What’s Up in the Sky – January, 2013

January to Offer Simple Pleasures

When you get to be my age (old) seeing something for the first time can be a rare event, but I did just that in the past month.  On December 13 – 14 I observed the Geminid meteor shower with my friends Howard and Jon Lubbers.  Although the rate of meteors was low, the ones we did witness were almost all bright, fast streaks of light that clearly traced back to the constellation Gemini.  These were the first Geminid meteors I ever saw because it used to always be cloudy here in December.

Then, about an hour after sunset on the very next day, I saw a thin, yellowish streak of light behind some clouds over Lake Mac.  It was the Moon.  What made this special was that it was the “youngest” crescent Moon I had ever seen (the “age” of a crescent Moon refers to the amount of time since the Moon was New, in this case about a day and a half).

I was reminded that astronomy is not just looking at distant galaxies or Hubble photos.  There is plenty is interesting stuff to enjoy with no special knowledge or equipment.  You just have to know where and when to look.

Of course, some months are better than others and there is a certain amount of luck involved, but there is usually an easy candidate.  On Saturday, January 12 starting at about 5:30 p.m., look for a thin crescent Moon near the western horizon.  Use binoculars and if you spot it, scan about eight degrees to the left and try to find Mars.  This Moon is less than 30 hours “old”.  If you don’t have any luck on Saturday, try again on Sunday when the Moon will be easier to find and Mars will be below it.

In the same lunar/planetary spirit, watch the Moon pass Jupiter in the eastern sky after sunset from January 20 – 22.

Are you up for a challenge?  Google “Algol”, a variable star in the constellation Perseus that dims noticeably for a couple of hours every several days.  This will occur at convenient times on the 20th and the 23rd.  It will take a little research to know the exact time and location, but this is on my list of things I have not seen up in the sky.

This month in history:
Jan. 1:    asteroid Ceres discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi – 1801
Jan. 4:    NASA cancels further production of Saturn V rockets – 1970
Jan. 11:    Lunar Prospector spacecraft arrives at Moon – 1998
Jan. 20:    Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin born – 1930
Jan. 27:    Apollo 1 astronauts Chaffee, White and Grissom die in fire in capsule-1967
Jan. 28:    Seven astronauts killed when Space Shuttle Challenger explodes during launch – 1986
Jan. 31:    Explorer 1, first US satellite, launched – 1958

What’s Up in the Sky – December, 2012

December a Good Month for Planets

If we are fortunate enough to have some clear skies around dawn and dusk next month we will be able to enjoy several bright planets.  The most obvious and easiest to observe is Jupiter, which rises at sunset at the beginning of the month and two hours before sunset by the end.  Check out the southeastern sky the next few nights and you will see the almost-full Moon pass close below the Pleiades and Jupiter.  This close encounter is repeated in December when, on Christmas night, the Moon will be right next to Jupiter in the constellation Taurus, the Bull.

The fact that Jupiter is above the horizon most of the night means this is a good opportunity for some telescopic observing of the planet.  It’s always interesting to see the Great Red Spot and cloud bands on the planet itself as well as its four bright moons,  If you are lucky (or have done some web research) you may even witness one of these moons pass in front of or behind the planet.  It is even possible for skilled observers to be able to see the moons’ shadows cast on the cloud tops.

Mars is also visible after sunset low in the southwest.  The best time to spot it will be on the evenings of December 14 and 15 when it will be close to a thin crescent Moon.  Look just to the left of the Moon on Friday and below it on Saturday.

Four planets can be spotted before dawn during the first two weeks of  December.  Look for Jupiter setting in the northwest while Mercury, Venus, and Saturn can still be seen in the southeast.  The problem, of course, is knowing how to identify these last three, but that’s why you read this column.

Look low in the southeast about an hour before sunset (between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m.).
Venus is by far the brightest. object in this part of the sky.  Make a fist and hold it at arm’s length toward Venus.  Mercury will be less than the apparent width of your fist to the lower left of Venus and Saturn will be a little over two fist widths to its upper right.

If you are still not sure, look each morning from Sunday through Tuesday, December 9 – 11.  The thin, crescent Moon will be right below the star Spica on the 9th, Saturn on the 10th and Venus on the 11th.  Even seeing it on one of those days should help you identify what’s up in the sky.

This month in history:
Dec. 7:    Galileo spacecraft enters Jupiter’s atmosphere – 1995
Dec. 11:    First auction of Soviet space hardware and artifacts – 1993
Dec. 14:    Gene Cernan, Apollo 17 astronaut, is last human to walk on Moon – 1972
Dec. 20:    Founding of Mt. Wilson Solar Observatory – 1904
Dec. 24:    Apollo 8 astronauts give us inspirational moment from lunar orbit – 1968
Dec. 25:    Isaac Newton born – 1642

What’s Up in the Sky – November, 2012

Curious About Mars?

“Landing the Mars Science Laboratory Rover was, by any measure, the most challenging mission in the history of robotic planetary exploration”.    That is how one NASA scientist described the Mars “Curiosity” rover’s arrival at the Red Planet, which it is busily exploring.  Are you kidding?!  Go to YouTube and watch some of the videos of this landing (I liked “7 minutes of terror”).  It is unbelievable.  In my humble opinion, this was way more complicated than the 69 Moon landing.

But I’m not here to write about the landing – that’s old news and was well covered at the time (August).  But what about since then?  Haven’t heard many follow-up reports on Curiosity’s activities or discoveries, I bet.  That’s why you read this column.

The set of scientific instruments on board is the largest and most sophisticated ever landed on another planet.  One, called the ChemCam, can shoot a powerful laser at a rock and, by analyzing the flash of light that results, determine the chemical composition of the target.  There are also two laboratory instruments to analyze the mineral and organic characteristics of rock and soil samples.

Unlike Spirit and Opportunity, whose power was delivered by solar panels, Curiosity uses a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) and will not be affected by such things as dust storms and should supply reliable power for the duration of the mission.

Previous missions, including rovers and orbiters, have blazed the trail for Curiosity, searching for safe landing sites near geological where we think lots of water flowed for a long time.  That’s how Curiosity ended up in the middle of the Gale Crater near Mount Sharp, the rover’s ultimate destination.

The time spent and care taken in choosing a landing site paid off.  The Gale crater’s rim looks like a terrestrial mountain range with scenery similar to the Mojave Dessert.  And the central peak is covered with little buttes and mesas, offering much for study.

In fact, Curiosity has made a number of discoveries while on its way to Mt. Sharp.  In late September the ChemCam was used to analyze “Jake Rock”, a rock unlike any ever seen on Mars but similar to certain Earth rocks.  The rover also recently discovered an ancient Martian stream bed containing rounded rocks and other evidence of flowing water and has successfully scooped up several samples of Martian soil and delivered one for analysis inside the rover.

It’s an exciting time for planetary astronomy with our close up study of Mars as well as what’s up in the sky.

This month in history:
Nov. 6:    Tycho Brahe observes supernova in Cassiopeia – 1572
Nov. 9:    Carl Sagan born. – 1934
Nov. 16:    Interstellar message broadcast from Arecibo radio telescope – 1974
Nov. 19:    Second lunar landing made by Apollo 12 – 1969
Nov. 20:    Edwin Hubble born – 1889
Nov. 26:    France launches satellite, becoming the third nation to do so – 1965

What’s Up in the Sky – October, 2012

October Offers a Variety of Viewing Opportunities

This month’s sky has a lot to offer the interested observer. Nothing spectacular or historic is likely to occur, but there are number of opportunities to see some familiar friends getting together.
Some of the best planetary observing occurs before dawn. I always like watching things move from day to day and with Venus dominating the eastern early morning sky, you can easily watch the crescent Moon pass the planet on the mornings of October 11 – 13. Don’t miss Venus pass very close to the star Regulus on the morning of October 3.
Another interesting phenomenon to observe while you are out looking at the Moon and Venus is the Zodiacal light. For two weeks beginning Oct.13, it appears as a faint, pyramidal glow rising above the eastern horizon. The Zodiacal light is produced by sunlight reflecting off tiny dust particles in the plane of the solar system. You do need rather dark skies to see it, however.
If you crave a challenge, on the morning of the 14th, use binoculars and try to find the very thin crescent Moon very low in the east starting 45 minutes before sunrise.
The sky after sunset has its own share of visual treats. The Moon plays the passing game with Mars as well. Look for the thin crescent Moon a half hour after sunset on the nights of October 17 – 20. Mars will be to its upper left on the 17th and lower right on the 18th. Just below and to the left of Mars is the star Antares, which is very similar to Mars in both color and brightness. (In fact, the name “Antares” means “rival of Mars”). The two appear closest on the evening of the 20th. Kids – is Mars really as bright as Antares? Why does it look like it is?
The modest Orionid meteor shower occurs this month on the 20th – 22nd. The Orionids are characterized by very fast meteors that streak across the sky although at a relatively low rate of about 20 per hour. This time of year it is also possible to witness meteors from the Taurid shower. These can sometimes appear as dazzling fireballs, sometimes even visible in the daytime.
Early or late, October should be a good month to enjoy what’s up in the sky.

This month in history:
Oct. 1: 300-foot radio telescope at Green Bank, WV begins operations – 1962
Oct. 4: Space Age begins when Sputnik 1, first artificial satellite, is launched – 1957
Oct. 10: Dedication of VLA – Very Large Array radio telescope (as seen in the movie “Contact”) – 1980
Oct. 14: World’s first supersonic flight made by Chuck Yeager – 1947
Oct. 26: First flyby of Saturn’s moon Titan by Cassini spacecraft – 2004
Oct. 30: STS-61A Challenger Space Shuttle launched – 1985

September Offers Viewing Choices

If variety is the spice of life, then September’s dark skies might be described as the oregano of autumn. Lots of interesting, simple events will happen this month, and they will be easy to miss unless you know when and where to look. But then, that’s why you read this column so you’re all set.
August has its “Blue Moon” (the second Full Moon during the calendar month) this Friday, but September has the Harvest Moon, the Full Moon closest to the first day of autumn, so named because its light is useful for several consecutive nights during the harvest. This year that falls on September 29.
For reasons that stem from the geometry of the orbits of Earth and the Moon, in September, for several days before and after being Full, the Moon rises less than 30 minutes later each night. In March, by contrast, it is over an hour later. That means its light is useful to farmers harvesting their crops for a number of consecutive nights.
Another easy observation is to watch the Sun rise or set on the autumnal equinox (first day of autumn), which is on September 22 this year. The Sun rises due east and sets due west on that day. This is a great urban observation in an area with streets that run east-west, although it can be bothersome if you are driving into it. Watch for several days before and after the equinox and see if you notice any difference in the point on the horizon where it rises or sets.
For two weeks starting September 14 look for the Zodiacal Light one and a half to two hours before sunrise. Look for a broad, tall, rightward-leaning pyramid of light rising from the eastern horizon just below Venus.
Early risers will also enjoy Jupiter right above the Last Quarter Moon on the morning of Sept. 8 and Venus next to the Crescent Moon on the 12th.
On the 19th, look low in the SW 35 minutes after sunset for Mars just to the right of the Crescent Moon.

This month offers quite a variety up in the sky.

This month in history:
Sept. 3: Last two Apollo Moon landings canceled by NASA – 1970
Sept. 8: Voyager 1 launched – 1977
Sept. 18: Photo of Earth and Moon together in space taken by Voyager 1 – 1977
Sept. 21: Gustav Holst born – 1874
Sept. 23: Premier of “The Jetsons” – 1962
Sept. 26: Hyperion, a moon of Saturn, discovered by William Bond = 1848