USPS Star Calendar for 5 to 11 December 28 November 2010
Posted by amedalen in December 2010.Tags: Aquarius, Mars, Mercury, new moon, omicron Aquarii, Sadachbia, Sadalmelik, Water Bearer
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5 New moon at 1736 UT
6 Magnitude 1.3 Mars is less than a half finger-width to the moon’s lower right, but both set an hour after the sun. Magnitude -0.1 Mercury is 3 finger-widths to Mars’ upper left. Use binoculars.
7 At magnitude zero, Mercury is 3 finger-widths to the moon’s lower right tonight. Use binoculars.
11 In the constellation Aquarius, the Water Bearer, try to spot magnitude 3.2 Sadalmelik 3 finger-widths to the moon’s upper right. Then look for some of the constellation’s 4th magnitude stars like omicron Aquarii to the lower right and Sadachbia to the lower left. Use binoculars.
USPS Star Calendar for 28 November to 4 December 21 November 2010
Posted by amedalen in December 2010, November 2010.Tags: Arcturus, Big Dipper, last-quarter moon, perigee, Saturn, Spica, Venus
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28 Last-quarter moon at 2036 UT
30 The moon is at perigee, 57.99 Earth-radii away.
1 Magnitude 0.8 Saturn and the moon rise early this morning followed soon by magnitude 1.2 Spica and -4.7 Venus high in the southeast. Saturn is 4 finger-widths to the moon’s upper left, and Spica is the same distance to the lower left, directly below Saturn. Venus is another 3 to 4 finger-widths beyond Spica. Magnitude 0.2 Arcturus is the bright star far to the left. The Big Dipper is upside-down to the upper left high in the north.
2 This morning, the waxing crescent moon moves to Venus’ lower right. At magnitude -4.7, Venus is at its brightest.
3 The thin crescent moon is 1 fist-width below Venus near the horizon this morning.
USPS Star Calendar for 14 to 20 November 7 November 2010
Posted by amedalen in November 2010.Tags: apogee, Aries, Hamal, Jupiter, Leonid meteor shower, Mars, Mercury, Pleiades, Ram, Sheratan
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15 Magnitude -2.7 Jupiter is 3 finger-widths to the waxing gibbous moon’s lower left this evening. The moon is at apogee, 63.51 Earth-radii away.
16 Magnitude -2.6 Jupiter is 1 fist-width to the moon’s lower right tonight.
17 The Leonid meteor shower peaks tonight. Unfortunately, the best viewing won’t occur until moonset at 0400 UT tomorrow.
19 Look for magnitude 2.2 Hamal in the constellation Aries the Ram, 3 finger-widths to the moon’s upper left. The slightly dimmer magnitude 2.7 Sheratan is the same distance to the moon’s upper right. Use binoculars.
20 Magnitude -0.4 Mercury passes within 1 finger-width of magnitude 1.4 Mars this evening. They remain close for several evenings and set 1 hour after the sun. The Pleiades Cluster is 3 finger-widths to the moon’s lower left tonight. Use binoculars.
