by VirtualAstro | Dec 30, 2013
Quadrantid Meteor Shower 2014
Quadrantid Meteor Shower Credit: NASA
The Quadrantid Meteor Shower ushers in 2014 with its peak on the 3rd of January.
The Quadrantids can be an impressive meteor shower with rates of up to 120 meteors per hour at peak (under perfect conditions) and have been known to produce up to 200 meteors per hour. The peak is quite narrow lasting only a few hours, however there will be plenty of meteors to look out for either side of maximum. (more…)
by VirtualAstro | Nov 19, 2013
Geminid Meteorwatch Trailer
The Geminid Meteor Shower peaks on the night of December 13 and 14 and is one of the most anticipated and reliable meteor showers of the year.
Under good observing conditions, up to 100 or more meteors can be seen per hour. For information on how to spot the meteors please see How to Observe Meteors. (more…)
by VirtualAstro | Oct 18, 2013
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Live October 18th
On Friday October 18, the Full Moon will venture into Earth’s outer or penumbral shadow, producing an eclipse. Slooh, the Community Observatory, will track the Moon with its Canary Islands Half-Meter telescope, showing real-time as well as time-lapse views of the eclipse, accompanied by live narration from Slooh’s Paul Cox, and astronomer Bob Berman. (more…)
by VirtualAstro | Sep 30, 2013
Tonight’s Sky: October 2013
Your guide to constellations, deep-sky objects, planets and events, Tonight’s Sky, Highlights of the October Sky
Evening Planets
Venus hovers low over the southwestern horizon in the early evenings of October. Use a telescope to get a better view of the planet.
Constellations and Deep-Sky Objects
Pegasus, the great winged horse of Greek mythology, prances across the autumn night sky. His body is denoted by a large area of stars known as the “Great Square.”
Pegasus hosts 51-Pegasi, the first Sun-like star known to have an extra-solar planet.
The brightest corner of the Great Square, Alpheratz, is also the brightest star in the constellation Andromeda. In Greek mythology, this princess was chained to a rock near the sea to appease a sea monster.
Within Andromeda’s boundaries, look for M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, an island of billions of stars. On a clear, dark night it appears as a faint smudge of light.
Approximately 2.5 million light-years away, M31 is the closest spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way Galaxy and the most distant object you can see with your eyes alone. Binoculars and small telescopes reveal M31’s glowing nucleus and spiral arms.
A smaller companion galaxy, M110, appears as a faint spot near the large galaxy. The Andromeda Galaxy is slowly pulling in, and will eventually consume, another one of its small companion galaxies, M32.
Morning Planets
Jupiter rises around midnight to dominate the sky throughout the morning hours.
Use binoculars or a small telescope to admire the giant planet’s features. Before sunrise, look for Mars above the eastern horizon. During mid-month it dances close to bright star Regulus. A telescope will help you to glimpse some of the planet’s features.
Events
An interesting meteor shower peaks on the night of October 21st to 22nd.
After midnight, look to the east, where the constellation Orion is rising. Every few minutes you may spy a tiny remnant of Halley’s Comet burning up high in the atmosphere. This is the Orionid meteor shower.
A penumbral eclipse of the Moon occurs on the 18th, visible to watchers in North and South America, Africa, Europe, and most of Asia. The Moon will darken slightly as it passes through the outer edges of Earth’s shadow.
The night sky is always a celestial showcase. Explore its wonders from your own backyard.
Credits
Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, Office of Public Outreach
Starfield images created with Stellarium
Mythological constellation forms from Firmamentum Sobiescianum sive Uranographia by Johannes Hevelius, courtesy of the United States Naval Observatory
Venus image courtesy of Mario Weigand
Andromeda Galaxy (M31) image based on an image courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita
Jupiter image courtesy of Todd Gross
Mars image courtesy of Matt Wedel
Narrated by Nancy Calo
Music written by Jonn Serrie
Production: Lucy Albert, Greg Bacon, John Bintz, John Godfrey, and Vanessa Thomas
by VirtualAstro | Sep 22, 2013
Autumnal Equinox Live From Canary Observatory
Sunday, September 22, 2013 – 1:30 PM PDT / 4:30 PM EDT / 20:30 UTC
Earth will stand perfectly sideways to the Sun on Sunday, September 22, at 4:44 EDT. At that moment, the Sun will hover directly above the equator, and numerous celestial oddities will occur — even if most people simply know it as “the start of fall.” SLOOH will have a team of astronomers and production personnel on hand live at Canary Islands, with live views from their observatory site, to discuss the myths and realities of the equinox. The show begins live at 4:30 PM EDT, 1:30 PM PDT Sunday.
