TRI-CITY ASTRONOMY CLUB

Mercury

In the dawn sky during the first half of the month.

Venus

Brilliant in the eastern morning sky at -4.4 magnitude.

Mars

Rises in the E after 10 PM and is high in the SW at dawn.

Jupiter

High in the SE after dark, transits high in the S near 6 PM and sets in the NW near midnight.

Saturn

Rises in the E after 1 AM and sets in the S at sunrise. The N side of the rings are visible in 2012, their tilt relative to the Earth will be 14° +/-1.5° until Oct when they will begin to open to 19° by the end of the year.

Uranus

In the western evening sky in Pisces and sets in late evening. On the 28th, Uranus crosses over to the N side celestial equator and will remain there until 2052. From 1969 to 2011 Uranus was S of the celestial equator.

Neptune

Low in the early evening western sky.

5 Thu

Earth at perihelion, 147,097,334 Kilometer (91,404,046 Miles) from the Sun. Latest sunrise 07:40 PST in the Tri Cities.

The end of the dark days of Winter.

22 Sun

(Extreme) Challenge No. 1.
See Old Crescent Moon 15hr before new in the eastern sky.  Moonrise at 06:51. Sunrise at 07:31.

23 Mon

(Extreme) Challenge No. 2.
See Young Crescent Moon 18 hr after new in the western sky.  Sunset at 16:48, Moonset at 17:47.

(Extreme) Challenge No. 3.

See both events.  There is no dishonor in failure.  8-)

27 Fri

Apollo astronauts White, Grissom, and Chaffe die in cockpit fire on launch pad during test.

Mercury

In superior conjunction on the 7th and difficult to see until the last 10 days of the month.

Venus

In western evening sky and well situated for us. The waxing crescent Moon passes 3° N of Venus on the 25th.

Mars

Is approaching opposition on Mar 3rd and is rising in mid-evening. It transits high in the S at 3 AM. At aphelion on the 15th.

Jupiter

High in SW after dark, sets in the NW near midnight. On the 26th, a waxing crescent Moon passes 4° N of Jupiter.

Saturn

Rises in the E after 11 PM and sets in the S at dawn.

Uranus

Low in the western evening sky, setting in mid-evening. The angle of the ecliptic favors northern hemisphere observers.

Neptune

Not visible.

2 Thu

Candelmas.  Celebrates the 40th day of Christmas and the presentation of the child Jesus. Now Groundhog Day. First quarter-cross days, half way between the winter solstice and spring equinox. Mid-winter in our calendar, the start of Spring in others.

2 Thu/

3 Fri

On Thursday Comet Garradd passes 0.6° S globular cluster and on Friday passes 0.5°W of M92. Forecasted to be near 6th mag in brightness.

Challenge No. 4.
See Comet near M92.

20 Mon

John Glenn piloted first US manned orbital spacecraft, Friendship 7, 50 years ago. Glenn was born in Cambridge Ohio in 1921.

29 Wed

Leap Day. Having added a day, 2012 is 366 days long.

Mercury

Easily observed in evening twilight; but dims rapidly in in the 2nd week reaching inferior conjunction on the 21st. On the 5th it is at greatest elongation E (18°), best evening view in 2012.

Venus

In western sky and lies 3° N of Jupiter from the 11th to the 15th. The waxing crescent Moon passes 1.8° S of the planet on the 26th and Venus reaches greatest elongation E (46°) on the 27th.

Mars

At opposition on the 3rd,, with an apparent disk diameter 13.9”, magnitude -1.2 and is 5.6 light minutes from Earth; its most distant opposition in the 30 yr period from 1996 to 2026. The northern Martian hemisphere summer solstice is on March 30th.

Jupiter

In the western evening sky setting in mid-evening.

Saturn

Rises in the E after 10 PM and transits about 3 AM in the S.

Uranus

Not visible.

Neptune

Reappears in the morning sky late in the month, favoring southern hemisphere observers.

5 Mon

Challenge No. 5.
See Mercury at greatest elongation east (18°). Mercury sets at 19:29 on azimuth 276°.

11 Sun

Daylight Savings Time (though no time is saved) begins on the second Sunday in March. Spring your clocks ahead one hour. Officially, no clock hour 2 AM to 3AM. From now on to the first Sunday in November it is as if you were displaced one time zone to the east.

15 Thu

Ides of March.  The buzzards (turkey vultures) return to Hinckley, OH.  The resulting celebration has been going on for over 50 years.

19 Mon

Spring (Vernal) Equinox.  Spring arrives Spring arrives in Tri Cities at 22:15 (10:15 PM) PDT when the Sun crosses the equator into the northern hemisphere. Sun rises due E, sets due W. Marks mid-spring in some alternative calendars.

Until 2007 the vernal equinox fell on the 20th or 21st Universal Time (7 hours earlier than PDT).  It will now be on the 20th until the year 2044.  After which it may occur on the 19th or 20th.

25 Sun

Moon 2.7° N of Jupiter in evening twilight with Venus nearby.

29 Thu

Lunar X near crater Werner visible 6 PM.

30 Fri

Lunar Straight Wall visible.

Mercury

Low in morning twilight and difficult to see.

Venus

In western evening sky. Attains greatest brightness, mag -4.7 at the end of the month as a waxing crescent 27% illuminated, 37” apparent disk diameter and 3.7 light minutes from Earth.

Mars

Dimming and being left behind by the Earth is high in the S transiting near 10 PM and sets near 4 AM. Retrograde motion ends on the 15th.

Jupiter

Low in W after sunset, sinks into the evening twilight late in the month.

Saturn

Visible most of the night. At opposition on the 15th at mag +0.2, 73 light minutes from the Earth. The N side of the rings tilted towards Earth at 13.7° and span 43”.

Uranus

Not visible.

Neptune

In early morning sky the angle of the ecliptic favoring southern hemisphere observers.

2 Mon

Venus 0.7°S of Pleiades.

3 Tue

Venus 0.4°SE of Pleiades.

6 Fri

Saturn, Spica, and the Moon visible all night in a near straight line.

20 Fri

Challenge No. 6.
See an old crescent Moon 18 hr before new in the eastern sky. Moonrise at 05:27.  Sunrise at 06:01.

21 Sat

Challenge No. 7.
See an old crescent Moon 18 hr before new in the eastern sky. Moonrise at 05:27.  Sunrise at 06:01.

22 Sun

Lyrid Meteor shower peaks. ZHR variable, up to 90. Av=18. The radiant, on the Lyra-Hercules border (18h04m +32°), is in useful view after 10:30 PM and improves all evening. This year the Moon will be one day past new, so the sky will be dark. Lyrids are swift meteors (49 km/s), occasionally bright with about 20-25% leaving persistent trains. April can bring more sporadic fireballs (-3 magnitude or greater).

29 Sun

Lunar straight wall visible.

Mercury

Difficult to see in the morning twilight and lost by mid-month.

Venus

In the WNW in the evening sky and descending daily towards the Sun. It vanishes in the Sun’s glare by month end as it approaches its historic last transit of this century.

Mars

Continues to move away and dim It is high in the S at sunset and sets in the W near 3AM.

Jupiter

Not visible. In conjunction with the Sun on the 13th.

Saturn

A few weeks beyond opposition is visible most of the night, rising at dusk in the SE, transiting in the S about 11 PM and setting in the W before dawn.

Uranus

In morning eastern sky.

Neptune

In morning eastern sky.

1 May

May Day or Beltane, the 2^nd cross-quarter day of the year, half way between the equinox and the solstice.  Start of summer on some alternative calendars, mid-spring in ours.

4 Fri

Venus reaches its greatest declination N (27.82° N) of the year, in its 8 year cycle, as well as in several centuries. It will be the year 2239 before it is that far N again.

(Extremely Easy) Challenge No. 9.
See Venus at greatest elongation N.

5 Sat

Largest full Moon of 2012. Closest perigee, 357,000 km (221,829 miles). Large ocean tides expected.

Eta Aquarid Meteors.  Active Apr 19-May 28.  ZHR 60 varying between ~40 to 85.  Very fast (66 km/s), bright meteors, frequently leaving persistent trains (40-60).  Associated with Comet 1P Halley.  The radiant, the “Y”‑shaped water jar asterism of Aquarius does not rise to a useful altitude in the E until about 03:30 am, coincident with astronomical twilight.  The full Moon creates about the worst viewing conditions for the peak.

19 Sat

Farthest lunar apogee of 2012, 401,167 km (249,273 miles).

20 Sun

Annular eclipse of the Sun.  Most of Oregon and all of Washington State will see a partial eclipse in the late afternoon.  The closest place for us to see the complete eclipse includes the area around Medford, OR, Klamath, Redding, Eureka, and Red Bluff California.  The instant of greatest eclipse occurs at 16hr 52m 47s PDT (4:52:47 PM).  The annular phase is then at its maximum duration of 5 minutes and 46 seconds.  So, if you want travel ...

Mercury

Reappears in evening twilight by mid month.

Venus

Low in NE morning twilight after mid-month. Venus transits the Sun on June 5th. We will see it as the Sun sets.

Mars

Continues to move away and dim, it is in the SW at sunset and setting in the W near 1 AM.

Jupiter

Not visible, in conjunction with the Sun on the 13th.

Saturn

A few weeks past opposition and retrograding is visible from dusk until it sets in the W near 2 AM.

Uranus

In the eastern morning sky.

Neptune

In the eastern morning sky.

5 Tue

Challenge No. 10.
Observe the transit of Venus across the Sun. Use appropriate filters and eye protection at all time when viewing the Sun.

14 Thu

Earliest sunrise 05:05 PDT in the Tri Cities.

20 Tue

Summer Solstice falls for the first time fall on the 20th.  Longest day of the year with 15 hr 48 m of daylight, in Tri Cities.  Summer begins in the Tri Cities at 16:07 PDT, when the Sun reaches its farthest point N of the equator.  Mid summer in some alternative calendars.  Until 1975 the solstice fell on June 21st or 22nd (Universal Time).  Now it will fall on June 21st and begins falling sometimes on the 20th.

14 Tue

Earliest sunrise 05:05 PDT in the Tri Cities.

21 Tue

Summer Solstice.  Longest day of the year, 15 hrs 48 m of daylight, in Tri Cities.  Summer begins in the Tri·Cities at 10:17 PDT, when the Sun reaches its farthest point N of the equator.  Mid summer in some alternative calendars.  Until 1975 the solstice fell on June 21^st or 22^nd (Universal Time).  Now it will only fall on June 21^st (UT) until 2012 when it begins falling sometimes on the 20^th.

27 Wed

Lunar Straight Wall visible.

28 Thu

Latest Sun set, at 20:54 PDT (8:54 PM).

Mercury

Very low in the WNW evening twilight and no longer visible by mid month.  At greatest elongation E (26°) on the 1st and at aphelion on the 12th.  The angle of the ecliptic favors southern hemisphere observers.

Venus

In the E morning sky. During 1st half of the month Venus and Jupiter lie less that 7° apart with Aldebaran and the Hyades in the background. Venus reaches greatest illuminated extent 27% of the waxing crescent) on the 12th, with a of brightness -4.7 mag, 37” apparent diameter and 3.7 light-minutes from Earth.

Mars

Low in the SW at dusk and sets in the W near midnight. It crosses to the S side of the celestial equator on the 5th.

Jupiter

Low in the E morning twilight. On the 15th, the waxing crescent Moon passes 0.5° N of Jupiter.

Saturn

In the SW at dusk and sets in the W near 1 AM. The angle of the ecliptic favors southern hemisphere observers.

Uranus

Rises near midnight in Cetus.

Neptune

Rises in late evening.

2 Mon

Mid-point of the year occurs at 1:00 PM PDT.

4 Mon

Earth at aphelion (farthest from the Sun) at 11 PM 152,092,400 km (94,505,836 miles).

6 Fri

Sir Isaac Newton published Principia 325 years ago.

14 Sat

Venus-Jupiter-Aldebaran-Crescent Moon-Pleiades grouped in the morning twilight.

26 Thu

Lunar Straight Wall visible.

Mercury

Reappears in dawn sky by the 2nd week of the month.  Reaches greatest elongation W (19°) on the 16th with the Moon nearby.

Venus

In the E morning sky and reaches greatest elongation W (46°) on the 15th.  On the 13th, the waning crescent moon occults Venus in the daylight at 2 PM.

Mars

Very low in the SW and sets at 10 PM.

Jupiter

Rises by 1 AM in the ENE and sets in SE by sunrise.

Saturn

Low in the SW at dusk and sets ~10 PM.

Uranus

Rises in late evening.

Neptune

Visible all night. At opposition on the 24th 11° S of celestial equator, mag +7.8, apparent disk diameter of 2.3”, and 4 light-hours from Earth.

1 Wed

Lammas, the 3^rd quarter cross-day of the year, half way between the Summer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox.  Beginning of Fall in some alternative calendars, mid-summer in ours.

12 Sun

Perseid Meteors at maximum after midnight on the 12^th.  The radiant, a few degrees NE of double star cluster in Perseus, reaches useable elevation after 10:00 PM and improves after that.  The waning crescent Moon rising at midnight is more likely to be a nuisance than a deterrent.

•   Active from July 17 to August 24.

•   Peak variable: ZHR 100.

•   Swift atmospheric velocity 60 km/sec (~37 miles/sec) because head on to earth's orbit.

•   Beginning height 110-160 km.

•   Average magnitude 2.27.  Brighter meteors often end in flares or bursts.

•   Some fire balls; about 1/3 leave trains up to 2 degrees wide, lasting to 100 sec.

•   Typically yellow, fewer white, brighter ones are green, orange, or red.

•   Derived from comet Swift-Tuttle, period now receding.

•   Historical record dates from 36 AD in China and 714 AD in Europe.

13 Mon

Double shadow transit on Jupiter, 03:38.

14 Tue

Venus at theoretical dichotomy, half illuminated when viewed from Earth 3 AM PDT.

20 Sun

Middle of the best time to observe the night skies. Leslie Peltier made the 2,000,000th American Association of Variable Star Observations observation 50 years ago. Peltier himself contributed over 132,000 AAVSO observations. Another Ohio boy made good.

Mercury

Not observable this month, in superior conjunction on the 10th.

Venus

Now in the E morning sky well positioned for northern observers and still receding from earth after the June transit. Venus reaches 1 au from Earth on the 23rd. On the 12th, the waxing crescent Moon is nearby Venus.

Mars

Mars low in the SW dusk and sets by 9 PM.

Jupiter

Rises in the ENE near 10 PM and transits high in the S at sunrise.

Saturn

Vanishes in the SW evening twilight by mid month.

Uranus

Visible all night. At opposition on the 29th in Pisces, mag +5.7, apparent disk diameter of 3.7”, and 2.6 light-years from Earth.

Neptune

Just past opposition and is visible most of the evening.

7 Fri

Moon within 3° of Jupiter in late evening and overnight.

8 Sat

Spot Jupiter unaided after Sunrise 3° to upper right of the Moon.

Challenge No. 11.
See Jupiter unaided just after Sunrise.

22 Sat

Autumnal Equinox, Fall starts in the Tri Cities at 07:47 AM when the Sun crosses the equator into the southern hemisphere.  Mid-fall in some alternative calendars.

The Moon is <5° SSW of Mars at the time of the Autumnal Equinox.

23 Sun

Lunar Straight Wall visible.

Mercury

Observed with difficulty buried in the evening twilight at month’s end.

Venus

In E morning sky. It passes 0.1°S of Regulus on the 3rd and the waxing crescent Moon passes 6°S of Venus on the 12th.

Mars

Low in W evening sky. Sets in early evening. The angle of the ecliptic favors southern hemisphere observers.

Jupiter

Rises near 9 PM in ENE, transits high in the S near 4 AM.

Saturn

Not visible, in conjunction with the Sun on the 25th.

Uranus

Just past opposition and visible most of the night.

Neptune

Well placed in the evening sky.

2 Tue

Venus ~0.15° SW of Regulus, magnitudes -4.1 and 1.4 respectively. Closest appulse (apparent closest approach of one body to another) of a planet and 1st magnitude star this year at 22:00 PDT. With careful visual observation, with averted vision, you may see “rays” (diffraction spikes) of the two appear to touch.

(Modest) Challenge No. 12.
See Venus and Regulus at their closest approach. Look for touching rays.

14 Sun

Old Crescent Moon 21 hr before new before Sunrise. Moonrise 06:19, Sunrise 06:36.

23 Tue

Lunar Straight Wall visible.

31 Wed

Hallowe’en, (eve of All Saints Day) 4th quarter-cross day, half way between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice.  Beginning of Winter in some alternative calendars and mid Fall in ours.

The Vatican absolved Galileo of all heresy charges 20 years ago.

Mercury

Very low in the SW at dusk, sets in the SW after 6 PM. Reappears in the dawn sky for northern hemisphere observers late in the month.

Venus

In the SE morning sky. Moon passes 5°S of Venus on the 11th. Venus passes 4°N of Spica on the 16th.

Mars

Low in the SW evening sky is moving rapidly eastward.  It reaches maximum S declination of the year on the 17th -24°33’.

Jupiter

Rises in the NE in mid-evening, transits high in the S and sets in the NW after sunrise.

Saturn

Reappears low in dawn twilight at mid-month. The angle of the ecliptic favors northern hemisphere observers. Rings are now getting more open to us.

Uranus

Well placed in evening sky.

Neptune

Well placed in the early evening sky.

1 Thu

Moon 1.5°S of Jupiter visible after moonrise.

4 Sun

Daylight Savings ends.  As predicted, no time was saved.  Officially the hour 1 AM to 2 AM is repeated.

17 Sat

Leonid meteors.  Active 6 to 23 Nov.  ZHR 15?  Extremely fast meteors, 71 km/s, often bright, 50-70% leave persistent trains.  The radiant, in Leo’s head near the sickle rises about 11 PM.  The waxing crescent Moon is no problem, setting before the radiant is properly in view.  Associated with comet 55P/Temple-Tuttle.

20 Tue

Lunar X near crater Werner visible 8 PM.

21 Wed

Lunar Straight Wall visible.

Mercury

Best morning apparition of the year for northern hemisphere observers during 1st week of Dec. Greatest elongation W (21°) on the 4th.

Venus

In eastern morning sky. At year-end, reaches maximum S declination of the year, -22°21’.

Mars

Very low in SW at dusk and sets in SW after 6 PM.

Jupiter

At opposition on the 3rd near Hyades, mag -2.9, 48”equatorial diameter, 21° N of celestial equator, 34 light minutes from the Earth.

Saturn

Well placed in the dawn sky.

Uranus

Well placed in the early evening sky, sets after midnight.

Neptune

In the W early evening sky in Aquarius.

3 Mon

Mercury, Venus and Saturn form an even 15° long line in the morning twilight.

7 Thu

Earliest sunset at 16:11 (4:11 PM) PST in the Tri Cities.

The beginning of the dark days of winter.

13 Thu

Geminid Meteors ZHR 120, slightly variable.  One of the best showers presently visible from Earth.  Bright, medium speed meteors (35 km/sec), with few persistent trains.  The radiant, above the head of Castor in Gemini (the twins) is available almost all night, rising in early evening.  A reliable shower.  The new Moon on this evening assures a dark sky.  Associated with an Apollo asteroid 3200 Phaeton.

21 Fri

Winter solstice.  Shortest day of the year.  Winter arrives in the Tri Cities at 03:12 PDT.  Mid-winter in some alternative calendars.  The Sun appearing to travel along the ecliptic reaches its farthest point south of the celestial equator.  Tri Cities get 8 hrs and 36 minutes of daylight. 

Sun rises at 7:37 AM and sets at 4:13 PM PST.