Wednesday, June 21, 2017
The ISS between Venus and the Moon (June 21, 2017)
 |  |
| Animation of the ISS passing between the crescent Moon and Venus, Wednesday morning 21 June,5:13 am as seen from Adelaide (click to embiggen) | Single frame of the ISS between the Moon and Venus (click to embiggen) |
This morning the line up of the crescent Moon and Venus was enhanced for us Adelaideans by the ISS shooting between them, true, it did occur at 5:13 in the morning, but it was well worth it. I set up my camera CANON IXUS at ASA 400 with i second exposure, 10 shots automatically taken, but that was too few, so I had to do the rest Manually, hence a bit of wobble in the last few images.
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| overlay of all frames in the animation (Moon is over exposed). | ISS just below Venus. (click to embiggen) |
The Sky This Week - Thursday June 22 to Thursday June 29
The New Moon is Saturday, June 24. Mars and Mercury are lost in the twilight. Jupiter and the bright
star Spica are nearby in the evening sky. Saturn is at opposition on the
15th, when it as biggest and brightest as seen from Earth. It is
visible all night in the heart of the Milky Way. Venus climbs higher in
the morning sky and is very close to the crescent Moon on the 21st.
The New Moon is Saturday, June 24. The Moon is at perigee, when it is closest to the Earth on the 23rd.
Evening sky on Saturday June 24 looking north as seen from Adelaide at
18:57 ACST (when Jupiter is highest in the sky). Jupiter is above the
horizon between the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star
Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica. The inset shows
the telescopic view of Jupiter at this time.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising before dusk and is now high above the northern horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising before the sun sets and is visible until the early morning. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from astronomical twilight on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Evening sky on Saturday June 24 looking east as seen from Adelaide at
18:43 ACST, an hour and a half after sunset. Saturn is reasonably high
above the horizon.
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time, an hour and a half after sunset. (click to embiggen).
Saturn was at opposition on the 15th, when it was biggest and brightest in the sky as seen from earth. Saturn is visible all night long. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 9 pm on it is poised above the dark rifts in the Milky Way and is in a good area for binocular hunting. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. Saturn's rings are visible even in small telescopes and are always good to view.
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Morning sky on Wednesday June 24 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 5:53 ACST (90 minutes before sunrise). Venus is dazzling and the
crescent Moon is very close by. The inset shows
the telescopic view of Venus at this time.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a "half-Moon". on the 21st the Crescent Moon is a finger-width from Venus.
Mercury is lost in the twilight by mid-week.
Mars is lost in the twilight.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
The New Moon is Saturday, June 24. The Moon is at perigee, when it is closest to the Earth on the 23rd.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising before dusk and is now high above the northern horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising before the sun sets and is visible until the early morning. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from astronomical twilight on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Thu 22 Jun 2017 17:10 Viewing Resumed - Sun Sets Fri 23 Jun 2017 00:35 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Fri 23 Jun 2017 00:58 Io : Disappears into Occultation Fri 23 Jun 2017 01:24 Viewing Suspended - Jupiter Sets Fri 23 Jun 2017 17:11 Viewing Resumed - Sun Sets Fri 23 Jun 2017 20:27 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Fri 23 Jun 2017 22:12 Io : Transit Begins T Fri 23 Jun 2017 22:48 Eur: Transit Begins TT Fri 23 Jun 2017 23:26 Io : Shadow Transit Begins STT Sat 24 Jun 2017 00:23 Io : Transit Ends ST Sat 24 Jun 2017 01:19 Eur: Transit Ends S Sat 24 Jun 2017 01:21 Viewing Suspended - Jupiter Sets Sat 24 Jun 2017 17:11 Viewing Resumed - Sun Sets Sat 24 Jun 2017 19:26 Io : Disappears into Occultation Sat 24 Jun 2017 22:54 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Sun 25 Jun 2017 01:17 Viewing Suspended - Jupiter Sets Sun 25 Jun 2017 17:11 Viewing Resumed - Sun Sets Sun 25 Jun 2017 17:24 Eur: Disappears into Occultation T Sun 25 Jun 2017 17:55 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST Sun 25 Jun 2017 18:52 Io : Transit Ends S Sun 25 Jun 2017 19:07 Gan: Transit Begins ST Sun 25 Jun 2017 19:53 Eur: Reappears from Occultation ST Sun 25 Jun 2017 19:55 Eur: Disappears into Eclipse ST Sun 25 Jun 2017 20:06 Io : Shadow Transit Ends T Sun 25 Jun 2017 21:39 Gan: Transit Ends Sun 25 Jun 2017 22:06 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sun 25 Jun 2017 22:18 Eur: Reappears from Eclipse Mon 26 Jun 2017 00:20 Gan: Shadow Transit Begins S Mon 26 Jun 2017 01:13 Viewing Suspended - Jupiter Sets Mon 26 Jun 2017 17:11 Viewing Resumed - Sun Sets Mon 26 Jun 2017 17:23 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Mon 26 Jun 2017 17:57 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Tue 27 Jun 2017 01:10 Viewing Suspended - Jupiter Sets Tue 27 Jun 2017 17:12 Viewing Resumed - Sun Sets Tue 27 Jun 2017 23:45 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Wed 28 Jun 2017 01:06 Viewing Suspended - Jupiter Sets Wed 28 Jun 2017 17:12 Viewing Resumed - Sun Sets Wed 28 Jun 2017 19:36 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 29 Jun 2017 01:02 Viewing Suspended - Jupiter Sets
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time, an hour and a half after sunset. (click to embiggen).
Saturn was at opposition on the 15th, when it was biggest and brightest in the sky as seen from earth. Saturn is visible all night long. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 9 pm on it is poised above the dark rifts in the Milky Way and is in a good area for binocular hunting. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. Saturn's rings are visible even in small telescopes and are always good to view.
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a "half-Moon". on the 21st the Crescent Moon is a finger-width from Venus.
Mercury is lost in the twilight by mid-week.
Mars is lost in the twilight.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Labels: weekly sky
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
See the ISS skim the Moon and Venus from Adelaide (Wedensday 21 June)
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| The ISS passes close to the crescent Moon and Venus on the morning of Wednesday 21st June at 5:13 am. View looking East from Adelaide. Simulated in Stellarium (the ISS will actually be a bright dot), (click to embiggen) | All-sky chart showing local times from Heavens Above for Wednesday 21st June for Adelaide. (Click to embiggen) |
This week there is a series of bright ISS passes in the morning, while you may not be a fan of getting up in the dark during winter, for those of use in South Australia The Morning of Wednesday 21 June will be special, as the ISS will exit earths shadow and pass very close to the crescent Moon and Venus.
In some areas the ISS might even cross in front of the Moon. When and what you will see is VERY location dependent, so you need to use either Heavens Above or CalSky to get site specific predictions for your location . Even the difference between the city centre and the suburbs can mean the difference between seeing the ISS go over the Moon or just next to it.
Start looking several minutes before the pass is going to start to get yourself oriented and your eyes dark adapted. Be patient, on the night there may be slight differences in the time of the ISS appearing due to orbit changes not picked up by the predictions. The ISS will be moving reasonably fast when it exits Earth's shadow before passing near the Moon.
The Sky This Week - Thursday June 15 to Thursday June 22
The Last Quarter Moon is Saturday, June 17. Earth is at solstice on the 21st. Mars and Mercury are lost in the twilight. Jupiter and the bright star Spica are nearby in the evening sky. Saturn is at opposition on the 15th, when it as biggest and brightest as seen from Earth. It is visible all night in the heart of the Milky Way. Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is very close to the crescent Moon on the 21st.
The Last Quarter Moon is Saturday, June 17. Earth is at solstice on the 21st when the day is shortest.
Evening sky on Saturday June 17 looking north as seen from Adelaide at 18:39 ACST (when Jupiter is highest in the sky). Jupiter is above the horizon between the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica. The inset shows the telescopic view of Jupiter at this time.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising before dusk and is now high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising before the sun sets and is visible until the early morning. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from astronomical twilight on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars.
Evening sky on Saturday June 17 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 18:41 ACST, an hour and a half after sunset. Saturn is reasonably high above the horizon. The Full Moon is below Saturn
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time, an hour and a half after sunset. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is at opposition on the 15th, when it is beggest and brightest in the sky as seen from earth. Saturn visible all night long. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 9 pm on it is poised above the dark rifts in the Milky Way and is in a good area for binocular hunting. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. Saturn's rings are visible even in small telescopes and are always good to view.
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Morning sky on Wednesday June 21 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 6:21 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise). Venus is dazzling and the crescent Moon is very close by. Uranus is above Venus. The inset shows the telescopic view of Venus at this time.
On the 21st, at 5:13 am in Adelaide, the ISS passes very close to the crescent Moon and Venus
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a "half-Moon". on the 21st the Crescent Moon is a finger-width from Venus.
Mercury is lost in the twilight by mid-week.
Mars is lost in the twilight.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
The Last Quarter Moon is Saturday, June 17. Earth is at solstice on the 21st when the day is shortest.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising before dusk and is now high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising before the sun sets and is visible until the early morning. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from astronomical twilight on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars.
Evening sky on Saturday June 17 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 18:41 ACST, an hour and a half after sunset. Saturn is reasonably high above the horizon. The Full Moon is below Saturn
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time, an hour and a half after sunset. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is at opposition on the 15th, when it is beggest and brightest in the sky as seen from earth. Saturn visible all night long. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 9 pm on it is poised above the dark rifts in the Milky Way and is in a good area for binocular hunting. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. Saturn's rings are visible even in small telescopes and are always good to view.
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
On the 21st, at 5:13 am in Adelaide, the ISS passes very close to the crescent Moon and Venus
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a "half-Moon". on the 21st the Crescent Moon is a finger-width from Venus.
Mercury is lost in the twilight by mid-week.
Mars is lost in the twilight.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Labels: weekly sky
Sunday, June 04, 2017
The Sky This Week - Thursday June 8 to Thursday June 15
The Full Moon is Friday, June 9. Earth is at Perihelion on the 4th. Mars is lost in the twilight. Jupiter and the bright star Spica are nearby in the evening sky and are visited by the Moon on the 4th. Saturn is in the evening sky in the heart of the Milky Way. Venus climbs higher in the morning sky, with Mercury below it. Venus is close to Uranus on the 3rd and 4th. Comet C/2015 V2 Johnson may be visible in binoculars in the northern sky.
The Full Moon is Friday, June 9. Earth is at Perihelion (where it is furthest from the Sun) on the 4th. The Moon is at apogee (where it is furthest from the Earth) on the 8th. That means this full Moon is a micro-Moon.
Evening sky on Saturday June 10 looking north as seen from Adelaide at 19:51 ACST (when Jupiter is highest in the sky). Jupiter is above the horizon between the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica. The inset shows the telescopic view of Jupiter at 18:00 ACST of Friday June 3.
Comet C/2015 V2 is moderately high above the horizon near Arcturus.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising before dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising before the sun sets and is visible until the early morning. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from astronomical twilight on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Evening sky on Saturday June 10 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 18:41 ACST. Saturn is reasonably high above the horizon. The Full Moon is below Saturn
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 10 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars. This week the light of the Moon washes ourt the nebula and clusters.
Saturn is at opposition next week, but watching the rings over the coming week should see them brighten ahead of the planet,
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Comet C/2015 V2 is in a good position to view at the moment, it is dimmer than predicted at around magnitude 8, while with good binoculars and under dark skies it should be visible as a fuzzy dot. The bright star Arcturus is readily visible and you can star hop from it down to the comet. For more details off how to view the comet see here. The light of the waxing Moon will make the comet harder to spot.
Mars is lost in the twilight.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
The Full Moon is Friday, June 9. Earth is at Perihelion (where it is furthest from the Sun) on the 4th. The Moon is at apogee (where it is furthest from the Earth) on the 8th. That means this full Moon is a micro-Moon.
Evening sky on Saturday June 10 looking north as seen from Adelaide at 19:51 ACST (when Jupiter is highest in the sky). Jupiter is above the horizon between the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica. The inset shows the telescopic view of Jupiter at 18:00 ACST of Friday June 3.Comet C/2015 V2 is moderately high above the horizon near Arcturus.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising before dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising before the sun sets and is visible until the early morning. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from astronomical twilight on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Mon 8 May 1:04 Io : Disappears into Occultation Mon 8 May 2:33 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Mon 8 May 3:57 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Mon 8 May 18:56 Eur: Transit Begins T Mon 8 May 20:20 Eur: Shadow Transit Begins ST Mon 8 May 21:22 Eur: Transit Ends S Mon 8 May 22:21 Io : Transit Begins ST Mon 8 May 22:24 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Mon 8 May 22:47 Eur: Shadow Transit Ends T Mon 8 May 23:02 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST Tue 9 May 0:32 Io : Transit Ends S Tue 9 May 1:13 Io : Shadow Transit Ends Tue 9 May 18:15 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Tue 9 May 19:31 Io : Disappears into Occultation Tue 9 May 22:26 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Wed 10 May 4:11 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Wed 10 May 17:31 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST Wed 10 May 17:36 Eur: Reappears from Eclipse ST Wed 10 May 18:58 Io : Transit Ends S Wed 10 May 19:42 Io : Shadow Transit Ends Thu 11 May 0:02 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 11 May 19:54 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sat 13 May 1:41 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sat 13 May 21:15 Gan: Transit Begins T Sat 13 May 21:32 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sat 13 May 23:33 Gan: Transit Ends Sun 14 May 0:25 Gan: Shadow Transit Begins S Sun 14 May 2:44 Gan: Shadow Transit Ends Sun 14 May 2:55 Eur: Disappears into Occultation Sun 14 May 17:23 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Mon 15 May 2:51 Io : Disappears into Occultation Mon 15 May 3:19 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 10 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars. This week the light of the Moon washes ourt the nebula and clusters.
Saturn is at opposition next week, but watching the rings over the coming week should see them brighten ahead of the planet,
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Comet C/2015 V2 is in a good position to view at the moment, it is dimmer than predicted at around magnitude 8, while with good binoculars and under dark skies it should be visible as a fuzzy dot. The bright star Arcturus is readily visible and you can star hop from it down to the comet. For more details off how to view the comet see here. The light of the waxing Moon will make the comet harder to spot.
Mars is lost in the twilight.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Labels: weekly sky
Friday, June 02, 2017
Astrophiz Podcast 35 is Out
Our feature interview is with Dr Jean-Pierre Macquart –
Senior research fellow at Curtin University node of the International
Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), Perth, Australia.
He explains new discoveries about the mysterious FRBs (Fast Radio Bursts) and his team's use of the CSIRO ASKAP array to use the latest FRB discoveries to better understand the properties of the intergalactic medium.
For astrophotographers and naked-eye and binocular observers, I tell you what to look for in the night sky this month, and include an update on the recent impact of an object on Jupiter, and the 'apogee moon'.
He explains new discoveries about the mysterious FRBs (Fast Radio Bursts) and his team's use of the CSIRO ASKAP array to use the latest FRB discoveries to better understand the properties of the intergalactic medium.
For astrophotographers and naked-eye and binocular observers, I tell you what to look for in the night sky this month, and include an update on the recent impact of an object on Jupiter, and the 'apogee moon'.
In the news:
NASA's Parker Solar probe, Citizen Scientists Identify
Prehistoric Supernova and astrophysicists solve mystery of how most
anti-matter in the Milky Way forms.
Labels: Astrophiz
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
The Sky This Week - Thursday June 1 to Thursday June 8
The First Quarter Moon is Thursday June 1. Mars is lost in the twilight.
Jupiter
and
the bright star Spica
are nearby in the evening
sky and are visited by the Moon on the 4th.
Saturn is in the evening
sky in the heart of the Milky Way. Venus climbs higher in the morning
sky, with Mercury below it. Venus is close to Uranus on the 3rd and 4th. Comet C/2015 V2 Johnson may be visible in
binoculars in the northern sky.
The First Quarter Moon is Thursday June 1.
Evening sky on Sunday June 4 looking north as seen from
Adelaide at 20:18 ACST (when Jupiter is highest in the sky). Jupiter is above the
horizon between
the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star Porrima, with the Mon making a triangle with the pair. Jupiter
is now closer to Porrima than Spica. The inset shows the telescopic
view of Jupiter at 18:00 ACST of Friday June 3.
Comet C/2015 V2 is moderately high above the horizon near Arcturus.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising before dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica. On the 4th the waxing Moon forms a triangle with Jupiter and Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising before the sun sets and is visible until the early morning. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from astronomical twilight on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Thu 1 Jun 0:22 Io : Transit Ends S
Thu 1 Jun 0:50 Gan: Reappears from Eclipse S
Thu 1 Jun 1:18 Eur: Reappears from Eclipse S
Thu 1 Jun 1:25 Io : Shadow Transit Ends
Thu 1 Jun 2:22 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Thu 1 Jun 19:23 Io : Disappears into Occultation
Thu 1 Jun 22:13 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Thu 1 Jun 22:39 Io : Reappears from Eclipse
Fri 2 Jun 17:32 Eur: Shadow Transit Begins STT
Fri 2 Jun 17:42 Io : Shadow Transit Begins SSTT
Fri 2 Jun 17:46 Eur: Transit Ends SST
Fri 2 Jun 18:05 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Fri 2 Jun 18:49 Io : Transit Ends SS
Fri 2 Jun 19:53 Io : Shadow Transit Ends S
Fri 2 Jun 19:57 Eur: Shadow Transit Ends
Sat 3 Jun 23:52 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Sun 4 Jun 19:43 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Tue 6 Jun 1:30 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Tue 6 Jun 21:22 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Wed 7 Jun 17:13 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Wed 7 Jun 21:50 Gan: Disappears into Occultation
Wed 7 Jun 23:13 Eur: Disappears into Occultation
Thu 8 Jun 0:00 Io : Transit Begins T
Thu 8 Jun 0:18 Gan: Reappears from Occultation T
Thu 8 Jun 1:08 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST
Thu 8 Jun 2:12 Io : Transit Ends S
Thu 8 Jun 21:13 Io : Disappears into Occultation
Thu 8 Jun 23:00 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Evening sky on Saturday June 3 looking east as seen from
Adelaide at 20:00 ACST. Saturn is reasonably high above the horizon.
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 10 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars.
Saturn is at opposition next week, but watching the rings over the coming week should see them brighten ahead of the planet,
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Comet C/2015 V2 is in a good position to view at the moment, it is dimmer than predicted at around magnitude 8, while with good binoculars and under dark skies it should be visible as a fuzzy dot. The bright star Arcturus is readily visible and you can star hop from it down to the comet. For more details off how to view the comet see here.
Mars is lost in the twilight.
Morning sky on Saturday June 3 looking east as seen from Adelaide
at 6:17 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise). Venus is dazzling and Mercury
is prominent below it. Uranus is close to Venus. The inset shows the telescopic view of Venus at
this time.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a "half-Moon". Over the next few days Uranus comes close to Venus and is closest on the 3rd and 4th. Blue-green Uranus will be easily visible in binoculars as it draw close to brilliant Venus. Uranus, Venus and the brightish star omicron Pisces from a triangle, and you can watch Uranus move from day to day.
Mercury is easily visible low to the horizon.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
The First Quarter Moon is Thursday June 1.
Comet C/2015 V2 is moderately high above the horizon near Arcturus.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising before dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica. On the 4th the waxing Moon forms a triangle with Jupiter and Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising before the sun sets and is visible until the early morning. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from astronomical twilight on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Thu 1 Jun 0:22 Io : Transit Ends S
Thu 1 Jun 0:50 Gan: Reappears from Eclipse S
Thu 1 Jun 1:18 Eur: Reappears from Eclipse S
Thu 1 Jun 1:25 Io : Shadow Transit Ends
Thu 1 Jun 2:22 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Thu 1 Jun 19:23 Io : Disappears into Occultation
Thu 1 Jun 22:13 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Thu 1 Jun 22:39 Io : Reappears from Eclipse
Fri 2 Jun 17:32 Eur: Shadow Transit Begins STT
Fri 2 Jun 17:42 Io : Shadow Transit Begins SSTT
Fri 2 Jun 17:46 Eur: Transit Ends SST
Fri 2 Jun 18:05 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Fri 2 Jun 18:49 Io : Transit Ends SS
Fri 2 Jun 19:53 Io : Shadow Transit Ends S
Fri 2 Jun 19:57 Eur: Shadow Transit Ends
Sat 3 Jun 23:52 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Sun 4 Jun 19:43 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Tue 6 Jun 1:30 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Tue 6 Jun 21:22 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Wed 7 Jun 17:13 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
Wed 7 Jun 21:50 Gan: Disappears into Occultation
Wed 7 Jun 23:13 Eur: Disappears into Occultation
Thu 8 Jun 0:00 Io : Transit Begins T
Thu 8 Jun 0:18 Gan: Reappears from Occultation T
Thu 8 Jun 1:08 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST
Thu 8 Jun 2:12 Io : Transit Ends S
Thu 8 Jun 21:13 Io : Disappears into Occultation
Thu 8 Jun 23:00 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 10 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars.
Saturn is at opposition next week, but watching the rings over the coming week should see them brighten ahead of the planet,
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Comet C/2015 V2 is in a good position to view at the moment, it is dimmer than predicted at around magnitude 8, while with good binoculars and under dark skies it should be visible as a fuzzy dot. The bright star Arcturus is readily visible and you can star hop from it down to the comet. For more details off how to view the comet see here.
Mars is lost in the twilight.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a "half-Moon". Over the next few days Uranus comes close to Venus and is closest on the 3rd and 4th. Blue-green Uranus will be easily visible in binoculars as it draw close to brilliant Venus. Uranus, Venus and the brightish star omicron Pisces from a triangle, and you can watch Uranus move from day to day.
Mercury is easily visible low to the horizon.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Labels: weekly sky
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Astrophiz Podcast 34 is Out
Our feature interview is with Dr. Anthony Horton – Instrument
Scientist at the AAO who tells us all about life as an Instrument
Scientist for AAO and the Huntsman Telescope and the Space-Eye CubeSat
telescope project.
I give you the skinny on the great current conditions for observing our Gas Giants.
In the news:
I give you the skinny on the great current conditions for observing our Gas Giants.
In the news:
1. Vale Harold Weaver, 99, discoverer of Masers in space.
2. Renegrade Supermassive Black Hole hunted down
3. The smallest (oxymoronic) Supermassive Black Hole
4. The first image of a black hole (almost)
2. Renegrade Supermassive Black Hole hunted down
3. The smallest (oxymoronic) Supermassive Black Hole
4. The first image of a black hole (almost)
Labels: Astrophiz
Geomagnetic warning (26-27 May)
The SWS has issued a geomagnetic warning for 26-27 May (UT) due to glancing blow
from a coronal mass ejection. This is expected to arrive late in the UT day on
the 26th (which is the morning of the 27th Australian time). However, the Space Weather Prediction Service has no prediction of storms at this time, so a wait
and see approach may be needed (see also here).
If these geomagnetic events occur and result in aurora they could be seen from Tasmania and Southern Victoria, weather permitting. The Moon is just off new, so will not interfere. Be patient, as the activity may rise and fall of the magnetic polarity of the wind may fluctuate significantly.
Dark sky sites have the best chance of seeing anything, and always allow around 5 minutes for your eyes to become dark adapted.
As always look to the south for shifting red/green glows, beams have been reported consistently over the last few aurora, as well as bright proton arcs and "picket fences".
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
The all sky aurora camera in Northern Tasmania at Cressy is being upgraded and is not yet online.
SUBJ: SWS GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING 17/27
ISSUED AT 2343UT/23 MAY 2017
BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE.
Partial Halo CME observed using STEREO and LASCO C2 imagery.
INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED
DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION
FROM 26-27 MAY 2017
_____________________________________________________________
GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST
26 May: Minor to Major Storm
27 May: Minor Storm
If these geomagnetic events occur and result in aurora they could be seen from Tasmania and Southern Victoria, weather permitting. The Moon is just off new, so will not interfere. Be patient, as the activity may rise and fall of the magnetic polarity of the wind may fluctuate significantly.
Dark sky sites have the best chance of seeing anything, and always allow around 5 minutes for your eyes to become dark adapted.
As always look to the south for shifting red/green glows, beams have been reported consistently over the last few aurora, as well as bright proton arcs and "picket fences".
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
The all sky aurora camera in Northern Tasmania at Cressy is being upgraded and is not yet online.
SUBJ: SWS GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING 17/27
ISSUED AT 2343UT/23 MAY 2017
BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE.
Partial Halo CME observed using STEREO and LASCO C2 imagery.
INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED
DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION
FROM 26-27 MAY 2017
_____________________________________________________________
GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST
26 May: Minor to Major Storm
27 May: Minor Storm
Labels: aurora
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
The Sky This Week - Thursday May 25 to Thursday June 1
The New Moon is Friday May 26, the First Quarter Moon is Thursday June 1. Mars is low in the twilight.
Jupiter
and
the bright star Spica
are nearby in the evening
skies.
Saturn is in the evening
sky in the heart of the Milky Way. Venus climbs higher in the morning
sky, with Mercury below it. Comet C/2015 V2 Johnson may be visible in
binoculars in the northern sky.
The New Moon is Friday May 26, and is at perigee, when it is closest to Earth. The First Quarter Moon is Thursday June 1.
Evening sky on Saturday May 27 looking west as seen from Adelaide
at 17:57 ACST (45 minutes after sunset). Mars is low above the horizon.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 45 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Mars is in the western evening skies in Taurus It is is low in the dusk sky, but is the brightest object above the western horizon low in the late twilight. You will need a clear, unobscured level horizon to see it though.
Evening sky on Saturday May 27 looking north as seen from
Adelaide at 20:47 ACST (when Jupiter is highest in the sky). Jupiter is above the
horizon between
the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter
is now closer to Porrima than Spica. The inset shows the telescopic
view of Jupiter at this time.
Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising at dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising as the sun sets and is visible all night long. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from around 7 pm on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Evening sky on Saturday May 27 looking east as seen from
Adelaide at 21:00 ACST. Saturn is reasonably high above the horizon.
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 10 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars.Saturn is not far from the dim star 58 Ophiuchi and will leave it behind over the week.
Saturn is at opposition next month, but watching the rings over the coming weeks should see them brighten ahead of the planet,
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Morning sky on Tuesday May 23 looking east as seen from Adelaide
at 6:13 ACST (60 minutes before sunrise). Venus is dazzling and Mercury is prominent below it. The inset shows the telescopic view of Venus at
this time.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a waxing crescent.
Mercury is easily visible low to the horizon.
Location of comet C/2015 V2
(indicated by the circle) looking north as seen from Adelaide at 11 pm on the 27th. Similar views will be seen
elsewhere in Australia (and most of the southern hemisphere) at the
equivalent local time. Click to
embiggen
Comet C/2015 V2 is in a good position to view at the moment, it is dimmer than predicted at around magnitude 8, while with good binoculars and under dark skies it should be visible as a fuzzy dot. The bright star Arcturus is readily visible and you can star hop from it down to the comet. For more details off how to view the comet see here.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
The New Moon is Friday May 26, and is at perigee, when it is closest to Earth. The First Quarter Moon is Thursday June 1.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 45 minutes after local sunset, click to embiggen).
Mars is in the western evening skies in Taurus It is is low in the dusk sky, but is the brightest object above the western horizon low in the late twilight. You will need a clear, unobscured level horizon to see it though.
Evening sky on Saturday May 27 looking north as seen from
Adelaide at 20:47 ACST (when Jupiter is highest in the sky). Jupiter is above the
horizon between
the bright star Spica and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter
is now closer to Porrima than Spica. The inset shows the telescopic
view of Jupiter at this time.Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Jupiter is rising at dusk and is now reasonably high above the horizon in the early evening this week. It is in between the bright star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, and the relatively bright star Porrima. Jupiter is now closer to Porrima than Spica.
Opposition, when Jupiter is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, was on April the 8th. Jupiter is rising as the sun sets and is visible all night long. Jupiter is a good telescopic target from around 7 pm on, and the dance of its Moons is visible even in binoculars. The following Jupiter events are in AEST.
Thu 25 May 1:35 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 25 May 17:33 Io : Disappears into Occultation Thu 25 May 20:44 Io : Reappears from Eclipse Thu 25 May 21:26 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Fri 26 May 17:18 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Fri 26 May 17:20 Eur: Shadow Transit Ends S Fri 26 May 17:59 Io : Shadow Transit Ends Sat 27 May 23:05 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Sun 28 May 18:56 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Tue 30 May 0:43 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Tue 30 May 2:04 Eur: Transit Begins T Tue 30 May 20:35 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Wed 31 May 18:11 Gan: Disappears into Occultation Wed 31 May 20:37 Gan: Reappears from Occultation Wed 31 May 20:48 Eur: Disappears into Occultation Wed 31 May 22:11 Io : Transit Begins T Wed 31 May 22:33 Gan: Disappears into Eclipse T Wed 31 May 23:14 Io : Shadow Transit Begins ST
Thu 1 Jun 00:22 Io : Transit Ends S Thu 1 Jun 00:50 Gan: Reappears from Eclipse S Thu 1 Jun 1:18 Eur: Reappears from Eclipse S Thu 1 Jun 01:25 Io : Shadow Transit Ends Thu 1 Jun 02:22 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 1 Jun 19:23 Io : Disappears into Occultation Thu 1 Jun 22:13 GRS: Crosses Central Meridian Thu 1 Jun 22:39 Io : Reappears from Eclipse
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).
Saturn is now visible in the evening skies this week. Saturn is a good telescopic target from 10 pm on. It continues to climb into the evening skies as the week progresses. It is within binocular distance of the Triffid and Lagoon nebula and makes a very nice sight in binoculars.Saturn is not far from the dim star 58 Ophiuchi and will leave it behind over the week.
Saturn is at opposition next month, but watching the rings over the coming weeks should see them brighten ahead of the planet,
The constellation of Scorpio is a good guide to locating Saturn. The distinctive curl of Scorpio is easy to see above the north-eastern horizon, locate the bright red star, Antares, and the look below that towards the horizon, the next bright object is Saturn.
Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (that is 60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).
Venus climbs higher in the morning sky and is visible in telescopes as a waxing crescent.
Mercury is easily visible low to the horizon.
Comet C/2015 V2 is in a good position to view at the moment, it is dimmer than predicted at around magnitude 8, while with good binoculars and under dark skies it should be visible as a fuzzy dot. The bright star Arcturus is readily visible and you can star hop from it down to the comet. For more details off how to view the comet see here.
There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Labels: weekly sky
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