Tuesday morning October 17th the thin 27.25-day old waning crescent Moon will be about 2o from the planet Mars and about 5o from the inner planet Venus. All three will fit within the field of view of 7×50 binoculars and should make for an interesting view.
Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.
Saturday October 14th the waning crescent Moon will be crossing the plane of the ecliptic moving north relative to the ecliptic. This is known as the ascending node, one of two intersections the Moon’s orbital path has with the ecliptic. The ecliptic is actually the Earth’s orbit and the Moon’s orbit is inclined about 6o from the ecliptic. So there are two node intersections, the ascending and descending nodes.
On October 14th the thin 24-day old waning crescent Moon will be just crossing into the boundaries of the constellation Leo the Lion. The Moon will be located about 12o from the heart of the Lion, the star Regulus. Rising above the eastern horizon is the ‘Red Planet’ Mars, and nearby the inner planet Venus.
These two planets are close enough for both to be seen in the field of view of binoculars. Within that same field of view is the 3rd magnitude star Zavijava in the constellation Cancer the Crab, contrasting interestingly with Venus at -4th, and Mars at 2nd magnitudes.
Does our Moon actually go around the Earth as many graphics show? From our perspective on the Earth the Moon appears to circle around the Earth. However, in reality, the Moon orbits the Sun together with the Earth*
*Click here to read my 2006 Scope on the Sky column “The Real Shape of the Moon’s Orbit”. (PDF)
Read this very informative article about the Earth-Moon system and their orbital motions, written by Joe Hanson. “Do We Orbit the Moon?”
Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.
Thursday morning October 5th the inner planet Venus will be within about 0.5o from the planet Mars. With either a telescope or through binoculars the two planets will make for a great view.
Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.
This morning the inner planet Venus and the ‘heart of the lion’, the star Regulus were about 0.5o from each other. Lower near the horizon and emerging from the mornning cloud layer is the other inner planet Mercury, and just above and fainter the planet Mars.
Camera particulars: Canon Rebel T7i; 27 mm; ISO-800; f/5.6; 8 sec.
Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.
The ‘dancing’ continues.
Wednesday morning September 20th the inner planet Venus and the star Regulus will be about 0.5 o from each other in a very close conjunction. Venus is shining at an apparent magnitude of 3.9 while Regulus, the ‘heart of the lion’ has an apparent magnitude of 1.4. Both will fit within the field of view of binoculars as well as a low power or wide-field telescope eyepiece.
Look a bit lower toward the horizon for two more planets, the innermost planet Mercury, and the ‘Red Planet’ Mars.
Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.
The ‘dancing’ continues.
Monday morning September 18th there will be a ‘solar system cluster’ (for lack of another term!), in the hour or so before the Sun rises.
Look eastward for three planets (Venus, Mars, Mercury), the 27.5-day old thin waning crescent Moon, and the star Regulus in the constellation Leo the Lion.
The Moon is situated between Venus and Mars and Mercury such that you are able to see the Moon and Venus within one field of view with binoculars, and by shifting your view lower then be able to see the Moon with Mars and Mercury within that field of view.
Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.
Sunday September 17th the waning crescent Moon will be crossing the plane of the ecliptic moving north relative to the ecliptic. This is known as the ascending node, one of two intersections the Moon’s orbital path has with the ecliptic. The ecliptic is actually the Earth’s orbit and the Moon’s orbit is inclined about 6o from the ecliptic. So there are two node intersections, the ascending and descending nodes.
On September 17th the thin 26.5-day old waning crescent Moon will be within the constellation of Leo the Lion. The Moon will be located about 6o from Venus, and about 9o from the heart of the Lion, the star Regulus. A few more degrees further east from Venus and Regulus (below, as they rise in the morning), is the ‘Red Planet’ Mars, and nearby is the innermost planet Mercury.
These two planets are close enough for both to be seen in the field of view of binoculars.
Does our Moon actually go around the Earth as many graphics show? From our perspective on the Earth the Moon appears to circle around the Earth. However, in reality, the Moon orbits the Sun together with the Earth*
*Click here to read my 2006 Scope on the Sky column “The Real Shape of the Moon’s Orbit”. (PDF)
Read this very informative article about the Earth-Moon system and their orbital motions, written by Joe Hanson. “Do We Orbit the Moon?”
Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to return to bobs-spaces.
