A near-Earth asteroid – called 2012 DA14 will pass very close to Earth
A near-Earth asteroid – called 2012 DA14 by astronomers – will pass very close to Earth on February 15, 2013. Astronomers estimate that, when it’s closest to us, it’ll be within the orbit of the moon (which averages about a quarter million miles away), and closer than some high-orbiting communications satellites. 2012 DA14 will be about 17,200 miles (27,680 kilometers) away. It will not strike Earth in 2013. Astronomers’ calculations of asteroid orbits can be trusted. After all, even decades ago, they knew enough about calculating orbits to send people to the moon and bring them safely back, and today we are able place our space vehicles in orbit around objects as small as asteroids.
February 16, evening twilight : Mercury at greatest elongation east This is the best opportunity this year for observers in the Northern Hemisphere to observe Mercury in the evening sky. Sweep the western horizon with binoculars to pick up Mercury’s tiny speck of light
PLANETS :
Mercury will be well placed in the western sky for most of the month, the best opportunity to see it as an “evening star” in 2013.
Venus is now very low in the southeast at sunrise
Mars has faded into the west moving behind the sun. It rapidly crosses the entire constellation of Aquarius this month
Jupiter remains in Taurus, close to Aldebaran and the Hyades. It is high in the southern sky in the early evening and sets in the northwest around 2 a.m.
Saturn is spends the month in western Libra. It rises in the east at around midnight, and is visible the rest of the night.
Uranus is visible in Pisces in the early evening and sets around 9 p.m.
Neptune is in Aquarius all month, becoming lost in the twilight close to the sun
Jupiter and the moon :
The moon will pass just south of Jupiter soon after moonrise in the
eastern sky. The two brightest star clusters in the sky, the Hyades and
the Pleiades, are nearby.
Mercury will be well placed in the morning sky for observers in the northern hemisphere for the first half of the month. Venus is still a morning “star,” shining brightly before sunrise. Mars has faded into the west moving behind the sun. It moves from Sagittarius into Capricornus on December 25. Saturn is now a morning star. Uranus is visible all evening in Pisces. It sets around 1 a.m. Neptune remains in the depths of Aquarius all month, and sets around 10 p.m.
Tue., December 18, 4 a.m. Ceres at opposition :
Once the largest asteroid, Ceres has now been reclassified as a dwarf
planet. At magnitude 6.6, it is an easy target in binoculars. Notice
that Ceres is close to Vesta in the sky.
Wed., December 25, 7 p.m Jupiter and the moon:
The moon will pass just south of Jupiter soon after moonrise in the
eastern sky. The two brightest star clusters in the sky, the Hyades and
the Pleiades, are nearby.
Venus is still a morning “star,” Mars has faded into the west moving behind the sun. It moves from Sagittarius into Capricornus on December 25. Saturn is now a morning star. Uranus is visible all evening in Pisces. It sets around 1 a.m. Neptune remains in the depths of Aquarius all month, and sets around 10 p.m.
Geminid meteor shower : One of the finest meteor showers of the year
Tue., December 18, 4 a.m. EST
Ceres at opposition : Once the largest asteroid, Ceres has now been reclassified as a dwarf
planet. At magnitude 6.6, it is an easy target in binoculars. Notice
that Ceres is close to Vesta in the sky.
Mercury will be well placed in the morning sky for observers in the northern hemisphere
Venus is still a morning “star,” shining brightly before sunrise
Jupiter is in Taurus, close to Aldebaran and the Hyades
Saturn is now a morning star.
Uranus is visible all evening in Pisces. It sets around 1 a.m. Neptune remains in the depths of Aquarius all month, and sets around 10 p.m.
Now that Ceres has been promoted from an asteroid to a dwarf planet, Vesta has become the largest and brightest of the asteroids, at magnitude 6.2, it is slightly too faint to be visible naked eye, but is an easy object in binoculars.
Tue., December 11, dawn
Mercury, Venus and the moon :
The slender waning crescent moon passes just below Venus, with Mercury nearby.
Mars has faded into the west moving behind the sun
Jupiter is in Taurus, close to Aldebaran and the Hyades
Uranus is visible all evening in Pisces. It sets around 1 a.m. Neptune remains in the depths of Aquarius all month, and sets around 10 p.m.
The best morning apparition of the year for the elusive planet Mercury.
Venus and Saturn will point to the tiny glimmer of Mercury, best seen
about an hour before sunrise.
Mercury will be well placed in the morning sky for observers in the northern hemisphere for the first half of the month.
Venus is still a morning “star,” shining brightly before sunrise.
Mars has faded into the west moving behind the sun
Jupiter is in Taurus, close to Aldebaran and the Hyades
Saturn is now a morning star. It begins the month in Virgo
Uranus is visible all evening in Pisces. It sets around 1 a.m. Neptune remains in the depths of Aquarius all month, and sets around 10 p.m.
A close approach between Venus and Saturn provides a rare opportunity
to see two planets in the same telescope field, as well as being a treat
for the unaided eye. Venus will be far brighter than Saturn.
November 28, 9 p.m.
Jupiter and the moon:
The moon will again pass just south of Jupiter soon after moonrise in the eastern sky.
November 28/29
Penumbral eclipse of the moon:
This eclipse is best viewed in Asia, Australasia, and the northwestern
Pacific Ocean. It will be at maximum near the middle of the night, on
the night which begins on the 28th and ends on the 29th.
The moon will only be passing through the Earth’s penumbral shadow
(outer circle), so will only be slightly shaded at maximum eclipse; you
will need to look closely to see the shading.
Venus is still a morning “star,” shining brightly
before sunrise. It spends most of the month in Virgo, crossing into
Libra on November 27.
Jupiter is now in Taurus, close to Aldebaran and the Hyades. It rises about an hour after sunset, and is visible the rest of the night.
Saturn reappears from behind the sun in the morning sky
around the middle of the month, just in time for a spectacular
conjunction with Venus on November 27.
Uranus is visible most of the night in Pisces. It sets around 3 a.m
. Neptune remains in the depths of Aquarius all month, and sets around midnight.
Leonid meteor shower peaks at 3 a.mThe Leonid meteor shower has at times produced incredible storms of
meteors. This year is not predicted to be anything out of the ordinary,
but there’s always a chance of seeing a good number of meteors,
especially this year since there will be no Moon in the sky after
midnight when meteors are most frequent. Almost 20 meteor per hour
Mercury is too close to the sun
Venus is still a morning “star,” shining brightly before sunrise
Mars has faded into the west moving behind the sun.
Jupiter is now in Taurus, close to Aldebaran and the Hyades.
Uranus is visible most of the night in Pisces. It sets around 3 a.m.
Neptune remains in the depths of Aquarius all month, and sets around midnight.
Jupiter is now in Taurus, close to Aldebaran and the Hyades. It rises about an hour after sunset, and is visible the rest of the night.
Uranus is visible most of the night in Pisces. It sets around 3 a.m.
Neptune remains in the depths of Aquarius all month, and sets around midnight.
Mercury is too close to the sun all month to be observed.
Venus, Spica and the moon
About an hour before sunrise, The Moon joins the planet Venus and the bright star Spica in the morning sky., in November 11
Mars has faded into the west moving behind the sun. It moves from Ophiuchus into Sagittarius on November 12.
November 14, morning - Total eclipse of the sun
The path of this eclipse crosses northern Queensland, Australia before
heading out across the Pacific Ocean. It will be visible as a partial
eclipse over all of Australia and New Zealand, as well as most of the
southern Pacific Ocean and southwestern South America.
Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation from the sun , appearing low on the southwestern horizon about an hour
after sunset. This apparition favors observers in the southern
hemisphere.
Venusis now a morning “star,” shining brightly before sunrise
Mars is fading into the west towards the sun. It moves
from Libra through Scorpius into Ophiuchus during the month. Mars is low
in the southwest at sunset and sets around 8:00 p.m..
Jupiter is now well placed most of the night in Taurus. It rises around 9 p.m.
Saturn is too close to the sun to be observed, being in conjunction with the sun on October 25
. Uranus is visible most of the night in Pisces.
Neptune remains in the depths of Aquarius all month, and is visible most of the night, setting at 3 a.m.
( use small telescope to see uranus and neptune)
(sky map over europe around 10.30 pm)
(sky map over africa around 10.30 pm)
(sky map over N. America around 10.30 pm)
(sky map over S. America around 10.30 pm)
(sky map over Asia around 10.30 pm)
(sky map over Australia around 8.30 pm to see mars)
