Astronomy!

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Seeing Mars this week:

https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-december-18-26/

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23

■ The waxing gibbous Moon shines high in the evening sky with orange Mars about 6° over it, as shown above.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24

■ A Christmas star-tower: This is the time of year when Orion shines in the east-southeast after dinnertime. He's well up now, but his three-star Belt is still nearly vertical. The Belt points up toward Aldebaran and, even higher, the Pleiades.

Off to the right of the Pleiades the Moon shines brightly. Orange Mars glows to the right of the Moon.

Mars (about magnitude –0.5, in Pisces) shines bright yellow-orange very high in the south during early evening. Mars is fading and shrinking into the distance, but it's still 12 or 11 arcseconds wide in a telescope, still big enough to show some surface detail during steady seeing. It's gibbous: 90% sunlit from Earth's point of view. Its recent dust storms seem to be over.

As we have rain today in Virginia, I will not see it tonight; last night it was too cloudy. Maybe tomorrow, before Mars fades away.

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I think I saw Mars earlier this evening. 4 of 4.

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10 spectacular stargazing events to watch in 2021

Early risers will be rewarded with a close encounter between two of the brightest planets in our skies: Venus and Jupiter. Both planets will appear as brilliant dots to the naked eye, and the pair will seem to be so close in the sky that they will be visible at the same time through a backyard telescope. As an added bonus, the planet Saturn will be drifting to the pair’s upper right.

https://www.microsoftnewskids.com/en-us/kids/science-tech/10-spectacular-stargazing-events-to-watch-in-2021/ar-BB1cl7pk?ocid=msedgntp

November 19: Partial lunar eclipse
The last lunar eclipse of the year will greet sky watchers across North and South America, Australia, and parts of Europe and Asia. While it is technically a partial eclipse, up to 95 percent of the full moon will be cast within Earth’s dark shadow. During the maximum phase, it should briefly appear as a total eclipse, which means the lunar disk may show hints of orange or red. The eclipse will start at 2:18 a.m. EST, and Earth’s shadow will envelop most of the moon’s visible surface by 4:02 a.m. EST.

And MORE...!

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MONDAY, JANUARY 11

■ Now Mercury shines 1.5° to the left or lower left of Jupiter low in bright twilight. Dimmer Saturn is 2.4° to Jupiter's lower right and is becoming hard to see even with binoculars.

■ After dinnertime now, the enormous Andromeda-Pegasus complex runs from near the zenith far down to the west. Near the zenith, spot Andromeda's high foot: 2nd-magnitude Gamma Andromedae (Almach), slightly orange. Andromeda is standing on her head. Her head-star (2nd-magnitude Alpheratz) is the top corner of the Great Square of Pegasus. Down from the Square's bottom corner run the stars outlining Pegasus's neck and head, ending at his nose: 2nd-magnitude Enif, also slightly orange.

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/observing-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-january-8-16-2/

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[url]THIS WEEK'S SKY AT A GLANCE, JANUARY 22 – 30[/url]



https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-january-22-30-2/

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23

■ Aldebaran shines below the waxing gibbous Moon this evening (by 4°), as shown above. Spot the Pleiades farther to the Moon's upper right. Far beneath them all is Orion.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24

■ The waxing gibbous Moon now shines at the horntips of Taurus: look for Beta Tauri to the Moon's upper left and fainter Zeta Tauri to the Moon's lower left. Farther right of the Moon is orange Aldebaran.

MONDAY, JANUARY 25

■ Orion is now high in the southeast right after dark, and he stands highest due south around 9 p.m. Orion is the brightest of the 88 constellations, but his main pattern is surprisingly small compared to some of his dimmer neighbors. The biggest of these is Eridanus the River to his west, enormous but hard to trace. Dimmer Fornax the Furnace, to Eridanus's lower right, is almost as big as Orion! Even the main pattern of Lepus, the Hare cowering under Orion's feet, isn't much smaller than he is.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26

■ The waxing gibbous Moon shines in the middle of Gemini, with Castor and Pollux to its left. Farther to the Moon's lower right is Procyon. Even farther to the Moon's right, Orion strides up the sky.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27

■ The Moon shines under Pollux and Castor this evening.

The brighter star to the Moon's lower right is Procyon, the Little Dog Star in Canis Minor. Farther to Procyon's lower right is Sirius, the Big Dog Star, in Canis Major.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28

■ Full Moon (exactly so at 2:16 p.m. EST). It shines this evening in dim Cancer, below Castor and Pollux and almost equally far above late-rising Regulus (for North America).

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THIS WEEK'S SKY AT A GLANCE, JANUARY 29 – FEBRUARY 6



https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-january-29-february-6-2/

THIS WEEK'S PLANET ROUNDUP

Mercury is dropping down from last week's good apparition in evening twilight, and it's also fading fast. On Friday January 29th Mercury is still almost as high in the south-southwest as it was last week, but at just magnitude +0.5 it may be surprisingly hard to spot if you haven't looked in a few days.

Just three days later on February 1st it's only magnitude +1.5 and dropping faster; see the top image above. Thus ends Mercury's last evening apparition until May.

Venus is hidden deep in the glow of sunrise. Expect it back in the evening twilight come late spring.

Mars (magnitude +0.5, in Aries) shines pale yellow-orange high in the southwest after dark. It sets in the west-northwest around 1 a.m. Mars is only 8 arcseconds wide now and is still as gibbous as it gets, 89% sunlit.

Jupiter and Saturn are out of sight behind the glare of the Sun.

Uranus (magnitude 5.8, in Aries) is several degrees below Mars in early evening. In binoculars Uranus is a little pinpoint "star." But with an apparent diameter of 3.6 arcseconds, it's a tiny, fuzzy ball at high power in even a smallish telescope with sharp optics — during spells of good seeing. Finder chart (without Mars).

Neptune (magnitude 7.9, in Aquarius) is sinking out of sight into the west-southwestern twilight.

[WILLIAMS5232]

i learned canis major, (the dog) lepus (the rabbit) the other day, pretty easy to spot and identify, right next to orion. actually the dog is supposed to be orions hunting dogs.

it includes sirrius, the dog star.

also M41, a nice view with binoculars.

i'm anxious to view it in my telescope the next time i drag it out.

an interesting tidbit, the dog days of summer come from sirrius. i'ts the brightest star in the sky, and the ancients assumed since it was out in the daytime during the summer, the reason the summer was hotter is because the heat from sirrius was added to the suns heat.

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THIS WEEK'S SKY AT A GLANCE, FEBRUARY 5 – 13

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-february-5-13-2/

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11

■ Sirius the Dog Star blazes high in the southeast after dinnertime, the brightest star of Canis Major. In a dark sky with lots of stars visible, the constellation's points can be connected to form a convincing dog profile. He's currently prancing on his hind legs; he wears Sirius on his chest.

But through the light pollution where most of us live, only his five brightest stars are easily visible. These form a short-handled meat cleaver. Sirius is the cleaver's top back corner, its blade faces right, and its stubby handle is down to the lower left.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12

■ Orion stands his highest in the south by about 8 p.m., looking smaller than you probably remember him appearing early in the winter when he was low. You're seeing the "Moon illusion" effect. Constellations, not just the Moon, look bigger when they're low.

■ Under Orion's feet, and to the right of Sirius now, hides Lepus the Hare. Like Canis Major, this is a constellation with a connect-the-dots that really looks like what it's supposed to be. He's a crouching bunny, with his nose pointing lower right, his faint ears extending up toward Rigel (Orion's brighter foot), and his body bunched to the left. His brightest two stars, 3rd-magnitude Alpha and Beta Leporis, form the back and front of his neck.

ALSO:

i learned canis major, (the dog) lepus (the rabbit) the other day, pretty easy to spot and identify, right next to orion. actually the dog is supposed to be orions hunting dogs.

it includes sirrius, the dog star.

also M41, a nice view with binoculars.

i'm anxious to view it in my telescope the next time i drag it out.

an interesting tidbit, the dog days of summer come from sirrius. i'ts the brightest star in the sky, and the ancients assumed since it was out in the daytime during the summer, the reason the summer was hotter is because the heat from sirrius was added to the suns heat.

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THIS WEEK'S SKY AT A GLANCE, FEBRUARY 12 – 20

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17

■ The Moon shines below Mars this evening (by about 12° for North America). Look to the Moon's right by the same distance, and there are the brightest stars of Aries, magnitudes 2.0, 2.6, and 3.9 from top to bottom.

Above Mars by a lesser distance are the Pleiades.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18

■ Mars shines over the Moon when the stars come out this evening, as shown below. Later in the evening the scene rotates clockwise with respect to your horizon, putting Mars to the Moon's upper right.

They appear only about 4° apart during evening for North America. In physical distance, though, Mars is 515 times farther away: 11 light-minutes compared to the Moon's 1.3 light-seconds. And, Mars is twice as large in diameter as the Moon.

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-february-12-20-2/

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THIS WEEK'S PLANET ROUNDUP
Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn lurk very low in bright dawn, but Jupiter and Saturn are getting a little higher and less difficult to see day by day, and Mercury brightens while maintaining its position. Look very low in the east-southeast 20 or 30 minutes before sunrise. With the sky that bright, bring binoculars. See illustration below.

Mercury nearly doubles in brightness from magnitude +0.9 to +0.3 this week. Saturn is magnitude +0.7, while Jupiter, though lower, is much brighter at mag –2.0.

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-february-19-27-2/

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23

■ The waxing gibbous Moon this evening shines below Pollux and Castor. Brighter Procyon is farther below.

■ Lunar occultation. Early this evening the Moon's dark limb will occult Kappa Geminorum, magnitude 3.6, for observers from central Delaware, Maryland, and Tennessee southward. Some times: Washington DC, 7:32 p.m. EST; Atlanta, 6:56 p.m. EST; Jacksonville, 7:06 p.m. EST; Miami, 6:43 p.m. EST. Map and timetables.

■ Sirius the Dog Star blazes high in the southeast after dinnertime, the brightest star of Canis Major. Spot it lower left of Orion. In a moonless and unpolluted sky, the stars of Canis Major can be connected to form a convincing dog profile. But under a brighter sky like tonight's, only his five brightest stars show well. These form the short-handled Meat Cleaver. Sirius is the cleaver's top back corner, its blade faces right, and its stubby handle is down to the lower left.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24

■ The Moon this evening is in the middle of dim Cancer. Shortly after dark, you'll find Pollux and Castor above it, Regulus below it, and Procyon to its right. As the night advances, this panorama appears to rotates clockwise around the Moon.

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About once a month this winter, we can watch the Moon journey across a field of stars termed the “Winter Hexagon.”

Some of the most amazing things about watching the skies are the chances we get to see the universe in action. Even if individual objects seem steady and unchanging, we can pick up on the delicate rhythms and subtle dances between them.

HOW THE MOON CROSSES THE WINTER HEXAGON
At the start of November, we can watch this dance in the context of the Winter Hexagon, as winter’s celebrated stars file back into the night, like old friends arriving at an end-of-the-year party.

While that happens, there’s a little extra magic. Not only do we see the brilliant lights of Orion, Gemini, and Taurus again, but we also see the Moon dancing through these constellations.

The Winter Hexagon, you may remember, is a giant asterism of six first-magnitude stars, which ride across the night sky from
mid-fall until the last of them fades into the western dusk in the spring. It's a fun party trick to run counterclockwise around the Hexagon and rattle off the names of all its stars: Capella, Castor, Pollux, Procyon, Sirius, Rigel and Aldebaran. (Note that Castor isn't quite a first-magnitude star; still, it’s nearly as bright as Pollux. If we add it in, it gives the names of the Hexagon's stars a pleasing, bouncy rhythm when you say them aloud. Give it a try; you’ll see.)

WATCH THE DANCE THIS WINTER
That’s only part of the fun. The chorus of this song repeats throughout the winter:

November 2-6, 2020
November 29 - December 3, 2020
December 27-31, 2020
January 23-27, 2021
February 19-24, 2021
March 19-23, 2021
April 15-19, 2021
But although the cycle repeats, it’s never quite the same. Since the stars rise four minutes earlier every night, they’re a little higher in the sky and a little farther toward west at the same time as the night before. These tiny changes add up over the months. Meanwhile, the Moon moves farther to the east relative the stars as it orbits Earth. This means the Moon catches up with the Hexagon a little sooner every month than it did the month before.

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/watch-moon-winter-hexagon/

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Snare a dozen double stars and deep-sky objects in the celestial Hare. Also, find out how to watch the potentially hazardous asteroid Apophis occult a star on February 21st.

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/a-deep-sky-hippity-hop-through-lepus-the-hare/

In early February, Lepus culminates in the south around 8 p.m. local standard time. The Moon will brighten the sky later this week, but dark skies return again on March 2nd. My observations were made with a 15-inch Dobsonian reflector, but all our featured objects are visible in a 6-inch reflector and several in binoculars. North is up in all maps and images except where noted.

CRIMSON PINPOINT
R Leporis always gets a reaction. It's just so obviously RED. And there's something about a red star that excites the imagination. Discovered by British astronomer J. R. Hind in 1845, he nailed the description of the star as a "drop of blood on a black field." Located 1,400 light-years away, Hind's Crimson Star is one of the closer carbon stars, a special subset of Mira-type variable stars with atmospheres rich in carbon. Carbon absorbs blue light from the star's spectrum, turning it a rich shade of red.

and more THERE to see on this page.....ENJOY...!

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The Sky This Month: March 2021
Late mornings, early evenings.
By Martin Ratcliffe, Alister Ling | Published: Monday, March 1, 2021

https://astronomy.com/magazine/sky-this-month/2021/03/the-sky-this-month-march-2021

good image; unable to post it here; go to the LINK above to see it

you can see this one:



from https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-march-5-13/

During March, Mars lingers in the evening sky as a wonderful bright object as it crosses Taurus. Most of the planetary action is now in the predawn sky, with three planets congregating there: Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury. Watch their relative dance as they jostle positions each morning.

Mars is a dramatic and bright addition to Taurus; it is the first planet to come into view after sunset. The Bull now hosts two objects of first magnitude: the fine red giant star Aldebaran (magnitude 0. and Mars, which fades from magnitude 0.9 to 1.3 during March. As March opens, the Red Planet is beautifully situated near the Pleiades (M45).
Mars stands about 3° due south of M45 on March 1, and remains in the vicinity for a few days as it drifts slowly eastward. The planet cruises north of the Hyades star cluster during the third week of the month. A lovely crescent Moon joins in on March 18 and 19. On the 18th, the Moon is 5° from M45 and Mars stands 8° northeast of our satellite. The following evening, Mars stands less than 4° west of the Moon, forming a nice triangle with Aldebaran to the south.

The Red Planet continues eastward, passing 7° due north of Aldebaran on March 22. By the 31st, it stands near the sparse star cluster NGC 1746 — a nice object when viewed in binoculars, made all the more striking with Mars glowing nearby at magnitude 1.3.

Mars is a tiny object in telescopes, spanning 6" as March opens and shrinking by 1" by the end of the month. At this apparent size, Mars is heavily affected by turbulence in our atmosphere. Even at an elevation above 50° soon after dusk, its features are challenging without a large telescope. Observers who have developed their skills with video imaging may give it a try, but it truly is the luck of the draw when it comes to the seeing conditions that will govern the results you might achieve.

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THIS WEEK'S SKY AT A GLANCE, MARCH 12 – 20
BY: ALAN MACROBERT MARCH 12, 2021

THIS WEEK'S PLANET ROUNDUP
Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn have been doing a slow tease very low in bright dawn for the last couple weeks. Now they're becoming less shy and more ready to catch your attention. Jupiter and Saturn are climbing a little higher and easier to see each morning, while lower Mercury still maintains almost the altitude it's had for the last two weeks while brightening just a trace.

Look very low in the east-southeast 40 or 30 minutes before sunrise. They form a diagonal line, as shown below; the line changes a little every morning. With a sky this bright, binoculars will help.

FRIDAY, MARCH 12

■ Spot Arcturus, the Spring Star, glittering pale yellow-orange very low in the east-northeast after nightfall. It climbs higher in the east later in the evening.

By modern measurements Arcturus is visual magnitude –0.05, making it the fourth-brightest nighttime star. It's bested only by Sirius, Canopus, and Alpha Centauri (counting the combined light of Alpha Cen A and B; they appear as one to the unaided eye).

So for northerners who can never see Canopus or Alpha Cen, Arcturus is bested by Sirius alone. However, Vega and Capella are very close on its heels.

■ February was Orion's month to stand at his highest in the south in early evening. March pushes him westward and brings his dog, Canis Major sporting Sirius on his chest, onto the south meridian.

In a moonless dark sky, the stars of Canis Major can be connected to form a nice dog profile, but through a brighter sky only his five brightest stars show well. These form the unmistakable Meat Cleaver. Sirius and Murzim (to its right) are the Cleaver's wide top end, with Sirius sparkling on its top back corner. Down to Sirius's lower left is the Cleaver's other end, including its short handle, formed by the triangle of Adhara, Wezen, and Aludra. The Cleaver is chopping toward lower right.

■ Want to try for Sirius B, the famous white dwarf? Sirius A and B are now at the apparent widest apart of their 50-year orbit, 11 arcseconds apart, and will remain so for the next several years before they start closing up again. You'll want at least an 8-inch scope, a night of really excellent seeing (keep checking night after night), Sirius at its very highest like it is now right after dark, and the Sirius-B-hunting tips in Bob King's article Sirius B – A New Pup in My Life.

The Pup is east-northeast of the Dog Star and 10 magnitudes fainter: one ten-thousandth as bright. As Bob recommends, put a homemade occulting bar across your eyepiece's field stop: a tiny strip of aluminum foil held with a bit of tape, with one edge at the center of the field. Looking through the eyepiece, use a pencil point to maneuver the strip into sharp focus. At the scope, hide blinding Sirius A just behind the strip's edge.

SATURDAY, MARCH 13

■ The Big Dipper glitters softly high in the northeast these evenings, standing on its handle. You probably know that the two stars forming the front of the Dipper's bowl (currently on top) are the Pointers; they point to Polaris, currently to their left or lower left.

And, you may know that if you follow the curve of the Dipper's handle out and around by a little more than a Dipper length, you'll arc to Arcturus, now rising in the east.

But did you know that if you follow the Pointers backward the opposite way, you'll land in Leo?

Draw a line diagonally across the Dipper's bowl from where the handle is attached, continue far on, to go to Gemini.

And look at the two stars forming the open top of the Dipper's bowl. Follow this line past the bowl's lip far across the sky, and you crash into to Capella.

■ New Moon (exact at 5:21 a.m. EST).

■ Daylight-saving time begins at 2 a.m. tonight for most of North America. Clocks spring forward an hour. Tonight there will be no such thing as 2:30 a.m. local civil time.

TUESDAY, MARCH 16

■ Bright Sirius, in the south these evenings, is the bottom star of the equilateral Winter Triangle. Its other two stars are orange Betelgeuse to Sirius's upper right (Orion's shoulder) and Procyon to Sirius's upper left. This is the time of year when the Winter Triangle balances on Sirius shortly after dark.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17

■ By nightfall, the Big Dipper is high in the northeast and beginning to tip left. Look left of its center, by about three fists at arm's length, for Polaris in the dim Little Dipper. Other than Polaris, all you may see of the Little Dipper through light pollution are the two stars forming the outer edge of its bowl: Kochab (similar to Polaris in brightness) and below it, fainter Pherkad. Find these two "Guardians of the Pole" to Polaris's lower right by about a fist and a half at arm's length.

Now is the time of year when the Guardians line up exactly vertically in mid- to late twilight.

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THIS WEEK'S SKY AT A GLANCE

THIS WEEK'S SKY AT A GLANCE, MARCH 19 – 27
BY: ALAN MACROBERT MARCH 19, 2021

The Moon this evening shines with Mars and Aldebaran, which look almost identical as shown below.

Pollux and Castor in Gemini pass nearly overhead around 7 p.m. this week if you live in the world's mid-northern latitudes. They go smack overhead as seen from near latitude 30° north: Austin, Houston and the US Gulf Coast, as well as northernmost Africa, Tibet, and Shanghai.

The "twin" heads of the Gemini figures are fraternal twins at best. Pollux is visibly brighter than Castor and pale orange. And as for their physical nature? They're not even the same species.

Pollux is a single orange giant. Castor is a binary pair of two smaller, hotter, white main-sequence stars, a fine double in amateur telescopes. If Pollux were a basketball, Castor A and B would be a tennis ball and a baseball about a half mile apart.

Moreover, each Castor star is closely orbited by an unseen red dwarf — a marble in our scale model just a foot or so from each of the two bright primaries.

And a very distant tight pair of red dwarfs, Castor C, is visible in amateur scopes as a single, 10th-magnitude speck 70 arcseconds south-southeast of the main pair. In our scale model, they would be a pair of marbles about 3 inches apart at least 10 miles from Castor A and B.

Read more in Fred Schaaf's "Gemini's Like and Unlike Twins" in the March Sky & Telescope, page 45.

SATURDAY, MARCH 20

■ Now the Moon shines between the horn tips of Taurus, Beta and Zeta Tauri, as shown above. These two stars form a long rectangle with Mars and Aldebaran: a temporary asterism special to mid-March 2021.

■ Earth crosses the March equinox point on its orbit at 5:37 a.m. EDT on this date. This when the Sun crosses the equator (both Earth's equator and, equivalently, the celestial equator), heading north. Spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere, fall in the Southern Hemisphere. And no, eggs don't balance today any better than they usually do, in case someone tries to tell you that.

SUNDAY, MARCH 21

■ First-quarter Moon. The Moon shines in the feet of Gemini, high above Orion in early evening.

■ The brightest asteroid, 4 Vesta, continues creeping across the rear flank of Leo this week at a binocular-easy magnitude 6.1. Use the finder chart with the article about Vesta in the March Sky & Telescope, page 48.

MONDAY, MARCH 22

■ Now the Moon, just past first quarter, shines high under Pollux and Castor in early evening. Far below the Moon is the huge Winter Triangle: Procyon on the left, orange Betelgeuse on the right in Orion's shoulder, and brilliant Sirius below them.

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THIS WEEK'S SKY AT A GLANCE, APRIL 2 – 10



https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-april-2-10/

also see: https://astronomy.com/

MONDAY, APRIL 5

■ Shortly after the end of twilight around this time of year, Arcturus, the bright Spring Star climbing in the east, stands just as high as Sirius, the brighter Winter Star descending in the southwest (for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes).

■ Early in Tuesday's dawn the crescent Moon shines under Saturn, as shown below. Then in Wednesday's dawn, the Moon shines under Jupiter.


29
8th-magnitude Nova in Cassiopeia. Nova Cassiopeiae 2021, now also known as V1405 Cassiopeiae, was still at about magnitude 8.2 as of April 2nd, after it was discovered at 9.6 on March 18th and quickly peaked at 7.7. For finder charts and more info, see Bright Nova Erupts in Cassiopeia.

To get a light curve with the most up-to-date brightness measurements, go to aavso.org and in "Pick a Star", enter "V1405 Cas" and choose "Plot a light curve". There, visual observers' estimates are the open black circles, and photoelectric V magnitudes are the green squares. (You can see calendar dates instead of Julian Days using "Preferences".)

And where's Cassiopeia itself? Catch it sinking in the north-northwest right after the end of twilight. Look early before it gets too low!

FRIDAY, APRIL 2

■ Shortly after the end of twilight around this time of year, Arcturus, the bright Spring Star climbing in the east, stands just as high as Sirius, the brighter Winter Star descending in the southwest (for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes).

These are the two brightest stars in the sky at the time. But Capella is a very close runner-up to Arcturus! Spot it high in the northwest.

Jupiter and Saturn edge ever higher in the southeast during early dawn all April. . .
SATURDAY, APRIL 3

■ The huge, bright Winter Hexagon is still in view early after dark, filling the sky to the southwest and west.

Start with brilliant Sirius in the southwest, the Hexagon's lower left corner. High above Sirius is Procyon. From there look higher upper right for Pollux and Castor (lined up nearly horizontal), lower right from Castor to Menkalinan and then bright Capella, lower left from there to Aldebaran (past Mars), lower left to Rigel at the bottom of Orion, and back to Sirius.

The Hexagon is somewhat distended. But if you draw a line through its middle from Capella to Sirius, the "Hexagon" is fairly symmetric with respect to that axis.

■ Last-quarter Moon tonight (exactly last quarter at 6:02 a.m. Sunday morning EDT). The Moon rises tonight very late, around 2 or 3 a.m. Before dawn on Sunday morning the you'll find it shining at the handle of the Sagittarius Teapot.

SUNDAY, APRIL 4

■ Right after it's fully dark, Sirius shines brilliantly in the south-southwest. Lower left of Sirius, by about one fist, is the triangle of Adhara, Wezen, and Aludra, from right to left. They form Canis Major's hind foot, rear end, and tail, respectively. Or, alternatively, the lower end and handle of the Meat Cleaver.

A little upper left of them, forming a 3rd- and 4th-magnitude arc 7° long, are the three uppermost stars of the constellation Puppis. No, that's not a puppy, despite following right behind the Big Dog. It's the Poop Deck (stern) of the giant ancient constellation Argo Navis, the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. These three are the only stars of Argo that are readily visible naked-eye from mid-northern latitudes.

Just 1.5° upper right of the middle of the three, binoculars on a dark night will show the 6th-magnitude open cluster M93. It's elongated northeast-southwest.

MONDAY, APRIL 5

■ Shortly after the end of twilight around this time of year, Arcturus, the bright Spring Star climbing in the east, stands just as high as Sirius, the brighter Winter Star descending in the southwest (for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes).

■ Early in Tuesday's dawn the crescent Moon shines under Saturn, as shown below. Then in Wednesday's dawn, the Moon shines under Jupiter.

. . .And on April 6th and 7th, the waning Moon poses under the giant planets.
TUESDAY, APRIL 6

■ The bright star high in the west-northwest during and after dusk is Capella. Its pale-yellow color matches that of the Sun, meaning they're both about the same temperature. But otherwise Capella is very different. It consists of two yellow-giant stars orbiting each other every 104 days.

Moreover, for telescope users, it's accompanied by a distant, tight pair of red dwarfs: Capella H and L, magnitudes 10 and 13. Article and finder charts.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7

■ Castor and Pollux shine together nearly overhead in the south after dark. Pollux is slightly the brighter of these "twins." Draw a line from Castor through Pollux, follow it farther out by a big 26° (about 2½ fists at arm's length), and you're at the dim head of Hydra, the Sea Serpent. In a moonless dark sky it's a subtle but distinctive star grouping, about the width of your thumb at arm's length. Binoculars show it easily through light pollution or moonlight.

Continue the line farther by a fist and a half and you hit 2nd-magnitude Alphard, Hydra's orange heart.

Another way to find Hydra's head: It's almost midway from Procyon to Regulus.

THURSDAY, APRIL 8

■ At this time of year, the two Dog Stars stand vertically aligned around the end of twilight. Look southwest. Brilliant Sirius in Canis Major is below, and Procyon in Canis Minor is high above.

FRIDAY, APRIL 9

■ Vega, the bright "Summer Star," rises in the northeast late these evenings. Exactly where should you watch for it to come up? Spot the Big Dipper almost overhead in the northeast. Look at Mizar at the bend of its handle. If you can see Mizar's tiny, close companion Alcor (binoculars show it easily), follow a line from Mizar through Alcor all the way down to the horizon. That's where Vega will make its appearance.

SATURDAY, APRIL 10

■ By late evening the Sickle of Leo stands nearly vertical high in the south. Its bottom star is Regulus, the brightest of Leo. Leo himself is walking westward. The Sickle forms his front leg, chest, mane, and part of his head. Off to the left, a long right triangle forms his hind end and long tail.


THIS WEEK'S PLANET ROUNDUP
Mercury, Venus, and Neptune are out of sight in the glare of the Sun.

Mars (magnitude +1.3, in Taurus) shines high in the west after dark. It's visibly fainter now than than orange Aldebaran below it, not to mention brighter orange Betelgeuse farther to Mars's left. In a telescope Mars is a mere 5 arcseconds wide: a tiny, shimmering bright blob too small for any surface detail.

Jupiter and Saturn have been emerging into dawn view for the last month. Look for them low in the southeast about 60 to 40 minutes before your local sunrise time. Saturn is the higher of the two, but it's much dimmer at magnitude +0.8. Jupiter shines at magnitude –2.1 (those values don't count the atmospheric extinction for objects at low altitudes). Find Jupiter some 12° to Saturn's lower left: roughly a fist at arm's length.

[WILLIAMS5232]

I've added Leo to my list of constellations I can recognize

[2dimes]

Nice. I have a fairly small amount memorized. I know Orion, ursa major, sometimes ursa minor. I learned a few since I started the thread. My son knows a few. I keep forgetting the names.

It’s just too easy with the great resources on computers and mobile devices.

Just like how I used to know phone numbers but now you just find the name and the phone gives you the number.

[jusplay4fun]

Orion and Ursa Major are about the only two I can easily spot in the sky. I think there is too much light pollution for me to see Ursa Minor; even the big bear is getting difficult for me to spot in the night sky.

I have trained to look for planets when the sky is visible to me (no clouds) and I do not have make a major effort to see them. We have had clouds the past few days and I am not usually awake before dawn.

[Dukasaur]

Yeah, light pollution is a major problem. There's no place I can drive in a reasonable amount of time where I can't see the glare of one of the nearby cities or towns.

[jusplay4fun]

I think we discussed light pollution earlier, when discussing viewing of the latest comet.

i one my goals (on my "Bucket List") is to see the Milky Way Galaxy in the night sky somewhere out west in the USA, with few city lights nearby to spoil the view.

I also want to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), but I doubt I will travel far enough north when it is cold enough in the winter.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2020/12/30/best-places-to-see-the-northern-lights-in-2020/?sh=1759fb5677d7

Witnessing the northern lights is a transformational bucket-list experience that many people wait years—even a lifetime—to see, since the conditions need to be perfect for this spectacular display to take place. But here’s the good news: The time is right to get a glimpse of the aurora borealis. Thanks to longer hours of darkness and clear night skies, December through March is usually the best time to observe this elusive natural phenomenon (though you can sometimes see the northern lights starting as early as August). And here’s more good news: The travel industry wants to help you spot the northern lights with new hotels, specially tailored tours—even one that’s aimed at women—and other unique experiences.

But first, there are a few things to know. The best places in the world are usually closer to the Arctic Circle, including Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden and Finland. But don’t limit yourself: You can also spot the southern lights in the southern hemisphere. Still, the northern lights are the star of the show.

In order to increase your chances of seeing this spectacle, you should time your trip to a new moon. Since the northern lights can appear—and disappear—in a snap, it’s important to be on alert throughout the night. Another tip: Weather is also key. Try to find a place where the sky is clear, dark and free of clouds.

Yeah, light pollution is a major problem. There's no place I can drive in a reasonable amount of time where I can't see the glare of one of the nearby cities or towns.

[jusplay4fun]

THIS WEEK'S SKY AT A GLANCE, APRIL 30 – MAY 8

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-april-30-may-8/

[jusplay4fun]

Pleiades: The Seven Sisters Star Cluster
By Adam Mann over 1 year ago

Reference Article: Facts about the Pleiades star cluster.

https://www.space.com/pleiades.html

[WILLIAMS5232]

It’s just too easy with the great resources on computers and mobile devices.

Just like how I used to know phone numbers but now you just find the name and the phone gives you the number.

you just have to force yourself. it's why i always was suggesting getting the manual telescope. for me anyway, i wouldn't care too much about it if i didn't have to learn it.

I think we discussed light pollution earlier, when discussing viewing of the latest comet.

i one my goals (on my "Bucket List") is to see the Milky Way Galaxy in the night sky somewhere out west in the USA, with few city lights nearby to spoil the view.

I also want to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), but I doubt I will travel far enough north when it is cold enough in the winter.]

i have a similiar list, one being the northern lights, and the other being taking my big telescope out to the western desert. i brought my binoculars, and it was great, i want to go back now just for a stargazing trip. i found a perfect place on some BLM land along the extraterrestrial highway north of Las Vegas which is slightly ironic, but i know there is millions of free acres in other states that would be just as good if not better.

i drove to the arctic ocean in the summer, i don't think i would want to make the drive in the winter, but perhaps i would stay a winter in alaska one year where i wouldn't have to worry about getting stranded in sub arctic temps out in the middle of nowhere.