most of Australia, and eastern Indonesia, at 10:00; the Moon is at the descending node (longitude 287.4 degrees) at 15:00; Jupiter is 6.7 degrees northeast of Antares at 17:00; the Moon is 0.1 degree north of Pluto, with an occultation taking place in the southern Arabian Peninsula, central and eastern Africa, Ascension Island, and northeastern South America, 22:00
8/13 Asteroid 15 Eunomia (magnitude +8.2) is at opposition at 6:00; the peak of the Perseid meteor shower (a zenithal hourly rate of 150 or more per hour) occurs at 7:00
8/14 Venus is in superior conjunction with the Sun (1.731 astronomical units) at 6:00
8/15 Venus is at its brightest (magnitude -3.9) at 12:00; Full Moon (known as the Fruit, Grain, Green Corn, or Sturgeon Moon) occurs at 12:29: Mercury is at the ascending node through the ecliptic plane at 15:00
8/17 Asteroid 39 Laetitia (magnitude +9.1) is at opposition at 3:00; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 25'' from a distance of 406,244 kilometers (252,429 miles), at 10:49; Mercury is 0.9 degree south of M44 at 11:00; the Moon is 3.5 degrees southeast of Neptune at 17:00
8/18 Mars is 0.7 degree north-northeast of Regulus at 9:00
8/20 Mercury is at perihelion (a distance of 0.3075 astronomical units from the Sun) at 7:00
8/21 Venus, Mars, and Regulus lie within a circle with a diameter of 2.1 degrees at 9:00; Venus is 0.9 degree north-northeast of Regulus 11:00; the Moon is 4.4 degrees southeast of Uranus at 19:00
8/22 Asteroid 4 Juno is in conjunction with the Sun at 22:00
8/23 Last Quarter Moon occurs at 14:56; the Moon is 7.8 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) at 17:00
8/24 The Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscur illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 4:36; the Moon is 2.4 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Taurii) at 10:00; Venus is 0.3 degree north-northeast of Mars at 18:00
8/26 Mars is at aphelion (1.6661 astronomical units from the sun) at 1:00; the Moon is 2.2 degrees south of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 2:00
8/27 The Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 106.7 degrees) at 2:00; the Moon is 9.7 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Castor (Alpha Geminorum) at 10:00; the Moon is 6.1 degrees south of Pollux at 15:00
8/28 The Moon is 0.3 degree north of M44 at 12:00
8/29 Mercury is 1.3 degrees north-northeast of Regulus at 9:00
8/30 The Moon, Mercury and Regulus lie within a circle having a diameter of 3.1 degrees at 0:00; the Moon is 3.1 degrees north-northeast of regulus at 1:00; Venus is at its northernmost latitude from the ecliptic plane (3.4 degrees) at 1:00; the Moon is 1.9 degrees north-northeast of Mercury at 3:00; New Moon (lunation 1196) occurs at 10:37; the Moon, Mercury and Mars lie within a circle having a diameter of 5.6 degrees at 11:00; Mercury is at its northernmost latitude from the ecliptic plane (7.0 degrees) at 12:00; the Moon is 2.9 degrees north-northeast of Mars at 13:00; the Moon, Venus, and Mars lie within a circle having a diameter of 4.00 degrees at 14:00; the Moon is at perigee, subtending 33' 28'' from a distance of 357,176 kilometers (221,939 miles), at 15:53; the Moon is 2.8 degrees north-northeast of Venus at 19:00
Nicolas Sarabat discovered Comet C/1729 P1 (Sarabat) on August 1, 1729.
Caroline Herschel discovered Comet C/1786 P1 (Herschel) on August 1, 1786.
The Saturnian satellite Enceladus was discovered by William Herschel on August 28, 1789. Dominique Dumouchel was the first person to observe the return of Comet 1P/Halley on August 5, 1835.
John Russell Hind discovered asteroid 7 Iris on August 13, 1847. Asaph Hall discovered Deimos on August 11, 1877 and Phobos on August 17, 1877.
The first extragalactic supernova, S Andromedae, was discovered by Ernst Hartwig on August 20, 1885.
David Jewitt and Jane Luu discovered the trans-Neptunian object (15760) 1992 QB1 on August 30, 1992.
The Jovian satellite 2002 Laomedeia was discovered by Matthew Holman on August 13th, 2002.
Mercury (magnitude +2.0, 9.7", 13% illuminated, 0.70 a.u., Gemini),
Venus (magnitude -3,9, 9.7", 100% illuminated, 1.73 a.u., Cancer),
Mars (magnitude +1.8, 3.5", 100% illuminated, 2.65 a.u., Leo),
Jupiter (magnitude -2.4, 42.7", 99% illuminated, 4.62 a.u., Ophiuchus),
Saturn (magnitude +0.2, 18.3", 100% illuminated, 9.11 a.u., Sagittarius),
Uranus (magnitude +5.8, 3.6", 100% illuminated, 19.53 a.u. on August 16th, Aries), Neptune (magnitude +7.8, 2.4", 100% illuminated, 29.02 a.u. on August 16th, Aquarius), and Pluto (magnitude +14.2, 0.1", 100% illuminated, 33.00 a.u. on August 16th, Sagittarius).
and http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomy.html
5 Aquilae, Struve 2404, 11 Aquilae, Struve 2426, 15 Aquilae, Struve 2449, 23 Aquilae, Struve 2532, Pi Aquilae, 57 Aquilae ( Aquila );
Beta Cygni (Albireo), 16 Cygni, Delta Cygni, 17 Cygni (Cygnus); 41 & 40 Draconis, 39 Draconis, Struve 2348, Sigma Draconis, Struve 2573, Epsilon Draconis ( Draco );
95 Herculis, 100 Herculis, Struve 2289, Struve 2411 ( Hercules );
Struve 2349, Struve 2372, Epsilon-1 & Epsilon-2 Lyrae (the Double-Double), Zeta-2 Lyrae, Beta Lyrae, Otto Struve 525, Struve 2470 & Struve 2474 (the Other Double-Double) ( Lyra );
67 Ophiuchi, 69 Ophiuchi, 70 Ophiuchi, Struve 2276, 74 Ophiuchi ( Ophiuchus );
Mu Sagittarii, Eta Sagittarii, 21 Sagittarii, Zeta Sagittarii, H N 119, 52 Sagittarii, 54 Sagittarii ( Sagittarius );
Struve 2306, Delta Scuti, Struve 2373 ( Scutum );
Struve 2296, Struve 2303, 59 Serpentis, Theta Serpentis ( Serpens Cauda );
Struve 2445, Struve 2455, Struve 2457, 4 Vupeculae, Struve 2521, Struve 2523, Struve 2540, Struve 2586, Otto Struve 388, Struve 2599 ( Vulpecula )
B139, B142, B143, NGC 6709, NGC 6738, NGC 6741, NGC 6751, NGC 6755, NGC 6772, NGC 6778, NGC 6781, NGC 6804, PK64+5.1 ( Aquila );
NGC 6819, NGC 6826, NGC 6834, (Cygnus); NGC 6643, NGC 6742 ( Draco );
DoDz 9 ( Hercules );
M56, M57, NGC 6703, NGC 6791, Ste1 ( Lyra ); NGC 6572, NGC 6633 ( Ophiuchus );
H20, M71 ( Sagitta );
B86, B87, B90, B92, B93, M8, M17, M18, M20, M21, M22, M23, M24, M25, M28, M54, M55, M69, M70, M75, NGC 6520, NGC 6544, NGC 6546, NGC 6553, NGC 6565, NGC 6603, NGC 6818, NGC 6822 ( Sagittarius );
IC 4703, IC 4756, M16, NGC 6604 ( Serpens Cauda );
B100, B101, B103, B104, B110, B111, B113, Bas 1, IC 1295, M11, M26, NGC 6649, NGC 6712 ( Scutum );
Cr 399 (asterism), M27, NGC 6802, NGC 6823, NGC 6834, NGC 6940, St 1 ( Vulpecula )
July Celestial Calendar by Dave Mitsky
7/2 Asteroid 18 Melpomene (magnitude +9.2) is at opposition at 1:00; New Moon (lunation 1194) occurs at 19:16; a total solar eclipse visible from the southern Pacific Ocean, northern Chile, and central Argentina reaches greatest eclipse at 19:22:53
7/3 The Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 107.6 degrees) at 7:00; the Moon is 6.1 degrees south of the first magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 18:00
7/4 The Moon is 0.1 degree north of Mars, with an occultation occurring in Micronesia, most of Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and the eastern tip of Africa, at 6:00; the Moon is 3.3 degrees north-northeast of Mercury at 10:00; the Moon lies within the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive or Praesepe) in Cancer at 15:00; the Earth is at aphelion (152,104,285 kilometers or 94,513,221 miles from the Sun) at 22:00
7/5 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32' 51" at a distance of 363,726 kilometers (226,009 miles) at 5:00; Venus is at the ascending node through the ecliptic plane at 13:00
7/6 The Moon is 3.1 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 5:00
7/7 Mercury is stationary at 4:00; Venus is at its northernmost declination (23.4 degrees) at 5:00; Mercury is at aphelion at 7:00; Mercury (magnitude +2.0) is 4.0 degrees south of Mars (magnitude +1.8) at 14:00
7/9 First Quarter Moon occurs at 10:55; the Lunar X, also known as the Werner or Purbach Cross, an X-shaped illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to begin at 15:58; Saturn (magnitude +0.1, apparent size 18.4") is at opposition at 17:00
7/10 The Moon is 7.3 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 0:00; the middle of the eclipse season (i.e., the Sun is at same ecliptic longitude as the Moon’s ascending node, 107.5 degrees) occurs at 0:00
7/13 The Moon is 7.8 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 11:00; the Moon is 2.3 degrees north-northeast of Jupiter at 21:00
7/14 Pluto is at opposition (magnitude +14.2, apparent size 0.1") at 15:00
7/16 The Moon is 0.2 degree south of Saturn, with an occultation occurring in central South America, Easter Island, southern Polynesia, and eastern Melanesia, at 7:00; the Moon is at the descending node (longitude 287.7 degrees) at 9:00; the Moon is 0.04 degree south of Pluto, with an occultation occurring in western Micronesia, northern and central Australia, southern Indonesia, Madagascar, and eastern Africa, at 17:00; the Moon is at the descending node (longitude 287.7 degrees) at 9:00; a partial lunar eclipse visible from South America, Europe, Africa, most of Asia, and Australia reaches greatest eclipse at 21:30:44; Full Moon, known as the Hay or Thunder Moon, occurs at 21:38
7/18 Mars is at its greatest heliocentric latitude north today
7/19 The dwarf planet/asteroid 1 Ceres is stationary at 17:00
7/20 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 28" from a distance of 405,481 kilometers (251,954 miles) at 23:59
7/21 The Sun enters Cancer, at longitude 118.3 degrees on the ecliptic, at 7:00; the Moon is 4.0 degrees south of Neptune at 8:00; Mercury reaches inferior conjunction at 12:00
7/22 Venus is 6.0 degrees south of Pollux at 17:00
7/23 The Sun’s ecliptic longitude is 120 degrees at 3:00
7/25 Last Quarter Moon occurs at 1:18; Mercury (magnitude +4.1) is 5.6 degrees south-southwest of Venus (magnitude -3.9) at 3:00; the Moon is 5.0 degrees south of Uranus at 7:00; the Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 17:25
7/26 The equation of time, which yields the difference between mean solar time and apparent solar time, is at a minimum of -6.55 minutes, at 12:00
7/27 Mercury is at its greatest heliocentric latitude south today; the Moon is 7.9 degrees south-southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 8:00
7/28 The Moon is 2.3 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 1:00
7/30 The Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower (15 to 20 per hour) peaks; the Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 107.6 degrees) at 17:00
7/31 The Moon is 4.5 degrees north of Mercury at 4:00; the Moon is 6.1 degrees south of Pollux at 4:00;
Mercury is stationary at 19:00; the Moon is 0.7 degree northeast of Venus at 22:00
June Celestial Calendar by Dave Mitsky
6/2 The Moon is 7.9 degrees south-southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 13:00
6/3 Mercury is at its greatest heliocentric latitude north today; asteroid 2 Pallas is stationary at 2:00; the Moon is 2.3 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 6:00; New Moon (lunation 1193) occurs at 10:02
6/4 The Moon is 3.7 degrees south of Mercury at 17:00
6/5 A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Ganymede’s shadow precedes Io’s) begins at 0:29; the Moon is 1.6 degrees south of Mars at 15:00; the Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 107.9 degrees) at 23:00
6/6 Mercury is 1.2 degrees north of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 1:00; the Moon is 6.2 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 10:00
6/7 The Moon makes a close approach to the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) in Cancer at 8:00; the Moon is at perigee, subtending 32' 26" from a distance of 368,504 kilometers (228,978 miles), at 23:15
6/8 The Moon is 3.0 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 22:00
6/9 Venus is 5.1 degrees south-southeast of the bright open cluster M45 at 5:00
6/10 The Purbach Cross or Lunar X, an X-shaped illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to be visible at 4:17; First Quarter Moon occurs at 5:59; Jupiter (magnitude -2.5, apparent size 46.0") is at opposition at 16:00
6/12 A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Io’s shadow precedes Ganymede’s) begins at 3:33; the Moon is 7.3 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 18:00
6/13 The equation of time, which yields the difference between mean solar time and apparent solar time, equals 0 at 10:00
6/14 The earliest sunrise of the year at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today
6/15 The Moon is 0.9 degree north of dwarf planet/asteroid 1 Ceres, with an occultation taking place in Japan, northern and eastern China, northeastern Kazakhstan, and central and eastern Russia, at 15:00
6/16 The Moon is 7.8 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 5:00; the Moon is 2.0 degrees north-northeast of Jupiter at 20:00
6/17 The earliest morning twilight of the year at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today; Full Moon, known as the Rose or Strawberry Moon, occurs at 8:31; Venus is 5.0 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 21:00
6/18 Mercury (magnitude +0.2) is 0.2 degree north of Mars (magnitude +1.8) at 14:00
6/19 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 287.6 degrees) at 2:00; the Moon is 0.4 degree south of Saturn, with an occultation taking place in southern Africa, the Antarctic Peninsula, southern South America, and Easter Island, at 4:00; the Moon is 0.1 degree south of Pluto, with an occultation taking place in western South America, Central America, southern Polynesia, southern Micronesia, northeastern Australia, and Melanesia, at 11:00; Mercury is 5.4 degrees south-southwest of Pollux at 14:00
6/21 Mars is 5.5 degrees south of Pollux at 8:00; the Sun reaches an ecliptic longitude of 90 degrees and the northern hemisphere summer solstice occurs at 15:56
6/22 The Sun enters Gemini, at longitude 90.43 degrees on the ecliptic, at 3:00; Neptune is stationary at 4:00
6/23 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 32" from a distance of 404,548 kilometers (251,375 miles), at 7:50; Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation (25 degrees) at 23:00
6/24 The latest evening twilight of the year at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today; the Moon is 3.6 degrees south-southeast of Neptune at 4:00
6/25 Last Quarter Moon occurs at 9:47
6/26 Mercury is at the descending node today; the Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 6:33
6/27 The latest sunset of the year at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today
6/28 The Moon is 4.5 degrees south-southeast of Uranus at 2:00
6/29 The Moon is 7.9 degrees south-southeast of the bright open cluster M45 at 23:00
6/30 The Moon is 2.3 degrees north of Aldebaran at 15:00
For more on the planets and how to locate them, browse http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/
May Celestial Calendar by Dave Mitsky
5/3 The Moon is 2.7 degrees south-southeast of Mercury at 10:00; Mars and Saturn are at heliocentric opposition (longitudes 105.2 degrees and 285.2 degrees) at 14:00
5/4 The Moon is 4.4 degrees south-southeast of Uranus at 3:00; New Moon (lunation 1192) occurs at 22:46
5/5 Today is May Day or Beltane, a cross-quarter day; the peak of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower (20 per hour for northern hemisphere observers) occurs at 13:00
5/6 The Moon is 7.9 degrees south-southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 5:00; the Moon is 2.2 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) at 22:00
5/8 The Moon is 3.2 degrees south-southeast of Mars at 1:00; Mercury (magnitude -0.8) is 1.3 degrees south-southeast of Uranus (magnitude +5.9) at 16:00
5/9 The Moon is at descending node (longitude 109.3 degrees) at 19:00
5/10 The Moon is 6.3 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 3:00; Venus is at its southernmost latitude from the ecliptic plane (-3.4 degrees) at 6:00
5/11 The Moon lies within the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) in Cancer at 2:00; the Lunar X (also known as the Werner or Purbach Cross), an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to be fully formed at 16:25; asteroid 8 Flora (magnitude +9.8) is at opposition at 23:00
5/12 First Quarter Moon occurs at 1:12; the Moon is 2.9 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 17:00
5/13 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32' 23'' from a distance of 369,009 kilometers (229,291 miles), at 21:53
5/14 The equation of time is at a maximum of 3.65 minutes at 9:00; asteroid 11 Parthenope (magnitude +9.5) is at opposition at 10:00; the Sun enters Taurus (longitude 53.47 degrees on the ecliptic) at 13:00
5/16 The Moon is 7.1 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 12:00; Mars is at its northernmost declination (24.6 degrees) at 22:00
5/18 Venus (magnitude -3.9) is 1.1 degrees south-southeast of Uranus (magnitude +5.9) at 17:00; Full Moon, known as the Milk or Planting Moon, occurs at 21:11
5/19 Mercury is at the ascending node through the ecliptic plane at 15:00; Mars is 0.2 degree north of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 16:00; the Moon is 1.2 degrees south of the dwarf planet/asteroid 1 Ceres, with an occultation occurring in parts of Antarctica, at 18:00; the Moon is 7.8 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 21:00
5/20 Asteroid 20 Massalia (magnitude +9.8) is at opposition at 13:00; the Moon is 1.7 degrees north-northeast of Jupiter at 18:00
5/21 The Sun’s longitude is 60 degrees at 8:00; Mercury is in superior conjunction (a distance of 1.322 a.u. from Earth and a latitude of 1.42 degrees) with the Sun at 13:00; Mercury is 3.7 degrees south-southeast of M45 at 15:00
5/22 The Moon is at the descending node (longitude 288.5 degrees) at 19:00; the Moon, Saturn, and Pluto lie within a circle with a diameter of 2.94 degrees at 23:00; the Moon is 0.5 degree south of Saturn, with an occultation occurring in southern New Zealand, most of Australia, the Kerguelen Islands, parts of eastern Antarctica, and the southern tip of Africa, at 22:00
5/23 The Moon is 0.1 degree south of Pluto, with an occultation occurring in southern and eastern Africa and central South America, at 4:00
5/24 Mercury is at perihelion (0.3075 a.u. from the Sun) at 7:00
5/25 Mercury is 6.5 degrees north-northwest of Aldebaran at 18:00
5/26 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 34'' from a distance of 404,137 kilometers (251,119 miles), at 13:27; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 16:34
5/27 The Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to be visible at 19:32; the Moon is 3.5 degrees south-southeast of Neptune at 20:00
5/28 The dwarf planet/asteroid 1 Ceres (magnitude +7.0) is at opposition at 23:00
5/30 The Moon is 0.6 degree north of asteroid 4 Vesta, with an occultation occurring in northwestern North America, the Aleutian Islands, northwestern Micronesia, eastern Asia, and parts of Indonesia, at 22:00
5/31 The Moon is 4.5 degrees south-southeast of Uranus at 14:00
During May, Venus rises about an hour before the Sun and shines at its minimum brightness of magnitude -3.8. A thin waning crescent Moon passes four degrees south of the planet on May 2nd. Venus is at its greatest heliocentric latitude south on May 10th. Venus lies 1.2 degrees south of Uranus on May 18th.
Jupiter increases in apparent size from 43.5 to 45.8 arc seconds this month. The waning gibbous Moon passes less than two degrees to the north of Jupiter on May 20th. The orbital plane of the Galilean satellites is currently inclined three degrees to our line of sight. A shadow transit by Ganymede begins at 3:42 a.m. EDT on the morning of May 7th. On the morning of May 18th, Ganymede reappears from occultation at 2:16 a.m. EDT. Io’s shadow begins to transit the planet at 3:44 a.m. EDT followed by Io itself at 4:17 a.m. EDT. Ganymede begins to disappear into eclipse to the west of Jupiter at 1:41 a.m. EDT on the morning of May 25th, an event that will take 14 minutes to transpire. Articles on observing Jupiter and the Great Red Spot (GRS) appear on pages 52 and 53 respectively of the May 2019 issue of Sky & Telescope. Browse http://www.skyandtel...watching-tools/ or http://www.projectpl...om/jeve_grs.htm in order to determine transit times of Jupiter’s central meridian by the GRS. GRS transit information also appears on pages 50 and 51 of the May 2019 issue of Sky & Telescope. Data on the Galilean satellite events is available on page 51 of the May 2019 issue of Sky & Telescope and online at http://www.skyandtel...watching-tools/ and http://www.projectpl...om/jevent.htm
Eighty binary and multiple stars for May:
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