Fair Weather Astronomy Calendar of Astronomical Events Solar Activity
Fair Weather Astronomy
Calendar of Astronomical Events
Solar Activity
Meteorology for South Florida and the Caribbean
(Separate Page)
Near-Earth Objects (NEOs)
(Separate Page)
Current Lunar Phase:
(Date and Time in Florida)
Simulated Lunar Phase at the current time
by the US Naval Observatory
[North up, West to the right]
[Click to enlarge]
Weather Images from NOAA Satellite Services Division:
GOES East Satellite Imagery:
(updated every 30 min.)
Southeast US:
Visible
- Infrared Channel 4 - Rainbow
- Water Vapor
[Resolution 3 Km, 24° to 33° N, 94° to 76° W]
Weather Image Loops from NOAA Satellite Services Division:
Southeast US:
Visible
- Infrared Channel 4 - Rainbow
- Water Vapor
[Resolution 3 Km, 24° to 33° N, 94° to 76° W]
National Weather Service (NWS) - Southern Region Headquarters (7 days):
Key Biscayne (25.69° N, 80.17° W)
Cutler (25.63° N, 80.3° W)
Florida City, Everglades National Park entrance (25.44° N, 80.48° W)
NWS Southern Florida - Hourly Graphical Weather Forecasts (3 days):
Key Biscayne (25.69° N, 80.17° W)
Cutler (25.61° N, 80.33° W)
18 Miles W of Florida City, near Pa-hay-okee Overlook (25.47° N, 80.81° W)
Weather Underground Full Screen Weather (Active Tropical Storm Advisories, Radar and Satellite Imagery)
Clear Sky Charts for Canada, USA and parts of Mexico - by Attilla Danko:
Bill Sadowski Park Clear Sky Chart: (Palmetto Bay, 25° 36.52' N, 80° 19.09' W)
Southern Cross Astronomical Society (SCAS) -
Saturday Nite Live Astros:
Weather permitting, meet the friendly Southern Cross Astros, 8 to 10 PM every Saturday evening all year at the popular outdoor SCAS Observatory in Miami-Dade's Bill Sadowski Park & Nature Center, SW 176th St. / SW 79th Ave., 1/2 mile west of Old Cutler Road in Palmetto Bay (W 80° 19.2', N 25° 36.5'). Free viewing.
Under the darkest skies nearest to downtown, you might see a satellite, a sudden brilliant meteor or the International Space Station in addition to the seasonal planets, the magical Moon and dazzling constellations. Enjoy the beauty overhead in SCAS state-of-the-art hi-tech equipment, including the largest telescope in Miami-Dade County for public use.
Check the weather before you leave home as June through October is thunderstorm season in Florida!
Bring your family, friends, house guests, snacks, lawn chairs and bug cream
(chemical aerosals remove the coating on the expensive telescope mirrors and lenses).
Director Barb Yager advises you to wear jeans, sport shoes, and bring a long-sleeved top to our educational evening under the stars....
It's the best deal in town!
Bring your telescope! If you need help, our SCAS techs will come to your rescue.
NO LIGHTS, litter, alcohol or pets allowed in the Nature Preserve. Please turn off car lights when entering the park.
The SCAS telescope deck is accessible to the disabled with convenient parking.
Groups of 20+, please make your reservations on the SCAS Hotline at 305-661-1375 so we know you are coming.
The Southern Cross Astronomical Society Bulletin Board (SCASmail) will post notices about upcoming public events and reports on those events.
Check the SCAS Stargazer in Sunday's Miami Herald Tropical Life - Section M, our community service for more than 23 years.
See the
Interactive Sky Chart for Miami, Florida
(Sky & Telescope),
Sky and Satellites for Cutler, Florida
(Heavens-Above),
Sky and Satellites for Key Biscayne, Florida
(Heavens-Above),
Satellite Flybys for Palmetto Bay, Florida
(SpaceweatherPhone.com),
Satellite Flybys for Key Biscayne, Florida
(SpaceweatherPhone.com).
See josebellas.com (José Bellas, SCAS)
Vea El blog de astroheredero (Carlos Heredero, SCAS)
To see the dates of the Lunar Phases for this month (or any other):
U.S. Naval Observatory - Phases of the Moon
U.S. Naval Observatory - Sunrise/Sunset/Twilight and Moonrise/Moonset/Phase for One Day
U.S. Naval Observatory - Sunrise/Sunset/Twilight and Moonrise/Moonset for One Year
Moon Phase Calculator (Universe Online, McDonald Observatory, University of Texas)
Lunar Data for Cutler, Florida
(Heavens-Above)
Lunar Phases repeat every 29.53 days, the synodic period of the Moon, called a "lunation".
The Moon orbits the Earth at an average distance of 384,401 Km,
at Perigee it can reach 356,375 Km, at Apogee 406,720 Km.
See Inconstant Moon (John Walker, Fourmilab).
The Moon has an area of 37.96 million Km2, a diameter of 3,476 Km,
and a mass 0.01230 times that of the Earth.
From Earth, the average angular diameter of the Moon is 2*atan((3,476/2)/384,401) = 0.518° = 31.1'.
At Perigee, the angular diameter of the Moon is 33.5', at Apogee 29.4' (a 12.3% difference).
The Moon moves against the firmament some 13° to the East every day.
Thus it rises and sets, in average, some 53 minutes later every day.
It is possible to observe the sky without moonlight during the first part of the night,
from the day of the Last Quarter, when the Moon rises at midnight, to the day of the New Moon,
when it sets at sunset.
It is possible to observe the sky without moonlight during the last part of the night,
from the day of the New Moon, when it rises at dawn, to the day of the First Quarter,
when the Moon sets at midnight.
Eastern Time in the U.S.A. = Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) - 5 hours
(- 4 hours during daylight saving time)
A service of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Please help stopping light pollution! See the
Luminic Map of Florida.
For excellent video tutorials on Cosmology, Astronomy and more, see
Khan Academy - Cosmology and Astronomy
Calendar of Astronomical Events:
Mars was at Solar Conjunction on February 4 '11.
It was too close to the Sun to be observed.
Later it will be possible to observe before sunrise, very low above the Eastern horizon, higher every day.
[Next on 17 April '13]
Mars was at Opposition on March 3 '12;
With an equatorial diameter of ~14", and a Magnitude of -1.2.
Mars rose at 18:06, transited at 00:42 and set at 07:03 on March 4 '12.
It was opposite to the Sun in the sky, raising at sunset and setting at dawn; in a straight line with the Sun and the Earth.
It was possible to observe after sunset, above the Eastern horizon, higher every day.
On March 5 '12 Mars was 0.67368 AU away (100.78 million Kilometers), 13.89" in diameter, at 17:01 UT.
The closest Opposition in historical times was on August 27 2003, the next closer will be in August 15 2050 (diameter ~25").
See Close Encounter with Mars
(Science@NASA, Jan 26 '10).
See Primer on Mars Oppositions (IMCCE),
and Mars Oppositions (SEDS).
[Next on April 8 '14]
Venus was at Maximum Eastern Elongation on March 27 '12.
It was possible to observe after sunset above the western horizon, lower every day.
[Next on November 1 '13]
Jupiter was at Solar Conjunction on May 13 '12.
It was too close to the Sun to be observed.
Later it will be possible to observe before sunrise, very low above the Eastern horizon, higher every day.
[Next on June 19 '13]
Venus; was at Inferior Conjunction on June 5 '12.
It was too close to the Sun to be observed.
Later it was possible to observe before sunrise, low in the Eastern horizon, higher each day.
[Next on January 11 '14]
The Summer Solstice, that marks the beginning of Summer in the Northern hemisphere,
and the beginning of Winter in the Southern hemisphere, was on June 20 '12, at 23:09 UT (18:09 EST).
The Sun reached its maximum Northern Declination (near 23.5° N).
See Earth's Seasons, etc. 1992-2020
at the US Naval Observatory.
Pluto was at Opposition on June 29 '12.
It was opposite to the Sun in the sky, raising at sunset and setting at dawn; in a straight line with the Sun and the Earth.
It was possible to observe after sunset rising above the Eastern horizon, higher every day.
[Next on July 1 '13]
The Earth's Aphelium, that marks its maximum distance to the Sun,
was on July 5 '12 [Next on July 5 '13].
See Earth's Seasons, 1992-2020
at the US Naval Observatory.
Venus was at Maximum Western Elongation on August 15 '12.
It was possible to observe before sunrise above the eastern horizon, lower every day.
[Next on March 22 '14]
Neptune was at Opposition on August 24 '12.
It was opposite to the Sun in the sky, raising at sunset and setting at dawn; in a straight line with the Sun and the Earth.
It was possible to observe after sunset above the Eastern horizon, lower every day.
[Next on August 26 '13]
The Autumn Equinox, that marks the beginning of Autumn in the Northern hemisphere,
and the beginning of Fall in the Southern hemisphere, was on September 22 '12, at 14:49 UT (09:49 EDT).
The Sun will have a Southern Declination until the Winter Equinox [on March 20 '13].
See Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion, 2000-2020
at the US Naval Observatory.
See Equinoxes
at the U.S. Naval Observatory.
Uranus was at Opposition on September 29 '12.
It was opposite to the Sun in the sky, raising at sunset and setting at dawn; in a straight line with the Sun and the Earth.
It was possible to observe after sunset above the Eaestern horizon, lower every day.
[Next on October 3 '13]
Saturn was at Solar Conjunction on October 25 '12.
It was too close to the Sun to be observed.
Later it will be possible to observe after sunset above the Western horizon, higher every day.
[Next on November 6 '13]
Daylight Saving Time (UT-4) ended on November 4 '12 at 02:00.
Clocks turned back 1 hour at this time (to UT-5).
See When do we change our clocks?
(Daylight Saving Time - History, rationale, laws & dates).
[DST will again start on March 10 '13]
Jupiter was at Opposition on December 2 '12.
It was opposite to the Sun in the sky, raising at sunset and setting at dawn; in a straight line with the Sun and the Earth.
It will be possible to observe after sunset above the Eastern horizon, higher every day.
[Next on January 5 '14]
Minor Planet 1 Ceres was at Opposition on December 17 '12.
It's magnitude was 6.7, it was at R.A. 5h 48m, Dec. 25° 19' N, in the constellation Taurus,
5° 49' southeast (Az. 247°) of the star Elnath (Beta Tauri). It transited at 00:24.
1 Ceres has an orbital period of 4.60 years and a diameter of 952.4 Km.
On December 17 '12 Ceres was 1.68 A.U. from earth and 2.66 A.U. from the Sun.
See 1 Ceres (Wikipedia),
JPL Small-Body Database Browser - 1 Ceres,
and Ceres: The Dwarf Planet,
See Dawn Mission
(Ion Propulsion, Asteroids Ceres and Vesta, from September 2007 to July 2015),
Asteroids & Comets Amateur Observer's Calendar.
[Next on April 15 '14]
The Winter Solstice, that marks the beginning of Winter in the Northern hemisphere,
and the beginning of Summer in the Southern hemisphere, was on December 21 '12, at 11:12 UT (06:12 EST).
The Sun reached its maximum Southern Declination (near 23.5° S).
See Earth's Seasons, etc. 1992-2020
at the US Naval Observatory.
[Next on December 21 '13, 17:11 UT (13:11 EST)]
The Earth's Perihelium, that marks its closest distance to the Sun,
was on January 2 '13, 05 UT (00 EST).
See Earth's Seasons, 1992-2020
at the US Naval Observatory.
[Next on January 4 '14, 12 UT (07 EST)]
On February 15 '13 it was 449 years from the birth in Pisa, Italia, of Galileo Galilei (1564-1642);
The first scientist.
See The Galileo Project (Rice University),
and Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems.
Mercury was at Maximum in Eastern Elongation on February 16 '13.
It was possible to observe after sunset above the Western horizon, lower every day.
[Next on June 12 '13]
Neptune was at Solar Conjunction on February 21 '13.
It was too close to the Sun to be observed.
Later it will be possible to observe before sunrise, very low above the Eastern horizon, higher every day.
[Next on February 23 '14]
Mercury was at Inferior Conjunction on March 4 '13.
It was too close to the Sun to be observed.
Later it will be possible to observe before sunrise, low above the Eastern horizon, higher every day.
[Next on July 9 '13]
Last Quarter Moon; March 4 '13 at 21:53 UT (16:53 EST).
Daylight Saving Time (UT-4) started on March 10 '13 at 02:00.
Clocks turned forward 1 hour at this time (from UT-5 to UT-4).
See When do we change our clocks?
(Daylight Saving Time - History, rationale, laws & dates).
[EST (UT-5) will again start on November 3 '13]
New Moon; March 11 '13 at 19:51 UT (15:51 EDT).
First Quarter Moon; March 19 '13 at 17:27 UT (13:27 EDT).
The Winter Equinox, that marks the beginning of Spring in the Northern hemisphere,
and the beginning of Autumn in the Southern hemisphere, was on March 20 '13, at 11:02 UT (07:02 EDT).
The Sun crossed to the North of the Celestial Equator.
The Sun will have a Northern Declination until the Autumn Equinox [on September 22 '13].
See Earth's Seasons, etc. 1992-2020
at the US Naval Observatory.
See Equinoxes
at the U.S. Naval Observatory.
Full Moon; March 27 '13 at 09:27 UT (05:27 EDT).
Venus was at Superior Conjunction on March 28 '13.
It was too close to the Sun to be observed.
Later it will be possible to observe after sunset, above the Western horizon, higher every day.
[Next on October 25 '14]
Uranus; was at Solar Conjunction on March 28 '13.
Later it will be possible to observe before sunrise above the eastern horizon, higher every day.
[Next on April 2 '14]
Mercury was at Maximum in Western Elongation on March 31 '13.
It was possible to observe before sunrise above the eastern horizon, lower every day.
[Next on July 30 '13]
Last Quarter Moon; April 3 '13 at 04:36 UT (00:36 EDT).
New Moon; April 10 '13 at 09:35 UT (05:35 EDT).
Mars was at Solar Conjunction on April 17 '13.
It was too close to the Sun to be observed.
Later it will be possible to observe before sunrise, very low above the Eastern horizon, higher every day.
[Next on June 14 '15]
First Quarter Moon; April 18 '13 at 12:31 UT (08:31 EDT).
Full Moon; April 25 '13 at 19:57 UT (15:57 EDT).
Saturn was at Opposition on April 28 '13.
It was opposite to the Sun in the sky, raising at sunset and setting at dawn; in a straight line with the Sun and the Earth.
It was possible to observe after sunset rising above the Eastern horizon, higher every day.
[Next on May 10 '14]
Last Quarter Moon; May 2 '13 at 11:14 UT (07:14 EDT).
New Moon; May 10 '13 at 00:28 UT (May 9 '13 at 20:28 EDT).
Mercury; was at Superior Conjunction on May 11 '13.
It was too close to the Sun to be observed.
Later it will be posible to observe after sunset, low in the Western horizon, higher each day.
[Next on August 24 '13]
First Quarter Moon; May 18 '13 at 04:34 UT (00:34 EDT).
Full Moon; May 25 '13 at 04:25 UT (00:25 EDT).
Jupiter and Venus will be in conjunction (some 1° apart) on May 28 '13.
They can be observed with binoculars or a small telescope, before sunset, above the western horizon, in Taurus.
Jupiter (diameter 32") will be at Mag. -1.9,
Venus (diameter 10"), much brighter, will be at Mag. -3.9 and 1° to the South of Jupiter.
Venus will set at 21:19 and Jupiter at 21:15. The Sun will set to the West at 20:06.
Calculations with TheSky from Software Bisque, version 6.
Last Quarter Moon; May 31 '13 at 18:58 UT (14:58 EDT).
New Moon; June 8 '13 at 15:56 UT (11:56 EDT).
Mercury will be at Maximum in Eastern Elongation on June 12 '13.
It will be possible to observe after sunset above the Western horizon, lower every day.
First Quarter Moon; June 16 '13 at 17:24 UT (13:24 EDT).
Jupiter will be at Solar Conjunction on June 19 '13.
It will be too close to the Sun to be observed.
Later it will be possible to observe before sunrise, very low above the Eastern horizon, higher every day.
The Summer Solstice, that marks the beginning of Summer in the Northern hemisphere,
and the beginning of Winter in the Southern hemisphere, will be on June 21 '13, at 05:04 UT (01:04 EST).
The Sun will reach its maximum Northern Declination (near 23.5° N).
See Earth's Seasons, etc. 1992-2020
at the US Naval Observatory.
Full Moon; June 23 '13 at 11:32 UT (07:32 EDT).
Last Quarter Moon; June 30 '13 at 04:53 UT (00:53 EDT).
SCAS President Lester Shalloway M.D. & staff, arrange safe, professional solar equipment (telescope & video) at the Miami MetroZoo, Saturdays 10 AM to Noon, near the waterfall in front of the ticket entrance at 12400 SW 152nd St. Free viewing.
You may see the powerful, nuclear explosions - Sun spots and prominences - erupting in slow motion before your eyes, safely.... 93 million miles away!
Check the SCAS Hotline at 305-661-1375 for the latest update at 9:30 AM Saturdays.
There is a cycle of activity of the Sun itself, of some 11 years, but not very constant in length or intensity.
Some of the effects of the Solar activity on the Earth's atmosphere are now just beginning to be studied.
The reconstructions of ancient climates reveal a close correlation between Solar activity and temperatures on Earth.
At the beginning of 2011, we were near a minimum of the Solar Cycle 23 (in December 2008) that was "late to arrive",
the next Solar maximum is now expected to occur in May 2013.
See Solar Cycle Progression and Prediction Center
(NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center)
Scientists studying sunspots for the past 2 decades have concluded
that the magnetic field that triggers their formation has been steadily declining.
If the current trend continues, by 2016 the sun's face may become spotless and remain that way for decades
- a phenomenon that in the 17th century coincided with a prolonged period of cooling on Earth.
The last solar minimum should have ended in 2010, but something peculiar has been happening.
Although solar minimums normally last about 16 months, Solar Cycle 23 stretched over 26 months - the longest in a century.
One reason, according to a paper submitted to the International Astronomical Union Symposium No. 273, an online colloquium,
Long-term Evolution of Sunspot Magnetic Fields
(Matthew Penn, William Livingston, 3 Sep. 2010), is that the magnetic field strength of sunspots appears to be waning.
The phenomenon has happened before.
Sunspots disappeared almost entirely between 1645 and 1715 during a period called the Maunder Minimum,
which coincided with decades of lower-than-normal temperatures in Europe nicknamed the Little Ice Age.
But Livingston cautions that the zero-sunspot prediction could be premature.
"It may not happen," he says. "Only the passage of time will tell whether the solar cycle will pick up."
See Say Goodbye to Sunspots?
(Phil Berardelli, ScienceNOW, 14 September 2010).
For a discussion, see
The sun is still in a slump - still not conforming to NOAA "consensus" forecasts
(Anthony Watts, Watts Up With That?, January 5, 2011).
In the Sun, a missing jet stream, fading spots, and slower activity near the poles
say that our Sun is heading for a rest period even as it is acting up for the first time in years,
according to scientists at the National Solar Observatory (NSO) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
As the current sunspot cycle, Cycle 24, begins to ramp up toward maximum,
independent studies of the solar interior, visible surface, and the corona
indicate that the next 11-year solar sunspot cycle, Cycle 25, will be greatly reduced or may not happen at all.
See
What's Down With The Sun? - Major Drop In Solar Activity Predicted
(NSO Press Release, June 14, 2011).
For a discussion, see
"All three of these lines of research to point to the familiar sunspot cycle shutting down for a while."
(Anthony Watts, Watts Up With That?, June 15, 2011).
"The Maunder Minimum:
Early records of sunspots indicate that the Sun went through a period of inactivity in the late 17th century.
Very few sunspots were seen on the Sun from about 1645 to 1715
(JPEG image, 38 Kb).
Although the observations were not as extensive as in later years,
the Sun was in fact well observed during this time and this lack of sunspots is well documented.
This period of solar inactivity also corresponds to a climatic period called the "Little Ice Age"
when rivers that are normally ice-free froze and snow fields remained year-round at lower altitudes.
There is evidence that the Sun has had similar periods of inactivity in the more distant past.
The connection between solar activity and terrestrial climate is an area of on-going research."
See The Sunspot Cycle and
Solar Cycle Prediction
(NASA Solar Physics, Marshall Space Flight Center).
![[Visible Light]](http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/hmi_igr/512/latest.jpg "[Visible Light]")
![[Hydrogen-Alpha]](http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/eit_304/512/latest.jpg "[Hydrogen-Alpha]")
![[Magnetic Fields]](http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/hmi_mag/512/latest.jpg "[Magnetic Fields]")
Click on an image above for the latest close up view of the Sun
(Visible Light, Hydrogen-Alpha and Magnetic Fields. SOHO Satellite).
See the SOHO site (NASA) for more information.
See SpaceWeather.com (NASA) for more information.
See Solar Terrestrial Activity Report (Jan Alvestad) for more information.
See Observatorio ARVAL: Solar System Data
See eSky Planet Wheel (The Electronic Sky guide to the visibility of the planets in the sky)
See Hubblesite - Tonight's Sky (Monthly stargazing guide to constellations, planets, cosmic events and more)
See Science@NASA (Science Headline News)
See StarDate Online - Sky Almanac (Your Guide to the Universe. McDonald Observatory, University of Texas)
See CalSKY - The Calculated Sky (On-line Configurable Astronomical and Space Calendar)
See The Sky of Cutler, Florida (Sky and Telescope, SkyTonight - Interactive Sky Chart, Java applet)
See Almanac v3.0 - Cutler, Florida (Sky and Telescope, Interactive Observing Tools, Java applet)
See
Heavens-Above: Planets Summary for Cutler, Florida
See
Heavens-Above: Planets Summary for Key Biscayne, Florida
See Earth's Seasons, etc. 1992-2020
at the US Naval Observatory
Transit of Venus:
On June 5 '12, from Miami we were able (but for the clouds) to observe the beginning of the event
that started with
the First Contact at 18:04:37 EDT (22:04:37 UT) (Alt. 26°).
The Second Contact at 18:22:26 EDT (22:22:26 UT) (Alt. 22°).
Sunset was at 20:10 EDT in Miami.
The Greatest Transit was at 21:29:36 EDT (01:29:36 UT on June 6) (Geocentric).
The Third Contact was at 00:31:39 EDT on June 6 (04:31:39 UT on June 6) (Geocentric).
The Fourth Contact was at 00:49:35 EDT on June 6 (04:49:35 UT on June 6) (Geocentric).
Mercury passed some 9' North of the Sun's disk center.
Mercury had a diameter of some 58" and the Sun of some 31.5'.
At the moment of the First Contact the Sun was some 26° above the Western horizon (Az. 282°).
At the moment of the Second Contact the Sun was some 22° above the Western horizon (Az. 281°).
The Southern Cross Astronomical Society (SCAS)
offered public viewing for the transit at 6-8 p.m. at:
The western parking lot of the Miami Metro Zoo, 12400 SW 152 St.
The rooftop of the FIU main campus garage -- free parking -- west side of SW 109 Ave./SW 8 St.
See
The 2012 Transit of Venus
NASA Eclipse Website, Goddard Space Flight Center, Fred Espenak.
See
2004 and 2012 Transits of Venus
NASA Eclipse Website, Goddard Space Flight Center, Fred Espenak.
See
2012 Transit of Venus - Table 2b
NASA Eclipse Website, Goddard Space Flight Center, Fred Espenak.
See
The 2012 Transit of Venus
Science@NASA, May 18, 2012.
See
Transit of Venus: June 5-6, 2012
Sky & Telescope, March 4, 2012.
See
Transit of Venus, Sun-Earth Day 2012
Webcasts, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
See
ISS Transit of Venus
NASA Science, May 31, 2012.
See
Venus Transit Live
W.M. Keck Observatory.
See Time lapse video of Venus transit seen from SDO YouTube, NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory.
See Transit of Venus in ARVAL, Astrophotography with the Meade LPI Digital Camera, June 8, 2004.
Warning:
Never observe the Sun directly, or with optical instruments, without using the essential special filters,
because it would result in permanent damage to your sight.
Do not use a solar filter mounted in the eyepiece of a telescope;
This type of filter is dangerous! (it might break with the heat of the Sun)
Use only the solar filters of a larger diameter, to mount in the objective.
Partial Lunar Eclipse; June 4 '12.
Penumbral Eclipse Begins: 04:48:09 EDT
Partial Eclipse Begins: 05:59:53 EDT
Sunrise: 06:28 EDT
Moon Sets: 06:33 EDT
Greatest Eclipse: 07:03:13 EDT
Partial Eclipse Ends: 08:06:30 EDT
Penumbral Eclipse Ends: 09:18:17 EDT
See Partial Lunar Eclipse of June 4 '12 (NASA Eclipse Web Site, Fred Espenak)
On Friday, January 28 '11, 5 to 9 PM, SCAS hosted our Tropical Star Party at Bill Baggs State Park, near the Key Biscayne Lighthouse.
Visitors observed Jupiter, Uranus, the Andromeda Galaxy and various star clusters through our telescopes.
Jupiter set at 21:56, Uranus at 21:42. Sunset was at 6:01 PM.
See Southern Cross Astronomical Society
Total Eclipse of the Moon, December 21 '10: (in Taurus)
Miami, Florida
W 80° 11', N 25° 46'
Eastern Standard Time Moon's
h m Azimuth° Altitude°
Moonrise 2010 Dec 20 17:06 63.1 ----
Moon enters penumbra 2010 Dec 21 00:29 244.1 85.7
Moon enters umbra 2010 Dec 21 01:33 266.8 71.9 <-- Visible eclipse starts
Moon enters totality 2010 Dec 21 02:41 274.3 56.9
Middle of eclipse 2010 Dec 21 03:17 276.6 49.0 <-- Darkest eclipse
Moon leaves totality 2010 Dec 21 03:53 279.6 41.0
Moon leaves umbra 2010 Dec 21 05:01 284.6 25.7 <-- Visible eclipse ends
Moon leaves penumbra 2010 Dec 21 06:04 289.5 13.6
Moonset 2010 Dec 21 07:16 296.2 ----
Eclipse Predictions from NASA GSFC Eclipse Web Site
This eclipse was visible in the Central Pacific Ocean and America.
The eclipse was darker to the South of the Moon because it passed North of the center of the umbra projected by the Earth.
Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis) was some 16° South of the Moon.
For the exact times at your locality, you can use the
NASA Eclipse Web Site.
For more information and graphics, see
NASA - Total Lunar Eclipse December 21, 2010,
NASA/GSFC,
and Solstice Lunar Eclipse,
Science@NASA, December 17, 2010.
Periodic Comet 103P/Hartley 2:
It is a periodic comet with an elliptical orbit (visiting the Sun every 6.46 years),
it will be high in the evening sky when at its best throughout October 2010, glowing at perhaps 6th or 5th magnitude.
It should be dimly visible to the unaided eye from very dark locations,
and visible in binoculars and telescopes from less ideal locations throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Hartley 2's brightness, and its unusually fast slide across the constellations, both result from how closely it will approach Earth: by just 0.12 astronomical unit (11 million miles; 18 million km) on October 20th. This will be its closest approach since its 1986 discovery and one of the closest approaches of any comet in the last few centuries.
October 1st finds the comet passing 1.5° south of 2.2-magnitude Alpha Cassiopeiae, high in the northeast during moonless evenings.
On the night of October 7th in the Americas, when the comet should be 5th or 6th magnitude, it creeps less than 1° south of the Double Cluster in Perseus; the two clusters are magnitudes 4.3 and 4.4. This will make for a wonderful wide-field sight and a great astrophoto opportunity - particularly since it's new Moon!
From here on Hartley 2 turns southeast, passing near the head of Perseus. On October 20th the comet is closest to Earth, at a distance of 0.121 a.u. On that date the fuzzy visitor is passing just south of brilliant Capella.
By the end of October the comet should still be around 5th magnitude - but now in Gemini. So it doesn't gain a high altitude until later in the night. Perihelion, 1.06 a.u. from the Sun, comes on October 28th - but that morning the nearly last-quarter Moon is just a few degrees away.
NASA's Deep Impact/EPOXI spacecraft will fly by some 435 miles from Comet 103P/Hartley 2 on November 4, 2010.
Malcolm Hartley first spotted it on March 16, 1986. Hartley 2's next return was in 1991, when it brightened that September to 8th magnitude. It did so again at its following return in December 1997. The 2004 apparition was a poor one, with the comet far from Earth.
From Encounters with Comet Hartley 2, by Greg Bryant, Sky and Telescope, September 10, 2010
See Spaceweather.com.
See its orbit, ephemeris and orbital elements at
103P/Hartley 2
(JPL Small-Body Database Browser).
See Comet Snowstorm Engulfs Hartley 2 (Science@NASA, Nov. 18, 2010) [NASA - EPOXI Mission]
Jupiter and Uranus were in conjunction (some 0.81° apart) on September 18 '10.
They could be observed with binoculars or a small telescope, after sunset, above the eastern horizon, in Pisces.
Jupiter (diameter 50") was a very bright Mag. -2.9,
Uranus (diameter 4"), much dimmer, was Mag. 5.7 and 26' to the Northeast of Mars.
Uranus rose at 19:26 and Jupiter at 19:28. The Sun set to the West at 19:21.
Jupiter and Uranus will continue to be close in the sky for months, as they move slowly across the firmament.
Calculations with TheSky from Software Bisque, version 6.
Mars and Uranus were in conjunction (some 0.43° apart) on April 15 '09.
They could be observed with binoculars or a small telescope, before sunrise, low above the Eastern horizon,
some 8° to the South of Venus.
Mars (diameter 4.38") was a bright Mag. 1.19,
Uranus (diameter 3.34"), much dimmer, was Mag. 5.93 and 26' to the Northeast of Mars.
Venus rose at 05:25, Uranus at 05:29 and Mars at 05:31. The Sun rose to the East at 06:57.
Jupiter and Neptune rose earlier.
Calculations with TheSky from Software Bisque, version 5.
Comet 2007/N3 Lulin:
It is a non-periodic comet with a hyperbolic orbit (this will be its only visit to the Sun),
discovered in 2007 by a Taiwan and Chinese group,
it reached perihelium on March 24 '09 1.16 UA from Earth, in Gemini.
Quanzhi Ye, a student at China's Sun Yat-sen University,
found Comet Lulin while examining images from the Lulin Observatory in Taiwan as part of an asteroid sky survey.
See Yeiht (Quanzhi Ye).
On March 1 '09 it rose at 16:42 to the East-Northeast, observable with small telescopes or binoculars (it was at Mag. ~6),
close to R.A. 9h 36m, Dec. 14° 0', 8° West of Regulus, in Leo, moving West and rising earlier every day.
Under dark skies it shows a green coma some 7' in diameter, a faint tail and an even fainter anti-tail.
On February 6 it was at R.A. 14h 52m, Dec. -15° 41', 25' North of Zubenelgenubi, in Libra, 0.78 A.U. from Earth.
On February 15 it was at R.A. 13h 31m, Dec. -8° 53', some 3° North of Spica, in Virgo, 0.53 A.U. from Earth.
On February 23 it was at R.A. 11h 21m, Dec. 4° 19', some 2° South of Saturn, in Leo, 0.41 A.U. from Earth.
On February 27 it was at R.A. 10h 9m, Dec. 11° 15', some 40' Southwest of Regulus, in Leo, 0.44 U.A. from Earth.
See Spaceweather.com
(with Comet Lulin (C-2007 N3) photo gallery).
See Green Comet Approaches Earth
(February 4 '09, Science@NASA),
with the sky charts for
February 6 '09,
February 16 '09 and
February 24 '09.
See Sky Show This Month: "Two-Tailed" Comet Nearing Earth
(National Geographic News).
See Comet Chasing (Gary Kronk, Cometography).
See its orbit, ephemeris and orbital elements at
C/2007 N3 (Lulin)
(JPL Small-Body Database Browser).
See Spectacular Photo-op on Saturn (Quadruple Transit of moons for February 24 '09, Science@NASA).
Saturn and Mars were in conjunction (some 0.65° apart) on July 10 '08;
they were seen naked-eye, with binoculars or a small telescope, after sunset, less than 40° above the Western horizon,
some 6° to the East of (above) Regulus (Alpha Leonis, Mag. 1.4).
Saturn, the brighter, was Mag. 0.75, Mars was Mag. 1.68 and to the South of Saturn.
Mars set at 22:57 and Saturn at 22:58. The Sun set on the North-North-West at 20:15.
The diameter of the Full Moon is some 0.5°.
Calculations with TheSky from Software Bisque, version 5.
Mercury and Venus in Conjunction on the Eastern sky:
On March 24, 2008, at 06:00, Mercury and Venus were visible some 58' apart,
some 6° above the Eastern horizon.
Venus (Mag. -3.9) rose at 05:27, then Mercury (Mag. -0.27) at 05:30. Sunrise was at 06:19.
Both were be in the constellation of Acuarius. Uranus was some 5° to the East, rising at 05:40.
Calculations with TheSky from Software Bisque, version 5.
Venus and Jupiter in Conjunction on the Eastern sky:
On February 1, 2008, at 06:00, Venus and Jupiter were visible some 20° above the Southeastern horizon.
Jupiter (Mag. -1.9) was some 35' South of Venus (Mag. -4) and somewhat lower, both in the constellation of Sagittarius.
Venus rose at 05:02, Jupiter at 05:04. Sunrise was at 07:04.
We recommended observing with a small telescope or binoculars.
Calculations with TheSky from Software Bisque, version 5.
SCAS scheduled a public Lunar Eclipse Watch at Bill Sadowski Park on February 20 '08 from 8 to 11 PM.
Total Eclipse of the Moon: (in Leo)
Bill Sadowski Park Key Biscayne Beach Park
W 80° 19', N 25° 37' W 80° 09', N 25° 41'
Eastern Standard Time Moon's
h m Azimuth° Altitude°
Moonrise 2008 Feb 20 18:04 77.3 ----
Moon enters penumbra 2008 Feb 20 19:34.9 86.7 18.7
Moon enters umbra 2008 Feb 20 20:43.0 94.2 33.5 <-- Visible eclipse started
Moon enters totality 2008 Feb 20 22:00.5 105.5 50.2
Middle of eclipse 2008 Feb 20 22:26.0 110.6 55.6 <-- Darkest eclipse
Moon leaves totality 2008 Feb 20 22:51.5 117.2 60.7
Moon leaves umbra 2008 Feb 21 00:09.1 155.3 72.8 <-- Visible eclipse ended
Moon leaves penumbra 2008 Feb 21 01:17.2 211.1 71.5
Moonset 2008 Feb 21 07:06 279.2 ----
Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA's GSFC
This eclipse was visible in the Central Pacific Ocean, America, Europe and Africa.
The eclipse was darker to the North of the Moon because it passed South of the center of the umbra projected by the Earth.
Saturn was less than 5° East of the Moon. Regulus (Alpha Leonis) was less than 2° West of the Moon.
For the exact times at your locality, you can use the
USNO Eclipse Portal at the U.S. Naval Observatory.
For more information and graphics, see
NASA - Total Lunar Eclipse February 20, 2008,
Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC.
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