USPS Star Calendar for 7-13 June 31 May 2015
Posted by amedalen in June 2015.Tags: Alpheratz, Altair, Deneb Kaitos, equation of time, first-quarter moon, Fomalhaut, Hamal, Mira, perigee
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7 Jun High in the south before dawn, the moon is midway between Altair, 3 fist-widths to the upper right, and Fomalhaut, to the lower left.
9 Jun Before dawn, the first-quarter moon is high in the southeast.
10 Jun The moon is at perigee, 57.97 Earth-radii (370,000 kilometers) away.
12 Jun Rising less than three hours before the sun, the waning crescent moon is low in the east before first light. The moon is surrounded by several second-magnitude stars: Mira 1½ fist-widths to the right or lower right, Hamal 1½ fist-widths to the upper left, Alpheratz 3 fist-widths above, and Deneb Kaitos 3 fist-widths to the lower right.
13 Jun The equation of time is zero. Local mean time and sun time are equal.
USPS Star Calendar for 23-29 November 16 November 2014
Posted by amedalen in November 2014.Tags: first-quarter moon, Fomalhaut, Mars, perigee
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24 Nov Low in the west at dusk, the waxing crescent moon sets less than 2½ hours after the sun. Mars is nearly 2 fist-widths to the upper left.
25 Nov Mars is 4 finger-widths to the left of the waxing crescent moon, low in the southwest early tonight. The moon is less than 10 percent illuminated.
26 Nov Tonight the moon is 1 fist-width above Mars, which sets 2½ hours after the sun and is followed by the moon an hour later.
27 Nov The moon is at perigee, 57.99 Earth-radii (370,000 kilometers) away.
29 Nov Fomalhaut is 2½ fist-widths below the first-quarter moon high in the south at dusk.
USPS Star Calendar for 26 October-1 November 19 October 2014
Posted by amedalen in November 2014, October 2014.Tags: Altair, Antares, first-quarter moon, Fomalhaut, gibbous moon, greatest elongation, Mars, Mercury, Spica
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26 Oct Antares is 4 finger-widths to the moon’s lower left just above the horizon at dusk. The moon is only 5 percent illuminated.
27 Oct Low in the southwest at sunset, magnitude 0.9 Mars is less than 1 fist-width to the lower left of the thin waxing crescent moon. About 10 percent of the moon’s surface is illuminated.
28 Oct Mars sets 3 hours after the sun. The moon, now to Mars’ upper left, follows an hour later.
29 Oct The bright star 2½ fist-widths above the moon at dusk is magnitude 0.9 Altair.
31 Oct The first-quarter moon lies midway between magnitude 0.9 Altair, 3 fist-widths to the upper right, and magnitude 1.3 Fomalhaut, to the lower left.
1 Nov In the southeast at sunset, magnitude 1.3 Fomalhaut is 2½ fist-widths below the waxing gibbous moon. Magnitude –0.5 Mercury reaches its greatest elongation of the year, 18.7 degrees west of the sun. Rising more than 1½ hours before the sun, Mercury is followed a few minutes later by magnitude 1.2 Spica to the lower right.
USPS Star Calendar for 28 September-4 October 21 September 2014
Posted by amedalen in October 2014, September 2014.Tags: Altair, Antares, first-quarter moon, Fomalhaut, gibbous moon, Mars, Sagittarius, Saturn
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28 Sep The moon is to Saturn’s upper left, Mars is 1 fist-width to the moon’s left, and Antares is a little more than 1 finger-width to Mars’ lower left. Look at them through binoculars to compare the colors of the red planet and the red star.
29 Sep The moon, Mars and Antares line up this evening. Mars is 3 finger-widths below the moon, and Antares is about 1½ finger-widths below Mars.
30 Sep Mars and Antares are close together, far to the moon’s lower right.
1 Oct The first-quarter moon is above the dome of the Teapot constellation, Sagittarius, low in the south tonight. Mars and Antares are 3 fist-widths to the lower right.
2 Oct The bright star 2½ fist-widths above the moon is magnitude 0.9 Altair.
3 Oct The waxing gibbous moon lies between Altair, 2½ fist widths to the upper right, and magnitude 1.3 Fomalhaut, 3½ fist-widths to the lower left.
USPS Star Calendar for 31 August-6 September 24 August 2014
Posted by amedalen in August 2014, September 2014.Tags: Altair, Antares, Aquila, Eagle, first-quarter moon, gibbous moon, Mars, Regulus, Sagittarius, Saturn, Scorpion, Teapot, Venus
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31 Aug The moon joins Saturn and Mars tonight. Saturn is 1 finger-width to the moon’s right, and Mars is 1½ finger-widths to the lower left. The moon is about 25 percent illuminated.
1 Sep The moon is in the head of the Scorpion this evening. Antares, the Scorpion’s heart, is 1 fist-width to the lower left. Mars and Saturn are 1 fist-width to the lower right.
2 Sep The first-quarter moon is low in the south at sunset. Antares is 1 fist-width to the lower right, and Sagittarius, the Teapot constellation, is to the lower left.
3 Sep The waxing gibbous moon is 1 fist-width above the Teapot’s dome tonight.
5 Sep Magnitude –3.9 Venus passes within 0.73 degrees of magnitude 1.3 Regulus low in the east before first light. They should be visible with binoculars after Venus rises, an hour before the sun.
6 Sep As soon as the sky darkens tonight, look 3 fist-widths above or to the upper right of the moon for magnitude 0.9 Altair, in the constellation Aquila, the Eagle that carried thunderbolts for Zeus. About 85 percent of the moon’s surface is illuminated.
USPS Star Calendar for 3-9 August 27 July 2014
Posted by amedalen in August 2014.Tags: Antares, first-quarter moon, Mars, Mercury, Sagittarius, Saturn, superior conjunction, Teapot
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3 Aug Tonight the first-quarter moon slides 4 finger-widths to Mars’ upper left. Saturn is 2 finger-widths to the moon’s upper left, and both set shortly after midnight.
4 Aug At dusk the moon is 4 finger-widths to Saturn’s left. Mars and Saturn line up to the moon’s right. Antares is 1½ fist-widths to the moon’s lower left.
5 Aug Antares is less than 4 finger-widths below the moon at dusk. Saturn is more than 2 fist-widths to the right.
7 Aug The moon is high above the dome of the Teapot constellation Sagittarius.
8 Aug At superior conjunction, Mercury passes on the other side of the sun, 1.347 AU away.
USPS Star Calendar for 29 June-5 July 22 June 2014
Posted by amedalen in July 2014, June 2014.Tags: aphelion, apogee, first-quarter moon, Jupiter, Leo, Lion, Mars, Regulus, Spica
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29 Jun Jupiter is a little more than 1 fist-width to the right of the moon, which is a little higher above the western horizon tonight. The moon is less than 10 percent illuminated.
30 Jun Low in the west at dusk, the thin waxing crescent moon sets only two hours after the sun. Magnitude 1.3 Regulus in the constellation Leo, the Lion, is 1 fist-width to the upper left. The moon is at apogee, 63.65 Earth-radii (406,000 kilometers) away.
1 Jul Low in the west at dusk, magnitude 1.3 Regulus is 2 finger-widths to the thin waxing crescent moon’s upper right. About 10 percent of the moon’s surface is illuminated.
3 Jul The moon lies midway between Regulus, 2½ fist-widths to the lower right, and magnitude 0.1 Mars, to the upper right. The moon’s surface is about 20 percent illuminated.
4 Jul Much closer to Mars tonight, the moon is 1 fist-width to the right of the red planet. Around midnight, earth is at aphelion, its farthest point from the sun for the year. At 1.01682 AU, it’s about 1.5 million miles farther than its average distance of 93 million miles.
5 Jul Tonight the first-quarter moon passes within a quarter-degree of Mars. Viewing is best as Mars becomes visible in the darkening sky. As evening passes, the moon slides to Mars’ left and is between Mars and Spica when the trio sets early tomorrow morning.
USPS Star Calendar for 4-10 May 27 April 2014
Posted by amedalen in May 2014.Tags: apogee, first-quarter moon, Jupiter, Mars, opposition, Procyon, Regulus, Saturn, Spica
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4 May The moon lies 4 finger-widths to Jupiter’s left, high in the west at sunset. Procyon is 1 fist-width to the moon’s lower left.
5 May Procyon is a little more than 1 fist-width below the moon at dusk.
6 May The moon is at apogee, 63.39 Earth-radii (404,000 kilometers) away.
7 May Regulus is 3 finger-widths to the first-quarter moon’s upper left, high in the south at dusk.
8 May Regulus is 1 fist-width to the moon’s upper right this evening. Mars is 3 fist-widths to the lower left. Noticeably dimmer Spica is 1½ fist-widths beyond Mars.
9 May Mars is 1½ fist-widths to the moon’s lower left tonight.
10 May High in the southeast at dusk, Mars stands about 2 finger-widths to the moon’s left. Saturn, at opposition, rises at sunset and is visible all night.
