2019 Week 49: (December 1-December 7)

The Winter is soon approaching and the cold will become commonplace for a few months.  The Winter can offer crisp, clear skies conducive to great observing!  This week the Moon will reach its first quarter phase shining brightly in the constellation Aquarius.

Date	Event
December 3	First Quarter

Jupiter, Saturn and Venus are all excellent targets for those who like to spend time in the evening twilight.  Jupiter sets an hour after the Sun but is big and bright enough to catch with the naked eye.  Just above Jupiter will be Venus shining 7 times brighter as a large waning gibbous.  Above Venus, you will still be able to catch the large ringed planet of Saturn.  Saturn will seem nearly 75 times dimmer than Venus but certainly still visible to the naked eye.  A telescope will pull in the rings but atmospheric distortions, so prominent with objects close to the horizon, will disturb the view.

Saturn

There is a free astronomy event happening in Calgary this week.  Come down to the Central Branch of the Calgary Public Library for the annual presentation of The Christmas Star: An Astronomer's Perspective.  This lecture will take you through the realms of possibilities of the star the wise men saw more than two thousand years ago.

Date	Event
December 3	The Christmas Star - Central Library (7pm-8:30pm)

Next week one of my favourite meteor showers will peak.  The Geminid meteor shower unfortunately occurs two days after the Full Moon but I'm hoping to still catch a few!  As the Sun sets earlier, stay warm and take a look outside at the sky!

2019 Week 46: (November 10-November 16)

This will be an amazing week in the sky!  Mercury will transit across the face of the Sun!  This sight will be visible for just over 3 hours from Calgary and then not again until 2049!

Date	Event
November 10	Uranus 4°N of Moon
November 11	Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
November 11	Transit of Mercury
November 12	Vesta at Opposition
November 12	Full Moon
November 12	Northern Taurid Meteors Peak
November 15	Moon 1.5°S of M35

Let's talk about the other sky happenings before we delve deeper into Mercury!

Uranus will be in conjunction with the Moon during the evening of November 10.  The bright waxing gibbous Moon will appear slightly below our seventh planet.  Grab a set of binoculars and float them a little above the Moon to try to find this ice giant!

The brightest asteroid visible from Earth, Vesta, will reach opposition on November 12.  At magnitude 6.5, it can be seen between Taurus and Cetus.  You may need to pull it in with a telescope as the Full Moon will be hanging out 10° from this location.

The Northern Taurid meteor shower will peak on this very same night.  The radiant point is just west of the Pleiades Star Cluster.  Unfortunately, the Full Moon shines its great light pollution on this region of the sky.  The chances of catching a Northern Taurid will be slim.

The Moon progresses eastward in the sky and winds up in Gemini during the evening of November 15.  It will be nearby the open cluster M35 which sits at the foot of the body of Castor.

All this pales in comparison to the main event of the week.  I would even consider this the main event of the year.  The smallest planet, Mercury, will cross the face of the Sun.  When the Moon does this, it is called a solar eclipse.  If you have a properly filtered telescope, you will be able to see this phenomenon.  There are two events happening around Calgary to witness this.  In the South, meet up at Ralph Klein Park between 7:30am-11am.  If you are in the North end of Calgary, head over to Nose Hill Park between the same hours.  Information, with maps, can be found at the link below.

Mercury Transit Calgary

The image below showcases what you will see.

Transit of Mercury - November 11, 2019

The forecast is for cold weather but clear skies.  Dress warmly and pop out of your vehicle for a quick glance of something you may only see once in your life!

2019 Week 44: (October 27-November 2)

This week in the sky there will be a number of conjunctions and an opposition!

Date	Event
October 27	New Moon
October 28	Uranus at Opposition
October 29	Venus 4°S of Moon
October 30	Mercury 3°S of Venus
October 31	Jupiter 1.3°S of Moon
November 1	Saturn 0.6°N of Moon

The week starts out coinciding with the start of a new lunar month as the Moon will be new on October 27.  This will provide us with a beautiful waxing crescent in the sky while everyone is out getting candy on Halloween.

The next evening, Uranus will be at opposition.  This is the point in the sky where it is opposite to the Sun as viewed from Earth.  It will be at its largest and brightest in the southeastern section of Aries.

Scan the region below the bright stars of Aries to find a small blue/grey spot of light that will not be twinkling like a star.  Unfortunately, there are no other bright stars in the area that you can use as a guide to find our seventh planet.  Good luck!

Uranus at Opposition

I have only ever photographed Uranus once and that was when it was in conjunction with Mars this past February.

Uranus and Mars in Conjunction

There will be a lot of action in the evening twilight this week.  Venus will be in conjunction with the brand new waxing crescent Moon on the evening of the 28th.  You'll have to find a clear view of the western horizon and a set of binoculars with you.  AFTER the Sun has gone down, look for the Moon with your binoculars.  A couple fields to the south of the Moon you should be able to see Venus and Mercury.  The sun will set around 6:15pm in the evening, followed by Mercury at 6:45pm.  Your window for viewing is small.

A few nights later, dress up as an astronomer and catch Jupiter and the Moon very close to each other in the sky.  Jupiter is quickly moving toward conjunction with the Sun and won't be visible for several weeks to once again appear in the morning. 

The next evening, try to spot the Moon next to Saturn just below the teaspoon asterism of Sagittarius.  Just like Jupiter, Saturn is also making its way toward the Sun and out of our evening view.  Setup your telescope one last time to catch the beautiful rings before they are gone.

I hope you do have the opportunity to get out under the stars while the sky is clear and the ground, for the most part, free of a thick layer of snow. 

2019 Week 43: (October 20-October 26)

I took a 6 week break from blogging as life got incredibly busy!  However, I am back and ready to go!

What is going on in the sky this upcoming week?!

Date	Event
October 21	Last Quarter
October 21	Orionid Meteors Peak
October 21	Moon 0.7°S of Beehive Cluster (M44)
October 26	Zodiacal Light Visible in Northern Latitudes
October 26	Mars 5°S of Moon

We have the Moon reaching its last quarter phase on the same evening the Orionid meteor shower peaks.

The Orionid Meteor Shower comprises the dust and debris leftover from Halley's Comet.  If you missed Halley's Comet back in 1986 you get a chance to see its debris twice a year: The Eta Aquariid Shower and the Orionid Shower.

The Orionids peak around October 21 every year and the best time to see this shower is in the middle of the early Morning.  Orion will be rising in the southeast around midnight and you should start to see meteors soon thereafter.  The radiant point is just to the East of Orion's club as shown in the image below.

Orionid Radiant

The Orionids peak at around 10-20 meteors per hour and are best seen away from the light pollution of urban centres and the Moon.  While you are waiting, take in the sights of the Pleiades Star Cluster or the Great Orion Nebula.  This year the Moon will be wandering in nearby Cancer and will provide ample light pollution to lower the counts.

City	Suburbs	Rural	Optimal
5	10	15	23

As with other meteor showers I have provided a log chart for recording your observations.  Please find it below.

Orionid Meteor Shower

Instructions for filling it out can be found: Explore the Universe - Meteor Showers

As mentioned above, the Moon will be hanging out in the constellation of Cancer.  This brings it right next to the Beehive Cluster which forms the heart of the crab.  While you are out chasing down some Orionid meteors, throw your binoculars onto the Moon.  You should see a beautiful cluster of stars in the same field of view!

Later in the week, the Zodiacal Light may be visible to those who have very dark skies and a keen eye.  More information about sighting this phenomenon can be found below:

https://simonjastronomy.blogspot.com/2017/02/what-is-zodiacal-light.html

To finish off the week the slim waning crescent Moon can be found sitting right above the red planet, Mars.  This can be found in the early morning twilight between Spica and Porrima in the constellation Virgo.

What can you expect in the coming weeks?

• Mercury will transit across the face of the Sun on November 11 at sunrise!  
• Open cluster M36 will be in conjunction with a magnitude 12 comet C/2017 Panstarrs.
• Mare Orientale will be in view on the Moon from November 12-16 for those keen enough to explore the libration regions of our lunar neighbour.

Stay tuned to our page for updates on these great celestial events as the time gets closer!  Even though it is getting colder, don't forget to look up and explore the night sky with your eyes!

2019 Week 36: (September 1-September 7)

This week in the sky there will be two solar conjunctions and a slowly brightening sky due to a waxing Moon.

Date	Event
September 2	Mars in Conjunction with Sun
September 3	Mercury in Superior Conjunction
September 5	First Quarter
September 6	Jupiter 2°S of Moon

On September 2 the red planet, Mars, will be in conjunction with the Sun.  Just a week ago, Mars was at aphelion and is now essentially the furthest it can possibly be from the Earth.  This is much different from last year when it was so very close.

The next day, Mercury will be in superior conjunction with the Sun and will be positioned behind our central star in relation to Earth.  When Mercury swings back away from the Sun into the evening sky we may be able to catch a glimpse of it.  The exciting news is that after this evening apparition Mars will reach inferior conjunction where we can actually see it!  That's right, a transit of our smallest planet in FRONT of the Sun.  This will be visible from Calgary as the Sun rises on November 11.

Mercury Transit (Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Moon will be a waxing crescent throughout most of the week as it approaches its first quarter phase on the 5th.  That very night see the Moon in conjunction with Jupiter.  The two objects will be approximately 3° apart as visible from Calgary this Thursday evening.

It seems to be a quiet week for rocket launches as there are currently none planned.  There are also no public events planned for this week either.

However, don't miss the kickoff to another great astronomy season on September 19 at the Central Branch of the Calgary Public Library.  Dr. Lisa Hughes from the University of Calgary will present a great lecture on Hercules.  See the synopsis below:

The September night sky presents a figure with outstretched arms that appears to be running or kneeling. Meet our fifth largest constellation that is named after the mythic hero, Hercules. Join Dr. Lisa Hughes from the University of Calgary's Department of Classics and Religion to learn about our fascination with the hero, Hercules, and his relationship with the stars. We will explore selections of the mythic stories adapted in both ancient texts and modern films. Whether you have read the 12 Labours or seen the Disney classic Hercules (1997), come out for a fun-filled starry night of Herculean proportions!

We hope to see you out this Fall!

2019 Week 35: (August 25-August 31)

This week in the sky we will have a new Moon and, if the weather is good, many astronomers will be out viewing the sky.

	Event
August 28	Moon in Beehive (M44)
August 30	New Moon

A new Moon offers the observer a beautiful dark sky free from natural light pollution.  This is a great time to pick out the dim galaxy that may have been eluding you all year.  A few days prior to the new Moon the Beehive Cluster (M44) will be in conjunction with the faint waning crescent Moon.  You can see this early in the morning before the Sun comes up.  Who does early morning astronomy anyway?

The Elusive Waning Crescent?

There are two rocket launches scheduled for this week.  A Chinese Kuaizhou 1A rocket will liftoff from Jiuquan, China on the 29th of the month.  Following this, a Russian rocket will carry a gravitational field monitoring satellite into orbit.  That sounds fascinating!

	Event
August 29	Kuaizhou 1A - KX-09
August 23	Rockot - Geo-IK 2

The Summer is coming to an end which means the Fall astronomy events will start to pick up!  Check out the September calendar at the following link: September Astronomy Calendar

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada's Calgary Centre will once again host great lectures at the Calgary Public Library's Central Branch.  Join us in September where will host Dr. Lisa Hughes from the University of Calgary.  She will be discussing Hercules as a constellation and as a mythic hero.  Stay tuned for more details!

If the sky is clear this weekend, find a great dark site and enjoy the beautiful sky!

2019 Week 34: (August 18-August 24)

This week in the sky might be good for those seeking out deep sky objects.  The Moon is slowly moving east in the sky towards its last quarter phase on the 23rd.  This will allow the early part of the evening to be free for darker skies to find some great objects!

	Event
August 21	Uranus 5°N of Moon
August 23	Last Quarter

Uranus, which now resides in the constellation Aries, will be in conjunction with a waning gibbous Moon on the 21st of August.  This is best seen early in the morning several hours before the Sun rises.

Uranus

There are three rocket launches scheduled for this week.  The Electron rocket launch scheduled last week from New Zealand has been moved to this Monday.  The same day, a Long March 3B rocket will takeoff from Xichang, China with another communications satellite.  The last of the launches will be a Soyuz rocket taking a Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft to the International Space Station.  This is a demonstration for approval of this configuration for future manned missions.

Date	Event
August 19	Electron - "Look Ma, No Hands" (06:12)
August 19	Long March 3B - Chinasat 18
August 21	Soyuz - ISS 60S (21:38)

This week will offer many public astronomy events that are worth the time to check out.  The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada will be at two local public library branches presenting their Astronomical Sights of Summer program.  Come to Saddletowne or Seton to attend one of these free offerings.  The week ends with a three-night Milky Way Nights at the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory.  Come out late at night to enjoy the night sky and catch a glimpse of the Milky Way with your own eyes.  This is a wonderful opportunity as most of us live under the terrible light pollution of Calgary and are unable to see more than a handful of bright stars.

Date	Event
August 18	Astronomical Sights of Summer - Saddletowne Library (15:30-16:30)
August 21	Astronomical Sights of Summer - Seton Library (18:00-19:00)
August 22	Milky Way Nights - RAO (22:00-02:00)
August 23	Milky Way Nights - RAO (22:00-02:00)
August 24	Milky Way Nights - RAO (22:00-02:00)

We hope to see you out at one of these events so we can share our love of the night sky with you.  The weather looks like it will be perfect for observing and will not be too cold or cloudy.

2019 Week 33: (August 11-August 17)

There is quite a lot happening in the sky this week and some of it observable from your backyard!  Saturn will be in close conjunction with the Moon and, perhaps, the most famous meteor shower peaks this week.

	Event
August 11	Jupiter Stationary
August 12	Uranus Stationary
August 12	Saturn 0.04°N of Moon
August 13	Perseid Meteors Peak
August 14	Venus in Superior Conjunction
August 15	Full Moon

The week Jupiter will finish its retrograde motion and once again start to appear to move eastward relative to the background stars.  Several hours later Uranus will start its retrograde motion until January of next year.  I'm sure astrologers are having fun this week with their 'science'.

Saturn will be in close conjunction with the Moon and, when it sets in Calgary, they will be only a degree and a half away from each other.  For those in Australia, you may actually see the Moon go in front of Saturn in what is known as an 'occultation'.

The big news, although I am not really excited about it, is the Perseid Meteor Shower will peak early in the morning on Tuesday, August 13.  Why am I not excited?  The weather forecast seems to indicate thick clouds and possible rain AND there will a be a large waxing gibbous Moon to contend with.  If the sky is clear it will be difficult to catch these meteors as the bright Moon will pollute the sky with light.  I've never really been much of a Perseid fan.  A great number of mosquitoes, muggy Summer air, overabundance of media exuberance and boring northeastern skies have driven me to the meteor showers of Fall and Winter.

If you are interested, the map below shows where the radiant will be in the northeast sky.

Perseid Radiant Map

The basic idea is to find the well known 'W' asterism in the constellation Cassiopeia in the northeast.  Look just below this region toward the constellation Perseus.  You should be able to find an assortment of meteors falling to Earth that seem to radiate from this area.  The estimate of hourly rates is provided below.  As you can see, the further you get away from the city the more meteors you will expect to see.

City	Suburbs	Rural	Optimal
10	20	50	100

The next evening, Venus will be in superior conjunction and will basically be in conjunction with the far side of the Sun.  It will then slowly make its way into the evening skies for a great showing late in the year.

To finish off the week, the annoying, meteor killing Moon will be full on the 15th.

There is one rocket launch scheduled for this week as it will take-off from New Zealand with an assortment of satellites.  It is nicknamed "Look Ma, No Hands".

Date	Event
August 16	Electron - "Look Ma, No Hands" (06:57)

This week has a couple of public events that are worth taking the time to attend.  If you haven't attended one of our "Astronomical Sights of Summer" programs at the Calgary Public Library, you are missing out.  Explore the wonders of the Summer sky and get a hands-on experience with actual telescopes.  Join us at either the Signal Hill or Central Library this week.

Date	Event
August 12	Astronomical Sights of Summer - Signal Hill Library (18:00-19:00)
August 15	Astronomical Sights of Summer - Central Library (11:30-12:30)

The weather looks to improve by the end of the week and will provide ample opportunity to get outside and enjoy the Summer night sky.  Get your heads up from your devices and enjoy the stars and planets above!

2019 Week 32: (August 4-August 10)

This week in the sky we have a waxing Moon that will reach its first quarter phase on Wednesday.  The past week has been good for deep sky astronomy with clear skies and a Moon completely out of the way.

	Event
August 7	First Quarter
August 9	Jupiter 2°S of Moon
August 9	Mercury Greatest Elongation West

A few nights after the first quarter the Moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter in the south sky.  If you have not had the chance to peek at Jupiter this Summer it is worth finding someone with a telescope who can show you our largest planet.

Jupiter

The morning sky is perfect for viewing Mercury.  It will reach its greatest elongation from the Sun on the 9th and will appear bright in the twilight sky.  Many people do not realize that this diminutive planet is quite the naked eye object.

There are several rocket launches scheduled for this week.  A couple of them are rescheduled launches from the previous week.  On Monday a Proton rocket rocket will be taking off from Kazakhstan with a communications satellite.  More communications satellites will be launched in the following days.  The launch schedule is shown below and you can watch all of these online.

Date	Event
August 5	Proton - Blagovest No. 14L (15:56)
August 6	Ariane 5 - Intelsat 39 & EDRS-C (13:30)
August 6	Falcon 9 - Amos 17 (16:53)
August 8	Atlas 5 - AEHF 5 (03:44)

There are a few public events happening around the city this week.  Join us at the Louise Riley and Forest Lawn branches of the Calgary Public Library to learn more about the sky during the Summer.

Date	Event
August 8	Astronomical Sights of Summer - Louise Riley (18:30-19:30)
August 10	Astronomical Sights of Summer - Forest Lawn (13:00-14:00)

Don't miss out on the amazing sights of the Summer sky.  It is getting darker earlier and the Sun is further below the horizon during the peak of night.  This is a great time to enjoy the Summer evenings with the stars above.  Get outside and enjoy the sky!

2019 Week 31: (July 28-August 3)

This week in the sky the δ-Aquariid meteor show peaks during a time when the Moon is almost invisible.  This will allow for more meteors to be caught by the eye.

	Event
July 28	South δ-Aquariid Meteors Peak
July 31	New Moon

This Sunday night the Southern δ-Aquariid Meteors peak.  This is an annual shower that occurs at the end of July each year.  The maximum estimated rate is usually around 20 per hour under perfect conditions.  Expect to be lucky to catch 5 an hour under suburban skies.  The radiant point is located just east of δ-Aquarii in the constellation Aquarius.  A nearly New Moon will allow for darker skies this year!

δ-Aquariid Radiant

There are three rocket launches scheduled for this week.  A Russian Soyuz rocket will be taking off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome providing cargo to the International Space Station.  Last Friday I saw the ISS fly overhead just after midnight.  Following closely behind was the Dragon Capsule launched the night before.  Both objects were clearly visible to the unaided eye.

An Ariane 5 rocket will takeoff on August 2nd taking a couple communications satellites into orbit.  The last launch will be a Falcon 9 with a communications satellite that will be used for services over Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Date	Event
July 31	Soyuz - Progress 73P
August 2	Ariane 5 - Intelsat 39 & EDRS-C
August 3	Falcon 9 - Amos 17

There are two public events happening this week for you to check out!  We are hosting two Astronomical Sights of Summer programs at local library branches throughout Calgary.

Date	Event
July 28	Crowfoot Library (15:30-16:30)
July 31	Judith Umbach Library (17:30-18:30)

If you haven't had the opportunity to come to one of these events it is well worth the time.

2019 Week 30: (July 21-July 27)

This week in the sky the Moon will be at its last quarter phase and will also be in conjunction with the 7th planet in our Solar System: Uranus.

	Event
July 21	Mercury in Inferior Conjunction
July 24	Last Quarter
July 25	Uranus 5°N of Moon

On July 21, Mercury will be at inferior conjunction with the Sun.  This means it is positioned between the Earth and the Sun and we will be unable to see it for a few weeks.

Last Quarter Moon

Look south after the Sun has gone down and catch the two largest planets, Jupiter and Saturn.  They will be hanging around with us until the end of Summer.  If you have a pair of binoculars hanging around the house stick them on Jupiter and check out the 4 Galilean Moons orbiting the big giant.

Jupiter

There are three rocket launches scheduled for this week.  India will once again attempt to launch their lunar mission, Chandrayaan 2, after many delays.  A couple days later a scheduled Falcon 9 launch will take supplies up to the International Space Station.  The week ends with a Chinese commercial space company sending multiple payloads into orbit.  You can catch these launches live online.

Date	Event
July 22	GSLV Mk.3 - Chandrayaan 2
July 24	Falcon 9 - SpaceX CRS 18
July 25	Hyperbola 1 - Multi-payload

There is quite an assortment of public events happening around Calgary this week.  Join us at three branches of the Calgary Public Library as we present our Astronomical Sights of Summer program!  We will be at Shawnessy, Village Square and the Nicholls Family Library at the dates and times listed below!

Also, come out to the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory for its annual Milky Way Nights!  This is a great opportunity to escape the light pollution of Calgary and catch a glimpse of the Milky Way as it crosses overhead!  A link to this event can be found below.

https://science.ucalgary.ca/rothney-observatory/public-events/all#!view/event/event_id/2102

Date	Event
July 22	Shawnessy Library (14:30-15:30)
July 25	Village Square Library (17:30-18:30)
July 25	Milky Way Nights - Rothney Astrophysical Observatory (22:00-02:00)
July 26	Milky Way Nights - Rothney Astrophysical Observatory (22:00-02:00)
July 27	Nicholls Family Library
July 27	Milky Way Nights - Rothney Astrophysical Observatory (22:00-02:00)

This week is looking to be warm and clear, a change from the weather we have been having for the last few months.  Take the opportunity to spend time outside at night cooling down and watching the Summer stars above.

2019 Week 29: (July 14-July 20)

What an exciting week we have for space news and astronomy!  This upcoming Saturday will mark 50 years since the Apollo 11 mission landed on the Moon!  There will be two public events in Calgary worth checking out!  Keep reading for more information!

Date	Event
July 16	Saturn 0.2°N of Moon
July 16	Full Moon

On Tuesday the Moon will be in conjunction with our large ringed friend, Saturn.  That same evening the Moon will reach its full phase and pollute the sky with its incredible brightness.

This Saturday will mark 50 years since people first stepped onto the surface of the Moon.  When you look at the Moon this week remember all of the work and effort that went into such an endeavour.  A link to the entire flight journal can be found below.

https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap11fj/index.html

Lunar Module

As we continue to push out into space there are two rocket launches scheduled for this week.  India will be sending their second mission to the Moon with an orbiter, lander and a rover.  We'll see how this goes and hope for its success.  On the morning of the lunar anniversary a Soyuz rocket will take the next crew members to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.  You can always catch live rocket launches online and they are certainly fun to watch!

Date	Event
July 14	GSLV Mk.3 - Chandrayaan 2 (15:21)
July 20	Soyuz - ISS 59S (10:25)

There are two incredible public events happening around Calgary for the 50th Anniversary of the lunar landing.  The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory is hosting a great program at their facility in the afternoon.  After that event, cruise over to the Telus Spark for an Adults Only Night event that will take you to midnight!

Links to these events can be found below:

https://events.ucalgary.ca/science/rothney-observatory/#!view/event/event_id/2099

https://sparkscience.ca/experience-telus-spark/events/moon-landing-party

Date	Event
July 20	Rothney Astrophysical Observatory Lunar Landing Anniversary (12:00-15:00)
July 20	Telus Spark Adults Only Night Lunar Landing Anniversary (19:00-0:00)

Members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada will be on local television this upcoming Friday, July 19 (Global-7:20am) to discuss the historical significance of this event and let you know about what is happening around town!

2019 Week 28: (July 7-July 13)

This week in the sky we have some amazing sights.  The big news is that Saturn will reach opposition and be at its brightest and largest for 2019!

Date	Event
July 7	Mercury 4°S of Mars
July 9	First Quarter
July 9	Saturn at Opposition
July 13	Jupiter 2°S of Moon
July 13	Pluto at Opposition

Mercury is once again descending into the Sun's brilliant light and will align nicely with Mars on the 7th of July.  I saw this conjunction a few weeks ago when Mercury was lifting into the sky.  A set of binoculars are required to pull in their light from the evening dusk.  Just don't use your binoculars with the Sun still up even if you are experienced; it is not worth the risk.

The Moon will reach its first quarter phase two nights later.  You can pull in some great sights on the lunar surface at this time.  Check out the Sea of Tranquility where the Apollo 11 mission landing nearly 50 years ago.

As mentioned above, the greatest observing news is Saturn.  The great ringed planet will reach opposition on July 9.  Have an astronomer showcase this sight through a telescope.  You will be amazed when you first set your eyes upon it.  This is what you will see:

Saturn (near opposition)

This is not to mean you should miss out on Jupiter.  At opposition last month, Jupiter still reigns supreme in our night sky.  You can see the different belts on our giant friend and may be lucky enough to catch the giant red spot or one of the moons casting a shadow.

Jupiter

There is one rocket launch schedule for this week.  The Spektr-RG which was scheduled on June 21 but scrubbed is again scheduled.  If it goes according to plan it will launch on a Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome around 6:17 MDT.

Date	Event
July 12	Proton - Spektr-RG (06:17)

We will continue our series of public lectures at the Calgary Public Library when we meet at the Bowness branch on July 10 at 6pm.  The weather is looking good for some solar observing!  If you are tired from stampeding spend some time with us as we bring the sky down to Earth for you!

Date	Event
July 10	Bowness Library (18:00-19:00)

We look forward to seeing you this week and don't forget to look up and enjoy the wonders of the sky!

2019 Week 27: (June 30-July 6)

As we kick off the second half of 2019 there will be a Total Solar Eclipse for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere.  The eclipse totality will progress through Chile and into Argentina.

Date	Event
July 2	New Moon
July 2	Total Solar Eclipse
July 4	Mars 0.1°S of Moon
July 4	Mercury 3°S of Moon
July 4	Moon in Beehive (M44)

If you live in the city of Buenos Aires head south on the 2nd of July to witness the total solar eclipse.  This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity for many people and should not be missed.  As you can see in the image below the Southern Pacific Ocean chews up most of the totality but it will still hit some fairly high population areas towards the winter sunset.

July 2, 2019 Total Solar Eclipse

It has been almost two years since we had a total solar eclipse in North America that delighted people from Pacific to Atlantic.

Solar Eclipse from Calgary, August 21 2017.

Clearly the total solar eclipse coincides with the New Moon which kicks off another lunar cycle.  A few days later the slim waxing crescent Moon will be in conjunction with both Mars and Mercury.  This will make for a great binocular sight for those willing to risk the wrath of the mosquitoes along a trail with a great view of the western horizon.

Next week we can look forward to Saturn's opposition placing it at its closest and largest in the night sky.

There are two rocket launches scheduled for next week.  A Soyuz Rocket will be taking a polar-orbiting weather satellite into space from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia.  The next day a Vega rocket will take a high-resolution Earth imaging satellite into orbit for the UAE's military.

Date	Event
July 4	Soyuz - Meteor M2-2 (23:41)
July 5	Vega - Falcon Eye 1 (19:53)

What is exciting is that the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and the Calgary Public Library are teaming up to bring Calgary an amazing Astronomy Program.  We will be visiting every branch around the city for a one hour program all about the night sky.

We will talk about some famous constellations that can be seen during the Summer, the Moon, the Solar System and we will have a hydrogen-alpha telescope on hand to showcase our amazing home star-the Sun.  Details can be found at the following webpage:

https://events.calgarylibrary.ca/programs/online-registration?id=7902|1

Date	Event
July 4	Quarry Park Library (18:30-19:30)
July 6	Giuffre Family Library (14:30-15:30)

Do not miss this opportunity to freely educate yourselves or your family and friends.  We hope to see you out at one of the branches this Summer!

2019 Week 26: (June 23-June 29)

This week in the sky our innermost planet will be at its greatest elongation in the easterly direction.  Also, at 21°N declination it is well placed for Northern Hemisphere observers.

Date	Event
June 23	Mercury Greatest Elongation East (25°)
June 25	Last Quarter
June 27	Uranus 5°N of Moon

The Sun will set at 9:54pm this week and Mercury will follow more than an hour an a half later at 11:25pm. 

Mercury

This will provide ample time to glimpse the diminutive planet in the twilight sky.  At magnitude 0.6 it may be naked eye to the keen observer.  If you pack a set of binoculars you will see both Mercury and Mars within the same field of view.  The interesting non-intuitive thing will be that Mars is currently 3 times dimmer than Mercury.  The reason for this is Mars currently resides on the opposite side of the Sun to us; Mercury is much closer.  This is depicted in the image below.

Planetary Positions, June 23, 2019

The Moon will reach its Last Quarter phase this Tuesday and will be positioned in the early morning sky as it will rise around 02:00.  Three nights later the Moon will be in conjunction with Uranus which is currently sitting in Aries after spending several years in Pisces.

There are three rocket launches scheduled for this week.  Watch them live online.  In the afternoon of Monday June 24, a Chinese Long March 3B rocket will add a satellite to their navigation network.  Later in the evening a Falcon Heavy will be taking a bunch of military and scientific satellites into orbit.  This is a great one to watch as it is currently the largest rocket in operation.

Several evenings later an Electron rocket will take several payloads into orbit from New Zealand.

Date	Event
June 24	Long March 3B - Beidou (12:00)
June 24	Falcon Heavy - STP-2 (21:30)
June 27	Electron - Make it Rain (10:30)

This Summer we will have a special program that will be coming to every branch of the Calgary Public Library.  A detailed scheduled can be found at the link below.

https://calgary.rasc.ca/libraries2019.htm

This program is geared toward all members of the public and is generally recommended for those age 10 and above.  We will spend 20 minutes discussing what you can see in the Summer night sky and how to use a basic telescope.  The next part of the program will give participants a hands-on demonstration of the variety of telescopes in use today.  At the end we will take everyone outside with a special solar telescope to see the features on the Sun.  Hopefully we will have sunspots or prominences!  If it is cloudy we will instead spend more time inside watching educational astronomy videos.  Don't worry if you miss your chance with the solar scope, come to another branch on a sunny day!

Solar Telescope

We hope to see you out at one of the branches this Summer.  There will also be an observing contest for the youth with great prizes, so don't miss out!

2019 Week 25: (June 16-June 22)

This week in the sky there will be several conjunctions among Solar System objects and the Summer Solstice.

Date	Event
June 16	Jupiter 2.0°S of Moon
June 17	Full Moon
June 18	Mercury 0.2°N of Mars
June 18	Saturn 0.4°N of Moon
June 21	Solstice
June 21	Neptune Stationary

On Sunday evening catch a glimpse of the southeastern sky as the Moon and Jupiter will pair up nicely.  If you look through binoculars or a telescope you may be able to see five Moons: our Moon and the 4 Galilean Moons of Jupiter.

Mercury continues to separate itself from the Sun in the western sky at dusk.  It stays above the horizon for nearly an hour and a half after sunset and should be visible to most observers with the naked eye.  It is 4 times brighter than Mars which will appear alongside our smallest planet.  Snag some binoculars and see both of them in your field of view.

Mars/Mercury Conjunction

Once you are done observing the conjunction of Mercury and Mars swing over to the southeastern sky around midnight to catch the Moon and Saturn extremely close to each other.  They will certainly fit in a tight telescopic field and may make a great photograph for those skilled to handle the great brightness differential.

On June 21 at 9:54 MDT in the morning it will be the Summer Solstice.  The first hours of Summer.  A link for more information about it can be found below:

https://simonjastronomy.blogspot.com/2017/06/what-is-solstice.html

The Summer Solstice is a double edged sword for astronomers.  We will have the minimum of darkness for observing but every evening from now will give us more and more until December!

The very same evening Neptune will be stationary in the sky and will begin its retrograde motion.  The planet will appear to move westward compared to the background stars.  It has moved nearly 7° since I first observed it back in 2016.  It is slated to move into Pisces in 2022.

There are two rocket launches scheduled for this week.  An Ariane 5 rocket will be launching a bunch of communication satellites into orbit from French Guiana.  Following the next day a Russian Proton rocket will send a join Russian/German X-ray observatory.  This is quite exciting as it will conduct an all-sky survey in the X-ray band of the electromagnetic field.  Will it shine some light on dark matter?  Stay tuned.

Date	Event
June 20	Ariane 5 - AT&T T-16 & Eutelsat 7C
June 21	Proton - Spektr-RG

There are no public events planned for this week as most astronomy events are non-existent around the solstice.  However, starting the first week of July there will be a Summer long set of programs held at the Calgary Public Library.  We will be in each branch teaching youth and families all about astronomy!  Details can be found below!

https://events.calgarylibrary.ca/programs/online-registration?id=7902|1

We hope to see you out at one of these great events!  Bring friends and see the Sun through a telescope like you have never seen it before!

2019 Week 24: (June 9-June 15)

This week we will have an event that occurs only once per year; the opposition of Jupiter.  Of course the days and weeks after the event will be great as well since the big planet comes into view for casual observers who don't like to stay up too late.

Date	Event
June 9	First Quarter
June 10	Jupiter at Opposition
June 15	Ceres 0.9°S of Moon

When an planet is said to be in opposition it means it is directly opposite the Sun from the point of view of the Earth.  On June 10, Jupiter will be in opposition and will rise as the Sun sets.  Earth will be at its closest point to the big planet this year.  It will be at its brightest and largest.  Many planetary imagers spend time around oppositions taking pictures.

Below is an image I captured of Jupiter during its 2017 opposition.  The Great Red Spot is clearly visible.  I hope to spend time improving my planetary imaging this year if I can find the time.

Jupiter

Saturn will soon follow Jupiter a couple hours later in the southern sky.  The ringed planet approaches opposition during the middle of July.

To find Jupiter, check out the bright object in the southeast sky sometime after 10 or 10:30pm.

The Moon will reach its first quarter phase during the evening of Sunday, July 9 and will be well positioned for great observing.  The Moon will then move into conjunction with the dwarf planet Ceres (magnitude 7.4).  Ceres is conveniently located above the tip of the Scopion's tail.  It will get as close as 1.25° above Beta Scorpii and fit in many telescopic fields of view.  Watch this region of space over a few days and you will see Ceres move amongst the background stars.

There is one rocket launch scheduled for this week with a Falcon 9 taking three radar Earth observation satellites into space for the Canadian Space Agency.

Date	Event
June 12	Falcon 9 - Radarsat Constellation Mission

If you are looking for a good object in the sky to tell your friends about, look for M4.  This globular cluster is located just to the west of Antares.  Antares is the bright red star in Scorpius in the southern sky.  If you can find Jupiter look just to the southwest and you should see a bright red naked eye star.  A lot of people confuse it with Mars due to the ruddy colour and relative brightness.  In fact, the name Antares means the 'adversary of Ares' or the adversary of the god of war.  Mars is the god of war in the Roman pantheon.

When you find Antares, immediately put it into a binocular field.  You should see a cluster of stars (or blurry patch of light) just to the west.  This is M4 which sits more than 7,000 light years away from Earth and measures nearly 75 light years across.  A very large object and the first globular cluster in which individual stars were resolved.

Spend some time outside under clear skies this week and point out some Spring constellations to your friends, including Leo, Virgo, and Boötes!  Click on the links to aid your search!

Subscribe to our Facebook page for the latest news and updates on the sky!

www.facebook.com/simonjastronomy

2019 Week 23: (June 2-June 8)

This week we are hoping for less smoke and moderate conditions conducive to optimal viewing.  The smoke from the Northern Alberta forest fires encompassed Calgary with a thick blanket that essentially reduced visibility and breathability to zero.

Date	Event
June 3	New Moon
June 4	Mercury 4°N of Moon
June 5	Mars 1.6°N of Moon
June 5	Mercury 1.2°N of M35
June 7	Moon in Beehive (M44)

Early Monday morning the Moon completes another lunar cycle and will be new.  The waxing crescent shortly following will also signal the end of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid.  The next day at work were are inundated with excellent home cooked Middle Eastern food from members of our team.

The evening of June 4 the great challenge will begin.  Find a place where you have a clear view of the western horizon.  Shortly after the Sun sets the Moon will be well placed between Mercury and Mars.  Also Mercury will be sitting right next to the star cluster M35 just above the foot of Castor.  Mars is now quite distant from us and will actually appear 10x dimmer in the sky than the diminutive Mercury.

It may be difficult to catch a glimpse of this multiple conjunction as you will be contending with a bright dusk sky.  Binoculars or a telescope may assist you in this endeavour.  However, it is recommended you do not start using your optical aid until you are sure the Sun is below the horizon.

Mars/Moon/Mercury/M35 Conjunction

Two nights later the Moon will be in conjunction with the Beehive Cluster (M44).  This cluster forms the heart of the crab constellation known as Cancer.  Just after 11pm in the evening throw the Moon into your binocular field.  You will also see M44.  This conjunction will be much easier than the one from Tuesday as the sky will be darker.

There is one rocket launch tentatively scheduled for this week.  A Chinese Long March 11 will take a couple Earth-imaging satellites into orbit.

Long March 11 Rocket

Date	Event
June 5	Long March 11 - Jilin 1

 It will take off from an ocean platform in the Yellow Sea.  The launch time has yet to be determined.

This week we will explore a rather large but often forgotten constellation.  Boötes lies right above the head in late Spring from northern latitudes.  It contains the brightest star in the north celestial sky--Arcturus.  You may have wondered what that bright red/orange star above your head has been.

Typically recognized as the herdsman it forms the shape of a person holding a herding tool in its hand.  Although it contains no Messier objects it can be easily used to find the globular cluster M3.

M3 is located almost exactly between Arcturus and the bright star of the constellation Canes Venatici--Cor Coroli.

How to find M3

Cor Caroli is the bright star located under the last star in the handle of the Big Dipper.  Follow a line between Cor Caroli and Arcturus and you should glimpse the fairly bright globular cluster M3.

For more information about Boötes and M3 check out the links below:

https://simonjastronomy.blogspot.com/2017/04/explore-universe-bootes.html

https://simonjastronomy.blogspot.com/2018/05/messier-objects-m3.html

Spend some time under the dark skies this Spring and learn about the constellations.  Next week Jupiter will be at opposition and will appear the brightest and largest of 2019.  This is a perfect time to track down someone with a telescope to showcase the beauty of our Solar System's largest planet!

2019 Week 22: (May 26-June 1)

This week will mark the first full week in 2019 without what is officially recognized as 'night'.  The Sun will be less than 18° above the horizon and twilight will reign for two months.

Date	Event
May 26	Last Quarter
May 28	Ceres at Opposition
May 30	Vesta 0.6°S of Moon
May 31	Uranus 5°N of Moon
June 1	Venus 3°N of Moon

On Sunday the Moon will have reached its last quarter phase and will be visible the early morning sky and throughout the day.  Soon it will be a new moon and then visible as a slim waxing crescent signalling the end of Ramadan.

The dwarf planet Ceres will be at opposition on Tuesday May 28 and will sit a few degrees above Antares, the bright red star in Scorpius.  Seasoned observers can certainly resolve this magnitude 7.0 object in a telescope and then pop over for a visit to Jupiter just to the East.

Ceres (Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UCLA / MPS / DLR / IDA / Justin Cowart)

A magnitude 8.3 asteroid, the second largest object in the belt (after Ceres), will be in conjunction with the Moon two nights later.  The Moon will then dance with Uranus and Venus the following two evenings.  Well, by evenings I mean early mornings just before the sun rises.

I caught a conjunction with Uranus and Mars earlier this year in February and they are always more fun to see in person than to talk about!

Mars/Uranus Conjunction - February 2019

There are two rocket launches scheduled for this week that can be watched live.  A Soyuz rocket will be taking a navigational satellite into space as the day turns to May 27.  Three days later another Russian rocket will take off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with a communications satellite.

Date	Event
May 27	Soyuz - Glonass M (0:00)
May 30	Proton - Yamal 601 (11:42)

What sort of challenge object should you look out for this week?  I invite you to cast your telescopes on the Leo Triplet.  This small grouping of galaxies in the sky are separately known as M65, M66 and NGC3628.  They can be resolved in a field of view of 1° and also certainly worth the time for astrophotographers. 

Leo Triplet

They are conveniently located under the hind legs of the lion halfway between Theta and Iota Leonis.  Grab a light bucket telescope and seek them out for a great view 35 million light years from home.

We have started a Youtube channel to discuss all the things going on in the sky based right in here Calgary.  If you are reading this and haven't subscribed yet check it out below!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW8U3OjONxqEl4OOyT8k00A

It doesn't have a fancy URL yet because you need at least 100 subscribers!  So navigate there and click 'Subscribe'!

As always, take the time to look up and enjoy the night sky above.  If you are out camping away from the city you will see many more stars.  You can always learn more about them by wandering our many blogs, social media accounts or by emailing!

2019 Week 21: (May 19-May 25)

This week in the sky there will be many conjunctions among solar system objects!

Date	Event
May 19	Mars 0.2°N of M35
May 19	Ceres 1.2°N of Moon
May 20	Jupiter 1.7°S of Moon
May 21	Mercury in superior conjunction
May 22	Saturn 0.5°N of Moon
May 22	Pluto 0.1°N of Moon

Our neighbouring great red planet Mars will be in conjunction with an interstellar object known as M35.  Messier 35 is an open cluster that sits just above Castor's foot in the constellation of Gemini.

When it gets dark locate the twin stars Castor and Pollux in the northeastern sky.  Follow the constellation west from the northernmost of the bright stars to find Mars.  Through a telescope you should be able to see the planet amongst a beautiful cluster of stars.

Mars and M35 Conjunction

Throughout the rest of the week the Moon will dance with the dwarf planet Ceres, followed by Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto.  Unfortunately their closest encounters will be visible from the Eastern Hemisphere but we can certainly see them within 5° of each other.  If you hold your hand at arms length and extend your pointer, middle and ring finger 5° is the distance they span.

There is one rocket launch scheduled for this week.  India will be using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle to send a radar Earth observation satellite into space.  You can catch most launches online at: https://spaceflightnow.com/

Date	Event
May 21	PSLV - RISAT 2B (17:57)

We have reached that moment late in Spring.  At 1:44am on Saturday, May 25 we will lose true night until July 19.  Since we live at 50°N latitude we are condemned to have 2 months of nothing but astronomical twilight throughout the evening.  Deep-sky astrophotographers up here typically pack up their gear until later in the Summer.  During this time the Sun does not dip more than 18° below the horizon which is how true 'Night' is defined.

A further explanation can be found at the link below:

https://simonjastronomy.blogspot.com/2017/06/what-is-twilight.html

There are still plenty of objects in the sky to check out.  If you have not yet navigated the galaxies of the Virgo cluster find a dark spot with your telescope and a guide to nail as many of these as possible.  Also, Leo is on its way down to the Sun so if you haven't found all the objects in the Lion for 2019 evenings, now is your chance.

Hercules is starting to rise in the eastern sky which will give observers a beautiful look at the great Hercules globular cluster -- M13.

Also, as Summer approaches you will start to see the Summer Triangle rising to signal the warm weather and plentiful supply of bugs.  Also, stay tuned for Milky Way Nights at the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory for a grand tour of the arms of our galaxy!

Scouting Sagittarius (Summer 2018)

Get outside with your unaided eye and see the amazing wonders above.  You may catch a meteor, aurora or recognize one of your favourite constellations!