Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map! Northern hemisphere sky mapSouthern hemisphere sky map Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional Information James Barclay's siteRoyal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ siteSouthern Sky Watch. Planets for March 2008 Mercury- reaches greatest elongation west on the 3rd. For southern observers Mercury is at it best morning apparition until mid-March. Mercury is visible all month brightening as it creeps back towards the Sun. Mercury will be close to Venus for most of the month making it much easier to find than usual. They are in close conjunction on the 23rd 0.1 mag (1st) to -0.1 mag (21st) Venus- in Capricorn is still preceding the Sun but Venus begins to fade as it creeps into glow of the Sun. Paired up with Mercury for most of the month those close to the equator will have a nice view of the pair. -3.8 mag (1st) to -3.8 mag (21st) Mars- Crosses over into Gemini this month and continues to shrink from 9" to 7", too small to show much detail in the average backyard telescope. Mars will be close to M35 on the 10th and it is appropriate that Mars is visible all night in the month which bears its name. Mars also shows a gibbous globe for the next two months. 0.2 (1st) to 0.6 mag (21st) Jupiter- For Southern observers will have Jupiter rising after midnight while those in the mid-northern latitudes. On the 30th use the nearly last quarter Moon to try and spot Jupiter, sitting to the Moon's NE, during the day. -2.0 mag (1st) to -2.1 mag (21st) Saturn- having reached opposition in February Saturn spend the month in Leo. The tilt of Saturn's rings increases from 6.7 deg to 9.9 deg in early May before beginning to close again at the end of 2008. 0.2 mag (1st) to 0.3 mag (21st) Uranus-In Aquarius all year 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9 mag (21st) Neptune-In Capricorn 8.0 mag (1st) to 8.0 mag (21st) Key Dates for March 2008Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 9 pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 9 pm for the mid-northern latitudes. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights - March 2008 "In like a lion and out like a lamb" - Zodiacal Light best seen after evening twilight on the Western horizon through the 7th then again from the 23rd - April 5th 3 - Moon near Jupiter - Mercury at greatest elongation, 27 deg west from Sun (morning sky 11UT) Very low in the east-southeast just before sunrise. If using binoculars or telescope please follow "sun-safe" viewing methods and be aware of the sun! 5 - Moon, Mercury, Venus and telescopic Neptune clustered in the morning sky. TRIPLE occultation (although not all visible from all locations) Check the IOTA website for your location. Most central Moon-planet conjunction (appulse) this year. Daytime Moon/Venus occultation visible from North America and Cuba, check the IOTA website 6 - Sun's north pole most inclined away from Earth (7.25 degrees) 7 - Double or Triple shadow transit on Jupiter (15:05 UT Ganymede, 15:18 Callisto(?), 22:38 Io) 9 - For those who follow DST, Saving Time begins - set clocks forward an hour. - Mercury 1 deg South of Neptune (2hr UT) 10 - Moon at perigee (closest to Earth 366,298 km- ) - Mars 1.7 deg North of M35 in Gemini (17h UT) 12 - Moon near the Pleiades 14 - First Quarter Moon (10:46 UT) 15 - Moon near Mars - The Ides of March (every month has one) 17 - Moon near Beehive cluster (M44) 19 - Moon near Regulus, Check the IOTA website for occultation information for your area. - Moon near Saturn 21 - March or vernal equinox* (5:48 UT) - Full Moon (18:40 UT) 23 - Moon near Spica - An interesting Easter** - Zodiacal Lights visible in Northern latitudes in the west after evening twilight for the next two weeks 24 - Mercury 1 deg from Venus at 14h UT (20Â from Sun, morning sky) mags -0.3 and -3.9. Favors S. Hemisphere skywatchers. 26 - Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth distance 405,092 km-20h UT) 27 - Moon near Antares possible occultation, check the IOTA website for occultation information for your area. - Mercury 1.7 deg South of Uranus 29 - Last Quarter Moon (21:47 UT) 30 - Moon near Jupiter - Last Sunday in March: in the European Union, change clocks forward 1 hours to 'summer time' *The time when the Sun reaches the point along the ecliptic where it crosses into the northern celestial hemisphere marking the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. **Reduced to a one sentence definition, Easter Sunday is calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon which falls on or after the Vernal(March) Equinox. This year the full moon is ON the Vernal(March) equinox so Easter is the 23rd. (The earliest Easter could ever be is March 22 and the latest April 25) sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier*The weekend of the 7-9th of March is a good 'first try' for a Messier Marathon. This is a better for those of you further South and, if we get clouded out then we have the 4-6th of April as a good back up date. The April date will be the better of the two for mid-to higher Northern latitude views but don't pass up on the chance in March if the weather is fair. If you are looking for a good way to conquer the Virgo Cluster go to show #39. There you will find lots of information on navigating the Virgo Cluster. This month highlights 10 messier objects, most are within reach of binoculars, and over half can be seen with the naked eye. M41 - This cluster is visible as a hazy patch to the naked eye just below Sirius in Canis Major. M41 is resolvable in binoculars and appears fairly loose in telescopes at low power. M93 - This is a small fuzzy patch of light in Puppis, partially resolvable in binoculars. The hardest part of finding this cluster in binoculars is picking it out of a fairly rich region of the Milky Way. Use low power to examine this cluster and the surrounding richness in a telescope. Medium power provides a nice view of the cluster itself. M47 - A bright cluster in Puppis, easily visible as a hazy patch to the naked eye. Binoculars will show a large hazy patch with many stars resolvable. Telescopes show a fairly loose cluster with stars of wide variety of magnitudes. M46 - This cluster is right next to M47 and is also visible to the naked eye. In binoculars M46 appears as a large hazy patch with no stars resolvable, giving a nice contrast to M47. In telescopes at low powers this cluster evenly fills the eyepiece. While you are here go to medium or high power and look for the planetary nebula NGC2438. It will appear as a faint uneven ring, with a blue/green color. M50 - An open cluster in Monoceros. This is a small hazy patch in binoculars, partially resolvable. Like M93, the richness of the surrounding field is the only difficulty in finding this object. This is a fairly tight cluster at low power in a telescope. M48 - Moving on to Hydra, we find another naked eye cluster. M48 is a large fuzzy patch in binoculars, partially resolvable. Use low to medium power in your telescope for a spectacular view. M67 - In the southeast portion of Cancer is another open cluster, barely visible as a fuzzy patch to the naked eye. Binoculars show M67 as a large hazy patch of light, similar to M46. Use low power to resolve this large, rich cluster in a telescope. M44 - Known as the Praesepe or Beehive Cluster, this open cluster is easily visible to the naked eye as a large, fuzzy patch bigger than the moon. Binoculars or rich field telescopes provide the best view of M44. M81, M82 - This pair of galaxies in Ursa Major are very possible to see in binoculars, they look like a pair of fuzzy stars. Both galaxies will fit into the same low power telescope field. M81 will appear as a large oval gray patch of light. M82 is a pencil like streak of light next to and perpendicular to the long axis of M81. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada Comets for March 2008 Gary Kronk'sSkyhound Historical and Current Events...Did you know?Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hatMusic Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"Mathew Ebel- "Trees" and "Drive Away" Astronomical Highlights for 2008 Earth's major motions for 2008 Perihelion Jan 3 00h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 05:48(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 20 23:59(UT) Aphelion July 4 08h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 15:44(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 12:04(UT) Planet Positions for 2008 2008 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Sco Oph Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Interesting Planet Pairing for 2008 January (first two week) - Mars, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran - Mars will be moving westward into this red triangle, pausing at the end of the month and then returning to regular Eastward motion at the beginning of February. February 1 (start watching in early January) - Jupiter and Venus - Start this early in January with Jupiter just off the horizon and watch as they creep closer and closer. On the 1st of Feb early in the morning, about one hour before sunrise in the east, Jupiter and Venus are less than one degree apart in the constellation Sagittarius. They will be outstanding and you could imagine all sorts of symbolism that could be associated with this conjunction. February 27 - Mercury and Venus - Rising just one hour before the Sun in the East in the constellation Capricornus. Venus and Mercury will be just over one degree apart and then Venus will speed off, with Mercury in hot pursuit. March 24 - Mercury and Venus...again - Mercury catches up to Venus again, this time less than one degree apart and in the constellation Aquarius. They will also be rising above the horizon only a half hour before the sun, so seeing them will be quite a challenge. July 10 - Mars and Saturn - In the constellation Leo yellowish-white Saturn and reddish Mars will be less than one degree from each other. The pair is still up two hours after sunset and are bright so it should be easy to see. August 13 - Venus and Saturn - Less than one degree apart in the constellation Leo. Venus will be the brighter of the two. August 14 (watch from 10-16th)- Venus, Mercury, and Saturn - Just after sunset a triple conjunction! The three planets will be less than three degrees apart in the constellation Leo and almost in a line. Venus will be the highest and brightest Saturn the middle object and Mercury will be the lowest of the three but surprisingly brighter than Saturn. If you want to make this even more interesting look for Mars 16 degrees to the SW the trio. August 19-21 - Venus and Mercury - The two planets will be about one degree apart for three days. VERY low on the western horizon at sunset. September 11 (watch from 5-18)- Venus and Mars - Venus will come right next to the Red Planet, with the two less than one degree apart Mercury lying three and a half degrees away from the pair and shining brighter than Mars. The whole group will set just one hour after sunset. December 1 - Venus and Jupiter - All within Sagittarius, the two planets will be two degrees apart and they don't set until three hours after sunset. As a bonus, a 15%-lit moon will lie three degrees away from Venus. December 31 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. 2008 Phases of the Moon NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 8 11 37 JAN. 15 19 46 JAN. 22 13 35 JAN. 30 5 03FEB. 7 3 44 FEB. 14 3 33 FEB. 21 3 30 FEB. 29 2 18MAR. 7 17 14 MAR. 14 10 46 MAR. 21 18 40 MAR. 29 21 47APR. 6 3 55 APR. 12 18 32 APR. 20 10 25 APR. 28 14 12MAY 5 12 18 MAY 12 3 47 MAY 20 2 11 MAY 28 2 57JUNE 3 19 23 JUNE 10 15 04 JUNE 18 17 30 JUNE 26 12 10JULY 3 2 19 JULY 10 4 35 JULY 18 7 59 JULY 25 18 42AUG. 1 10 13 AUG. 8 20 20 AUG. 16 21 16 AUG. 23 23 50AUG. 30 19 58 SEPT. 7 14 04 SEPT. 15 9 13 SEPT. 22 5 04 SEPT. 29 8 12 OCT. 7 9 04 OCT. 14 20 02 OCT. 21 11 55OCT. 28 23 14 NOV. 6 4 03 NOV. 13 6 17 NOV. 19 21 31NOV. 27 16 55 DEC. 5 21 26 DEC. 12 16 37 DEC. 19 10 29DEC. 27 12 22 Eclipses for 2008 2008 February 07[ Solar: Annular ] 2008 February 21[ Lunar: Total ] 2008 August 01[ Solar: Total ] 2008 August 16[ Lunar: Partial ] February 07see map, timesanimationAugust 1 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): On Friday, 2008 August 01, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia. Special website with extra information and links to live eclipse webcasts can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website for the August 1st Eclipse February 20th - Total Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): The first lunar eclipse of 2008 is perfectly placed for observers throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe. The eclipse occurs at the Moon's descending node, midway between perigee and apogee. During the eclipse, Saturn lies about 3Â northeast of the Moon and shines brightly (mv = +0.2) because it is near opposition. Special website with live broadcast can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website August 16 - Partial Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2008 is a partial lunar eclipse at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. It is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere as well as eastern South America Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) Meteor Showers for 2008All times are UT Name Date of PeakTime in UT (help with time) Moon Phase Quadrantids January 4, 7h Waning Crescent Lyrids April 22, 4h almost Full Eta Aquarids May 5, 18h New Moon Perseids August 12, 11h Waxing Gibbous Orionids October 21, 4h Last Quarter Leonids November 17, 10h Waning Gibbous Geminids December 13, 23h Full Moon Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2008" RASC

Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map! Northern hemisphere sky mapSouthern hemisphere sky map Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional Information James Barclay's siteRoyal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ siteSouthern Sky Watch. Planets for February 2008Venus (top left) and Jupiter Jan 31st 2008If this looks backwards to you check the photo credit for the location! (Made ya think eh!) Photo credit: Juan-Camilo SuarezLa Estrella, Colombia, South AmericaCanon EOS 10D, 135 mm, 800 ISO Mercury- is at inferior conjunction on the 6th. It becomes visible to southern observers in the morning twilight by mid-month. Late February to March will be the best viewing of Mercury for the year for Southern observers. Mercury climb up to meet Venus and on the 26th Mercury will be 1.3 deg N of Venus 1.9 mag (1st) to 0.6 mag (21st) Venus- Hopefully you have been watching Venus and Jupiter creep closer throughout the end of January. On the 1st of February Venus is 0.6 deg N of Jupiter. On the 4th the waning crescent moon shares the scene. Watch the rest of the month as Venus pulls closer to the sun. On the 26th and 27th catch Venus and Mercury stacked on the horizon just before sunrise. -3.8 mag (1st) to -3.8 mag (21st) Mars- Starts off the month still between the horns of Taurus and is well placed high in the northern sky in early evening. It is heading back towards the foot of Castor, and M35, but is official still in Taurus at the end of the month. -0.6 (1st) to 0.0 mag (21st) Jupiter- Starts the month buddied up with Venus and by the 13th leads a line up of Mercury, Venus and Jupiter with Jupiter furthest away from the sun. -1.8 mag (1st) to -1.8 mag (21st) Saturn- In Leo all year Saturn reaches opposition on February 24. On the 21st at 3:29 UT (convert to your time zone) during the total lunar eclipse you should be able to pick out Saturn and Regulus once the Moon enters the Earth umbra. Rises mid-evening at the beginning of February. The tilt of Saturn's rings increases from 6.7 deg to 9.9 deg in early May before beginning to close again at the end of 2008. 0.4 mag (1st) to 0.2 mag (21st) Uranus-In Aquarius all year 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9 mag (21st) Neptune-In Capricorn 8.0 mag (1st) to 8.0 mag (21st) Key Dates for February 2008 Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 10pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 8pm for the mid-northern latitudes. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights   February   1 - Venus 0.6 deg N of Jupiter (32 deg W) - Antares 0.6 deg N of Moon, possible occultation check the IOTA website for occultation in your area. 2 - Groundhog Day, Candlemas, one of the cross-quarter days (Feb 2-5) the ancient beginning of Spring. 4 - Jupiter 4 deg N of Moon - Venus 4 deg N of Moon, all three create a nice little lineup 6 - Mercury at greatest heliocentric lat. N - Mercury at inferior conjunction 7 - New Moon (3:44 UT) - Annular solar eclipse WARNING: NEVER LOOK AT THE SUNThe shadow cuts a narrow path across Antarctica and the southern Pacific. Partial phases visible from New Zealand and southeastern Australia. Greatest eclipse at 3:55 UT. Follow the link for map, times , and animation 8 - Alpha Centaurid Meteor Shower. Very favorable year for this periodic shower 9 - Moon 2.5 deg S.S.W. of Neptune (only about 3 deg from the Sun) 11 - Neptune in conjunction with the Sun, moving into the morning sky - The equation of time is at minimum for the year, -14.26 minutes (23h UT) the Sun is running "slow" 14 - Moon at perigee (370219 km) (1 UT) - First Quarter Moon (3:33 UT) - Moon 1.2 deg N of the Pleiades (M45) - Valentine's Day (send dark chocolate!) 16 - Mars 1.6 deg S of Moon 18 - Mercury Stationary - Moon 0.3 deg N of Beehive (M44) 21 - Regulus 0.7 deg N of Moon (0 UT), possible occultation check the IOTA website for occultation in your area. - Full moon, total lunar eclipse (3:30 UT) Follow the link to see map and times. Regulus will be to the NW of the Moon and Venus to the SE. The eclipse will be visible from North and South America, western Europe and Africa.This will be the last total lunar eclipse until Dec 2010 - Saturn 3 deg N of Moon (12 UT) 23 - Zodiacal Lights visible in the N latitudes in the West after evening twilight for the next two weeks 24 - Saturn at opposition 26 - Mercury 1.3 deg N of Venus (27 deg W) 28 - Moon at apogee (404443 km) furthest point away from Earth in its orbit 29 - Antares 0.6 deg N of Moon, possible occultation check the IOTA website for occultation in your area. - Last Quarter Moon (2:18 UT) - Leap Day sunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier* This month highlights 10 messier objects, most are within reach of binoculars, and over half can be seen with the naked eye. M1 - The Crab nebula is a supernova remnant in Taurus. It is a hazy patch in small telescopes, large scopes can resolve some detail. It is difficult but possible to see in binoculars. M45 - The Pleiades are a large open cluster in Taurus. Easy to resolve six stars naked eye. Binoculars provide the best view. Large telescopes can show some nebulosity. M35, M37, M36, M38 A series of open clusters in the winter milky way. M35 is in Gemini, the others are in Auriga. All can be seen naked eye as faint fuzzy stars, binoculars reveal fuzzy patches, low power telescopes can resolve these rich clusters. M42 M43 M42 is the great Orion Nebula. It can be seen as small fuzzy patch naked eye. Binoculars show some detail, and the view is superb in most any scope. M43 is a small region of nebulosity next to M42, and probably requires the use of a telescope to view. Use low to moderate powers for the best view of this pair. M78 - A small emission nebula in Orion, a tough binocular object. Best viewed in a telescope at moderate powers. M79 - One of the smallest and dimmest globular clusters in the catalog. A tough binocular object in Lepus, best viewed in a telescope at moderate powers. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada Comets for February 2008 Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder! Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"Rebecca Loebe- "All This Timet"Friction Bailey - "Fill My Mind With You" Astronomical Highlights for 2008 Earth's major motions for 2008 Perihelion Jan 3 00h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 05:48(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 20 23:59(UT) Aphelion July 4 08h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 15:44(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 12:04(UT) Planet Positions for 2008 2008 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Sco Oph Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Interesting Planet Pairing for 2008 January (first two week) - Mars, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran - Mars will be moving westward into this red triangle, pausing at the end of the month and then returning to regular Eastward motion at the beginning of February. February 1 (start watching in early January) - Jupiter and Venus - Start this early in January with Jupiter just off the horizon and watch as they creep closer and closer. On the 1st of Feb early in the morning, about one hour before sunrise in the east, Jupiter and Venus are less than one degree apart in the constellation Sagittarius. They will be outstanding and you could imagine all sorts of symbolism that could be associated with this conjunction. February 27 - Mercury and Venus - Rising just one hour before the Sun in the East in the constellation Capricornus. Venus and Mercury will be just over one degree apart and then Venus will speed off, with Mercury in hot pursuit. March 24 - Mercury and Venus...again - Mercury catches up to Venus again, this time less than one degree apart and in the constellation Aquarius. They will also be rising above the horizon only a half hour before the sun, so seeing them will be quite a challenge. July 10 - Mars and Saturn - In the constellation Leo yellowish-white Saturn and reddish Mars will be less than one degree from each other. The pair is still up two hours after sunset and are bright so it should be easy to see. August 13 - Venus and Saturn - Less than one degree apart in the constellation Leo. Venus will be the brighter of the two. August 14 (watch from 10-16th)- Venus, Mercury, and Saturn - Just after sunset a triple conjunction! The three planets will be less than three degrees apart in the constellation Leo and almost in a line. Venus will be the highest and brightest Saturn the middle object and Mercury will be the lowest of the three but surprisingly brighter than Saturn. If you want to make this even more interesting look for Mars 16 degrees to the SW the trio. August 19-21 - Venus and Mercury - The two planets will be about one degree apart for three days. VERY low on the western horizon at sunset. September 11 (watch from 5-18)- Venus and Mars - Venus will come right next to the Red Planet, with the two less than one degree apart Mercury lying three and a half degrees away from the pair and shining brighter than Mars. The whole group will set just one hour after sunset. December 1 - Venus and Jupiter - All within Sagittarius, the two planets will be two degrees apart and they don't set until three hours after sunset. As a bonus, a 15%-lit moon will lie three degrees away from Venus. December 31 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. 2008 Phases of the Moon Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 8 11 37 JAN. 15 19 46 JAN. 22 13 35 JAN. 30 5 03FEB. 7 3 44 FEB. 14 3 33 FEB. 21 3 30 FEB. 29 2 18MAR. 7 17 14 MAR. 14 10 46 MAR. 21 18 40 MAR. 29 21 47APR. 6 3 55 APR. 12 18 32 APR. 20 10 25 APR. 28 14 12MAY 5 12 18 MAY 12 3 47 MAY 20 2 11 MAY 28 2 57JUNE 3 19 23 JUNE 10 15 04 JUNE 18 17 30 JUNE 26 12 10JULY 3 2 19 JULY 10 4 35 JULY 18 7 59 JULY 25 18 42AUG. 1 10 13 AUG. 8 20 20 AUG. 16 21 16 AUG. 23 23 50AUG. 30 19 58 SEPT. 7 14 04 SEPT. 15 9 13 SEPT. 22 5 04 SEPT. 29 8 12 OCT. 7 9 04 OCT. 14 20 02 OCT. 21 11 55OCT. 28 23 14 NOV. 6 4 03 NOV. 13 6 17 NOV. 19 21 31NOV. 27 16 55 DEC. 5 21 26 DEC. 12 16 37 DEC. 19 10 29DEC. 27 12 22 Eclipses for 2008 2008 February 07[ Solar: Annular ] 2008 February 21[ Lunar: Total ] 2008 August 01[ Solar: Total ] 2008 August 16[ Lunar: Partial ] February 07 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2008 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track, that traverses Antarctica and southern regions of the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southeastern third of Australia, all of New Zealand and most of Antarctica. August 1 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): On Friday, 2008 August 01, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia. Special website with extra information and links to live eclipse webcasts can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website for the August 1st Eclipse February 20th - Total Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): The first lunar eclipse of 2008 is perfectly placed for observers throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe. The eclipse occurs at the Moon's descending node, midway between perigee and apogee. During the eclipse, Saturn lies about 3Â northeast of the Moon and shines brightly (mv = +0.2) because it is near opposition. Special website with live broadcast can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website August 16 - Partial Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2008 is a partial lunar eclipse at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. It is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere as well as eastern South America Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) Meteor Showers for 2008All times are UT Name Date of PeakTime in UT (help with time) Moon Phase Quadrantids January 4, 7h Waning Crescent Lyrids April 22, 4h almost Full Eta Aquarids May 5, 18h New Moon Perseids August 12, 11h Waxing Gibbous Orionids October 21, 4h Last Quarter Leonids November 17, 10h Waning Gibbous Geminids December 13, 23h Full Moon Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2008" RASC

Astronomical Online Glossary Download this month's sky map! Northern hemisphere sky mapSouthern hemisphere sky map Creator: Kym Thalassoudis Southern Hemisphere Additional Information James Barclay's siteRoyal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ siteSouthern Sky Watch. Planets for January 2008 Mercury- visible in evening twilight higher and brighter as the month progresses. Mercury reaches its greatest elongation east on the 22nd (19deg) on the 23 (4UT) Mercury will be .3 deg North of a very dim Neptune -0.9 mag (1st) to -0.7 mag (21st) Venus- Venus is the queen of the morning all month, rising 3 hours before the Sun at the beginning of the month but only 2 hours before the sun at the end of the month. Watch Venus and Jupiter throughout the month as they get closer, about 1 deg a day, until the 31st when they are only 1 deg apart. -3.9 mag (1st) to -3.9 mag (21st) Mars- Just past its December opposition Mars is visible almost all night. Officially in Taurus it appears to be closer to the leg of Castor of Gemini the twins. Mars moves into a nice orange/red triangle with Betelgeuse and Aldebaran before becoming stationary on the 20th and returning to direct (eastward) motion for the rest of the month. -1.5 (1st) to -0.9 mag (21st) Ceres- Jupiter- Jupiter has been hiding behind the sun now reappears in the morning sky climbing higher in the sky. By mid-month Jupiter rises 9 deg above the horizon before sunrise, by the end of the month Jupiter and Venus are 1 deg apart. -1.8 mag (1st) to -1.8 mag (21st) Saturn- In Leo all year Saturn rises mid-evening at the beginning of January. The tilt of Saturn's rings increases from 6.7 deg to 9.9 deg in early May before beginning to close again at the end of 2008. 0.7 mag (1st) to 0.6 mag (21st) Uranus-In Aquarius all year 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9 mag (21st) Neptune-In Capricorn 8.0 mag (1st) to 8.0 mag (21st) Click on thumbnail for full sky image Key Dates for January 2008 Days and Times in UT: (help with time)Observations are for 10pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 8pm for the mid-northern latitudes. Today's sunrise and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory Website Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights   January   1 - Ceres stationary - Watch for comet 8P/Tuttle moving from Aries to Cetus - Algol at minimum (15:15 UT) 2 - Earth at perihelion (147096448 km) our closest point to the Sun in Earth's orbit. (23h UT) 3 - Moon at apogee (405331 km) furthest point away from Earth in its orbit 4 - Quadrantid meteor shower peak named after an extinct constellation, Quadrans Muralis or the mural quadrant an astronomical tool similar to a astrolab or clinometer. 5 - Antares 0.5 deg N of Moon check the IOTA pages for occultations (S.S.America, part of Antarctica) - Latest sunrise at latitude 40 deg North* 8 - New Moon (11:37 UT) 11 - Neptune 0.4 deg N of Moon, check the IOTA pages for occultations (S tips of Australia, part of Antarctica, New Zealand) 15 - First Quarter Moon (19:46 UT) 16 - Vesta 1.9 deg SSE of Mercury in evening sky 18 - Moon 1.1 deg N of Pleiades (M45) (7 UT) 19 - Moon at perigee (366430 km) (9 UT) 20 - Mars 1.1 deg S of Moon, check the IOTA pages for occultations (N.Russia, Arctic regions, NW Tip of N. America) 22 - Mercury at greatest elongation E (19 deg) (5 UT) - Full Moon (13:35 UT) 23 - Moon 0.3 deg N of Beehive (M44) 24 - Regulus 0.7 deg N of Moon, check the IOTA pages for occultations (S. Indonesia, Australia, part of Antarctica 30 - Last Quarter Moon (5:03 UT) - Mars stationary 31 - Moon at apogee (404533 km) The Dark Days of Wintersunrise and sunset times for your home*Comparative lengths of day and night Monthly Messier* This month on the tour we will be attempting several of the most difficult objects in the Catalog, a small faint planetary nebula, and a pair of face on spiral galaxies. Also featured this month is a small, but fairly bright galaxy and three open clusters. You will need binoculars and a telescope to fully enjoy the January tour. M33 - This is a very large (about the size of the full moon) face on spiral galaxy in the constellation Triangulum. The total light from M33 is about magnitude 5.3, but when spread out over its large area it yields a very low surface brightness. The best and easiest views of M33 can be found with a pair of binoculars. Look for a large, round hazy patch of light with little detail at first glance. M33 can be glimpsed with the naked eye in dark clear skies. Finding M33 in a telescope can be a challenge because of its size. Use the widest field eyepiece you have and look for a change in light level to identify the galaxy. M103 - This is a fairly small, sparse open cluster in Cassiopeia. Look for a tight group of stars in binoculars, being careful not to mistake it for several other clusters in the same area. Through a telescope the cluster is very sparse, four bright stars amidst the slight glow of much fainter companions. M52 - M52 - This rich open cluster in Cassiopeia is fairly easy to see in binoculars as a faint smudge of light. A small to mid telescope will begin to resolve this cluster. Look for a triangular patch of light with some stars clearly resolved, but most of the cluster members provide only a hint of graininess. M76 - Known as the little dumbbell, this planetary nebula in Perseus is one of the dimmest objects in the Catalog. Look for a small, faint, oblong patch of light. Not a very obvious object, if you don't see it at first try varying magnifications in an attempt to bring it out. Fortunately M76 is located near a bright star which aids in locating the correct field to search. M34 - This is a large and bright, but sparse open cluster located in Perseus. Visible as a faint patch of light to the naked eye, it is very obvious and easy to resolve in binoculars. In fact, binoculars provide a better view of this cluster than most telescopes. M74 - This galaxy in Pisces is a smaller and fainter version of M33, a face on spiral galaxy with low surface brightness. M74 is arguably the most difficult object to find in the Catalog. You will need very dark, clear skies to easily see it, anything less than perfect conditions will make M74 nearly impossible to find. Look for a very faint fuzzy star, which is the bright central condensation, surrounded by a very faint glow. Try all of your tricks on this one; star hop to the correct field, try varying magnification, tap the scope to detect the galaxy through its motion. If all of the above fail, try again another night or seek darker skies. M77 - This is a small faint galaxy in Cetus. Possible to see in binoculars, but very difficult, look for a faint fuzzy star. Through a telescope look for a fuzzy, oval shaped patch of light, bright in the center, fading towards the edges. From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada Comets for January 2008 Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages Historical and Current Events...Did you know? Mark has developed his own website so let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this month! Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder! Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"Three Blind Mice- "Watchstar"Friction Bailey - "Auld Lang Syne" Astronomical Highlights for 2008 Earth's major motions for 2008 Perihelion Jan 3 00h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 20 05:48(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 20 23:59(UT) Aphelion July 4 08h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 22 15:44(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 21 12:04(UT) Planet Positions for 2008 2008 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap Mars Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Sco Oph Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Interesting Planet Pairing for 2008 January (first two week) - Mars, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran - Mars will be moving westward into this red triangle, pausing at the end of the month and then returning to regular Eastward motion at the beginning of February. February 1 (start watching in early January) - Jupiter and Venus - Start this early in January with Jupiter just off the horizon and watch as they creep closer and closer. On the 1st of Feb early in the morning, about one hour before sunrise in the east, Jupiter and Venus are less than one degree apart in the constellation Sagittarius. They will be outstanding and you could imagine all sorts of symbolism that could be associated with this conjunction. February 27 - Mercury and Venus - Rising just one hour before the Sun in the East in the constellation Capricornus. Venus and Mercury will be just over one degree apart and then Venus will speed off, with Mercury in hot pursuit. March 24 - Mercury and Venus...again - Mercury catches up to Venus again, this time less than one degree apart and in the constellation Aquarius. They will also be rising above the horizon only a half hour before the sun, so seeing them will be quite a challenge. July 10 - Mars and Saturn - In the constellation Leo yellowish-white Saturn and reddish Mars will be less than one degree from each other. The pair is still up two hours after sunset and are bright so it should be easy to see. August 13 - Venus and Saturn - Less than one degree apart in the constellation Leo. Venus will be the brighter of the two. August 14 (watch from 10-16th)- Venus, Mercury, and Saturn - Just after sunset a triple conjunction! The three planets will be less than three degrees apart in the constellation Leo and almost in a line. Venus will be the highest and brightest Saturn the middle object and Mercury will be the lowest of the three but surprisingly brighter than Saturn. If you want to make this even more interesting look for Mars 16 degrees to the SW the trio. August 19-21 - Venus and Mercury - The two planets will be about one degree apart for three days. VERY low on the western horizon at sunset. September 11 (watch from 5-18)- Venus and Mars - Venus will come right next to the Red Planet, with the two less than one degree apart Mercury lying three and a half degrees away from the pair and shining brighter than Mars. The whole group will set just one hour after sunset. December 1 - Venus and Jupiter - All within Sagittarius, the two planets will be two degrees apart and they don't set until three hours after sunset. As a bonus, a 15%-lit moon will lie three degrees away from Venus. December 31 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars. 2008 Phases of the Moon Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER d h m d h m d h m d h m JAN. 8 11 37 JAN. 15 19 46 JAN. 22 13 35 JAN. 30 5 03FEB. 7 3 44 FEB. 14 3 33 FEB. 21 3 30 FEB. 29 2 18MAR. 7 17 14 MAR. 14 10 46 MAR. 21 18 40 MAR. 29 21 47APR. 6 3 55 APR. 12 18 32 APR. 20 10 25 APR. 28 14 12MAY 5 12 18 MAY 12 3 47 MAY 20 2 11 MAY 28 2 57JUNE 3 19 23 JUNE 10 15 04 JUNE 18 17 30 JUNE 26 12 10JULY 3 2 19 JULY 10 4 35 JULY 18 7 59 JULY 25 18 42AUG. 1 10 13 AUG. 8 20 20 AUG. 16 21 16 AUG. 23 23 50AUG. 30 19 58 SEPT. 7 14 04 SEPT. 15 9 13 SEPT. 22 5 04 SEPT. 29 8 12 OCT. 7 9 04 OCT. 14 20 02 OCT. 21 11 55OCT. 28 23 14 NOV. 6 4 03 NOV. 13 6 17 NOV. 19 21 31NOV. 27 16 55 DEC. 5 21 26 DEC. 12 16 37 DEC. 19 10 29DEC. 27 12 22 Eclipses for 2008 2008 February 07[ Solar: Annular ] 2008 February 21[ Lunar: Total ] 2008 August 01[ Solar: Total ] 2008 August 16[ Lunar: Partial ] February 07 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2008 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track, that traverses Antarctica and southern regions of the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southeastern third of Australia, all of New Zealand and most of Antarctica. August 1 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see map, times, and animation!): On Friday, 2008 August 01, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia. Special website with extra information and links to live eclipse webcasts can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website for the August 1st Eclipse February 20th - Total Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times.): The first lunar eclipse of 2008 is perfectly placed for observers throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe. The eclipse occurs at the Moon's descending node, midway between perigee and apogee. During the eclipse, Saturn lies about 3Â northeast of the Moon and shines brightly (mv = +0.2) because it is near opposition. Special website with live broadcast can be found at the NASA Eclipse Website August 16 - Partial Lunar Eclipse ( see map, times): The last eclipse of 2008 is a partial lunar eclipse at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. It is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere as well as eastern South America Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory) Meteor Showers for 2008All times are UT Name Date of PeakTime in UT (help with time) Moon Phase Quadrantids January 4, 7h Waning Crescent Lyrids April 22, 4h almost Full Eta Aquarids May 5, 18h New Moon Perseids August 12, 11h Waxing Gibbous Orionids October 21, 4h Last Quarter Leonids November 17, 10h Waning Gibbous Geminids December 13, 23h Full Moon Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2008" RASC

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