Friday, January 01, 2010
Astronomy guide: Heavenly highlights in 2010
John Goss
John Goss is chairman of the Mid-East Region of the Astronomical League and a former president of the Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society.
Recent columns
- When were the stars born?
- Moon, Venus, Jupiter in a predictable dance
- Look far beyond the stars of the Milky Way
- The planets lead nomadic existences
Blog
This is a compendium of heavenly treats visible from Southwest Virginia in the coming year.
While most of these are easily seen with unaided eyes, some are enhanced by the use of binoculars. Thought-provoking sky scenes are what make stargazing a rewarding and fascinating pastime.
So, find the time and look at our amazing skies!
1. The Return of Mars
The red planet Mars makes a guest appearance in our winter skies, returning brightly after a two-year absence.
From now until Jan. 29, Mars slowly brightens, eventually matching the luminosity of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Then, while drifting westward through the constellations of Leo and Cancer, its intensity slowly subsides.
2. Planetary players on a celestial stage
The planets always move, constantly appearing to change their positions with one another. From our viewpoint, they occasionally form interesting groupings, providing intriguing celestial sights.
The early evenings of April 1 through 10 find the two closest planets to the sun, Mercury and Venus, shining together in the western sky. Venus is easy to see. Mercury, sitting on its left, is less so.
From July 30 through Aug. 20, Mars passes Saturn, then catches Venus. They can be found in the western sky about 9:10 p.m. Adding to the scene, the thin crescent Moon joins the trio Aug. 13.
Early morning viewers are not left out. On Dec. 1 and 2 at 5:45 a.m., a tight grouping rises in the southeast. The crescent moon, Saturn, Spica in Virgo, and commanding Venus all lie close to one another before the brightening twilight interferes.
3. Discover two mysterious nebulae and two distant star clusters
The five bright planets are relatively easy to see because they are just a hop, skip and a jump from Earth. There are other, much dimmer -- and much farther -- celestial objects for the stargazer to appreciate.
The thin crescent moon and bright Mars act as excellent guides for locating two nebulae and three distant star clusters. Because of their immense distances, these objects appear either as indistinct smudges or as a myriad stellar pinpoints. Binoculars are a must for clear views.
Jan. 11, 6 a.m.: Low in the southeast, the crescent moon forms a triangle with the star Antares and the star cluster M4.
Feb. 3, 8 p.m.: High in the east, Mars drifts in front of the star cluster M44, also known as the "Beehive."
Feb. 9, 6 a.m.: Low in the southeast, the crescent moon lies below the star-forming nebulae M8 and M20.
April 12-19, 10 p.m.: Nearly overhead, Mars returns to the Beehive.
Dec. 21, 3 a.m.: The eclipsed moon darkly floats below the star cluster M35.
4. Our moon partners with Venus
The two most eye-catching night sky objects are the moon and Venus. When they appear together, they make an intriguing sight worthy of comment.
2010 gives 10 opportunities to view their close encounters. The two best pairings will be both in December.
May 16: 9 p.m. in the west
June 14: 9:15 p.m. in the west
July 14: 9:15 p.m. in the west, part of a celestial lineup
Aug. 13: 9 p.m. in the west, part of a celestial group
Sept. 11: 8 p.m. in the west-southwest
Dec. 2: 5:45 a.m. in the southeast, part of a celestial group
Dec. 31: 5:45 a.m. in the southeast.
5. Spot the very young moon
How closely can the moon be situated to the sun and still be seen after sunset?
Surely, a "3-day-old moon" -- called that because it has been three days since it passed between the Earth and the sun -- can be spotted soon after sunset. But what about a thinner 2-day-old moon that hovers even closer to the horizon? This year, Venus can help locate the very thin crescent of the very young moon on three separate occasions. Binoculars likely will be needed for this tough task.
-- March 16, 7:45 p.m. in the west. Venus lies to the left of the 1-day-old moon. Because of the bright background sky, this will be a real challenge to see even through binoculars.
-- April 15, 8:30 p.m. in the west. The 112-day-old moon sits to the lower right of Venus. Look closely for a star near the moon's lower left rim. That's no star; that's Mercury.
-- May 15, 9 p.m. in the west. The 2-day-old moon sits below Venus.
6. Moon meets Jupiter
Mighty Jupiter outshines all else in our night sky except the moon and Venus. When it glows near the moon, they certainly give a very noticeable pair. Their early evening encounter in the middle of January may be the year's most dramatic, if you have a low western horizon.
2010 Moon and Jupiter pairings
Jan. 17: 6:15 p.m. in the west-southwest
April 11: 6:15 a.m. in the east
May 9: 5:15 a.m. in the east
June 6: 4:30 a.m. in the east-southeast
July 3 and 4: 2:30 a.m. in the east-southeast
July 31: 2:30 a.m. in the southeast
Aug. 27: 12:30 a.m. in the southeast
Sept. 22: 10:30 p.m. in the southeast
Oct. 19: 8:30 p.m. in the southeast
Nov. 15: 7 p.m. in the southeast
Dec. 13: 7 p.m. in the south
7. Bright Jupiter greets dim Uranus
For those people observing from a dark site on a moonless night, the planet that is four times as far from the sun as Jupiter can be occasionally found.
Uranus often appears as a very dim starlike object, easily lost among the many background true stars. Luckily for Virginia stargazers, for much of the year, bright Jupiter acts as a beacon for locating this faint world.
Binoculars easily show Uranus shining unobtrusively next to the dazzling glow of Jupiter. The best dates to catch this unequal duo are June 7-9 at 4 a.m., and Sept. 14-17 at 10 p.m.
8. Celestial suspects line up for identification
The moon, planets and bright stars conspire to give a celestial lineup right after sunset from July 13 through 16.
Nearest to the western horizon lurks Regulus, the brightest star in Leo. To its upper left are brilliant Venus, Mars, Saturn and Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. The crescent moon underscores their alignment, moving farther to the east each evening.
9. Meteors falling your way
The best thing about meteor watching is that it requires no special equipment. It does require patience, though, because meteors don't streak through our planet's upper atmosphere like clockwork.
2010 features three promising meteor showers with no interfering moonlight. As in most years, the best shower likely will be the Geminids. But unlike other years when it is an early evening event, the Geminids peak after 3 a.m. Dec. 14 and 15, perhaps with more than 50 meteors an hour.
10. Total lunar eclipse
As seen from Southwest Virginia, it has been nearly two years since the moon crept into the Earth's shadow giving us a total lunar eclipse. It finally does so again, this one occurring in the wee hours on the winter solstice, Dec. 21.
Totality begins at 2:40 a.m. However, the curve of our planet's shadow cast on the lunar surface can be seen inching across the moon's disk beginning at 1:32 a.m. Totality ends at 3:54 a.m. while the shadow completely leaves the moon's face at 5:02 a.m.
