Earth--Day and Night Regions
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Strongest solar storm since 2005 hitting Earth
from the AP and Yahoo News:
By | Associated Press – 8 hrs ago
Strongest solar storm since 2005 hitting Earth
By | Associated Press – 8 hrs agoRELATED CONTENT
- This colorized NASA image, taken Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, …
- This handout image provided by NASA, taken Sunday night, Jan. 22, 2012, shows a solar …
WASHINGTON (AP) — The sun is bombarding Earth with radiation from the biggest solar storm in more than six years with more to come from the fast-moving eruption.
The solar flare occurred at about 11 p.m. EST Sunday and will hit Earth with three different effects at three different times. The biggest issue is radiation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center in Colorado.
The radiation is mostly a concern for satellite disruptions and astronauts in space. It can cause communication problems for polar-traveling airplanes, said space weather center physicist Doug Biesecker.
Radiation from Sunday's flare arrived at Earth an hour later and will likely continue through Wednesday. Levels are considered strong but other storms have been more severe. There are two higher levels of radiation on NOAA's storm scale — severe and extreme — Biesecker said. Still, this storm is the strongest for radiation since May 2005.
The radiation — in the form of protons — came flying out of the sun at 93 million miles per hour.
"The whole volume of space between here and Jupiter is just filled with protons and you just don't get rid of them like that," Biesecker said. That's why the effects will stick around for a couple days.
NASA's flight surgeons and solar experts examined the solar flare's expected effects and decided that the six astronauts on the International Space Station do not have to do anything to protect themselves from the radiation, spokesman Rob Navias said.
A solar eruption is followed by a one-two-three punch, said Antti Pulkkinen, a physicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and Catholic University.
First comes electromagnetic radiation, followed by radiation in the form of protons.
Then, finally the coronal mass ejection — that's the plasma from the sun itself — hits. Usually that travels at about 1 or 2 million miles per hour, but this storm is particularly speedy and is shooting out at 4 million miles per hour, Biesecker said.
It's the plasma that causes much of the noticeable problems on Earth, such as electrical grid outages. In 1989, a solar storm caused a massive blackout in Quebec. It can also pull the northern lights further south.
But this coronal mass ejection seems likely to be only moderate, with a chance for becoming strong, Biesecker said. The worst of the storm is likely to go north of Earth.
And unlike last October, when a freak solar storm caused auroras to be seen as far south as Alabama, the northern lights aren't likely to dip too far south this time, Biesecker said. Parts of New England, upstate New York, northern Michigan, Montana and the Pacific Northwest could see an aurora but not until Tuesday evening, he said.
For the past several years the sun had been quiet, almost too quiet. Part of that was the normal calm part of the sun's 11-year cycle of activity. Last year, scientists started to speculate that the sun was going into an unusually quiet cycle that seems to happen maybe once a century or so.
Now that super-quiet cycle doesn't seem as likely, Biesecker said.
Scientists watching the sun with a new NASA satellite launched in 2010 — during the sun's quiet period — are excited.
"We haven't had anything like this for a number of years," Pulkkinen said. "It's kind of special."
___
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/
.
Friday, December 30, 2011
The Night Sky This Month (January 2012)
From nightskyinfo.com:
The Night Sky This Month (January 2012)
Learn more! Visit NightSkyInfo.com (http://www.nightskyinfo.com).
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http://www.nightskyinfo.com and registered to receive our monthly
newsletter. If you feel you have received this issue in error, please
follow the instructions at the end of the page to unsubscribe.
Key Stars
Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, glitters in the south
this month. Red Betelgeuse is to its upper right, while white Procyon
stands above and to its left. Capella appears directly overhead this
month at 10 P.M. local time from mid-northern latitudes. Observers
below latitude 35 degrees north will find Canopus due south around 10
P.M. local time, just beneath Sirius.
The Planets
Mercury
Innermost Mercury shines at magnitude -0.4 and can be spotted 10
degrees above the southeastern horizon a half-hour before sunrise.
Your best chance to see the planet is in early January, as Mercury
sinks toward the horizon with each passing morning and will disappear
by the middle of the month. Through a telescope, Mercury shows a
6"-diameter disk that is 80-percent illuminated.
Venus
Venus is often considered the Evening Star or the Morning Star,
depending on which time of day it is up and dominating the twilight.
For example, until late May 2012, Venus will appear as a brilliant
yellow star in the evening sky, right after sunset. Located 25
degrees above the southwestern horizon half an hour after sundown, it
remains on view until after 8 P.M. local time.
Mars
Mars pokes above the eastern horizon around 10 P.M. local time and is
well up in the south before dawn. The planet is on its way to
opposition next March, when it will be at its closest approach to
Earth and will reach a width of 14". Right now, the disk is less than
10"-wide, too small to show features in most instruments.
Jupiter
Jupiter reached opposition to the Sun in late October, 2011, when it
was closest to Earth and at its largest and brightest. Although
Jupiter is now slowly receding from our home planet, it remains
visible well after midnight and looks stunning through a telescope.
The gas giant shines at magnitude -2.6 and lies in a star-barren
region near the border between Aries and Cetus.
Saturn
Throughout January, Saturn is 40 degrees high in the south as dawn
begins, and gets a little higher every morning. The ringed planet
resides among the background stars of Virgo the Maiden and remains
within 5 degrees of the blue-white star Spica all month.
Uranus
Uranus lies in the same binocular field of view as Lambda Piscium,
the star that forms the southeast corner of the "Circlet" in Pisces,
and is itself an easy binocular target. The planet glows at magnitude
+5.9 and looks just like a star of that brightness. A telescope easily
reveals its 3.4"-diameter disk, which has a distinct blue-green color.
Neptune
Seek out Neptune in western Aquarius, 1.5 degrees north of the
4th-magnitude star Iota Aquarii. The distant world lies 2.8 billion
miles from Earth and glows dimly at magnitude +7.9. A 4-inch diameter
telescope is probably the minimum required to see the planet and
resolve its disk, only 2.4" across.
Pluto
The dwarf planet is barely emerging from the glow of dawn, so it will
be obscured for many observers. It will not be high enough above the
horizon for telescopic viewing until about mid-February.
Bright Asteroids
4 Vesta
The best time to observe Vesta is in the early evening, when Aquarius
the Water Bearer - the constellation through which the asteroid tracks
- is highest above the southwestern horizon. Delta Aquarii serves as a
good guidepost for following the slow nightly motion of 8th-magnitude
Vesta, but it may take a few nights of telescopic observing before
you notice the asteroid's movement.
15 Eunomia
Asteroid 15 Eunomia provides an opportunity to test your observing
skills - spotting it requires a lot of patience and a dark-sky
observing site, far from city lights. The asteroid shines at
magnitude +9 and can be found in Taurus, close to the Pleiades. The
best time to search for it is in the evening, when Taurus is highest
above the horizon.
Bright Comets
C/2009 P1 Garradd
Comet Garradd can be found among the background stars of the
constellation Hercules, a few degrees east of the globular cluster
M13, and according to recent reports, it should glow at 7th
magnitude. The key to finding C/2009 P1 Garradd is to start about one
hour before sunrise from a site that has an unobstructed view of the
eastern horizon.
P/2006 T1 Levy
Comet P/2006 T1 Levy was discovered in 2006 and takes slightly longer
than five years to orbit the Sun on a track that brings it from
Earth's neighborhood out to Jupiter's. The comet is expected to reach
about 7th-magnitude sometime around mid-January and moves quickly
across the evening sky. It starts the month in Pegasus and traverses
both Pisces and Cetus before winding up in Eridanus.
Meteor Showers
The Quadrantids
The Quadrantids, a major annual meteor shower, are visible from
December 28 through January 12. The peak of activity is much sharper
than that of most showers, lasting only a few hours; this year the
peak should arrive around 7:00 UT (2:00 A.M. EST) on Wednesday
morning, January 4th. At best over one hundred Quadrantids an hour
can be seen, although the meteors of this shower are not as bright as
other great displays such as the Perseids and Geminids.
The Coma Berenicids
Coma Berenicid meteors come from a radiant very easy to locate, near
the large naked eye star cluster designated Melotte 111. In early
January, the radiant rises about 11 P.M. local time and is nearly
overhead at predawn. This weak shower has no definite peak and lasts
approximately from December 12 to January 23. Although activity is
low (with an average fall rate of three meteors per hour), this
shower still warrants study.
Sky Events
January 1 - First Quarter Moon at 1:15 A.M. EST.
January 2 - The Moon is at apogee, the point in its orbit when it is
farthest from Earth.
January 4 - The Quadrantid meteor shower is at peak activity. The
Earth is at perihelion, its annual closest approach to the Sun.
January 5 - The Moon is 3.1 degrees south of the Pleiades star
cluster at 4:17 A.M. EST.
January 9 - Full Moon at 2:30 A.M. EST.
January 16 - The Moon is 2 degrees south of Spica (Alpha Virginis) at
2:21 A.M. EST. Last Quarter Moon at 4:08 A.M. EST.
January 17 - The Moon is at perigee, the point in its orbit when it
is nearest to Earth.
January 23 - New Moon at 2:39 A.M. EST.
January 30 - The Moon is at apogee, the point in its orbit when it is
farthest from Earth. First Quarter Moon at 11:10 P.M. EST.
The Night Sky This Month (January 2012)
Learn more! Visit NightSkyInfo.com (http://www.nightskyinfo.com).
You are receiving this message because you visited us at
http://www.nightskyinfo.com and registered to receive our monthly
newsletter. If you feel you have received this issue in error, please
follow the instructions at the end of the page to unsubscribe.
Key Stars
Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, glitters in the south
this month. Red Betelgeuse is to its upper right, while white Procyon
stands above and to its left. Capella appears directly overhead this
month at 10 P.M. local time from mid-northern latitudes. Observers
below latitude 35 degrees north will find Canopus due south around 10
P.M. local time, just beneath Sirius.
The Planets
Mercury
Innermost Mercury shines at magnitude -0.4 and can be spotted 10
degrees above the southeastern horizon a half-hour before sunrise.
Your best chance to see the planet is in early January, as Mercury
sinks toward the horizon with each passing morning and will disappear
by the middle of the month. Through a telescope, Mercury shows a
6"-diameter disk that is 80-percent illuminated.
Venus
Venus is often considered the Evening Star or the Morning Star,
depending on which time of day it is up and dominating the twilight.
For example, until late May 2012, Venus will appear as a brilliant
yellow star in the evening sky, right after sunset. Located 25
degrees above the southwestern horizon half an hour after sundown, it
remains on view until after 8 P.M. local time.
Mars
Mars pokes above the eastern horizon around 10 P.M. local time and is
well up in the south before dawn. The planet is on its way to
opposition next March, when it will be at its closest approach to
Earth and will reach a width of 14". Right now, the disk is less than
10"-wide, too small to show features in most instruments.
Jupiter
Jupiter reached opposition to the Sun in late October, 2011, when it
was closest to Earth and at its largest and brightest. Although
Jupiter is now slowly receding from our home planet, it remains
visible well after midnight and looks stunning through a telescope.
The gas giant shines at magnitude -2.6 and lies in a star-barren
region near the border between Aries and Cetus.
Saturn
Throughout January, Saturn is 40 degrees high in the south as dawn
begins, and gets a little higher every morning. The ringed planet
resides among the background stars of Virgo the Maiden and remains
within 5 degrees of the blue-white star Spica all month.
Uranus
Uranus lies in the same binocular field of view as Lambda Piscium,
the star that forms the southeast corner of the "Circlet" in Pisces,
and is itself an easy binocular target. The planet glows at magnitude
+5.9 and looks just like a star of that brightness. A telescope easily
reveals its 3.4"-diameter disk, which has a distinct blue-green color.
Neptune
Seek out Neptune in western Aquarius, 1.5 degrees north of the
4th-magnitude star Iota Aquarii. The distant world lies 2.8 billion
miles from Earth and glows dimly at magnitude +7.9. A 4-inch diameter
telescope is probably the minimum required to see the planet and
resolve its disk, only 2.4" across.
Pluto
The dwarf planet is barely emerging from the glow of dawn, so it will
be obscured for many observers. It will not be high enough above the
horizon for telescopic viewing until about mid-February.
Bright Asteroids
4 Vesta
The best time to observe Vesta is in the early evening, when Aquarius
the Water Bearer - the constellation through which the asteroid tracks
- is highest above the southwestern horizon. Delta Aquarii serves as a
good guidepost for following the slow nightly motion of 8th-magnitude
Vesta, but it may take a few nights of telescopic observing before
you notice the asteroid's movement.
15 Eunomia
Asteroid 15 Eunomia provides an opportunity to test your observing
skills - spotting it requires a lot of patience and a dark-sky
observing site, far from city lights. The asteroid shines at
magnitude +9 and can be found in Taurus, close to the Pleiades. The
best time to search for it is in the evening, when Taurus is highest
above the horizon.
Bright Comets
C/2009 P1 Garradd
Comet Garradd can be found among the background stars of the
constellation Hercules, a few degrees east of the globular cluster
M13, and according to recent reports, it should glow at 7th
magnitude. The key to finding C/2009 P1 Garradd is to start about one
hour before sunrise from a site that has an unobstructed view of the
eastern horizon.
P/2006 T1 Levy
Comet P/2006 T1 Levy was discovered in 2006 and takes slightly longer
than five years to orbit the Sun on a track that brings it from
Earth's neighborhood out to Jupiter's. The comet is expected to reach
about 7th-magnitude sometime around mid-January and moves quickly
across the evening sky. It starts the month in Pegasus and traverses
both Pisces and Cetus before winding up in Eridanus.
Meteor Showers
The Quadrantids
The Quadrantids, a major annual meteor shower, are visible from
December 28 through January 12. The peak of activity is much sharper
than that of most showers, lasting only a few hours; this year the
peak should arrive around 7:00 UT (2:00 A.M. EST) on Wednesday
morning, January 4th. At best over one hundred Quadrantids an hour
can be seen, although the meteors of this shower are not as bright as
other great displays such as the Perseids and Geminids.
The Coma Berenicids
Coma Berenicid meteors come from a radiant very easy to locate, near
the large naked eye star cluster designated Melotte 111. In early
January, the radiant rises about 11 P.M. local time and is nearly
overhead at predawn. This weak shower has no definite peak and lasts
approximately from December 12 to January 23. Although activity is
low (with an average fall rate of three meteors per hour), this
shower still warrants study.
Sky Events
January 1 - First Quarter Moon at 1:15 A.M. EST.
January 2 - The Moon is at apogee, the point in its orbit when it is
farthest from Earth.
January 4 - The Quadrantid meteor shower is at peak activity. The
Earth is at perihelion, its annual closest approach to the Sun.
January 5 - The Moon is 3.1 degrees south of the Pleiades star
cluster at 4:17 A.M. EST.
January 9 - Full Moon at 2:30 A.M. EST.
January 16 - The Moon is 2 degrees south of Spica (Alpha Virginis) at
2:21 A.M. EST. Last Quarter Moon at 4:08 A.M. EST.
January 17 - The Moon is at perigee, the point in its orbit when it
is nearest to Earth.
January 23 - New Moon at 2:39 A.M. EST.
January 30 - The Moon is at apogee, the point in its orbit when it is
farthest from Earth. First Quarter Moon at 11:10 P.M. EST.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
The Night Sky This Month--December
The Night Sky This Month (December 2011)
Learn more! Visit NightSkyInfo.com (http://www.nightskyinfo.com).
You are receiving this message because you visited us at
http://www.nightskyinfo.com and registered to receive our monthly
newsletter. If you feel you have received this issue in error, please
follow the instructions at the end of the page to unsubscribe.
Key Stars
For observers at mid-northern latitudes, the Pleiades star cluster is
due south around 10 P.M. local time. Above it is Perseus, flanked by
Auriga and Cassiopeia. Orion can be found above the southeastern
horizon, and between it and the celestial pole glitters Capella. High
in the east are Castor and Pollux, the brightest stars of Gemini, and
below them Leo the Lion is rising. In the southwest is the Square of
Pegasus and Vega shines low above the northwestern horizon.
The Planets
Mercury
Mercury moves to December's morning sky, but will be hard to spot for
the first half of the month. By the end of the month, however, it will
rise almost ninety minutes before the Sun and will be easily
identified sitting 10 degrees to the lower left of the 1st-magnitude
star Antares (Alpha Scorpii).
Venus
Until late May 2012, Venus will appear as a brilliant yellow star in
the evening sky, right after sunset. This month the planet is located
15 degrees above the southwestern horizon half an hour after sundown,
and it remains on view until after 6 P.M. local time.
Mars
Mars pokes above the eastern horizon around midnight local time and
is well up in the south before dawn. The planet is on its way to
opposition next March, when it will be at its closest approach to
Earth and will reach a width of 14". Right now, the disk is less than
9"-wide, too small to show features in most instruments.
Jupiter
Jupiter reached opposition to the Sun in late October, when it was
closest to Earth and at its largest and brightest. Although Jupiter
is now slowly receding from our home planet, it remains visible well
after midnight and looks stunning through a telescope. The gas giant
shines at magnitude -2.7 and lies in a star-barren region near the
border between Aries and Pisces.
Saturn
Throughout December, Saturn is low in the southeast as dawn begins,
but gets a little higher every morning. The ringed planet resides
among the background stars of Virgo the Maiden and remains within 5
degrees of the blue-white star Spica all month. Through a telescope,
Saturn sports an angular size of 16", while the rings span 37".
Uranus
Uranus lies in the same binocular field of view as Lambda Piscium,
the star that forms the southeast corner of the "Circlet" in Pisces,
and is itself an easy binocular target. The planet glows at magnitude
+5.8 and looks just like a star of that brightness. A telescope easily
reveals its 3.4"-diameter disk, which has a distinct blue-green color.
Neptune
Seek out Neptune in western Aquarius, 1.5 degrees northwest of the
4th-magnitude star Iota Aquarii. The distant world lies 2.8 billion
miles from Earth and glows dimly at magnitude +7.9. A 4-inch diameter
telescope is probably the minimum required to see the planet and
resolve its disk, only 2.4" across.
Pluto
The dwarf planet is too deep in the evening twilight and cannot be
observed until mid-February 2012, when it will reappear in the
morning sky.
Bright Asteroids
Vesta
8th-magnitude Vesta is an easy find in small telescopes. Look for it
just after dusk, when Aquarius the Water-Bearer - the constellation
through which the asteroid tracks - is highest above the southern
horizon.
Amphitrite
This space rock wends its way through the rather faint constellation
Aries the Ram, which is nearly overhead for observers at mid-northern
latitudes around 8 P.M. local time. The asteroid glows at magnitude
+9.6 - outside the range of binoculars from a suburban backyard, but
well within the reach of a 3-inch scope.
Bright Comets
C/2009 P1 Garradd
Comet Garradd can be found among the background stars of the
constellation Hercules, a few degrees east of Delta Herculis, and
according to recent reports, it should glow at 7th magnitude. This
"dirty ice ball" appears as a bright, round fuzz ball roughly 10'
across, with little hint of a tail. The key to finding C/2009 P1
Garradd is to start half an hour after sunset from a site that has an
unobstructed view of the western horizon.
C/2010 G2 Hill
This comet was discovered on April 10, 2010, in the course of the
Catalina Sky Survey, and astronomers expect it to glow around 10th
magnitude throughout December. Search for it around 10 P.M. local
time, when it lies high in the south within the borders of the
constellation Taurus.
Meteor Showers
The Geminids are active from December 7 to 17th and peak very quickly
on the night of December 13 - 14. Most activity occurs after midnight
on the 14th, when as many as one hundred slow, graceful Geminids
might be seen per hour under ideal conditions. This year, however,
the Moon rises at mid-evening and shines all the way until daybreak,
so bright moonlight will wash out most meteors.
The Ursid shower is active from December 17 to December 26, and peaks
on the morning of December 23. The Moon is New on the 24th - which
means no moonlight, dark skies and perfect observing conditions! The
radiant lies near the bright star Kochab (Beta Ursae Minoris), which
appears below the Pole Star in the evening and above it before dawn.
The radiant is circumpolar from most of the Northern Hemisphere, so
viewing can last all night.
Sky Events
December 1 - Venus is at greatest eastern elongation, 27.3 degrees
east of the Sun in the evening sky.
December 2 - First Quarter Moon at 4:52 A.M. EST.
December 4 - Mercury is in inferior conjunction with the Sun.
December 5 - The Moon is at apogee, the point in its orbit when it is
farthest from Earth.
December 8 - The Moon is 3.1 degrees south of the Pleiades at 8:26
P.M. EST.
December 10 - Full Moon at 9:37 A.M. EST. A total lunar eclipse is
visible from western North America and across the Pacific Ocean to
Australia and Asia.
December 14 - The Geminid meteor shower is at peak activity.
December 17 - Last Quarter Moon at 7:48 P.M. EST.
December 21 - The Moon is at perigee, the point in its orbit when it
is nearest to Earth.
December 22 - The winter solstice occurs at 12:30 A.M. EST. Mercury
is at greatest western elongation, 21.8 degrees west of the Sun in
the morning sky.
December 23 - The Ursid meteor shower is at peak activity.
December 24 - Mercury is 6.6 degrees north of Antares (Alpha Scorpii)
at 5:36 A.M. EST. New Moon at 1:06 P.M. EST.
December 27 - The Moon is 6.7 degrees north of Venus at 5:52 A.M.
EST.
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Learn more! Visit NightSkyInfo.com (http://www.nightskyinfo.com).
You are receiving this message because you visited us at
http://www.nightskyinfo.com and registered to receive our monthly
newsletter. If you feel you have received this issue in error, please
follow the instructions at the end of the page to unsubscribe.
Key Stars
For observers at mid-northern latitudes, the Pleiades star cluster is
due south around 10 P.M. local time. Above it is Perseus, flanked by
Auriga and Cassiopeia. Orion can be found above the southeastern
horizon, and between it and the celestial pole glitters Capella. High
in the east are Castor and Pollux, the brightest stars of Gemini, and
below them Leo the Lion is rising. In the southwest is the Square of
Pegasus and Vega shines low above the northwestern horizon.
The Planets
Mercury
Mercury moves to December's morning sky, but will be hard to spot for
the first half of the month. By the end of the month, however, it will
rise almost ninety minutes before the Sun and will be easily
identified sitting 10 degrees to the lower left of the 1st-magnitude
star Antares (Alpha Scorpii).
Venus
Until late May 2012, Venus will appear as a brilliant yellow star in
the evening sky, right after sunset. This month the planet is located
15 degrees above the southwestern horizon half an hour after sundown,
and it remains on view until after 6 P.M. local time.
Mars
Mars pokes above the eastern horizon around midnight local time and
is well up in the south before dawn. The planet is on its way to
opposition next March, when it will be at its closest approach to
Earth and will reach a width of 14". Right now, the disk is less than
9"-wide, too small to show features in most instruments.
Jupiter
Jupiter reached opposition to the Sun in late October, when it was
closest to Earth and at its largest and brightest. Although Jupiter
is now slowly receding from our home planet, it remains visible well
after midnight and looks stunning through a telescope. The gas giant
shines at magnitude -2.7 and lies in a star-barren region near the
border between Aries and Pisces.
Saturn
Throughout December, Saturn is low in the southeast as dawn begins,
but gets a little higher every morning. The ringed planet resides
among the background stars of Virgo the Maiden and remains within 5
degrees of the blue-white star Spica all month. Through a telescope,
Saturn sports an angular size of 16", while the rings span 37".
Uranus
Uranus lies in the same binocular field of view as Lambda Piscium,
the star that forms the southeast corner of the "Circlet" in Pisces,
and is itself an easy binocular target. The planet glows at magnitude
+5.8 and looks just like a star of that brightness. A telescope easily
reveals its 3.4"-diameter disk, which has a distinct blue-green color.
Neptune
Seek out Neptune in western Aquarius, 1.5 degrees northwest of the
4th-magnitude star Iota Aquarii. The distant world lies 2.8 billion
miles from Earth and glows dimly at magnitude +7.9. A 4-inch diameter
telescope is probably the minimum required to see the planet and
resolve its disk, only 2.4" across.
Pluto
The dwarf planet is too deep in the evening twilight and cannot be
observed until mid-February 2012, when it will reappear in the
morning sky.
Bright Asteroids
Vesta
8th-magnitude Vesta is an easy find in small telescopes. Look for it
just after dusk, when Aquarius the Water-Bearer - the constellation
through which the asteroid tracks - is highest above the southern
horizon.
Amphitrite
This space rock wends its way through the rather faint constellation
Aries the Ram, which is nearly overhead for observers at mid-northern
latitudes around 8 P.M. local time. The asteroid glows at magnitude
+9.6 - outside the range of binoculars from a suburban backyard, but
well within the reach of a 3-inch scope.
Bright Comets
C/2009 P1 Garradd
Comet Garradd can be found among the background stars of the
constellation Hercules, a few degrees east of Delta Herculis, and
according to recent reports, it should glow at 7th magnitude. This
"dirty ice ball" appears as a bright, round fuzz ball roughly 10'
across, with little hint of a tail. The key to finding C/2009 P1
Garradd is to start half an hour after sunset from a site that has an
unobstructed view of the western horizon.
C/2010 G2 Hill
This comet was discovered on April 10, 2010, in the course of the
Catalina Sky Survey, and astronomers expect it to glow around 10th
magnitude throughout December. Search for it around 10 P.M. local
time, when it lies high in the south within the borders of the
constellation Taurus.
Meteor Showers
The Geminids are active from December 7 to 17th and peak very quickly
on the night of December 13 - 14. Most activity occurs after midnight
on the 14th, when as many as one hundred slow, graceful Geminids
might be seen per hour under ideal conditions. This year, however,
the Moon rises at mid-evening and shines all the way until daybreak,
so bright moonlight will wash out most meteors.
The Ursid shower is active from December 17 to December 26, and peaks
on the morning of December 23. The Moon is New on the 24th - which
means no moonlight, dark skies and perfect observing conditions! The
radiant lies near the bright star Kochab (Beta Ursae Minoris), which
appears below the Pole Star in the evening and above it before dawn.
The radiant is circumpolar from most of the Northern Hemisphere, so
viewing can last all night.
Sky Events
December 1 - Venus is at greatest eastern elongation, 27.3 degrees
east of the Sun in the evening sky.
December 2 - First Quarter Moon at 4:52 A.M. EST.
December 4 - Mercury is in inferior conjunction with the Sun.
December 5 - The Moon is at apogee, the point in its orbit when it is
farthest from Earth.
December 8 - The Moon is 3.1 degrees south of the Pleiades at 8:26
P.M. EST.
December 10 - Full Moon at 9:37 A.M. EST. A total lunar eclipse is
visible from western North America and across the Pacific Ocean to
Australia and Asia.
December 14 - The Geminid meteor shower is at peak activity.
December 17 - Last Quarter Moon at 7:48 P.M. EST.
December 21 - The Moon is at perigee, the point in its orbit when it
is nearest to Earth.
December 22 - The winter solstice occurs at 12:30 A.M. EST. Mercury
is at greatest western elongation, 21.8 degrees west of the Sun in
the morning sky.
December 23 - The Ursid meteor shower is at peak activity.
December 24 - Mercury is 6.6 degrees north of Antares (Alpha Scorpii)
at 5:36 A.M. EST. New Moon at 1:06 P.M. EST.
December 27 - The Moon is 6.7 degrees north of Venus at 5:52 A.M.
EST.
Learn more! Visit NightSkyInfo.com (http://www.nightskyinfo.com).
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Thursday, December 22, 2011
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