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Rigel Sirius Canis Major Canopus Achernar FACEBOOK - “SCOB – Science Centre OBservatory” 16th Jan TWITTER – twitter.com/scobbers Pleiades Auriga JUPITER Castor Betelgeuse Aldebaran Procyon 19th Jan WEBSITE - www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx BLOG – scobbers.blogspot.com Pollux 22nd Jan 27thJan Stars of the month (January) – Taurus, Orion & Sirius January 2013 Moon Dates 5th Jan 12th Jan 19th Jan 27th Jan Last Quarter Half Moon (1am-8am) New Moon (not visible) 1st Quarter Half Moon (6pm-12am) Full Moon (8pm-6am) Bright Planets Mercury – Not visible, hidden in the Sun’s glare. Venus – Early morning, low in the East around 7am. Mars – Low in west after sunset, hidden in Sun’s glare. Jupiter – Visible throughout early evening , beside stars of Taurus, until 3:30am. Saturn – Visible early morning 3am-6:30am, near to star Spica (Virgo). High in the sky, are the constellations Taurus (bull) and Orion (hunter). Taurus’ best objects include the bright orange star Aldebaran (the follower) and the star clusters Pleiades and Hyades. Orion is one of the most distinctive groups of stars in the sky. Its brightest stars include red supergiant Betelgeuse (shoulder) and blue-white supergiant Rigel (foot). Orion is well known for having three stars in a straight line, Orion’s belt. 1 2 Located towards the South East of Orion’s belt is the brightest star in the sky, Sirius (scorching), belonging to the constellation Canis Major. Its brightness causes it to twinkle more than other stars as its light passes through our atmosphere. Moons of Jupiter 3 Every Friday evening at SCOB, see Jupiter’s four biggest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto in the following positions: Fri 4th Jan Io Callisto Ganymede Europa Sirius Fri 11th Jan Callisto Europa Europa Shadow transit 7:30pm-10pm Io Ganymede A large and bright cluster of young white-blue stars. Try and spot the 7 brightest members using only your eyes. Use binoculars to experience its full glory! Fri 18th Jan 2. The Hyades Io Ganymede Callisto Europa Transit 8:15pm-10:30pm Fri 25th Jan 1. M45 – The Pleiades (Seven Sisters) Callisto Europa A loose grouping of stars next to the bright star of Aldebaran. One of the closest star clusters to the Sun (150 light years away). Requires binoculars. 3. M42 – The Orion Nebula Io Ganymede A large, diffuse nebula (hydrogen gas cloud) and one of the best objects in the sky! Our eyes can see it as a hazy speck, a short distance from Orion’s belt. Binoculars can show more of the nebula. A telescope reveals the small cluster of stars (the trapezium) at its heart. These hot, young stars are responsible for illuminating of the gas cloud that surrounds them. FACEBOOK - “SCOB – Science Centre OBservatory” Procyon TWITTER – twitter.com/scobbers Aldebaran Auriga Capella Castor Pollux Rigel Canis Major Canopus Achernar WEBSITE - www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx BLOG – scobbers.blogspot.com Regulus Betelgeuse 26th Feb 18th Feb 21st Feb February Moon Dates 10th Feb 3rd Feb Stars of the month (Feb) – Orion & Orion Nebula 26th Feb 18th Feb Last Quarter 1st Quarter New Moon Half Moon (Chinese New Year) Half Moon 正月 (1am-8am) (6pm-12am) Betelgeuse Full Moon (8pm-6am) “female warrior” Bright Planets Mercury – Visible in the early evening low in the West after sunset,12-22 Feb. Highest on 14 Feb (18.1o). Venus – Early morning, low in the East around 7am. Mars – Very low in West at sunset, hidden by Sun’s glare. Jupiter – Visible throughout early evening, beside stars of Taurus, until 1am. Saturn – Visible early morning 1am-6:30am, near to star Spica (Virgo). Moons of Jupiter Every Friday evening at SCOB, see Jupiter’s four biggest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto in the following positions: Fri 1st Feb Callisto Europa Ganymede Io Ganymede Shadow Transit 7:30pm-9pm Fri 8th Feb Callisto Io Ganymede Europa Fri 15th Feb Europa Callisto Io Ganymede Ganymede Transit at 9:24pm Fri 22nd Feb Europa Ganymede Io Bellatrix “arm/shoulder” Callisto In February’s night sky, Orion, the hunter, is located directly overhead. Orion’s seven brightest stars can easily be seen in Singapore’s light-polluted sky. Betelgeuse (alpha Orionis) is a massive red supergiant that varies in brightness. Bellatrix (gamma Orionis), is blue giant star. Its name means “female warrior”, indicating that Orion may not have always been seen as a male hunter. Bellatrix is the closest of Orion’s stars (243 light years away). Rigel (beta Orionis) is a large bluish-white supergiant star which becomes the brightest star in Orion, when Betelgeuse occasionally fades. On Orion’s Belt, Alnilam (epilson Orionis) is the closest and brightest of the three. Orion contains many more star and deep sky objects, which are visible in binoculars or a telescope. The Orion Nebula (M42), a large cloud of gas (mainly hydrogen) containing a cluster of young stars, appears as a tiny bright speck to the naked eye. The diagram on the right illustrates the view of the Orion Nebula through a telescope. The tight group of four star is known as the Trapezium (theta Orionis). Surrounding the trapezium is part of the hydrogen gas cloud, which is being illuminated by the energy from the Trapezium stars. A number of other stars within and in front of the nebula are also visible. Orion’s Belt Mintaka Alnilam Alnitak Orion Nebula (M42) Rigel “foot” Saiph “sword” Magnified view of Orion Nebula (M42) 0 TWITTER – twitter.com/scobbers Rigel Capella FACEBOOK - “SCOB – Science Centre OBservatory” Aldebaran Procyon Sirius Castor Pollux Regulus Betelgeuse Canopus Achernar WEBSITE - www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx BLOG – scobbers.blogspot.com 25th Mar 18th Mar 22nd Mar March Moon Dates 5th Mar 12th Mar 20th Mar 27th Mar Stars of the month (March) – Gemini, Leo, Cancer, Canis Major The March sky contains many of the brightest stars in the sky, most notably Sirius, the brightest of all stars. Between Sirius and the 1st magnitude stars of Betelgeuse, Castor, Pollux, Procyon and Regulus lie many hidden star clusters and asterisms ( star patterns) such as The Sickle in Leo or the head of Hydra the snake. Last Quarter Half Moon (1am-8am) New Moon (not visible) 1st Quarter Half Moon (6pm-12am) Full Moon (8pm-6am) Bright Planets Mercury – Not visible until 20th Mar, early morning 6:30am. Highest on 31st Mar (18.1o) in the East before sunrise. Venus – Not visible, behind Sun. Mars – Very low in West at sunset, hidden by Sun’s glare. Jupiter – Visible until 12am, West, near Taurus. Saturn – Visible from 11pm-7am, near to star Spica (Virgo). Moons of Jupiter Every Friday evening at SCOB, see Jupiter’s four biggest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto in the following positions: Fri 1st Mar Io 1) Castor – a multiple star, made up of 6 tightly grouped stars. Most telescope can see two white stars and a smaller red dwarf star. 2) M35 –a large open cluster of over 200 stars arranged in curved chains, 2800 lightyears away. Best viewed in binoculars or telescopes using low magnification. 3) M44 – The Beehive Cluster (Praesepe) A swarm of about 50 stars in the heart of the constellation Cancer, over 500 lightyears away. Best viewed in binoculars. 4) M67 – A more distance, fainter open cluster in Cancer, containing 200 stars. 5) Rosette Nebula (NGC2237 & 2244) A small group of 6 stars surrounded by a gas cloud 5000 lightyears away. Dark skies and large telescopes required for nebula. 6) M48 – large, triangular-shaped open cluster of 80 stars, located on the edge of the constellation Hydra. Visible in binoculars, 2000 light years away. 7) NGC 2362 – a compact cluster of 60 stars containing a bright blue supergiant star in the centre. 8) M41 – large, bright open cluster of 80 stars, 2100 lightyears away. Europa Ganymede Callisto 1 Io Shadow Transit until 8:10pm Fri 8th Mar Io Io Shadow Transit 7:50pm-10:06pm 15th Mar Io Transit until 8:42pm Betelgeuse x4 “shoulder” x Vernal Equinox Callisto 20th Mar 23:27 SGT Io Ganymede Mar Io 5 “before the dog” Io Transit at 8:28pm – 10:40pm Europa Ganymede Regulus Procyon Fri 22nd Mar Europa x Callisto Ganymede Fri 2 x Callisto “King/Prince” Europa 29th Pollux “second twin” 3 Europa Ganymede Fri The Sickle Castor “first twin” Callisto The day in which the Sun is directly above the Equator. In Singapore, this results in the highest position of the Sun in the sky at noon at 1:12pm. Sunrise is at 7:09am x 6 Sirius “scorching” x 7 x 8 Sirius Betelgeuse Canopus Pollux Castor Capella FACEBOOK - “SCOB – Science Centre OBservatory” Aldebaran 15th Apr TWITTER – twitter.com/scobbers Spica Rigil Kentaurus (a Centauri) Regulus 22nd Apr Procyon Arcturus SATURN WEBSITE - www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx BLOG – scobbers.blogspot.com 25th Apr 18th Apr Rigel April Moon Dates 3rd Apr Last Quarter Half Moon (1am-8am) 10th 18th Apr New Moon (not visible) 26th Apr Stars of the month (April) – The Argo Navis (Carina, Vela, Puppis) Full Moon The constellations Puppis, Vela and Carina form the ancient star pattern of the Argo Navis, representing the sailing ship from an Ancient Greek legend. Canopus is the second brightest star in the sky, known in China as “Old Man of the South” for its southern location and sometimes red appearance in hazy or cloudy conditions. The asterism (star pattern) the False Cross is sometimes confused for the Southern Cross (Crux), located nearby to the east. Lying close to a dense part of our Galaxy, The Milky Way, several star clusters can be found when scanning the area with binoculars. Apr 1st Quarter Half Moon (6pm-12am) Partial Lunar Eclipse 2am-6am Bright Planets Mercury –Visible in early morning 6:30am, low in the East before sunrise. Venus – Very low in West at sunset, hidden by Sun’s glare. Mars – Not visible, hidden behind Sun. Jupiter – Visible until 9pm, low in the West. Saturn – Visible from 8:30pm-7am, near to star Spica (Virgo). Saturn Opposition – 28th April Brightest and biggest view of Saturn for 2013 (Magnitude +0.7 Every year, Earth (which is closer to the Sun) begins to move in front of Saturn, resulting in an alignment of Earth and Saturn with the Sun. This known as an opposition as Saturn and the Sun become directly opposite each other, as seen from Earth. 21 1) & 2) M46 & M47 – Two faint open clusters, east of bright star Sirius. M47 is the closer and brighter of the two. Small telescope maybe required. 3) M93 – Faint wedge-shaped star cluster over 3000 light years away but visible in binoculars. v v EARTH DISTANCE: ~1,277 million km Sirius “scorching” 3 x 4) IC2391 – large open cluster of 50 stars surrounding the star Omicron Velorum. Best viewed using binoculars. 5), 6) & 7) IC2581, NGC3293 & NGC3114 Three fainter open star clusters located in front of the rich spiral arm of the Milky Way. Binoculars and small telescopes required. 4 6 7x x x x SUN xx 9 5 x Canopus (old man of the South) 8 10 8) Eta Carinae Nebula (NGC 3372) – a gas cloud surrounding the explosive variable star Eta Carinae. Several more stars are visible through binoculars and telescopes. 9) NGC3532 - A large bright open cluster containing more than 100 stars forming an elliptical shape, 1300 lightyears away. SATURN (IN OPPOSITION) 10) IC2602 (The Southern Pleiades) Large open cluster of around 60 stars surround star Theta Carinae. Easy to spot with binoculars . Spica SATURN Rigil Kentaurus (a Centauri) Canopus TWITTER – twitter.com/scobbers 22nd May Sirius Pollux Castor FACEBOOK - “SCOB – Science Centre OBservatory” 18th May Procyon Arcturus 25th May Regulus Big Dipper WEBSITE - www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx BLOG – scobbers.blogspot.com 15th May May Moon Dates 2nd May 10th May 18th May Stars of the month (May) – The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) 25th May M109 x Last Quarter Half Moon (1am-8am) New Moon (not visible) 1st Quarter Half Moon (6pm-12am) M108 Full Moon (8pm-6am) Merak En R Alkaid Alioth “leader of mourners” “horse/tail” “flank” Bright Planets Mercury – Low in the west at sunset Venus – Low in the west at sunset. Mars – low in the east at sunrise, hidden in Sun’s glare. Jupiter – Low in the west at sunset. Saturn – Visible all night from 8pm-6am, near to star Spica (Virgo). Moons of Saturn Every Friday evening at SCOB, see Saturn’s biggest moons, Titan (Ti), Rhea (R), Dione (D), Tethys (Te), Enceladus (En) in the following positions: Fri 3rd May x Phad “thigh” Megrez Mizar “tail base” “groin/girdle” Alcor “horse” x M101 Dubhe “bear” M81 xx M82 Towards North Star (Polaris) D The Big Dipper is one of the most famous asterisms (star patterns) throughout history. In some places of the Northern Hemisphere, its seven brightest stars can be seen all year round. Further South near the equator it is only visible for a few months. Te Merak and Dubhe are known as The Pointers, pointing directly to the North Star, Polaris (not visible from Singapore). Ti Fri 10th May Te R En Ti D Fri 17th May Ti D R En Fri 24th May D R Te En Fri 31st Ti May Ti D R Te En Te The Dipper is part of a much larger star pattern, the constellation Ursa Major (Greater Bear) although it had a variety of meanings in many cultures. Most common is that of a bear or a ladle/dipper used for scooping water. Other representations include a plough, an ox or horse pulling a plough and three mourners standing beside a funeral pyre. The names of the stars come from Arabic phrases indicating the different meanings. The stars Merak, Phad, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar and Alcor are approximately the same distance from Earth (80 lightyears) moving together as a large star cluster (The Ursa Major Moving Cluster). Dubhe and Alkaid are more distance and are not part of this cluster. Objects of Interest: 1) Mizar & Alcor – two very close stars. A good test of eyesight. Easily viewed in binoculars. Alcor is the furthest of the two. Mizar is actually a multiple stars containing several more stars. A telescope shows three including Alcor. 2) M81, M82, M101, M108, M109 – distant spiral galaxies which may be too faint to see in Singapore’s brightly lit skies. M81 is the brightest. Rigil Kentaurus (a Centauri) TWITTER – twitter.com/scobbers 23rd June Spica Antares Leo Coma Berenices Arcturus FACEBOOK - “SCOB – Science Centre OBservatory” Regulus SATURN WEBSITE - www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx BLOG – scobbers.blogspot.com 19th June 13th June 17th June June Moon Dates 1st June 8th June 17th June 23rd June* 30th June Last Quarter Half Moon (1am-8am) New Moon (not visible) 1st Quarter Half Moon (6pm-12am) Full Moon (8pm-6am) Last Quarter Half Moon (12am-6am) Stars of the month (June) – Centaurus and Crux *June 23rd – Closest Lunar Perigee – Largest and closest Full Moon of the year Bright Planets 6 x Northern Solstice 21st June 17:45 SGT The day in which the Sun is reaches it northernmost point in the sky. In Singapore, this results in the lowest position of the Sun towards the north at noon 1:06pm. Sunrise is at 7am. Moons of Saturn Every Friday evening at SCOB, see Saturn’s biggest moons, Titan (Ti), Rhea (R), Dione (D), Tethys (Te), Enceladus (En) in the following positions: Fri 7th June D En Hadar 2 4 3 x “ground” Ti En 2) The Jewel Box (NGC4755)– a bright open cluster of 50 stars including star Kappa Crucis. Visible Te in binoculars, best seen in a telescope using low magnification. Some stars appear red, orange and blue in colour. R Fri 21st June R Ti En 3) Alpha Crucis (Acrux) – the brightest star in Crux. A double star (bluish-white) when viewed D through a telescope . 4) NGC3766 – a sparkling star cluster containing about 100 stars. Can be seen in binoculars. Te 5) NGC 5460 - a large open cluster of 40 stars visible in binoculars or small telescopes. Fri 28th June En Ti D “Centaur’s foot” x reveals two bright yellow stars similar to The Sun. The third star (proxima centauri) a faint red dwarf, is difficult to find although it is the closest of the three. Fri 14th June Te Alphs Centauri (Rigil Kentaurus) 1) Alpha Centauri –closest star to our Sun (4.25 light-years away). A triple star system. A telescope Ti D 1 The constellations of Centaurus and Crux are easy to identify on a clear night. There are great for observing with binoculars as they lie directly in front of one of the richest parts of our Galaxy (The Milky Way). R Te x 5 Mercury – Visible in the early evening low in the West after sunset,12-22 Feb. Highest on 12 June24.3o). Venus – Early morning, low in the East around 7am. Mars – Very low in West at sunset, hidden by Sun’s glare. Jupiter – Visible all night, beside stars of Taurus. Saturn – Visible early morning 1am-7am, near to star Spica (Virgo). R 6) Omega Centauri (NGC5139) – The largest Globular Cluster, a dense ball of 100,000 stars or more. Appears as a hazy patch in binoculars . Telescopes at low magnification may resolve individual stars. 17,000 lightyears away. 23rd July Antares 16th July Rigil Kentaurus (a Centauri) Hadar TWITTER – twitter.com/scobbers SATURN Spica VENUS 1ST July FACEBOOK - “SCOB – Science Centre OBservatory” Regulus VENUS 31ST July Arcturus Altair WEBSITE - www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx BLOG – scobbers.blogspot.com 19th July 13th July July Moon Dates 8th July 16th July 23rd July Stars of the month (July) – Scorpius 30th July 9 8 6x New Moon (not visible) Full Moon (8pm-6am) 1st Quarter Half Moon (6pm-12am) Last Quarter Half Moon (1am-8am) Antares “Anti-Mars” Bright Planets 1 Mercury – Low in the east at sunrise, 25-31 July. Near to Jupiter and Mars. Highest on 30th July (20o high) Venus – Bright and visible in early evening towards west until 9pm. Mars –Low in the east at sunrise, visible 6:30-7am. Jupiter – Low in the east at sunrise, visible 6:30-7am. Saturn – Visible from 8pm-2am, near to star Spica (Virgo). x 2 x x5 7 Graffias “Claws” Scorpius is one of the easiest constellations to identify, with its distinctive curved chain of stars representing the tail and sting of a scorpion. The bright star Antares is the 6th brightest star in the night sky and one of the largest stars known to exist. Being a red supergiant it is similar in appearance to the planet Mars, therefore one meaning of its name is as a rival of Mars. Shaula “tail” 4 x 3 Scorpius is full of deep sky objects and bright stars as it lies in front of the heart our Galaxy (The Milky Way). It is well worth viewing through binoculars. Moons of Saturn Every Friday evening at SCOB, see Saturn’s biggest moons, Titan (Ti), Rhea (R), Dione (D), Tethys (Te), Enceladus (En) in the following positions: Fri 5th July Te En Ti Te D Fri 19th July 3) Zeta Scorpii – Double star, orange and blue/white colour, unrelated (do not orbit each other). More visible in telescope. 4) NGC6231 – a bright open star cluster of 100 stars. Located near to Zeti Scorpii. Binoculars may reveal more star clusters in the surrounding area. Fri 12th July En 1) M6 (Butterfly Cluster) – beautiful open star cluster arranged in curved chains like the wings of a butterfly. Visible in binoculars, best in telescope using low magnification. 2) M7 – large open cluster of about 70 stars. Triangular pattern. Close to M6 and other star clusters. D R Objects of interest: R Ti Ti 5) M4 – large globular cluster containing thousands of stars. Difficult to spot may appear fuzzy in binoculars. 6) M80 – small, distant globular cluster. Faint, requires low magnification. D R Te En Fri 26th July Te R 7) Omega Scorpii – unrelated double star. Easy to spot in Binoculars. 8) Nu Scorpii – a quadruple star (double-double), four stars in one. Binoculars only show two stars. Large telescope and high magnification needed to see all four. D En Ti 9) Graffias (Beta Scorpii) – bright unrelated double star, best seen in a telescope. Both are bluishwhite in colour. 18th Aug Antares 14th Aug Spica 11th Aug TWITTER – twitter.com/scobbers Rigil Kentaurus (a Centauri) SATURN VENUS FACEBOOK - “SCOB – Science Centre OBservatory” 1ST Aug VENUS 31ST Aug Arcturus Altair WEBSITE - www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx BLOG – scobbers.blogspot.com 21st Aug August Moon Dates 14th Aug 7th Aug 1st Quarter Half Moon (6pm-12am) New Moon (not visible) 21st Aug Neptune opposition 28th Aug Full Moon (8pm-6am) 27th Aug (mag 7.8) Stars of the month (Aug) – Scorpius & Sagittarius Earth moves into alignment with Neptune. Around this time Neptune appears at its brightest, however it is still too dim to be seen with the naked eye. It is best viewed after 11pm. Last Quarter Half Moon (1am-8am) Bright Planets Mercury – Not visible Venus – Bright and visible, early evening towards west until 9pm. Mars – low in the east before sunrise, visible 6am-7am. Jupiter – Low in the east, early morning 5:30am-7am. Saturn – Visible at night from 8pm-11pm, towards the west. Graffias 7 7x 8x 9x 10x Antares “Anti-Mars” “Claws” x 5 1 x 2 x Every Friday evening at SCOB, see Saturn’s biggest moons, Titan (Ti), Rhea (R), Dione (D), Tethys (Te), Enceladus (En) in the following positions: Fri 2nd August Objects of interest: 1) M6 (Butterfly Cluster) – beautiful open star cluster arranged in curved chains like the wings of a butterfly. Visible in binoculars, best in telescope using low magnification. 2) M7 – large open cluster of about 70 stars. Triangular pattern. Close to M6 and other star clusters. En Fri 9th August En D R 3) Zeta Scorpii – Double star, orange and blue/white colour, unrelated (do not orbit each other). More Te Fri 16th August Ti En Te D R R Fri 23rd August En D Te Ti En Ti R 4 x 3 Te R Ti Shaula “tail” Ti D D 6x 11x Moons of Saturn Fri 30th August Located directly in front of the centre of our Galaxy, The Milky Way, the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius contain many star clusters and nebulae (gas clouds). Te visible in telescope. 4) NGC6231 – a bright open star cluster of 100 stars. Located near to Zeti Scorpii. Binoculars may reveal more star clusters in the surrounding area. 5) M4 – large globular cluster containing thousands of stars. Difficult to spot may appear fuzzy in binoculars. 6) M17 – Omega/Horseshoe Nebula – a curved gas cloud. May be difficult to spot in binoculars. Best viewed in telescopes using low magnification. 7) M24 – a large grouping of hundreds of stars in one of the brightest parts of the Milky Way. Worth scanning the area with binoculars. 8) M25 – a bright open cluster of about 30 stars, visible in binoculars and small telescopes. 9) M20 & M21 - The Trifid Nebula – a faint gas cloud located close to star cluster M21 containing about 70 stars. Both are visible in low magnification telescopes although M21 is more obvious. 10) M8 – Lagoon Nebula – a bright gas cloud surrounding star cluster NGC6530. Visible in binoculars and telescopes. Has a dark patch through the centre. 11) M22 – a large, bright globular cluster. A compact ball of thousands of stars. Bright, hazy appearance in binoculars. Low magnification telescopes reveal its elliptical shape. Antares VENUS 10th Sept 13th Sept Rigil Kentaurus (a Centauri) TWITTER – twitter.com/scobbers 1ST Sept VENUS Spica 16th Sept 30th Sept Arcturus FACEBOOK - “SCOB – Science Centre OBservatory” SATURN Altair WEBSITE - www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx BLOG – scobbers.blogspot.com 19th Sept September Moon Dates 5th Sept New Moon (not visible) 13th Sept 1st Quarter Half Moon (6pm-12am) 19th Sept Full Moon 中秋節 (8am-6am) 27th Sept Stars of the month (Sept) – Summer Triangle Last Quarter Half Moon (1am-8am) Altair Bright Planets “eagle” 牛郎 Mercury – Low in the west at sunset, hidden in Sun’s glare Venus – Bright and visible towards the west, until 9:30pm. Mars – Visible early morning towards the east, 5:30am-6:30am. Jupiter – Visible early morning towards the east, 4:30am-7am. Saturn – Visible in the evening towards the west until 9pm. Mid-Autumn Festival - 19thth Sept 中 秋 節 Deneb, Altair and Vega are three bright, 1st magnitude stars that form the Summer Triangle. The Summer Triangle is first seen rising in the East during northern hemisphere summer each year. It remains in the night sky until late September. 2 x 4 5 x 3 x 1 The three stars belong to three separate constellations: Cygnus, Aquila and Lyra. The names of the stars come from Arabic phrases referring to birds such as Eagles and Swans. In Chinese culture Vega is Zhi nu 织女(weaver girl/fairy)and Altair is Niu lang 牛郎 (cow herder). They represent a young married couple who become separated when 织女is taken back to heaven. Deneb represents the “magpie” bridge across which the couple can meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th Lunar month, Qi Xi 七夕 (Chinese Valentine’s Day), which this year Deneb occurred on 13th August. This festival always falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Vega Chinese Lunar Calendar. 6 “swooping/landing” In astronomical terms, it is on the Full Moon closest to the 织女 Autumnal Equinox (late Sept) when the midday Sun is directly above the Equator. In northern countries, this results in the Full “tail” Moon rising earlier than a normal Full Moon would, meaning Objects of Interest: this Full Moon stays in the sky longer, brightening up the sky more, making it an ideal time for night time harvest and 1) Delphinus – a small constellation (star pattern) representing a Dolphin. Visible to the naked eye and celebration. Sadly, in Singapore, near the equator, there is little binoculars. change in the Moon’s rising so we do not witness any significant 2) Coathanger Asterism (Brocchi’s Cluster) – A small group of 10 stars in the shape of a coathanger. effect. Requires Binoculars or small telescopes. Located in the faint constellation of Vulpecula. 3) Dumbbell Nebula (M27) – a Planetary Nebula, gas cloud formed from the other layers of a dying star. Appears as a faint misty ellipse when using low magnification. 4) Albireo (Beta Cygni) – a colourful double star, yellow and blue in colour. Requires telescope. Autumal Equinox 23rd Sept 09:23 SGT The day in which the Sun is directly above the Equator. In Singapore, this results in the highest position of the Sun in the sky at noon at 12:57pm. Sunrise is at 6:54am 5) Ring Nebula (M57) – A faint planetary nebula in the shape of a ring or halo. Appears misty in small telescopes, best viewed in large telescopes with very clear skies. 6) Double-Double (Epsilon Lyrae) – Four stars arranged in pairs, very close together. In binoculars and low magnification each pair looks like a single stars. Larger telescopes and high magnifications are need to separate each pair to see all four stars. 600 light-years away. 9th Oct 1st Oct VENUS 31st Oct TWITTER – twitter.com/scobbers Achernar MERCURY Antares Fomalhaut VENUS FACEBOOK - “SCOB – Science Centre OBservatory” Altair Deneb WEBSITE - www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx BLOG – scobbers.blogspot.com 19th Oct October Moon Dates 5th 12th Oct Oct 19th Oct Stars of the month (Oct) – Cap. Aqu. Fomal. Arch. 27th Oct Sadalmelik 1 “luck of king” New Moon (not visible) 1st Quarter Half Moon (6pm-12am) Full Moon Last Quarter (8pm-6am Half Moon (1am-8am) Sadalsuud “luck of lucks” x3 Bright Planets Mercury – Low in the west around 7:30pm. Near to Saturn. Highest on 9th Oct (25.3o high) Venus – Bright and visible in early evening towards west until 9:30pm. Mars –Visible early morning, towards west 5am-7am, near star Regulus Jupiter – Visible early morning, towards east, 4am:-7am. Saturn – Visible in the early evening towards the west until 8pm. Fomalhaut “fish’s mouth” URANUS OPPOSITION – 3rd Oct (mag. 5.7) Earth moves into alignment with Uranus. Around this time Uranus appears at its brightest, however it is still difficult to see with the naked eye. It is best viewed in the late evening. Venus and Scorpius Venus Crescent Moon (31st Oct) x2 (9th Oct) Achernar “river’s end” Antares 4 Algedi “goat/kid” Many of October’s stars are associated with water and the coming of the rainy season. The constellation Aquarius represents the pouring a water from a jar. The names of its two brightest stars (Sadalmelik and Sadalsuud) come from the Ancient Middle East and refer to the luck and favour of the rains, bringing life after a hot, dry summer. Likewise, Capricornus represents a mythical halfgoat/half-fish creature (Mergoat). The bright star Fomalhaut is the mouth of a the southern fish, while Achernar signifies the end of a faint constellation known as Eridanus, the river. Finally, the stars of Grus are named after a Crane, the long-necked water bird. Sadly, most of these stars are faint and difficult to see in Singapore’s brightly lit sky. “Anti-Mars” Object’s of interest: This October, Venus travels in front of the constellation Scorpius. Around 15th-18th October 2013, Venus appears close to Scorpius’ brightest star, Antares. Look out for the crescent moon appearing above the bright pair on 9th Oct. Best viewed before 8pm, towards the west. The planets Mercury and Saturn may also be seen lower to Mercury st th the ground at the start of the month. (1 -20 Oct) Venus (1st Oct) 1) The Water Jar – a asterism (star pattern) made up of four stars representing the water jar of Aquarius. Best viewed in binoculars. 2) M2 – a large globular star cluster, barely visible in binoculars, requires large telescopes to individual stars. 3) NGC 7009 The Saturn Nebula – a planetary nebula formed from the outer layers of a dying star. Faint and oval-shaped. Saturn (1st to 15th Oct) 4) Algedi (Alpha Capricorni) – a multiple star consisting of two pairs of stars all visible in small telescopes. 1st Nov Vega Deneb FACEBOOK - “SCOB – Science Centre OBservatory” 13th Nov 8th Nov TWITTER – twitter.com/scobbers Achernar VENUS Altair Aries Fomalhaut VENUS 30th Nov Pleiades Aldebaran WEBSITE - www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx BLOG – scobbers.blogspot.com 17th Nov Stars of the month (November) Pegasus and Andromeda November Moon Dates 3rd Nov 10th Nov 26th Nov 17th Nov Look northwards, to find the bright stars of Pegasus and Andromeda, two constellations named after an ancient legend involving a flying horse (Pegasus) and a princess (Andromeda). New Moon Deepavali (not visible) 1st Quarter Half Moon (6pm-12am) Full Moon (8pm-6am) Last Quarter Half Moon (1am-8am) Sadly, our bright Singapore sky prevents us from seeing the full extent of these northern constellations. The most obvious part are the 4 stars forming a giant square shape (The Square of Pegasus). One of these 4 stars also forms the start of Andromeda. From this star (Alpheratz), trace an imaginary curved line towards the east and find the other bright stars forming the backbone of the Princess. Bright Planets Mercury – Low in the east, early morning around 6:30am, highest on 18th Nov . Venus – Bright and visible in early evening towards west until 9:30pm. Mars –Visible early morning, towards west 4:30am-6:30am, near star Regulus Jupiter – Visible early morning, 1am:-6:30am. Saturn – Very low towards the east in the early morning around 6:30am (25-30th Nov). 3 4x VENUS GREATEST ELONGATION EAST – 1ST NOVEMNER (47.1o) Venus reaches it furthest position from the Sun as seen from Earth. During this time Venus appears at its highest in the western sky during the early evening. Uranus and Neptune On 3rd Oct, Uranus was at opposition, resulting in it being at its brightest and closest for the year. Likewise, the planet Neptune was recently at opposition on 27th August. 1x Here are some hidden treasures within Pegasus and Andromeda, which you might like to find with a pair of binoculars or a telescope and hopefully a clear sky: 1. M31 – The Andromeda Galaxy. Dazzling under the darkest conditions. In a clear, moonless Singapore sky, you “might” see its fuzzy looking core through binoculars or a telescope at low power. x URANUS 2. Gamma Andromedae (Almach) This month, although both planets are dim and difficult to see, Uranus and Neptune are close to their highest position in the early evening, near the bright star of Fomalhaut and the faint constellations of Pisces and Aquarius. A beautiful double star. One star is golden yellow the other blue. Requires a telescope to be seen. x NEPTUNE 3. Triangulum A small constellation of 3 faint stars in a distinctive triangle shape. Can be seen with the naked eye or binoculars. 4. M15 Globular Cluster Fomalhaut A dense collection of over 100,000 stars. Very distant and faint, requires very dark and clear conditions, binoculars or telescope using low power. Rigel Achernar FACEBOOK - “SCOB – Science Centre OBservatory” Orion Sirius Fomalhaut TWITTER – twitter.com/scobbers Altair Pleiades 9th Dec Aldebaran Betelgeuse 7th Dec VENUS JUPITER Canopus 13th Dec Cetus WEBSITE - www.science.edu.sg/events/Pages/Stargazing.aspx BLOG – scobbers.blogspot.com 17th Dec December Moon Dates 3rd Dec 9th Dec New Moon (not visible) 1st Quarter Half Moon (6pm-12am) Full Moon (8pm-6am) Stars of the month (December) Taurus, Perseus & Auriga 25th Dec 17th Dec* Last Quarter Half Moon (1am-8am) Looking Eastward, the most obvious objects will be the bright orange star of Aldebaran (the follower) in Taurus and the brilliant white star Capella (female goat) in Auriga. *Dec 17th – Furthest Lunar Apogee – smallest Full Moon of the year Bright Planets Mercury – Low in the east, early morning hidden in Sun’s glare . Venus – Brightest during December. Visible in early evening towards west until 8:30pm. Mars –Visible early morning, from 3am-6:30am, near stars of Leo. Jupiter – Visible from 11pm-6:30am, near stars of Gemini. Saturn – Low in the east before sunrise around 6:30am . Southern Solstice – 22nd Dec 01:11 SGT The day in which the Sun is reaches it southernmost point in the sky. In Singapore, this results in the lowest position of the Sun towards the south at noon 1:03pm. Sunrise is at 7:02am. Taurus, Auriga and nearby Perseus, contain a wealth of beautiful star clusters, well worth searching for in clear, moonless skies. (see below for more details) Moons of Jupiter Every Friday evening at SCOB, see Jupiter’s four biggest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto in the following positions: Fri 6th Dec 1. M45 – The Pleiades (Seven Sisters) Europa Io Ganymede Fri 13th Dec Fri Io Ganymede Dec Europa Ganymede A loose grouping of stars next to the bright star of Aldebaran. One of the closest star clusters to the Sun (150 light years away). Requires binoculars. 3. Perseus Double Cluster (NGC 869 & NGC 884) Io Callisto Europa behind Jupiter until 9:56pm Fri 27th Dec Callisto A large and bright cluster of young white-blue stars. Try and spot the 7 brightest members using only your eyes. Use binoculars to experience its full glory! 2. The Hyades Europa Callisto 20th Callisto Io Ganymede Europa disappears behind Jupiter at 8:56pm Two large clusters lying close together in our Galaxy. Must use binoculars but can be tricky to find in our urban sky. 4. Alpha Persei/Melotte 20 Cluster This large, loose cluster surrounds and includes the supergiant star of Alpha Persei (Mirfak), the brightest star in Perseus. Find it with binoculars or telescopes at low power. 5,6,7. – M38, M37, M36 respectively Three star clusters located a short distance from each other in Auriga. M37 (no. 6) is the brightest of the three. Containing hundreds of stars they can appear very faint in bright skies.