2021 Week 9: (February 28-March 6)

This week the zodiacal light will be visible in the dusk twilight skies. This is sometimes referred to as a vertical twilight as it appears as a vertical column of light emanating from the horizon. This is caused by the Sun's light as it scattered by interplanetary dust along the ecliptic. The ecliptic is steep to the western horizon at this time of year for those at northern latitudes. You can see this phenomenon for yourself if you can find some very dark skies and watch the twilight skies after the Sun sets.

Zodiacal Light (Image Credit: Dalton Wilson)

The large asteroid known as Vesta will be at opposition on Thursday and will shine at magnitude 6.1. It is easily placed in the eastern region of the lion asterism of Leo. It will be just over a degree away from Theta Leonis and they can both fit in an average telescope field of view.

Vesta (Thursday, March 4, 2021)

The Moon will be at its last quarter phase on Friday evening well away from dark skies until it rises around 2am! The nest day Mercury will be at its greatest elongation west and make its best morning apparition for Southern Hemisphere observers. Saturn and Jupiter are still hanging close to the eastern horizon just before sunrise. The ecliptic is quite shallow during morning twilight at this time of year so it may be difficult to see. However, if you catch Jupiter on the morning of Friday March 5 you should be able to see Mercury less than a degree away. Use binoculars and look for the pairing. Just don't use your binoculars too close to sunrise as you do not want to risk harming your eyes.

2021 Week 8: (February 21-February 27)

The extremely cold weather has lifted from most of Canada which means we can get outside and look at the night sky in greater comfort. The Moon will be full on Saturday February 27 and will be sitting underneath the tail of Leo. Following Leo into the sky is Virgo with its many galaxies. I'm hoping to turn my telescope on this region of space to locate some of these as I check off my Messier list.

Full Moon

The large gas giants of our Solar System are still going to be quite hidden in the morning twilight as the angle of the ecliptic is quite shallow at dawn. Mercury, Venus and Neptune are all hanging out in this area too so if you want to look for planets you'll have to settle for Mars and Uranus. These two planets will be spending some time in Aries at the beginning of the week until Mars crosses over to Taurus on Tuesday. By the end of the week Mars will be in the same binocular field as the Pleiades Star Cluster. They'll be together for the better part of the week after making it a wonderful sight for observers and imagers.

The constellation Orion will be heading off into the western horizon after midnight marking another beautiful winter with this great collection of stars. If you want to catch the Messier objects in this area, including those in Lepus, Canis Major, and Puppis be sure to get on it right away.

Astronomy has been getting more popular as the pandemic drags on. People are interested in participating in hobbies that are universal but, at the same time, can be done from the backyard. CBC News recently discussed this phenomenon on their Alberta news on February 20, 2021. The last 3 minutes of the clip linked below discuss it.

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1864177219959

CBC Alberta News

I hope you have the opportunity to get out under the night sky to check out the wonders of space. If you're looking for something to do during these pandemic months look no further than right above your head!

2021 Week 7: (February 14-February 20)

There is hope that Western Canada will come out of its polar vortex to allow astronomers outside without the freezing cold weather! The winter sky is quite beautiful!

One of my favourite winter constellations is Gemini. Its asterism represents two brothers from Greek and Roman mythology together in the sky holding hands. It is thought that H.A. Rey, author of Curious George, was the first to connect their hands in artistic impressions.

Gemini

You can find this wonderful region of space nearly right above your head in the mid-late evening (8pm-9pm local time). If you can locate Orion, just look a bit above his head and to the east. The twin stars should be unmissable! 

Gemini Map

Although one Messier object can be found within the borders of Gemini, it is a great one. Messier 35 is an open cluster that really pops into any binocular or telescope field of view. It sits just above the foot of Castor (the northern-most twin).

Another interesting thing about Gemini is that its brightest star, Pollux, forms part of the great Winter Hexagon asterism. Along with other bright star vertices, Capella, Aldebaran, Rigel, Sirius, and Procyon, a large hexagon fills the cold winter sky. This is in contrast to the Summer Triangle that reminds us of warmer times.

Winter Hexagon

Look for Gemini and see if you can connect the bright stars to form the Winter Hexagon. If you are feeling very ambitious, throw a pair of binoculars to your eyes and see if you can catch Messier 35 at the foot of Castor.

So, what else do we have going on in the sky this week?

Jupiter and Saturn are still kind of hanging out with our big light polluting, yet life giving star, the Sun. These large planets will start to emerge in the morning sky later in the month.

Uranus will be fairly close to the Moon during the night of February 17. Observers in the Eastern Hemisphere will be able to see them closer together in the sky. However, by the time the Sun sets, most of North America will be able to see our 7th planet less than 5° from the Moon. Find the Moon in your binoculars or telescope and scan west to see if you can find this lonely grey dot in the sky!

The very next night the Moon will be friends with Mars and they will be less than 4° apart in the night sky soon after sunset. You should still be to easily see Mars with the unaided eye at magnitude 0.8. It will be just as bright as the bright red eye of Taurus the Bull, Aldebaran.  

The next evening, on February 19, the Moon will be at its first quarter phase. This is an excellent time to crack out your low focal length eyepieces and see some great craters up close and personal!

How about astronomy events in the news?

Wow!

We have had two Mars missions enter orbit into our red neighbour. A mission from the United Arab Emirates called 'Hope' was inserted into orbit on Feburary 9, 2021. This is a first for the country and the first Arab mission to Mars. The future is amazing!

Mars (Image Credit: UAESA/MBRSC/LASP/EMM-EXI)

The very next day the Chinese mission, Tianwen-1 arrived and inserted itself into orbit.

Mars (Image Credit: China National Space Administration)

If this isn't enough, NASA is hoping to reach Mars and land on its surface this upcoming Thursday with its Perseverance Rover and Ingenuity helicopter.

The future of space exploration is extremely optimistic! Scientific discovery from a diverse array of countries and organizations will only serve to enhance our understanding of the Universe. The world is in this together!

If this isn't enough to get excited about we will be having a guest speaker giving a talk on the chemistry on planetary atmospheres. The first ever astrochemist to graduate from Chicago State University, Ashley Walker, will join us for a free, online lecture on February 18, 7:30pm MST. This event is open to EVERYONE. If you would like to sign up for this event please follow the link below. We hope to see you there!

https://www.meetup.com/The-Calgary-Astronomy-Meetup-Group/events/275832274/

How are you going to spend time with the night sky this week? I encourage you to brave the cold and take in the clear, crisp night sky!

2021 Week 6: (February 7-February 13)

This week most of Western Canada has been thrust into a deep freeze that is set to last for a couple weeks.  Once the snow goes away the cold Winter skies offer some of the clearest views of the heavens.  Mars still sits high in the sky, although a fraction of its brightness from last Summer.  It sits about as bright as the big red star of Orion, Betelgeuse.  Mars is currently in the constellation of Aries and, day by day, it makes its way to northern Taurus.  It will meet up with the Pleiades Star Cluster during the first week of March; be sure to dust off your binoculars!

On February 8, Mercury will be at inferior conjunction whereby it will be between the Earth and the Sun.  The next time us Northern Hemisphere residents will get a good chance to see it will be the middle of May when it sits above the western horizon after sunset.  As for the other unaided eye planets they are all sitting around our Sun and are too difficult to see.

The Moon will be at its new phase on February 11 and the Chinese New Year will begin the next day.  Happy New Year!  It will be the year of the Ox.

Happy New Year! (Image Credit: Shutterhshock)

Astrochemist Ashley Walker will be talking about planetary atmospheres and will highlight that of Saturn's moon Titan!  If you haven't already signed up for this free online event you must get on it!   This event will take place on February 18 at 7:30pm MST!  I hope to see you there!

https://www.meetup.com/The-Calgary-Astronomy-Meetup-Group/events/275832274/

2021 Week 5: (January 31-February 6)

We are now entering the second month of 2021 and the winter constellations are brightening the dark cold of the season.  On February 4 the Moon will be at its last quarter and shine brightly in the early morning hours before the Sun rises.

I'd like to take a minute and talk about my favourite winter constellations.  First of all I would like to revisit the definition of a constellation.  It is a region of sky set by specific boundaries much like countries on Earth.  It is not specifically the pattern of the stars which is called an asterism.

I enjoy turning my telescope and eyes to Taurus. This pattern of stars has, since before the end of the last ice age, been known as a representation of the Bull.  I enjoy seeing the Hyades Star Cluster around the bright red star Aldebaran.  A loose formation of stars with interesting patterns you can see with the unaided eye and binoculars.  The Pleiades star cluster can be found in the northern reaches of the constellation and may appear as a blur of light with averted vision.  If you look closely with direct vision you may be able to count 6 or more stars!  Through a pair of binoculars or a wide field telescope you can see many more stars and perhaps even a hint of nebulosity.  Also, just above the southern most 'horn-star', Tianguan, is the Crab Nebula.  It is much smaller than you would imagine based on the images but, with a telescope, intermediate users can find this small blur of light.  This 'small blur of light' is actually a supernova remnant leftover from a star that went supernova in 1054.

Taurus

Another favourite constellation of the winter sky is Orion.  A very large region of space with the asterism of a hunter located within.  The three belt stars of the asterism are well known and many people can quickly pick it out of the cool winter sky.  What is fascinating about this belt is that just below you can find the Great Orion Nebula.  This is visible as a fuzzy patch of sky with your unaided eye.  However, if you turn binoculars or a telescope on this region you will see interstellar gas shining against the blackness of space.  This is a great target for beginners to point their telescopes at as is it both easy to find and a rewarding sight.

Orion

Coming up later this month the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada will be hosting astrochemist Ashley Walker who will be discussing planetary atmospheres with specific research into Saturn's Moon, Titan.  This is a free online event happening on February 18 at 7:30pm MST is for anyone to join and will be well worth the time.  Come out and support Ashley and have your questions ready!  We hope to see you there.  A link to register for this event can be found below.

https://www.meetup.com/The-Calgary-Astronomy-Meetup-Group/events/275832274/

I hope you have the opportunity to get out and look at the winter sky.  It is dark early and night lasts for many hours, the perfect chance to take in the night sky!

2021 Week 4: (January 24-January 30)

We are nearly through the first month of 2021 and it has been great for astronomy.  The Calgary Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada just hosted an amazing talk from Berkeley researcher Sarafina Nance.  She spoke about supernovae and shared insight on how we can pursue our dreams in the face of the adversity that exists in the world.  Next month the Centre will be hosting Ashley Walker, who is the first astrochemist in Chicago State University's history.  She will be speaking on planetary atmospheres, specifically the Saturnian moon: Titan.  If you are interested in joining this free online lecture you can register at the link below.

https://www.meetup.com/The-Calgary-Astronomy-Meetup-Group/events/275832274/

Titan (Image Credit: NASA)

What is happening in the sky this week?

Mercury will still be visible in the western twilight as it begins to proceed to inferior conjunction in a few weeks.  I had the opportunity to go out and observe the diminutive inner planet.  I saw it slowly cutting through the dusk twilight around 5:45pm local time.  It became very bright and easily visible to the unaided eye.  It was up on a ridge with the Bow River below and the mountains in the distance.  Three does and a large buck appeared out of the brush in front of me and curiously watched me as I stared into the sky. 

On Monday night the Moon will be in conjunction with one of my favourite open clusters, M35.  This cluster is located at the foot of Castor in the constellation Gemini.  The image below shows a wide-field telescope and a basic binocular field of view just after 6pm MST.  All you need to do is put the Moon in a set of binoculars and see the beautiful cluster located just to the west.

Moon/M35 Conjunction (January 25, 6:00pm MST)

This past Saturday, on January 23, Saturn was in conjunction with the Sun.  A few days later, on January 28, Jupiter will be in conjunction with the Sun.  We will be unable to see these planets for awhile as the light from the Sun hinders our ability to observe them.  Later in February you will begin to see them in the dawn twilight.

I suggest you check out the RASC Calgary social media and webpage to learn more about the great astronomy activities that are held by our Centre.  All of our online events can be broadcast worldwide so you don't have to live in Calgary to participate!  Also, follow me on my personal Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/simonjastronomy

Stay warm, stay safe, and always keep looking up in wonder!

2021 Week 3: (January 17-January 23)

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Calgary Centre is excited this week as we will be hosting an astrophysicist, Sarafina Nance, from The University of California, Berkeley to discuss the lives, deaths and explosions of massive stars!  You can register for this free event at the following link.  It will take place on January 21, 2021 at 7:30pm MST.  

https://www.meetup.com/The-Calgary-Astronomy-Meetup-Group/events/275513173

Cassiopeia A Supernova

This is a free event for anyone to attend to learn more about supernovae. Sarafina is a brilliant scientist and an excellent science communicator. She recently teamed up with Seeker to discuss constellations and why zodiac constellations are still used in astronomy.  A link to this video is provided below.

The sky this week will contain some gems for those who take the opportunity to look up!  The Moon will be at its first quarter phase this Wednesday.  The first quarter is always my favourite phase because it is in a dark sky at a reasonable time of the evening.  Also, the terminator (region between dark and light) intersects some amazing features on the lunar surface.  The shading from the terminator line helps you to see greater details on these features that you would not see when they are fully illuminated.  Take a pair of binoculars or a telescope, if you have one, and look at our celestial neighbour and compare what you see to a lunar map!

The next evening we will be in for a treat.  Not only will Sarafina be speaking to us but Mars and Uranus will be in a close conjunction.  Look just below Aries (one of the constellations Sarafina speaks about in her video) and you should easily be able to see Mars with the unaided eye.  

Mars/Uranus Conjunction (January 21, 2021)

Once you have found the red planet put it in the field of view of any pair of binoculars and you should see Uranus just to the south.

Mars/Uranus Conjunction Fields of View

Something else you may wish to check out is trying to glimpse our diminutive friend Mercury in the dusk twilight.  Mercury reaches its greatest elongation east from the Sun during sunset on the 23rd and should be easy to spot at magnitude -0.5.  After sunset look in the area the Sun dropped below the horizon and you should see something that will appear as a 'star-like' object.  It will be the brightest visible object in the area.  This will be the unaided eye view of Mercury.  If you have binoculars or a telescope see if you can put this planet in your field.  However, if you're going to use optical aid be sure to wait until the Sun is fully below the horizon.

Mercury in Dusk Twilight (January 23, 2021)

As you can see from the image above both Saturn and Jupiter will be in conjunction with the Sun on January 23 and January 28 respectively.  They will slowly start to appear in the morning sky late in February and early March.

I suggest you check out the RASC Calgary social media and webpage to learn more about the great astronomy activities that are held by our Centre.  All of our online events can be broadcast worldwide so you don't have to live in Calgary to participate!  Also, follow me on my personal Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/simonjastronomy

Stay warm, stay safe, and always keep looking up in wonder!