Observing – Page 49 – Astronomy Now

Jupiter set to enthral observers on the night of February 26th

26 February 2015 Ade Ashford

Currently the third brightest celestial object in the night sky of the British Isles after the Moon and Venus, Jupiter presents a cornucopia of phenomena for observers with medium to large telescopes tonight.

First Quarter Moon invades the Hyades

22 February 2015 Ade Ashford

On the evening of February 25th, the Hyades open cluster that forms the head of Taurus plays host to the First Quarter Moon, providing a very attractive binocular target.

Venus and Mars get close in the evening sky

13 February 2015 Ade Ashford

Observers with a clear western horizon from the middle to the third week of February can enjoy the closing gap between planets Mars and Venus in the early evening sky.

Jupiter keeps observers’ busy during March

2 February 2015 Ade Ashford

The Solar System’s largest planet reached opposition on February 6th, but it’s still big and bright in the March sky. Here’s our quick guide to Jupiter at its best for 2015.

1st Feb: see the Moon occult λ Geminorum

31 January 2015 Ade Ashford

The current monthly cycle featuring occultations of naked-eye star Lambda Geminorum continues with an early evening event for the British Isles on Sunday, 1st February.

Moon meets Aldebaran in the evening sky

28 January 2015 Ade Ashford

On the evening of Thursday, 29 January the Moon has a close brush with bright star Aldebaran in Taurus. If you have a clear sky, grab your binoculars and enjoy the view.

Farewell, until the next time, 2004 BL86: a personal view

27 January 2015 Ade Ashford

Clear skies in eastern England during the night of 26th/27th January enabled this fortunate observer to take a good look at and photograph asteroid 2004 BL86 during its close approach to Earth.

24th Jan: Griffith Observatory live webcast of rare triple moon shadows on Jupiter

23 January 2015 Ade Ashford

With good weather predicted, UK observers are in for a early treat on the morning of Saturday, 24th January, when a rare triple shadow transit of Jupiter’s moons occurs — an event not to be repeated until 2032. If cloudy, Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles is hosting a live webcast.

See 2-day-old crescent Moon occult naked-eye star from western British Isles

22 January 2015 Ade Ashford

For those in the west of the British Isles, magnitude-4.2 star θ Aquarii slips behind the darkened limb of the 2-day-old Moon soon after 7:15 pm — an event visible in binoculars.

See a 1-day-old Moon challenge

21 January 2015 Ade Ashford

What’s the youngest Moon you’ve ever seen? While the best opportunities generally occur in Northern Hemisphere spring when the ecliptic’s high, 21st January offers UK observers a 28-hour-old lunar crescent.