Download Astronomy Club of Asheville October 2016 Sky Events

Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Sky Events
The Planets this Month - page 2
Planet Highlights - page 9
Moon Phases - page 12
Find the Zodiacal Light - page 13
October 19th - the Moon Occults Aldebaran - page 16
October 21st - Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks - page 18
October 21st - Ceres at Opposition - page 19
www.AstroAsheville.org
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Sky Events – the Planets
 The bright planets Venus, Saturn and Mars continue to
dominate our early evening skies this month.
 Shortly after sunset this month, find Venus and Saturn in the
southwest and locate Mars in the south-southwest.
 As the month progresses, Venus climbs higher in the sky along
the ecliptic, while Saturn is descending along the ecliptic. The
two planets will appear to pass each other (trade positions) on
the nights of October 27th – 31st. On those nights they will be
separated by about 3º.
 Observe Saturn, Venus and Mars early in the evening this
month before they disappear into the southwest horizon.
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Sky Events – the Planets
Conjunction of the Moon with Venus and Saturn
In the early evening hours of October 3rd – 6th, the waxing crescent Moon, in its
eastward movement along the ecliptic, will pass the planets Venus and Saturn.
Image courtesy of Sky & Telescope
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Sky Events – the Planets
Conjunction of the Moon with Mars
On the evenings of October 7 & 8,
the waxing Moon will appear above
the bright planet Mars.
On these 2 nights, Mars is some
103 million miles behind the Moon
in the direction of the constellation
Sagittarius.
Image courtesy of Sky & Telescope
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Sky Events – the Planets
Linear Conjunction of Saturn, Venus and Antares
In the early evening hours of October 27th,
the bright planets Saturn and Venus will
form a striking linear conjunction with
the bright giant orange star Antares in
Scorpius.
Although the 2 bright planets and the star
Antares may appear to be at similar
distances from Earth, in reality (three
dimensions), Antares is some 604 light
years behind the planets!
Image courtesy of Sky & Telescope
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Sky Events – the Planets
 Mercury reaches superior conjunction (in orbit on the other side of the
Sun from the Earth) on October 27th. However, with a good view low to the
east at dawn, you should be able to locate Mercury during the first 11 days of
October.
 Jupiter joins Mercury in the beginning of the month low in the eastern
dawn skies. As the month progresses, Jupiter continues to climb higher in
the dawn skies where it will be easier to observe in the foreground of the
constellation Virgo.
 Uranus comes into opposition (directly opposite the Earth from the Sun)
on October 15th. This puts Uranus at its closest to Earth for the year, and it
also means that the planet will be visible in the sky all night. It can be found
this month in the constellation Pisces.
 Neptune will be observable almost all night this month. It can be found this
month in the constellation Aquarius.
 You will need binoculars or a telescope to locate and observe the small
distant planetary disks of Uranus and Neptune.
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Sky Events – the Planets
Close Conjunction of Jupiter
and Mercury in the Dawn Skies
In the early dawn hours of October 11th,
find the planets Mercury and Jupiter
positioned in a very close conjunction.
You will need a clear view very low to the
eastern horizon. Using binoculars may
help in locating the planets.
On this day, Jupiter is some 474 million
miles behind Mercury and some
595 million miles from Earth!
Image courtesy of
Sky & Telescope
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Sky Events – the Planets
Uranus and Neptune are in great viewing position this October. Find their
small distant blue disks in a telescope this month. Neptune was at opposition
on Sep. 2nd, and Uranus reaches opposition on October 15th.
Uranus
Neptune
Images and charts
courtesy of
Sky & Telescope
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Planet Highlights
Planet
Avg.
ConstellaDistance tion(s)
from
Earth
Avg.
Avg.
Diameter Magin arc
nitude
seconds
Comments
Page 1 of 3
Mercury 1.3
AUs
Leo, Virgo &
Libra
5.7
-1.1
Reaches superior
conjunction on
Oct. 27th
Venus
1.3
AUs
Libra,
Scorpius &
Ophiuchus
13.0
-3.9
Shining brightly
low in SW at
dusk
Mars
1.1
AUs
Sagittarius
8.1
0.2
In the S-SW
skies after
sunset
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Planet Highlights
Planet
Avg.
ConstellaDistance tion(s)
from
Earth
Avg.
Avg.
Diameter Magin arc
nitude
seconds
Comments
Page 2 of 3
Jupiter
6.4 AUs
Virgo
30.9
-1.7
Find it low in
the eastern dawn
skies all month
Saturn
10.6
AUs
Ophiuchus
15.6
0.5
Uranus
19 AUs
Pisces
3.7
5.7
Observe it early
evening this
month in the
SW skies
At opposition on
Oct. 15th
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Planet Highlights
Planet
Avg.
ConstellaDistance tion(s)
from
Earth
Neptune 29 AUs
Aquarius
Avg.
Avg.
Diameter Magin arc
nitude
seconds
2.3
7.8
Comments
Page 3 of 3
Nicely
positioned for
observing all
night
Astronomy Club of Asheville
The Moon – October 2016
First Quarter
9th
12:33 a.m.
Full Moon**
16th
12:23 a.m.
Last Quarter
22nd
3:14 p.m.
New Moon
30th
1:38 p.m.
** The “Hunter’s Moon” – The Hunter’s Moon
is the full Moon that follows the Harvest Moon.
Unless otherwise indicated, all times are EDT
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Highlight
The Zodiacal Light
 October is one of the opportune months for finding
the elusive “zodiacal light” in the early morning sky.
 But what is zodiacal light?
 Zodiacal light is the sunlight reflected from numerous
dust grains located along the plane of the solar system
 the ecliptic or “zodiac”.
 These dust grains are left over from the formation of
the solar system (a type of cosmic dust), and their
supply is continuously fed by particles from comets
and asteroid collisions.
 The ecliptic is nearly vertical to the horizon this
month providing good viewing opportunities.
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Highlight
The Zodiacal Light
 Zodiacal light is seen as a “cone” of
light that is widest at the horizon.
 Look for it low in the east (with an
unobstructed view) beginning about
two hours before sunrise.
 The 40-minute prime viewing window
closes about 80 minutes before sunrise.
 Pick a very dark location far from
artificial lights and without moonlight.
 The best dates, without moonlight this
month, to see the zodiacal light will be
from Oct. 1-14 and 29-31.
 In this fall season, when the zodiacal
light is visible in the eastern morning
sky, it is often called the “false dawn”.
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Highlight
The Zodiacal Light
Zodiacal Light and the Milky Way
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Sky Events
The Moon Occults the Star Aldebaran
The waning gibbous Moon will occult (pass in front
of) the bright, orange, giant star Aldebaran during
the very early hours of October 19th – Wednesday.
Aldebaran (in the constellation Taurus) is the
brightest star that the Moon can pass across;
Aldebaran shines at magnitude +0.9.
With binoculars or a small telescope, watch this
star disappear from view, behind the illuminated
limb of the Moon, about 1:24 a.m. EDT. It will
reappear on the other side of the Moon, from the
dark limb, about 2:32 a.m. EDT – a 68 minute
stellar “blackout”. The above times are for
Asheville, NC.
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Sky Events
The Gibbous Moon Occults the Star Aldebaran on
Wednesday, October 19th.
Look to the east-southeast to observe this event in the direction of
the constellation Taurus. The Moon will be 86% illuminated and
48º above the horizon as the occultation begins.
The times below are approximate for Asheville, NC using EDT.
Aldebaran is 65 light years behind the Moon!
Disappearance
about 1:24 a.m.
Reappearance
about 2:32 a.m.
Aldebaran
68 minutes later
Aldebaran
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Highlight:
Orionid Meteor Shower
 The Orionid Meteor shower reaches its peak this year before dawn on the
morning of Friday, October 21st.
 The Orionids are an annual meteor shower associated with Halley’s Comet
(comet dust!). They are named after their radiant, the place where they
appear to originate in the sky, in the constellation Orion.
 Because the meteor shower
peaks near the Last Quarter
Moon this year, moonlight
will diminish the pre-dawn
observing.
 Typically, Orionids appear at
a rate of 10 - 20 per hour,
moving swiftly across the
sky.
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Highlight
Dwarf Planet/Asteroid Ceres is nearest Earth this Month
 Ceres, the largest and first asteroid to be discovered (in 1801),
reaches opposition on October 21st. At opposition, it is
opposite the Earth from the Sun and closest for the year to
Earth in its orbit.
 Located in the asteroid belt between the orbits of the planets
Mars and Jupiter, Ceres can be observed this month with
optical aid in the foreground of the constellation Cetus, the
Whale – some 1.9 astronomical units away, i.e., about 177
million miles.
 In 2006, asteroid Ceres was reclassified to the status of “dwarf
planet”, along with Pluto.
 Shining around magnitude 7.2, try to locate this closest dwarf
planet with binoculars or a telescope this month.
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Highlight
Dwarf Planet/Asteroid Ceres is nearest Earth this Month
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has encountered, orbited and imaged the
largest and first asteroid to be discovered – Ceres.
Ceres orbits the Sun once every 4.6 Earth years.
NASA’s Dawn Spacecraft
image of Ceres
Ceres and the Moon, for scale
Astronomy Club of Asheville
October 2016 Highlight
Dwarf Planet/Asteroid Ceres is nearest Earth this Month
Use the chart and the link below to help you locate and observe
Ceres for your location, date and time this month.
At opposition on October 21st, 7.2 magnitude Ceres will be about
4˚ south of the star Alresha in the constellation Pisces.
Ceres Chart link
Alresha
End