Stargazer's Almanac

What's up for the week ending June 4, 2011

Venus, Mars, and Jupiter are still visible in the northeast just prior to sunrise.

Saturn shows itself in the southern sky as soon as it is dark enough, setting after midnight.

That bright star nearly overhead? That's Arcturus, of the constellation Bootes (pronounced bo-OH-tes). Looking towards the east, Altair (in the constellation Aquila) will be rising around 10:00. Above Altair and to the left is Vega (VEE-ga) in the constellation Lyra.

The great W of the constellation Cassiopeia is visible slightly east of north. It is easiest to see around 11:00 and after.

For truly thrilling sights, go to www.heavens-above.com . Be sure to create a login so the website knows your location. There, you can learn when the ISS (International Space Station) is visible at your location, for example. I've seen it many times, and it never gets old.

What have you seen in the sky that you found amazing or strange? Post your comments at the bottom:


May 24, 2011

The last-quarter Moon occurs at 2:52 pm EDT

Mornings, Mars passes very close above Venus. Mercury is to their lower left. Look in the East just before sunrise.

For good viewing of the night sky, you have to wait until about 10 pm for the best show. As we approach the beginning of summer, dusk lasts later and later into the night.

Saturn is visible in the south about this time. It is easy to find above and to the right of the star Spica in the constellation Virgo. Spica is white, Saturn decidedly yellow. With a modest telescope or binoculars on a tripod, Saturn's rings will be visible.

Still facing south, about halfway up the sky, above Spica, Arcturus (constellation Bootes) is very bright.

Looking to the northeast, the star Vega is about halfway up the sky. During summer it will be overhead about this time. It's one of a few stars that make me think of summer when the stargazing is so comfortable.

Do you have a favorite star? Leave your comments at the bottom of the page:



May 17, 2011

The Moon is full today at 7:09 am EDT, to be exact. Look for it to rise after sunset this week  at 8:10 pm as it wanes.

Around 10 pm, look for the rising of the red star of summer - Antares - in the constellation Scorpius. It will be visible in the southeast and transit the southern sky all night. When you see Antares, you know warm months are on their way.

The bright Moon will wash out much of the night sky, but there are still jewels in the dawn sky. Look for the planets Mercury, Venus, and Mars very close to each other just before dawn in the east. Reddish Mercury and brilliant white Venus are 1 1/2 degrees apart. Red Mars is less than 5 degrees to their left. It is more faint than the other two, so look closely.

On the morning of the 20th and 21st, Venus, Mercury, and Mars form a right triangle.

What are your favorites of the night sky? Leave comments and questions below.

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May 10, 2011

For you early risers, the most exciting drama in the sky this month is for you! Look towards the east 30 to 20 minutes before sunrise.  If you are fortunate to have an unobstructed view of the eastern horizon, you will see Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter - all in a straight line at a 45 degree angle. Since sunrise this week is about 5:45 am, you should look at 5:15. It gets even more exciting on the mornings of May 29-31 when you will see a very thin crescent Moon near the four planets. Keep in mind that Mercury, Venus, and Mars will be quite low, while Jupiter will be higher and therefore easier to see. Watch the changing configuration of these five members of our solar system each morning.

In the evening hours, you can easily see the first-quarter Moon as soon as the sky is dark enough. About 10 pm it is in the southwest. On May 10th, look for Regulus, a bright star above and to the left of the Moon. It is part of the constellation Leo, the Lion.

You will see the Big Dipper in the northern sky. It looks like it is turned upside down! It seems to be dumping itself onto the horizon. Below the Big Dipper, look for a big W. This is the constellation Cassiopeia.

The three brightest stars in spring are scattered about the sky in the evening - Capella in the northwest, Arcturus in the southeast, and Vega in the northeast.

Can you identify stars not mentioned here? I want to hear about what neat things you have seen. I welcome your comments and questions! Just scroll down to the end of the posts.