Readers of a certain age may remember the visit of Halley’s Comet back in the 1980s, and younger readers may look forward to its return in 2061. In the meantime, we can all enjoy October’s Orionid meteor shower, as the Earth makes its semi-annual passage through Halley’s debris trail. This month’s show will be a good one, since it will occur on Oct. 21, during new moon, when the sky is dark.
Saturn Stars in SeptemberSaturn will shine brightly this month as it reaches opposition (opposite the sun in the sky) and its closest distance to earth - just 8.55 Astronomical Units or roughly 1.3 billion kilometers away. Because it's close, Saturn will appear a littler larger than usual, some 19 arc seconds in diameter.
The August full moon will rise in the evening of Friday, Aug. 8, reaching full illumination at 3:55 AM eastern time Saturday morning, August 9; but we can enjoy bright, moonlit nights on both the 8th and the 9th. Just before full moon, on Aug. 7, the moon will reach aphelion, its furthest distance from the sun, a distance of 1.0164 Astronomical Units (AU) from the sun (1 AU is the average distance between Earth and Sun).
Warm July evenings are a wonderful time to enjoy the night sky. Mars hangs in the western sky in the evening, moving lower toward the horizon at sunset as the month progresses. Saturn rises in the eastern sky late in the evening, while Venus rises in the east before dawn. Jupiter follows along, rising slightly earlier each morning, drawing closer to Venus. For most of July, Mercury will be too low in the west in the evening sky to see.
June offers good views for planet watchers – both early risers and night owls.Catch Venus before sunrise. Venus will be highest in the sky in the east at dawn on June 1st, and will gradually move closer to the sun until November, when Venus will reappear in the evening sky at sunset. With binoculars or a telescope, Venus will appear half illuminated in early June, with more of the planet illuminated by the Sun as the month progresses. Be careful, though, to finish observing before sunrise to protect your eyes.
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.
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