What’s Up in the Sky October, 2009
By Peter Burkey

If you are an early riser, this is the month for you. Three planets, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn, will display a gathering (or “conjunction”) in the morning eastern sky. If you observe for several days between October 4 and 15, you will see the three planets change position with respect to one another.

Look toward the eastern horizon about an hour before sunrise. Orient yourself by finding Venus, which will be shining like a beacon. At first Venus will be highest and brightest followed by Mercury just below it and then Saturn, to the lower left of Mercury, will be the dimmest of the three. As the days progress, Saturn will move up and to the right passing Mercury on the 8th and Venus on the 13th. On each of those days, the separation between the two planets will be less than the diameter of the full Moon.

Planets are like skaters on a roller rink, all going around a central point in the same direction at different speeds. Because of the planets’ orbits we see them in different positions from night to night, unlike the background stars that are so distant that their motions go undetected. Every now and then their motions cause them to “line up” and when they are in nearly the same direction (Saturn is, of course, much, much farther away than Mercury or Venus) it becomes easy for us to see their change in position with respect to each other. That is what is happening this month.

What you will be witnessing is an example of similar events that changed human history, for it was the study of the movement of the planets that led the early astronomers to figuring out how the soar system worked. This led to the beginnings of the scientific revolution.

I would like to invite my readers to submit questions about astronomy to me that I may answer. If you have a topic of interest or have a any questions, send me an email at pburkey@comcast.net and I will try respond in a forthcoming column. I look forward to hearing from you. Until then keep your eyes on what’s up in the sky.

This month in history:
Oct. 1: NASA founded – 1958
Oct. 4: Space Age begins when Sputnik 1, first artificial satellite, is launched – 1957
Oct. 10: Dedication of VLA – Very Large Array (remember “Contact”?) – 1980
Oct. 14: Chuck Yeager breaks sound barrier – 1947
Oct. 22: First record of solar eclipse – 2136 BC
Oct. 26: First flyby of Saturn’s moon Titan by Cassini spacecraft – 2004

Planets this month: Jupiter dominates southern sky after dark. Mars rises after midnight and is high in the south at dawn. Saturn passes Mercury and Venus in the Eastern predawn sky.

Oct. 4: Full Moon.
Oct. 11: Last quarter Moon.
Oct. 4-15: Watch gathering of planets just above the eastern horizon one hour before dawn.
Oct. 21-22: Peak of Orionid meteors.
Oct. 18: New Moon
Oct. 25: First quarter Moon.

What’s Up in the Sky September, 2009
By Peter Burkey

Some of the best observing in West Michigan often occurs during the month of September. The nights are usually mild, bug-free, and clear and kids do not have to stay up past their bedtime waiting for it to get dark. So, make an effort to do some star gazing this month – conditions may not be as favorable until next Spring.

Jupiter’s moons continue to put on quite a show, as I described last month, transiting, eclipsing, and being occulted by the planet and each other. Google “Jupiter’s moons September 2009” for specific dates, times, and observing suggestions.

One of the easiest astronomical observations is the “Stonehenge” sunset. This occurs on the first day of Autumn and Spring, when the Sun sets due west. Standing beside any east-west road (such as 8th Street) you will witness the Sun setting on the horizon at the very end of the road and, depending on your exact location, it may be peeking between buildings or stands of trees. Observe again after two or three days to see just how quickly the Sun’s position changes at this time of year.

Early risers can enjoy seeing the planet Venus dazzling the Eastern predawn sky. Don’t miss a beautiful pairing of the planet and a thin crescent Moon one hour before sunrise on Wednesday, September 16. On the 20th, look for Venus and the star Regulus separated by less than the width of a full Moon.

This is also the time of year when the Summer Triangle is nearly overhead and the Milky Way stretches from the spout of the “teapot” in Sagittarius in the South all the way to the “W” shaped Cassiopeia in the North. Scan it with binoculars or a small telescope to reveal star clusters and nebulae.

One of my favorite telescopic targets is the beautiful double star Albireo. It is head of the Swan, Cygnus, (or the bottom of the Northern Cross) and is about half way between Vega and Altair, almost overhead.

Take advantage of this time of year to enjoy what’s up in the sky.

This month in history:
Sept. 3: Last two lunar landings canceled by NASA – 1970
Sept. 6: Space Shuttle Challenger makes first night landing – 1983
Sept. 8: Premier of “Star Trek” – 1966
Sept. 18: Photo of Earth and Moon together in space taken by Voyager 1 – 1977
Sept. 21: Galileo spacecraft plunges into Jupiter’s atmosphere, ending mission – 2003
Sept. 23: Premier of “The Jetsons” – 1962

Here are this month’s viewing highlights:
Planets this month: Jupiter is visible in SE at sunset and is the brightest object in the southern sky as the night progresses. Venus dominates predawn sky in the east, rising two hours before the Sun. It is next to a thin crescent Moon on the 16th – not to be missed. Mars is 33 degrees to the upper right of Venus, in the constellation Gemini. Mercury and Saturn join Venus by month’s end.

Sept. 4: Full Moon
Sept. 11: Last-quarter Moon
Sept. 18: New Moon.
Sept. 22: Autumnal equinox – first day of fall in Northern Hemisphere.
Sept. 26: First quarter Moon.

What’s Up in the Sky August, 2009
By Peter Burkey

If you own a fairly decent, moderate sized telescope, and often find yourself in search of interesting things to observe, this month offers several rare opportunities. After being hit by a small asteroid or comet fragment the planet Jupiter has been in the news lately so let’s focus on it.

On the night of August 18-19, the four largest moons of Jupiter put on quite a show. Begin observing around 10:00 p.m. when you will find Jupiter rising in the southeast. It will be the brightest object in the sky so you should not have any trouble finding it. Pick a spot with a clear view of the horizon as it will be rather low at that time. Have faith, for as the night progresses it will become easier to observe.

In the telescope you should see all four moons lined up to the right of the planet. By 11:00 p.m., the nearest one, Io, will pass in front of the planet followed by its shadow 15 minutes later. Use a higher power to see if you can observe this phenomenon, called a “transit”.

Meanwhile, watch the next two moons out, Ganymede and Europa, close in on each other. At 1:19 a.m. Io emerges from the western (left) limb of the planet at which time Ganymede and Europa are moving closer and closer toward each other.

For a few minutes either side of 1:40 a.m., Ganymede passes in front of (occults) Europa and the two appear as a single point of light. But hold on, the best is yet to come. For a few minutes around 2:15 a.m., Europa fades and completely disappears as Ganymede’s shadow passes over it, creating a nearly total eclipse. Within a few minutes, Europa recovers its normal brightness, and the separation between the two gradually increases. This will be one of those rare opportunities to actually observe celestial objects in motion.

Then, on the night of August 26-27, you will have a chance to see the shadows of these same two moons fall on Jupiter simultaneously. Begin observing as soon as possible after the Sun sets and you should see one moon to the left of the planet and two to the right. By 10:00 p.m., the one on the left (Io) has disappeared behind Jupiter and the two on the right (Europa and Ganymede) have moved in front. Keep watching and you may be able to spot both shadows on the planet at the same time.

Remember, these observations require some knowledge of and skill in using an amateur telescope. Good luck.

This month in history:
August 5: Neil Armstrong born – 1930
August 12: Echo 1 launched – 1960
August 17: Phobos, moon of Mars, discovered by Asaph Hall – 1877
August 18: Cassini spacecraft flies by Earth – 1999
August 25: Voyager 2 flies past Saturn – 1981
August 27: Teacher in space program announced – 1984

Here are this month’s viewing highlights:
Planets this month: Jupiter at opposition on the 14th – up all night. Saturn is low in W at dusk. Venus rises 3 hrs. before sunrise and dominates eastern predawn sky.

August 5: Full Moon.
August 9: Saturn’s rings are edge-on to the Sun.
August 11-12: Perseid meteor shower.
August 13: Last quarter Moon.
August 14: Moon occults Pleiades; Jupiter at opposition.
August 20: New Moon
August 27: First quarter Moon.

What’s Up in the Sky July, 2009
By Peter Burkey

Inexperienced stargazing enthusiasts often think that this time of year is the best for observing. Warm weather, clear skies, and vacation time all offer the potential for great stargazing. To the serious amateur, however, July translates into hot, humid, hazy nights with bugs and skies that are not dark until 10:30 p.m. But, hey, this is an astronomy column, so I certainly don’t want to put a damper on your stargazing enthusiasm. Grab the insect repellent, plan for a late night, and do some naked eye or binocular observing.

If you are an early riser, see if you can catch the planets Venus, Mars and Jupiter in the predawn sky. You can’t miss Venus shining like a beacon in the east before sunrise. Early in the month, around 5:00 a.m., you should be able to spot Venus in a line with Mars to its upper right and the star Aldebaran to its lower left. On the 14th, look for the two planets between the Hyades and Pleiades clusters in the constellation Taurus. On July 18 and 19 these four objects are joined by the waning crescent Moon – a lovely gathering indeed. On the 26th, Mars is now closest to Aldebaran, forming a skinny triangle with Venus to their lower left.

Meanwhile, Jupiter is the second brightest object in the sky (other than the Moon) and can be found due south at 5:00 a.m. early in the month. It is joined by a gibbous Moon on the 10th. However, you don’t have to get up before dawn to see Jupiter as it rises in the east before midnight on July 1 and around 10:00 p.m. by month’s end. And you can always observe its four largest satellites with a small telescope or large binoculars.

Speaking of small telescopes, if you haven’t seen Saturn’s rings lately, catch them this month because soon they will be invisible as they will appear edge-on from our vantage point. Use a telescope and look above the western horizon after sunset.

This month in history:
July 1: Wernher von Braun retires from NASA – 1972
July 5: Space Shuttle Challenger arrives at KSC for first time – 1982
July 10: First transatlantic TV signals made possible by launch of Telstar – 1962
July 17: First photograph of a star – 1850
July 19: Christa McAuliffe selected to be first private citizen in space – 1985
July 20: First humans walk on Moon – 1969
July 28: First photo of total solar eclipse – 1851

Here are this month’s viewing highlights:
Planets this month: Venus and Mars rise 60 – 90 minutes before sun in East. Saturn is low in West after sunset. Jupiter rises around midnight and is low in SW at dawn.

July 4: Earth reaches aphelion – the point in its orbit farthest from the sun
July 7: Full Moon.
July 15: Last-quarter Moon.
July 19: Crescent Moon joins Venus and Mars 2 hours before sunrise in ENE.
July 21: New Moon. Longest total solar eclipse of 21st century visible in India and China.
July 28: First-quarter Moon. Mars closest to Saturn.