OCTOBER 2009 – OBSERVING HIGHLIGHTS
This is a busy month for observing. Enjoy it and the great weather!
1.
A reminder about our upcoming annual Astronomy Club of Augusta Solar Observing on the Lawn event on October 17. The “SEED” event will be held at the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center in Aiken (RPSEC, ~2500 students, parents & teachers). All are invited to attend. If you have equipment please bring it with you. We plan to meet approximately at 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM to set up. This event will be from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
I have ordered T-shirts and box lunch for the following people:
Mike Bush,
Doug Neal,
John White, and granddaughter,
Tedda Howard,
Stan Howard,
Mark Moffitt,
Paul Terral,
Michael Hennessy,
Steve Kelly,
Nathan,
Lee Huey,
Irwin Davenport.
If any of the above people do not show – then their T-shirt and lunch will be available to someone who does show.
It is now too late to order any additional T-shirts.
2. All members are encouraged to help the club present ACA Telescopes on the Lawn on October 24, Saturday 7-11PM, at RPSEC. This is a wonderful opportunity to follow-up on interest generated at SEED, and to show the nighttime sky. The RPSEC will have planetarium shows during the evening, and will provide ACA volunteers with tickets.
The following people have signed up so far: Mike Bush, Stan & Tedda Howard, Doug Neal, ______,
Please email
Mike Bush, VP Observing, NOW with YOUR 1. name, 2. equipment you can bring or help you are offering, 3. T-shirt size, 4. time you can arrive .
3. Club News:
The Astronomy Club of Augusta wishes to extend our sincere condolences to the family of our friend, Joe Bartee, with whom we enjoyed many nights observing God's universe. http://www.aikenstandard.com/obits/bartee
Get Astronomy Magazine, $12.48/12 issues, Publishers Clearing House, 720 Winners Circle, St. Cloud, MN 56399, 800.645.9242, then press 0 for operator.
See current week in space online: http://www.yearinspace.com/the-week-in-space
Sign up for free weekly newsletter: http://www.yearinspace.com/weekly-e-mail
Learn about 144-page desk calendar: http://www.yearinspace.com/desk-calendar
Welcome new and returning members.
OCTOBER 2009 – OBSERVING HIGHLIGHTS
EARTH SATELLITES:
Moon – New moon 18TH
1st Quarter – 25th
Full moon – 4th
Last quarter – 11th
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES:
Check out “Spaceweather.com” for the best satellite flybys.
PLANETS:
JUPITER: Jupiter will be the first planet you will see at twilight. Uranus and Neptune both present excellent targets for observers with binoculars and telescopes. Throughout October the four remaining planets lie in the morning sky. Jupiter the king of the solar system stands due South and shines at 2.6 in mid-October. Observe Jupiter shortly after darkness falls as it stands high in the sky.
Since our atmosphere cools rapidly after sunset, resulting in turbulence. You will want to use low power for better views.
Obvious features are the two equatorial belts that sandwich a brighter equatorial zone. Watch Jupiter and satellites IO, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto change positions nightly. Sometimes one moon passes in front of another and occults it from view. On the 23rd starting at 8:31 PM EDT and lasting for 9 minutes, Ganymede occults Europa. One night later, IO occults Europa beginning at 9:18 PM EDT and ending 7 minutes later.
NEPTUNE: Neptune lies in Capricornus , Look for it about 2 degrees North of the 3rd magnitude Star Delta Capricorni. It glows at magnitude 7.9 and appears as a faint star. Through binoculars or low power telescopes at 150 power or higher you’ll see the disk.
URANUS: Uranus shines at mag. 5.7 making it an easy target through binoculars. It lies 30 degrees East – Northeast of Neptune. To find it, locate the
Great Square of Pegasus. It lies due South and more than two thirds of the way to the Zenith. Around 11 PM then locate the circlet asterism of Pisces. Uranus lies 5 degrees South of the circlet’s Lambda Piscium.
MARS: After midnight you will see the ruddy glow of Mars rising in the East. It begins in October South of Caster and Pollux and shines at 0.8 and is noticeably brighter than Caster and Pollux. The red planet crosses into Cancer the Crab in mid-October and approaches the Beehive star cluster M44 at month’s end. In late October, the red planet’s disk appears large enough to show some detail. In 8” or larger telescopes, the most obvious is the white Northern polar cap.
VENUS: Venus rises 2 hours before the sun on October 1st. It shines at magnitude of -3.9.
MERCURY: Mercury rises 45 minutes after Venus on the first. At a magnitude of 0.4 degrees, the innermost planet shines just 2 percent as bright as Venus. It does brighten throughout the month.
SATURN: Saturn is the last planet to rise in the AM. It rises 20 minutes after Mercury. It shines at a magnitude of 1.1 . On October 8th, Saturn lies just 0.3 degrees from Mercury, which shines at -0.8. On the same morning , Venus lies 5 degrees above the pair. By month’s end Saturn provides a dramatic view through a telescope. Last month its rings were edge on. By month’s end the rings tilt 3 degrees to our line of sight and by year’s end, they will increase by 5 degrees.
*******Don’t forget the Orionid meteor shower peaks before dawn October 21st. Expect to see up to 30 meteors per hour.
Comet C-2006 W3 Christensen should reach 8th magnitude this month among the background stars of Aquila the Eagle. Best views should come during the second and third week of October.
