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!