NIGHT SKY REPORT FOR THE WEEK STARTING NOVEMBER 25, 2002.
With the moon waning now (last quarter 11:46pm Wednesday), the evening skies are dark again. Well, they are if you're away from artificial light. Awareness is gradually building around the world that, if we don't take care, our skies will end up so bright that we just won't see the stars. In big cities already, the moon and Venus are the only objects bright enough to show through the glare of the "light pollution". The International Dark-Sky Association is promoting conservation of the night skies - see www.darksky.org. Imagine a kind of eco-tourism that takes people for long journeys to far-flung dark places! We hope it won't come to that. At present, places 40km or more from Perth and suburbs should be pretty dark. Like Wooroloo, like Muchea, like Jarrahdale.
Saturn rises in the east-northeast at about 8:45pm, is due north about 1:40am, and is the brightest starlike object in the north-western sky at dawn. Bright Jupiter rises in the east-northeast as well, at about midnight, and by dawn is high in the north-northeast. At daybreak - say 4am - Mars and Venus can be seen close together, low in the east.
posted by Peter at 8:01 PM
NIGHT SKY REPORT FOR THE WEEK STARTING NOVEMBER 18, 2002.
If you hear of a lunar eclipse occurring with Wednesday's full moon, don't try observing it. It's at the time of full phase, 9:34am, when the moon's below our horizon. It won't be much of an eclipse anyway, but it does show that the moon, the Earth and the sun are now in the same plane (the ecliptic). The new moon phase on December 4 will be accompanied by a total solar eclipse. In South Australia, that is. We'll get a partial solar eclipse. Watch this space.
The Leonids meteors probably won't do a lot this year, but that won't stop optimistic observers looking for them (weather permitting). Best time ought to be Wednesday morning, from 2am till dawn. Leo rises about 2am and first light comes around 4am. If you're gazing towards Jupiter, that'll be near enough - most people have close to 180° vision. Lean back to put Jupiter low in your field of view. Try a deckchair. Eye the sky.
Saturn rises in the east-northeast about 9:15pm, passes due north about 2:10am, and is in the north-western sky at dawn. Big, bright Jupiter rises about 12:25am and by daybreak it's dominating the north-eastern sky. Mars rises in the east about 3:35am and is low in the east at dawn. Brilliant Venus follows soon after. The star above and to the right of Mars is Spica. Watch the changing configurations of Mars, Spica and Venus over the next fortnight.
posted by Peter at 12:52 AM
NIGHT SKY REPORT FOR THE WEEK STARTING NOVEMBER 4, 2002.
New moon's tomorrow (zero phase at 4:34am), bringing a new cycle of lunar phases. Generally you can see the thin "new" crescent moon low in the western sky at dusk, the day after new moon. Try it: look low in the west-southwest around 7:30 to 8pm on Wednesday for a fine view of the waxing crescent moon with the dark side dimly lit by "earthshine". The bright reddish star above and to the left of the moon then will be Antares, the heart of the Scorpion. The outline of the celestial Scorpion is traced by a pattern of stars that make a big, backwards question mark going above and to the left of Antares. A planisphere or an astronomical handbook can help you to learn the shapes of the major constellations.
So it's waxing crescent moon this week - if you can see the moon at dusk, it's waxing. This coming fortnight is the time for evening moon "obs". First quarter will be next Monday night (50% phase 4:52am Tuesday). Saturn is the first planet to appear, rising in the east-northwest about 10:15pm. It passes due north about 3am and is easily visible in the north-northwest at dawn. Bright Jupiter rises next, also in the east-northeast, at about 1:15am; it dominates the north-eastern sky at dawn. Mars is in view now - just - low down in the east at dawn. Interest in Mars will steadily increase over coming months as it heads for opposition in August, the closest in 17 years.
posted by Peter at 11:13 PM 
