2018 Week 18: (April 29-May 5)

We are already on the 18th week of the year and it seems we have finally crawled out of Winter.  The snow is gone from the backyard and the telescope can come out and see the wonderful Spring sights!  As we progress into May there are a few things to keep an eye out for in the sky.

Date	Event
April 29	Mercury Greatest Elongation West
April 29	Full Moon
April 29	Jupiter 1.4°S of Moon
May 4	Saturn 1.7°S of Moon
May 5	Eta-Aquarid Meteors Peak
May 5	Ralph Klein Star Night (7-10pm)

Mercury will be at its greatest elongation West on the 29th which would normally mean having a good chance of seeing it the morning of April 30.  You can try.  The ecliptic is not angled in favour of a good sighting for us in the Northern Hemisphere.  We should have a good morning shot at the planet near the end of August 2018.

The Moon will be Full on April 29.  It felt quite full last night at the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory.  It made looking for deep-sky objects quite difficult.  I could only make out 3 stars in the Little Dipper due to the near maximum illumination provided by our lunar neighbour.  The Full Moon will be good friends with Jupiter on the 29th and 30th as it will be very close to the large planet.

Several days later on the 4th the Moon once again becomes friends with Saturn with Mars closely following behind for those who like to stay up until 3:00am.

The Eta-Aquarid Meteor Shower will be peaking this upcoming weekend.  It is an early morning shower that is difficult to see as the morning twilight might eat a lot of the meteors.  Another problem will be a waning gibbous Moon will add to the light pollution this year.  This is typically a shower for those in the Southern Hemisphere.  The chart below shows the expected rate based on where you live.

City	Suburbs	Rural	Optimal
3	5	10	60

The radiant can be located in the 'Y' shape asterism within Aquarius as shown below.

Eta-Aquarid Radiant

The final thing to mention for the week is probably the most exciting.  There will be a great astronomy activity at Ralph Klein Park.  There will be many great events happening inside the facility and we will be setup with telescopes and binoculars outside.  The Moon will not be polluting the view and we should catch some favourite constellations!  Come see Leo, Venus, Jupiter, Virgo, Gemini, Boötes, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor!  Information for this event can be found at the link below.

http://calgary.rasc.ca/rkp_2018a.htm

This is certainly one of my favourite events of the year.  The facility is beautiful!

Ralph Klein Park Learning Centre

I hope to see you there!  Until then, enjoy the clear, warm Spring evenings!

2018 Week 17: (April 22-April 28)

We are finally getting some spectacular weather for astronomy here in Calgary.  The snow is stating to melt and the sky becoming clear!  We had quite a successful evening at the Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre last night for the biannual Star Night.  Stay tuned for the upcoming Ralph Klein Park Star Night two weeks from now!

There are some great things happening in the sky this week.  The chart below highlights these great observing opportunities.

Date	Event
April 22	Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks
April 22	First Quarter
April 23	Moon 1.9°S of Beehive (M44)
April 24	Regulus 1.2°S of Moon
April 28	Rothney Astrophysical Observatory Open House

This evening (April 22) the Lyrid Meteor Shower will radiate from a location pointed at with a line drawn through Epsilon and Alpha Lyrae.  Lyra will be in the northeastern sky around midnight.  The best time to see meteors will be after the Moon sets and the constellation reaches a higher location in the sky.  If you are casually looking at the sky this evening all you need to know is look northeast and hope for a meteor sighting!

Lyrid Meteor Shower Radiant

Although not as prolific as some of the other major showers we may be lucky to see 5-10 per hour from suburban Calgary.  The table below shows the approximate hourly rate based on observing location.

City	Suburbs	Rural	Optimal
3	5	10	18

The Moon will be at First Quarter during the shower and will fortunately be setting in the southwestern sky as Lyra rises in the northeast.

As the First Quarter Moon sets it will be in the constellation of Cancer and be less than 2° from the Beehive Cluster (M44) described in detail by clicking on the link.  This will be a beautiful sight even with a pair of simple binoculars.  If you have binoculars, point them at the Moon Sunday evening!

Beehive Cluster (M44)

With an exciting evening things calm down for the rest of the week.  The Moon will once again do a dance with the ecliptic star Regulus as it transits through Leo this Lunar Cycle.  See if you can see both close together on Tuesday evening!

As Spring finally arrives there will be many opportunities to attend public observing evenings.  The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory is hosting an open house this Saturday, April 28.  A host of astronomers will have their telescopes pointed at the sky to show you the wonders that lie therein.  Details about this amazing event can be found at the link below.

https://ucalgary.ca/rao/event/2018-04-28/astrophysics-cutting-edge-open-house

The following week we will be setup at Ralph Klein Park for a great free event.  This event is certainly kid friendly and well worth coming out to this beautiful facility to view the sky and learn many new things!

2018 Week 16: (April 15-April 21)

This week may signal the end of the snow on the ground.  Although it is supposed to snow on Monday and Tuesday we seem to be in for double digit temperatures for the rest of April.

What do we have going on this week?  The most exciting thing will be the launch of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, also known as TESS.  The official NASA webpage for TESS can be found below.

https://www.nasa.gov/tess-transiting-exoplanet-survey-satellite

With state of the art CCD cameras TESS will search for exoplanet candidates based on the transit method.  As an exoplanet transits the face of its star it causes a measurable dip in the magnitude of observable light.  As an added bonus it will also seek transient stellar activity such as gamma ray bursts.  Nearly half a million stars will be analyzed and it is hoped that planets similar to Earth will be found in the habitable zone of the target stars.  TESS will also act as a prequel to the James Webb Space Telescope by developing a list of targets that will be examined further.

TESS (Image Credit: MIT)

TESS is scheduled to launch on Monday, April 16 at 4:32pm MDT.  Be sure you don't miss this great launch.  Tune in to the following webpage several minutes before the launch.

https://spaceflightnow.com/

Hopefully we will have clear skies later in the week to see some stars and planets.  Also, this upcoming Saturday, April 21, Fish Creek Park and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Calgary Centre will be hosting a star night.  This is a great free event for everyone.  My kids look forward to this every year.  With amazing exhibits inside and telescopes setup outside there is always something to do!  Join us for free crafts and a tour of the wonderful night sky!  See below for details!

http://calgary.rasc.ca/fishcreek2018a.htm

Fish Creek Star Night

For more details about getting the most out of these events check out my blog post from last October linked below.

Community Outreach

With all the events going on this week we should not forget about what is happening in the sky!  The chart below highlights our week!

Date	Event
April 15	New Moon
April 16	Falcon 9 Launch of TESS (4:32pm MDT)
April 17	Venus 5°N of Moon
April 17	Saturn Stationary
April 18	Uranus in conjunction with the Sun
April 19	Aldebaran 1.1°S of Moon

A new lunar cycle begins on Sunday so you should be able to start seeing a slim waxing crescent early in the week in the West.  If you look to the West on Tuesday you should see the Moon pairing up with our closest planetary neighbour -- Venus.  The same evening Saturn will be stationary and thus beginning its retrograde motion.

Uranus will be in conjunction with the Sun which means in the months ahead we should start seeing it in the morning sky. 

The angry red eye of Taurus is starting to set in the West early in the evening thus removing a great constellation from the evening sky for the year.  See if you can catch Aldebaran and the Moon in the same binocular or telescopic field Thursday evening.

Stay tuned for the Lyrid Meteor shower peaking next weekend.  There will be a blog post on this observing opportunity later in the week!

For those who are serious about astronomy the annual Royal Astronomical Society of Canada General Assembly is happening this year right here in Calgary, Alberta.  It will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of RASC with a lineup of great events and renowned speakers.  Learn more about this once in a lifetime opportunity below.

https://rascga2018.ca/

When the snow stops and the sky clears be sure to look up.  You may see some amazing transient event that you will remember for the rest of your life!

2018 Week 15: (April 8-April 14)

We just had another dump of snow last night which seems to be a continuing theme this year. March and April are usually my favourite months for astronomy but early Spring is quickly becoming a write-off.  There is not much going on this week in the sky so hopefully the weather will be warm enough to clear the snow for the following week.  The chart below highlights the sky this week.

Date	Event
April 8	Last Quarter
April 14	Mercury 4°N of Moon
April 14	Atlas V Launch (4pm-10pm MDT)

The conjunction of the Moon and Mercury will likely be invisible as the Moon rises a mere 3 minutes before the Sun.

An Atlas V rocket will take to the sky next Saturday carrying some military equipment.  If you haven't seen a live rocket launch this year it is well worth it.  Check out the following webpage during the launch window.

https://spaceflightnow.com/

Although I missed the Falcon 9 launch last Monday I was able to see it in orbit.  The International Space Station transited across the sky above my house Tuesday evening at 9:25pm MDT.  It was mainly cloudy with scattering of sucker holes (small regions between the clouds of clear sky).  The bright ISS was directly above our house and I observed it through 15x70 binoculars with a 4.4° field of view.  Within 5° of the ISS was a dimmer object moving at the same speed, chasing the space station.  This was the dragon capsule approximately 14km behind the ISS getting ready to dock with supplies.  Later that evening it successfully docked with the station.  The docking is shown in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Yv3vRKApcQ

Dragon Capsule Docking (Image Credit: NASA)

However, not all is lost.  April has some great sights.  The Lyrid meteor shower will peak on April 22 and, assuming a clear sky, we should be able to catch some around that date.

Also, mark your calendars right now for the biannual Fish Creek Star Night taking place on April 21 from 7-10pm MDT.  This is one of our favourite events!  At this free event, there will be plenty of inside activities for children and hands-on crafts.  Outside, there will be members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Calgary Centre with Telescopes and Binoculars to showcase the wonderful Spring sky.  There are many great objects in the sky at this time of year so bring the kids out and enjoy a free night of learning.  Details are found below.

http://calgary.rasc.ca/fishcreek2018a.htm

Also, save the date on May 5 for the Ralph Klein Park Star Night.  This event pulls in many people for another free night of learning and sky viewing.  Details are found below.

http://calgary.rasc.ca/rkp_2018a.htm

Let's hope for the snow to clear and the weather to become seasonal so it will be easier to access the sky!  Stay tuned to our facebook page for the latest in space news and local astronomy activities around Calgary!

https://www.facebook.com/simonjastronomy/

2018 Week 14: (April 1-April 7)

The cold and snow continues in Calgary.  It has been a very tough year for astronomy.  We have been below 11°C since early December and the 14 day forecast shows no sign of rising above this in the foreseeable future.

There are a few things to catch in the sky this week if the weather permits.  The table below highlights what we expect.

Date	Event
April 1	Mercury in Inferior Conjunction with the Sun
April 2	Mars 1.3°S of Saturn
April 2	Falcon 9 Launch (2:30pm MDT)
April 3	Jupiter 4°S of Moon
April 2	Ariane 5 Launch (3:34pm-4:24pm MDT)
April 7	Saturn 1.9°S of Moon
April 7	Mars 3°S of Moon

After a magnificent display in the sunset sky Mercury has dropped back in front of the Sun to appear in the eastern sunrise sky this April.

Followers of my page have noticed that Mars and Saturn are dancing close to each other in the southern sky.  They will be 1.3° from each other during the morning of April 2.  You will be able to see them together in the same binocular field or with a wide field telescope eyepiece.

The image below shows the southern sky at 6:00am local time.

Saturn/Mars Conjunction (Southern Sky 06:00)

The field of view is shown for a 4.4° binocular field and a 2.32° telescopic field.

Saturn/Mars Conjunction

The planets will also be dancing with the Moon all week.  The first will be Jupiter on Tuesday as it comes within 4° of the Moon.  Saturn and Mars follow 4 days later at 1.9° and 3° respectively.

As mentioned previously, the weather is forecast to be unseasonably cold sitting below the freezing mark as a high.  There is also snow forecast to fall on the city which has been the continuing theme of 2018.  With more than 4 feet of snow sitting in parts of my yard, setting up my telescope is a mere dream at this time.

There are a couple launches to tune into this week.  Another Falcon 9 rocket will be taking off from Cape Canaveral on Monday afternoon with cargo for the International Space Station.  Three days later an Ariane 5 will take flight carrying a Japanese communication satellite to orbit from French Guiana.  As always you can tune into these flights live at the following webpage:

https://spaceflightnow.com/

When the weather improves we will book another McKenzie Lake Star Night.  We may be able to catch Jupiter rising above the houses by the end of the event and see some of its Moons and equatorial belts.

Jupiter from the Backyard

Also, stay tuned for the biannual Fish Creek Star Night on April 21st.  This free event is open to everyone with members of the Royal Astronomical Society showcasing the wonders of the night sky!

Stay warm this week and hope for better weather.  There is a great season of observing ahead!

2018 Week 13: (March 25-March 31)

This upcoming week has a few things in the sky that may be worth checking out.  We are hoping for more snow melting so it is easier to setup observing equipment.  The chart below highlights what is happening in the sky.

Date	Event
March 28	Regulus 1.0°S of Moon
March 28	Venus 0.07°S of Uranus
March 29	Falcon 9 Launch - 08:19 MDT
March 31	Full Moon

The Moon will be full on the last day of the month and will light up the sky throughout the entire night.  However, just before the Moon is full it will be very close to the brightest star in Leo -- Regulus.  Unfortunately, due to the weather this Winter/Spring I have not given much time to Leo.  It is a wonderful constellation with many bright stars and worthwhile deep sky objects.

The big event occurring this week will be the conjunction of the second closest planet and second farthest planet from the Sun.  Venus and Uranus will be within 4 arcminutes of each other in the sky.  They may be able to be split with a set of binoculars but your best chance will be with a telescope.  The below image shows the field of view of a pair of strong binoculars (4.4°).

Venus and Uranus, March 28, 2018, 20:30 MDT

The planets will be so close to each other that they fit into the same field of view under great magnification (>200x) through a telescope.  The image below shows a 1° field of view with some of my common eyepiece fields inside (23', 29').

Venus and Uranus with Telescope

If you can catch this sight it will be remarkable.  However, you must be careful since it is likely you will be setting up your telescope as the Sun is setting.  Never point the telescope directly at the Sun unless it has a proper filter at the aperture.  Some goto telescopes may even prevent you from looking too close to the Sun unless you disable the safety feature.  I caught our closest neighbour last year when it was in the evening sky.  The picture is shown below.

Venus

I haven't had too much time observing Uranus as it danced throughout Pisces.  A picture of my first glimpse is shown below.  It seemed like a dull blue colour that did not twinkle in the sky.

Uranus

Also, next week, for those who follow space launches, a Falcon 9 rocket will be taking off from Vandenberg Air Force Base this Thursday morning.  The launch is currently scheduled for 08:19 MDT.  See the following webpage for a live link of the launch.

https://spaceflightnow.com/

Stay tuned for some public events that will be happening in April.  The biannual Fish Creek Star Night is coming up and you will not want to miss it!  Once the snow clears from the community centre we will host another McKenzie Lake Star Night to see some of the great Spring constellations!

2018 Week 12: (March 18-March 24)

Visual astronomy has been very difficult throughout the past few months. There has been a near record amount of snowfall dumped on the city of Calgary.

Hopefully we will have some clear skies next week and we can see some of the following things.

Date	Event
March 18	Venus 4°N of Moon
March 20	Spring Equinox
March 22	Aldebaran 0.9°S of Moon
March 24	First Quarter
March 24	Star Night at the Park - Glenbow Ranch

I have been disappointed in the weather this Winter and apparently Spring is upon us.  The Spring equinox occurs on Tuesday at 10:15 MDT.  The southern hemisphere will dip into autumn and they can have some cold weather for awhile.  Once the snow clears it is a great time to get out the telescope.  The sky still gets dark relatively early and the weather will continue to get warmer.

The Moon will be in the western sky during twilight and will be particularly close to Venus on March 18.  Also, if you have yet to catch Venus and Mercury dancing in the sunset sky be sure not to miss it.  Mercury is once again moving toward conjunction with the Sun and we'll only be able to naked eye it for about 1 more week.

Mercury and Venus in the Twilight Sky at Sunset

The above image is the sky on Tuesday evening just after 8:30pm.  Mercury and Venus will fit in the same binocular field.  Venus will be almost full at 96% and Mercury a waning crescent at 23% illumination.  The weather is supposed to be mild and it will be a perfect time to go for a walk with the western horizon in view.  You will see Earth, Venus and Mercury.

I went to the ridge last week and had the opportunity to take a picture of this event.

Mercury (top), Venus (middle), Earth (bottom)

Other than having your last shot at seeing Mercury in the evening sky there is a lunar conjunction with Taurus' eye star, Aldebaran.  Several places in the world will actually see the Moon cover the bright red star.

An event that you should not miss is the Star Night in the Park at Glenbow Ranch.  This is a great opportunity to get out and see the sky through many different telescopes.  Details of this event can be found below:

https://www.facebook.com/events/806270429573001/

As the end of the week nears the Moon will be at its first quarter phase.

The weather is supposed to be less snowy this week but that isn't saying too much.  Hopefully the above freezing temperatures can slowly melt our way out of this wet Winter.