Vern’s Weblog

The following is a summary of some objects to view in the sky, this week March 16th to March 22nd, 2008.

International Space Station

Mon Mar 17 at 6:29 am in NW disappears in NE at 6:34 (mag -0.8)
Tue Mar 18 at 5:39 am in NNW disappears in E at 5:44 (-0.8)
Wed Mar 20 at 6:01 am in WNW disappears in SE at 6:06 (-2.5)
Thur Mar 21 at 6:23 am in W; disappears in S at 6:27 (-0.9)
Fri Mar 22 at 5:14 am in SE; disappears in SE at 5:15 (-0.5)

Sun

One small active region is currently visible on the solar disk, region 10986 (as of today, Sunday). It will rotate from view below the west limb Wednesday. The Sun is currently at the minimum of the solar sunspot cycle. The sun crosses the earth’s ecliptic on Wed Mar 19 at 11:49 pm MDT marking the vernal equinox or beginning of spring for the northern hemisphere.

Sunday March 16
Sunrise 7:11 am
Sunset 7:10 pm MDT

Saturday March 22
Sunrise 7:02 am
Sunset 7:16 pm MDT

Moon (~10 pm on day indicated)

The following are some features on the Astroleague Lunar1 observing club list that are near the terminator on days indicated. Sun Mar 16 lunation 9.5 Promotorium Laplace, Copernicus, Bullialdus and Longomontanus
Mon Mar 17 lun 10.5 Sinus Iridum, Promotorium Heraclides, Kepler, Gassendi and Hippalus
Tues Mar 18 lun 11.5 Vallis Schroter, Aristarchus, Oceanus Procellarum, Billy
Wed Mar 19 lun 12.5 Sinus Roris, Reiner Gamma and Schickard
Fri Mar 21 lun 14.5 Full moon Friday March 21st at 12:40 pm MDT Look for rays extending from prominent craters and bright albedo features. Sat Mar 22 lun 15.5 Promotorum Agarum

Planets (Positions are for Saturday Mar 22)

Mars is in constellation Gemini it is +0.63 magnitude in brightness and 7.6 arc sec across it is 90% illuminated

Saturn is in constellation Leo. It is +0.7 magnitude in brightness and 19.8 arc sec across.

Jupiter is in constellation Sagittarius. It is -1.9 magnitude in brightness and 36 arc sec across. The Great Red Spot crosses the center of Jupiter at the following times this week: Tues Mar 18 at 3:36 am (MDT)
Thurs Mar 20 at 5:15 am
Sat Mar 22 at 6:53 am
The GRS is visible for about an hour before and after crossing central On Saturday morning around 6 am the great red spot will be transiting Jupiter. Jupiter’s moon’s Callisto and Europa is visible to the east and Ganymede and Io are visible to the west. About half hour before sunrise, Mercury and Venus are visible low in the in constellation Aquarius-0.13 magnitude in brightness and 5.6 arc-sec in diameter Venus is just above and to the left of Mercury-3.8 magnitude in brightness and 10.6 arc across, disk in 94% illuminated

Dark Sky

The moon interferes with our dark sky views this week.

Comets (Sat March 22)

In constellation Perseus 17 P Holmes magnitude 5.6, coma is 70 arc min across
46P Wirtanen magnitude 9.6 , 5.3 arc min across
C/2008 C1 Chen-Gao magnitude 10.3 and 2.6 arc min across
C/2006 W3 Christensen magnitude 13.3 and 22 arc sec
Nearby in constellation Auriga comet 29P Schwassmann-Wachmann is magnitude 12 and 2.1 arc min across C/2007 W1 Boattini is in constellation Corvus magnitude 11.6 and 1.6 arc min across
C/2006 Q1 McNaught is in constellation Vela. It is 11.5 mag and 1 arc min across

The following is a summary of some objects to view in the sky, this week March 9th to March 15th, 2008.

International Space Station

There are no bright passes this week

Sun

On Sunday March 9, the sun rose at 7:23 am and set at 7:02 pm MDT
On Saturday March 15, the sunrise is at 7:13 am and sunset is at 7:09 pm MDT
There are no active regions visible on the solar disc.

Moon

The Moon transitions to first quarter this week so it is a good time to view the Moon’s many fascinating features. Craters, domes, and rilles cast long shadows and it is easier to view various details as the sun rises. The line between light and dark is called the terminator. Generally the best time to view a particular object is a few hours after the terminator passes by it.

Sun Mar 9 the lunation 2.4 (moonset is 9:44 MST). The following features are near the terminator: Endymon, Messala, Geminus, Cleomedes, Mare Crisium, Langrenus, and Petavius
Mon Mar 10 lun 3.4, (moonset is 11 pm) Features are Atlas, Macrobius, Taruntius, Messier, Vallis Rheita, Steinheil, Watt
Tues Mar 11 lun 4.4: Craters Gartner, Hercules,
Wed Mar 12 lun 5.4: Posidonius, Mare Tranquillatis, Lamont, Theophillus, Cyrillus, and Catharina,
Thur Mar 13 lun 6.4: Aristoteles, Eudoxus, Montes Caucasus, and Maurolycus
Fri Mar 14 first quarter at 4:46 am MDT Aristillus, Cassini, Archimedes, Mons Hadley, Hipparchus, Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus, and Arazachel,
Sat Mar 15 lun 8.4 Plato, Erastothenes, Stadius, Rupes Recta, Pitatus, Tycho, & Maginus

Planets

Mars in constellation Gemini, it is 0.5 magnitude in brightness and 8 arc sec across
Saturn is in constellation Leo, it is 19.9 arc sec across and +0.7 magnitude in brightness
Jupiter is in constellation Sagitarrius, it is -1.9 in brightness and 35.6 arc sec across
Mercury moves to constellation Aquarius this week, it is magnitude 0 in brightness and 6 arc sec across
Venus is in constellation Aquarius, it is -3.8 magnitude in brightness and 10.8 arc sec across

Dark Sky

The Moon obscures our early evening dark sky views this week.

Comets (for Sat. Mar 15)

Four comets may be seen in constellation Perseus that are brighter than magnitude 14!
About 6 or 7 of the following list should be visible ( less than magnitude 12) with larger backyard scopes (10 inch+)

17P Holmes in constellation Perseus, magnitude 5.4 and 70 arc min across. On
46P Wirtanen in constellation Perseus is magnitude 10.2 and 5 arc min across
C/2008 C1 Chen-Gao is in constellation Perseus, magnitude 10.4 and 2.6 arc min across
C/2006 W3 Christensen is constellation Perseus, magntiude 13.3 and 23 arc sec across

29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is in constellation Auriga, magnitude 12 and 2.1 arc min across

C/2007 T1 McNaught is in constellation Lepus, 11.3 magnitude 3.3 arc min across
C/2006 Q1 McNaught is in constellation Vela, 11.6 magnitude and 1.6 arc min across

C/2007 W1 Boattini is in constellation Corvus, 12.1 magnitude and 1.4 arc min across
C/2007 B2 Skiff is in constellation Virgo. It is magnitude 13.6 in brightness and 44 arc sec across

Some things to check out in the sky this week, March 2 to March 8, 2008

The following is a summary of some things to see in the sky this week, March 2 to March 8, 2008.

International Space Station

The ISS makes some bright passes in the early mornings this week. On Sunday morning Mar 2 at 6:07 am MST it will appears in the WSW and disappear in the NE at 6:13 am On Monday morning Mar 3 at 4:57 am it will appears in the South and disappear in the ENE at 5:01 am On Tues morning Mar 4 at 5:20 am it will appears in the West and disappear in the NE at 5:24 am On Wed Mar 5 at 5:42 am it will appear in the WNW and disappear in the NNE at 5:46 am On Thur Mar 6 at 4:33 am it appears in the NNE and disappears in the NNE at 4:34 am On Fri Mar 7 at 4:54 am it appears in the NNW and disappears in NNW at 4:47 am Check http://www.heavens-above.com for more information.

Sun

Sunday the sun rose at 6:33 am and set at 5:56 pm. Next Saturday it will rise at 6:24 am and set at 6:02 pm. No active regions are visible today on the Sun’s disk.

Moon

The Moon is new Fri. Mar 7 at 10:14 am.

Planets

Saturn is visible in the eastern sky in the early evening in the constellation Leo. The disk is 20 arc sec across and +0.6 magnitude in brightness. Mars is high overhead in the southwest in early evening. It moves into the constellation Gemini this week. It is +0.3 magnitude in brightness and 8.6 arc sec across. Jupiter is visible in the early morning low in the southeast in the constellation Sagittarius. It is -1.9 magnitude in brightness and 35 arc sec across. Venus and Mercury are visible about 45 minutes before sunrise in the ESE. Both are in constellation Capricornus. The Moon occults the planet Venus around 1:25 pm MST on Wednesday.. See http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/planets08/0305venus.htm for other locations and times.

Comets

Comet 17P/Holmes is still visible though you’ll probably need a dark sky location to see. It is still in constellation Perseus, magnitude +4.8 Comet 46P/Wirtanen is in constellation Taurus and +9.5 magnitude Comet C/2006 q1 McNaught is in constellation Vela and +9.9 magnitude Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann in in constellation Auriga and magnitude +11.5 Comet C/2008 C1 Chen-Gao is in constellation Perseus and is magnitude +12

Dark Sky Objects

This weekend is the first of two Messier Marathon weekends for those who are persistent enough to locate 109/110 of them in one evening. Such a variety! A few Fall objects, Winter, Spring and early Summer celestial delights all in one night. Way too many to list even the best ones here.