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Sky Report by Ted Gruber Evening Sky Jupiter (magnitude -2.0) becomes visible low on the west-southwest horizon at twilight, setting just past 6:30pm. Although bright, the giant planet will be difficult to spot as it sets about three minutes later and closer to sunset each night. Morning Sky Venus (magnitude -4.0) and Mars (1.3) are currently visible in the pre-dawn southeast sky. Brighter Venus currently rises just past 4:30am and about a minute sooner each day over the next month. Mars currently rises about 30 minutes after Venus, and about 15 minutes after Venus by mid-March. The moon passes about 9° south of Venus and about 4° south of Mars the morning of February 27. Venus passes about 4° north of Mars the morning of March 12. Saturn (magnitude 0.8) and Mercury (0.0) return to the morning sky by the end of February. Both planets will initially be very low above the east-southeast horizon just before sunrise. Mercury remains visible each morning through about March 10 when it fades into the morning sunlight, while Saturn rises a few minutes earlier each morning. The moon passes about 4° south of Mercury and about 4° south of Saturn the morning of February 28. Mercury passes less than 1° south of Saturn the morning of March 2. Moon Phases Full (2/16), last (2/23), new (3/2), first (3/10), full (3/18), last (3/25) 
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Sky Report by Ted Gruber Evening Sky Jupiter (magnitude -2.1) becomes visible in the southwest sky at dusk and currently sets just before 8:00pm. The bright planet remains visible through mid-February, when it appears low in the west-southwest sky and sets a bit after 6:30pm. A very thin crescent moon passes about 4° south of Jupiter the evening of February 2. Morning Sky Mars (magnitude 1.5) and Venus (-4.4) are visible in the pre-dawn southeast sky. Mars currently rises about 5:45am, with much brighter Venus following about 30 minutes later. Both planets brighten slightly over the next month and rise about 30 minutes sooner by mid-February. The moon passes about 2° south of Mars the morning of January 29. Mars appears just south of Venus in early February; the two planets make their closest apparent approach the morning of February 12 when they appear about 6.5° apart. Mercury (magnitude 1.9) returns to the morning sky by the end of January, rising in the east-southeast about 6:30am. The innermost planet brightens quickly through mid-February, shining at magnitude 0.0 when it reaches greatest western elongation on February 16. Mercury rises about 6:00am on that day. Moon Phases Last (1/25), new (2/1), first (2/8), full (2/16), last (2/23) Sky Report by Ted Gruber
Evening Sky Venus (magnitude -4.3) becomes visible in the southwestern sky at twilight and currently sets about 8:00pm (PDT), and around 7:00pm (PST) by mid-November when it reaches magnitude -4.6. Jupiter (magnitude -2.6) is visible in the east-southeast at dusk, with Saturn (0.6) becoming visible west of Jupiter as the sky darkens. Saturn currently sets in the southwest about 12:30am (PDT) and Jupiter a bit before 2:00am (PDT). By mid-November, Jupiter will dim slightly to magnitude -2.4 and set just after 11:00pm (PST). Saturn will also dim slightly to magnitude 0.7 and set around 9:45pm (PST). The moon passes about 1° north of Venus in the early evening hours of November 7. On November 10, the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn form a triangle in the southern sky, with the moon passing about 4° south of Saturn, and 4° south of Jupiter the next night. Morning Sky Mercury (magnitude 0.9) appears very low above the east-southeast horizon just before sunrise in early November. The moon occults Mercury the morning of November 3, but this occultation will not be visible in the Pacific Northwest. Here there will be about 1° of separation when the pair rises about 6:30am (PDT). This conjunction should be visible for a little more than an hour until fading from view as dawn breaks, reaching about 10° above the horizon. Meteor Showers The Orionids meteor shower is active from September 26 to November 22, peaking the night of October 20-21. This year the predicted rate at the peak is 20 meteors per hour, but a full moon will drown out all but the brightest meteors. The shower is called the Orionids because the meteors appear to emanate from a point in the constellation Orion in the east-southeast sky. The meteors result from the debris trail left by Halley’s Comet. The Leonids meteor shower is active from November 6 to 30. It peaks in the early morning hours of November 17 with a predicted rate of 10 meteors per hour, but as with the Orionids, a nearly full moon that night will drown out all but the brightest meteors. The shower is called the Leonids because the meteors appear to emanate from a point in the constellation Leo in the southeast sky. The Leonids result from the debris trail left by comet 55P/Temple-Tuttle. Moon Phases Full (10/20), last (10/28), new (11/4), first (11/11), full (11/19), last (11/27) Sky Report by Ted Gruber
Evening Sky Venus (magnitude -3.9) and Mercury (1.9) become visible in the northwest as the sky darkens right after sunset. Currently, both planets remain visible until setting just after 10:00pm, with Mercury appearing just above Venus. On May 28, the two planets appear less than 0.5° apart, and after that conjunction, brighter Venus appears above Mercury, with the gap between the planets increasing each evening. Mercury remains visible through the first week in June. A thin crescent moon appears about 1.5° north of Venus the evening of June 11. Mars (magnitude 1.7) becomes visible in the west-northwest as the sky darkens. The red planet currently sets just after midnight and around 11:30pm by mid-June. A crescent moon appears about 3° north of Mars the evening of June 13. Morning Sky Saturn (magnitude 0.6) currently rises in the east-southeast just after 1:00am, with Jupiter (-2.4) following about 45 minutes later. Both planets rise about 90 minutes earlier by mid-June and remain visible until fading into the morning sunlight. The moon appears about 5° southeast of Saturn the morning of May 31 and about 5° southeast of Jupiter the next morning. Moon Phases Last (6/2), new (6/10), first (6/17), full (6/24) Evening Sky Mars (magnitude 1.5) is visible high in the western sky as darkness falls. The red planet currently sets around 1:00am and about 30 minutes earlier by mid-May. The moon passes 1.5° north of (above) Mars on the evening of May 15. Venus (magnitude -3.9) has returned to the evening sky and now appears low in the south-southwest just after sunset. It continues to get slightly higher above the horizon each evening. A crescent moon appears less than 1° south of Venus the evening of May 12. Mercury (magnitude -1.3) returns to the evening sky toward the end of April. It appears low in the south-southwest just after sunset, a few degrees higher above the horizon than Venus. Like Venus, the innermost planet appears higher above the horizon each evening, but it also becomes dimmer, reaching magnitude 0.3 by mid-May. The Pleiades star cluster (M45) appears about 5° from Mercury on May 2, 3, and 4. The moon passes less than 3° south of Mercury on May 13. Morning Sky Jupiter (magnitude -2.2) and Saturn (0.7) are visible in the early morning southeastern sky. Saturn rises first, currently just before 3:30am, with Jupiter following about 30 minutes later. Both planets remain visible until fading into the morning sunlight. The moon passes about 4° south of Saturn the morning of May 3, and about 5° south of Jupiter the next morning. Meteor Showers The Lyrids meteor shower is active from April 16 to April 30, peaking the night of April 21-22, with an expected rate of 18 meteors per hour at the peak when the moon is about 70% illuminated. The shower produces its highest rates over three nights centered on the peak. The Lyrids are so named because the meteors appear to radiate from a point in the constellation Lyra in the eastern sky. The Eta Aquariids meteor shower is active from April 19 to May 28, peaking the night of May 4-5. Best viewing is from the southern tropics, but even in the northern hemisphere the shower produces 10-30 meteors per hour at the peak just before dawn. The moon, about 40% illuminated, rises just before 4:00am on May 5. Activity is good for about a week centered on the peak. The Eta Aquariids are so named because the meteors appear to radiate from a point in the constellation Aquarius in the eastern sky. Total Lunar Eclipse A total lunar eclipse occurs in the early morning hours of May 26. The partial phase begins at 1:47am and ends at 5:52am. Totality is less than 15 minutes, lasting from 4:11am to 4:25am. More on this in next month’s sky report. Moon Phases Full (4/26), last (5/3), new (5/11), first (5/19), full (5/26) Sky Report by Ted Gruber Evening Sky Mars (magnitude 1.1) is visible high in the western sky as darkness falls. The red planet currently sets around 1:30am and about 30 minutes earlier by mid-April. The moon appears about 2° south of (below) Mars on the evening of March 19, just west of Mars on April 16, and just southeast of Mars the following night. Venus returns to the evening sky in mid-April, and Mercury does the same toward the end of the month. Look for more details in next month’s sky report. Morning Sky Saturn (magnitude 0.7) currently rises in the east-southeast about 5:30am, with Jupiter (magnitude -2.0) following 30 minutes later, and Mercury (magnitude 0.0) edging above the horizon about 6:30am. By the end of March, Mercury disappears into the morning sunlight, but the innermost planet will return to the evening sky by the end of April. A crescent moon appears about 4° south of (below) Saturn on the morning of April 6, and about 4° southeast of Jupiter the next morning. By mid-April, Saturn rises in the southeast just before 4:00am and Jupiter just before 4:30am. Both planets rise earlier and climb higher above the horizon each month through summer. Meteor Showers The Lyrids meteor shower is active from April 16 to April 30, peaking the night of April 21-22, with an expected rate of 18 meteors per hour at the peak when the moon is about 70% illuminated. The shower produces its highest rates over three nights centered on the peak. The Lyrids are so named because the meteors appear to radiate from a point in the constellation Lyra in the eastern sky. Moon Phases First (3/21), full (3/28), last (4/4), new (4/11), first (4/20), full (4/26) Sky Report by Ted Gruber Evening Sky Mars (magnitude 0.7) becomes visible high in the western sky as darkness falls and remains visible until setting around 1:00am and about 15 minutes earlier by mid-March. The moon passes 4° south of (below) Mars and just southwest of the Pleiades star cluster (M45) on the evening of February 18. Mars continues to get closer to M45 with each passing night, making its closest approach during the first week of March. Morning Sky Mercury and Saturn currently rise in the east-southeast just after 6:00am, with Jupiter following about 20 minutes later. The three planets form a triangle and rise a few minutes earlier each morning. On March 20, Mercury shines at magnitude 0.9 and gets slightly brighter each morning, reaching magnitude 0.0 by mid-March. Saturn and Jupiter remain at magnitudes 0.7 and -2.0 respectively during this period. On the morning of March 4, Mercury appears about 1° west of Jupiter, and 0.3° north of (above) Jupiter the following morning. The moon passes 4° south of Saturn the morning of March 9, and 4° south of Jupiter and Mercury on March 10. Moon Phases First (2/19), full (2/27), last (3/5), new (3/13), first (3/21), full (3/28) Sky Report by Ted Gruber Evening Sky Mercury (magnitude -0.7) is now visible low in the south-southwest sky soon after sunset. Through January 31, the innermost planet sets about 6:30pm, but by then it dims almost two full magnitudes to 1.1. Mercury remains visible through the first few days of February, but it will be a tough target as it quickly becomes dimmer and sets earlier each evening. Mars (magnitude 0.2) becomes visible high in the southern sky as darkness falls. The red planet currently sets about 1:30am, and about 30 minutes earlier by mid-February. On the night of January 20, the first quarter moon appears just below Mars, with distant Uranus (5.8) directly between them and closer to Mars. Morning Sky Venus (magnitude -3.9) currently rises about 7:00am and remains visible until fading into the morning sunlight. Jupiter (-2.0), Saturn (0.7), and Mercury (1.9) cluster together with Venus in south-southeastern morning sky just before sunrise starting in early February, but all but Jupiter and Venus will be difficult to see in the brightening sky. Late February will offer better viewing of the morning planets. Moon Phases First (1/20), full (1/28), last (2/4), new (2/11), first (2/19), full (2/27). Evening Sky Jupiter (magnitude -2.0) and Saturn (0.6) become visible in the southwest evening twilight. The two planets currently appear about one moon-width apart and continue to inch closer together until December 21. That evening, Jupiter and Saturn appear just 0.1° apart, meaning the two planets can be seen in the same telescopic field of view at low power. Both planets currently set just after 7:00pm, but by mid-January they will set about 45 minutes after sunset. Mars (-0.7) becomes visible high in the southeastern sky as darkness falls. The red planet currently sets in the west just before 2:30am and becomes dimmer over the next month. By mid-January, Mars shines at magnitude 0.1 and sets in the west-northwest around 1:30am. The moon appears about 6° below Mars the evening of December 23. Then on the night of January 20, the first quarter moon appears just below Mars, with distant Uranus (5.8) directly between them and closer to Mars. Mercury (-0.9) returns to the evening sky in mid-January, setting in the southwest about an hour after sunset. The innermost planet sets later each evening but rapidly dims until reaching magnitude 1.1 by the end of the month. The week of January 17, especially later that week, should provide the best viewing. Morning Sky Venus (-4.0) currently rises in the east-southeast around 6:00am, and about a half hour later by mid-January. Meteor Showers The Ursids meteor shower is active from December 17 to 26, peaking the night of December 21-22. Normally a lower volume shower, this year the Earth passes near several past debris trails of comet 8P/Tuttle, the source of the Ursids. The debris trail left in the year 829 is predicted to produce the most favorable peak between 10:00-10:30pm on December 21. Unfortunately, west coast observers will need to deal with the first quarter moon. To view the Ursids, look to the northern sky, about half way between the horizon and zenith. Moon Phases First (12/21), full (12/29), last (1/6), new (1/13), first (1/20), full (1/28) Sky Report by Ted Gruber Evening Sky Jupiter (magnitude -2.1) and Saturn (0.6) become visible in the south-southwest as darkness falls. Jupiter currently sets in the southwest just before 8:30pm, and Saturn just afterward. By mid-December, both planets set just after 7:00pm. The moon passes 2° south of Jupiter and 3° south of Saturn the evening of November 19. Jupiter and Saturn appear to inch closer together with each passing evening. On December 16, the two planets appear about a moon-width apart, with a crescent moon appearing about 3° below them. Then on December 21, Jupiter and Saturn appear just 0.1° apart, meaning the two planets can be seen in the same telescopic field of view at low power. Mars (-1.5) becomes visible high in the eastern sky as darkness falls. The red planet currently sets in the west just after 3:30am. By mid-December, Mars dims by about a full magnitude and sets just before 2:30am. Morning Sky Venus (-4.0) currently rises in the east-southeast around 4:30am, and just before 6:00am by mid-December. The moon appears just above Venus in the early morning hours of December 12. Mercury (-0.7) currently rises in the east-southeast about 5:45am and remains visible until fading into the morning sunlight. The innermost planet rises about five minutes later and appears lower to the horizon each morning, until vanishing into the sun’s glow by the end of November. Meteor Showers The Leonids meteor shower peaked in the early morning hours of November 17 and remains active until November 30. The Geminids meteor shower is active from December 4 to 17, peaking the night of December 13-14. The moon will not be a factor this year, and the best viewing should occur after 11:00pm on December 13 through the early morning hours of December 14. It is typically one of the richest showers of the year and may produce as many as 100 to 150 meteors per hour around the 2:00am peak. The Geminids appear to radiate from a point in the southeastern sky in the constellation Gemini. Moon Phases First (11/21), full (11/30), last (12/7), new (12/14), first (12/21), full (12/29) |
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