2020 Week 4: (January 19-January 25)

This week in the sky, the Moon makes its way to become a New Moon.  It will be in conjunction with both Mars and Jupiter in the early morning sky.

Date	Event
January 20	Mars 2° of Moon
January 22	Jupiter 0.4°S of Moon
January 24	New Moon

Mars is shining at magnitude 1.4 in Ophiuchus which is two constellations away from where the Sun is located in Capricornus.  This makes for some early twilight astronomy which, apparently, some people enjoy.  Jupiter shines nearly 20 times brighter in Sagittarius 30° east of Mars and will be in conjunction with the Moon on January 22.  Two days later the Moon will be in conjunction with the Sun which is called a New Moon.  With the lack of natural light pollution and great improvement in the temperatures this will be a perfect chance to get out and explore the night sky.

On January 25 it will be the Chinese New Year.  The New Moon ushers in the Year of the Rat(Mouse).  In the Chinese calendar, the New Year typically occurs on the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice.

Watch out for the big event happening on January 27.  Neptune and Venus will appear in the sky less than 5 arcminutes from each other.  Around 6pm, in Calgary, they will be about a quarter of a degree from each other.  This is half the diameter of the Moon.  Find someone with a telescope, or use binoculars to see this amazing conjunction.  Phi Aqaurii will also be in the same 1° field of view.  I hope to be out that evening taking a picture.  Stay tuned for next week's blog to learn more about it!

2020 Week 3: (January 12-January 18)

We have an amazing week in store with a free lecture at the Calgary Public Library on Impact Craters in Seismic Data.  This is open to everyone and for all ages!  No need to register!

Date	Event
January 13	Saturn in Conjunction with Sun
January 13	Ceres in Conjunction with Sun
January 17	Last Quarter

The week in Calgary is anticipated to be very cold with daily highs approaching -30°C.  The week after looks like it will again be above seasonal.  On Monday, January 13 both Saturn and the dwarf planet Ceres will be in conjunction with the Sun.  Saturn will once again appear in the morning sky, probably becoming visible early in February.

The Moon will be at its last quarter phase at the end of this week and appear in the early morning skies.

Last Quarter

The big news is we will have an expert speaker coming to the Central Branch of the Calgary Public Library to discuss impact craters throughout Alberta.  A synopsis can be found below.

Synopsis: Since the acquisition of seismic data in the 1960's, impact structures have been seen in seismic data. These are structures that were created earlier in the Earth's history from a meteorite impact and have since been buried underground. While many of these unique structures are known to be located in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, we also find these buried impact craters around the world with many well-known astroblemes located in the USA. Some of these structures occur in areas with oil and/or gas concentrations and are of interest to the industry for economic reasons, while others exist in zones without any hydrocarbons and are of scientific interest to gain a better understanding of these structures and events. In this presentation we will take a world tour of some of the well-known impact structures seen in seismic data, followed by an in-depth look at a few examples found in Alberta. Come explore a unique topic where astrophysics meets geophysics!

This event is occuring on January 16 at 7pm in the main program room of the Calgary Public Library!  Don't miss out on free knowledge!  Perfect for youth!  Check out the links below:

https://www.facebook.com/events/518298638759999/

https://calgary.rasc.ca/speakers2020.htm#janGM

Stay warm this week and if you're not looking at the sky, clean off your equipment for the warm temperatures the week after!

2020 Week 2: (January 5-January 11)

This week in the sky we have a lot going on that you're going to want to check out.  The Earth will be at its closest position in its orbit to the Sun early in the morning on Sunday.  Since the Earth orbits the Sun in an elliptical shape with the Sun at one node we experience a perihelion and an aphelion.  It is the tilt of the Earth that affects the seasons and not the proximity of the Earth to the Sun, unlike what my grade 6 teacher may have thought.  See below for more highlights!

Date	Event
January 5	Earth at Perihelion
January 9	Moon 4°S of M35 @Midnight
January 10	Mercury in Superior Conjunction
January 10	Full Moon
January 10	Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
January 11	Uranus Stationary
January 11	Moon 2°N of Beehive Cluster (M44) @8pm

Around midnight during the transition between January 8-9 the Moon will be in the same binocular field as the open cluster M35 at the foot of Castor, one of the brothers in Gemini.

The next day Mercury will be in superior conjunction with the Sun and will position itself in a line behind the Sun as viewed from the Earth.  We may be able to catch the diminutive planet in the evening twilight by the end of January.

The Moon will be full that same day and will shine brightly only 3 days from its perigee.  This is certainly not the best time to crack out the high aperture telescope to search for distant objects.

Full Moon

A penumbral eclipse will occur at this time for many observers.  However, it will not hit Calgary, but if it did, it's a penumbral eclipse.  Penumbral eclipses are difficult to see even to the most experienced observers.

Uranus will become station and then, once again, begin its prograde motion as it will move east compared to the background stars in Aries.

The same evening, watch as the moon rises.  Put that into your binocular field and see the beautiful Beehive Cluster sitting right next door.

Also, don't miss the free event coming up at the Calgary Public Library.  The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is hosting Amanda Obodovsky who will be talking about Impact Craters in Seismic Data.  See below for more details!

https://calgary.rasc.ca/speakers2020.htm#janGM

https://www.facebook.com/events/518298638759999/

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!