May Third is National Astronomy Day! Take a few minutes to experience the night sky. It’s an ideal time to enjoy the first quarter moon, which will be up in the evening. At first quarter, deep shadows accentuate the moon’s mountains and craters, increasing contrast so they are easier to see.
The glorious planet parade we’ve enjoyed for the past couple of months has now passed us by. Mercury and Venus have moved ahead of Earth in their orbits, and now rise before the sun in the morning sky. Venus will climb higher each morning, and will be brightest on April 27, at magnitude -4.8. Venus will remain a morning star through November, as Earth chases it around the sun.
March brings more exciting nighttime wonders!Mercury will be furthest from the sun - and highest above the horizon, on March 8. It will visible shortly after sunset in the western sky, After March 8, Mercury will move closer to the sun in the evening sky and become harder to see.
January’s planet lineup continues into February, and perhaps the weather will be a tad warmer than the cold evenings we had in January. Take advantage of warmer weather to enjoy the planetary parade in the evening sky.
Many of our friends and colleagues have enjoyed Hal Kibbey’s Star Trak column on our website. Star Trak has been deeply appreciated by the community, our students, and the Astronomy department – always our go-to source of what to expect in the sky in the coming month!
Bloomington, Ind. - This January is an exciting month for planet-watchers. Lined up across the sky, from east to west are Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Jupiter will make its best appearance in a decade for northern observers in December. Joining the giant planet in late evening will be Mars. Saturn will be visible in the early evening, along with Venus soon after sunset. Mercury will make a fine morning appearance.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Throughout the first half of November Mercury will hug the southwest horizon. On Nov. 1 the planet will be 2 degrees high a half hour after sunset, and a week later it will be 4 degrees above the horizon at the same time. After that it will begin to dim rapidly, and by month's end it will be lost from view.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Mercury and Venus will be low in the western evening sky in October. Mercury will take some effort to see, but brilliant Venus will not be hard to find. Saturn and Jupiter will rise in that order before midnight. Mars will become a bright object in the predawn sky, standing high in the east.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Saturn will be visible all night in September, rising soon after sunset. It will reach opposition on Sept. 8 and will be in the constellation Aquarius. By month's end it will reach this point two hours earlier. Telescopes of any size will reveal its ring system. The apparent tilt of the rings will increase to 5 degrees. Titan, Saturn's largest moon, will be an easy target for small telescopes.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The annual Perseid meteor shower happens on warm summer nights, when gazing at the sky is a pleasure. This year the Perseids will peak on the night of Aug. 12-13. The moon will set around midnight, so moonlight will not interfere with observing meteors. In a clear sky there will be hours of dark viewing.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The shorter nights of summer will still offer a variety of sights for skywatchers.Mercury and Venus, the two innermost planets, will put on an evening show in July. Try to spot them soon after sunset.
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