- Posts: 726
- Thank you received: 957
December 09 Observing Guide
- Neill
- Topic Author
- Offline
- Moderator
-
14 years 5 months ago #82320
by Neill
December 09 Observing Guide was created by Neill
Hello all,
December's guide is below - Enjoy and Merry Christmas
OBSERVING GUIDE
(Please note all times are UT and are based on an observing location of Belfast and covers the month of December)
The Sun
At the start of the month, the Sun rises at 08:25 and sets at 16:00. By the end of the month, it rises at 08:45 and sets at 16:10.
The Planets
Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation on the 18th. It is visible from the second week of the month as an evening object low in the West. On the 11th, it is mag -0.6, setting at 17:00, one hour after the Sun. By the 18th, it is of similar magnitude and sets at 17:15, over an hour after the Sun. After that, it starts to fade and by Christmas Day, it is mag +0.1, although it does not set until 17:25. By month’s end, it sets at 17:05, roughly an hour after the Sun, but it is mag +2.6.
Venus is a morning object during December, but is not safely observable beyond the first week as it gets too close to the Sun.
Mars is an evening object during December. At the start of the month, it rises at 21:10, by the end of the month; it rises at 19:15. It brightens during the month from mag -0.1 to mag -0.7. It moves away from Cancer towards Leo during the month.
Jupiter can be found in Capricornus during December. It continues to be well placed for observation during this period in the early evening. At the start of the month, it sets at 21:50, by month’s end it sets at 20:20. It fades during the month from mag -2.3 to mag -2.1. The gap between it and Neptune closes during the month with the two half a degree apart on the 21st with Jupiter to the South of Neptune. The four Galilean moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are visible with 10x50 binoculars or a small telescope and are worth a look. A list of eclipses, occultations and transits for the four moons can be found at the end of the guide.
Saturn is a morning object during December in Virgo and at the start of the month, rises at 01:50. By month’s end, it rises at 00:00 and brightens from mag +1.0 to mag +0.9 during the month. It lies near to Zaniah (Eta Virginis, mag +3.
during the month.
Uranus can be found in Pisces during December. It is well placed for observation during this period. At the start of the month, it sets at 01:00. By the end of the month, it sets at 23:00. It fades from mag +5.8 to mag +5.9 during the month. It lies to the South of Lambda Piscium (mag +4.5) – one of the stars of the Circlet Asterism and to the West of 20 Piscium (mag +5.5).
Neptune can be found in Capricornus during December. At the start of the month, it sets at 22:10 and by the end of the month, it sets at 20:15. It fades from mag +7.9 to mag +8.0 during the month. It lies to the North of Deneb Algiebi (Delta Capricorni, mag +2.9) and Nashira (Gamma Capricorni, mag +3.7) and is at conjunction with Jupiter on the 21st.
The Moon
In December, there are two full moons on the 2nd and 31st, with the latter producing a lunar eclipse. The last quarter moon is on the 9th with the new moon on the 16th. The first quarter moon is on the 24th.
On the evening of the 1st/morning of the 2nd, the near full moon lies to the North of M45 – The Pleiades. The gap between the two is less than four degrees in the early evening and then increases as the evening progresses.
On the evening of the 2nd/morning of the 3rd, the full moon lies a degree apart from NGC 1746 in the early evening, the gap between the two then increases as the evening progresses. In addition M1 – The Crab Nebula (mag + lies four degrees to the North of the moon at around 05:00.
On the evening of the 3rd, M35 is occultated by a 97% illuminated waning gibbous moon. It disappears behind the Northern limb at about 18:15 and reappears at the Southern limb at about 19:05.
On the morning of the 5th, a 90% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies less than a degree apart from NGC 2392 – The Eskimo Nebula (mag +10) at around 02:00.
On the morning of the 6th, a 82% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies four degrees to the South of M44 – The Beehive Cluster at about 01:00.
On the evening of the 6th, a 73% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies five degrees to the South-East of Mars at about 22:00.
On the morning of the 10th, a 38% illuminated waning crescent moon lies seven degrees to the South of Saturn at about 03:00.
On the morning of the 11th, a 27% illuminated waning crescent moon lies three degrees to the North-East of M104 – The Sombrero Galaxy at around 04:00. Spica (Alpha Virginis, mag +1.0) completes the scene, lying seven degrees to the North-East of the moon.
On the early evenings of the 17th and 18th, Mercury and the moon appear together. On the 17th, sunset is at 16:00 with a 1% illuminated waxing crescent moon setting at about 16:30 with Mercury lying seven degrees to the East. It sets at about 17:15. On the 18th, sunset is at a similar time with a 4% illuminated waxing crescent moon setting at 17:45. Mercury lies four degrees to the West of the moon, setting at about 17:15. MAKE SURE THAT THE SUN HAS SET BEFORE YOU START LOOKING.
On the evening of the 20th, a 16% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies five degrees to the South of a group of deep sky objects at around 19:00. The group consists of M72 – a mag +9 globular cluster and NGC 7009 – The Saturn Nebula, a mag +8 planetary nebula.
On the evening of the 21st, a 23% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies six degrees to the North of Neptune and Jupiter at around 19:00. In addition the two planets are at conjunction around this time.
On the evening of the 23rd, a 42% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies five degrees to the North of Uranus at around 22:00.
On the evening of the 26th, a 71% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies two degrees to the East of M74 - a mag +9 spiral galaxy.
On the evening of the 28th/morning of the 29th, a 88% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies to the West of M45 – The Pleiades. The gap between the two is four degrees at around 19:00, closing to less than one degree by around 02:00.
On the morning of the 30th, a 96% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies two degrees to the North of NGC 1746 at around 05:00.
On the evening of the 30th, a near full moon lies four degrees to the North of M1 – The Crab Nebula at around 20:00.
On the morning of the 31st, M35 is occultated by a near full moon. It disappears behind the Southern limb at around 06:45 and reappears at the Northern limb at around 07:30.
As mentioned above there is a partial lunar eclipse on the evening of New Year’s Eve. It begins at about 18:52 when it enters the umbra – the inner shadow. At its peak, 8% of the Southern limb will be inside the umbra, this occurs at about 19:23. It ends at about 19:52 and the moon leaves the umbra. Not a full eclipse, but the Southern limb should appear significantly darker than the rest of the moon.
Meteors
The ZHR or Zenithal Hourly Rate is the number of meteors an observer would see in one hour under a clear, dark sky with a limiting apparent magnitude of 6.5 and if the radiant of the shower were in the zenith. The rate that can effectively be seen is nearly always lower and decreases as the radiant is closer to the horizon. The Zenith is the overhead point in the sky for an observer. The radiant is the point in the sky, from which (to a planetary observer) meteors appear to originate, i.e. the Perseids, for example, are meteors which appear to come from a point within the constellation of Perseus. A meteor storm is defined as activity greater or equal to a ZHR of 1000. A fireball is defined by the International Astronomical Union as a meteor brighter than any of the planets, i.e. magnitude -4 or brighter. The International Meteor Organisation alternatively defines it as a meteor which would have a magnitude of -3 or brighter at the zenith.
There are four showers during December. The Monocerotids peak on the 9th with a ZHR of 2. The meteors are faint in nature. The radiant is visible from roughly 22:00 and there is some lunar interference with a 39% illuminated waning crescent moon rising at roughly 01:35 on the morning of the 10th in Virgo.
The Geminids peak on the morning of the 14th at roughly 05:10, although there is a window of uncertainty of a couple of hours in the timing, but basically they will peak in the early hours of the 14th. The predicted ZHR is 120 and the meteors are typically slow and can produce fireballs. The radiant is visible from 19:00 on the 13th and the moon is not an issue, so there are perfect conditions for this shower. This is one of the best showers of the year, so go out and take a look on the evening of the 13th/morning of the 14th.
The Ursids peak on the 22nd at roughly 13:30 with a ZHR of 10, although in previous years the ZHR has been 50 for this shower. There is another possible peak at around 07:00 on the morning of the 22nd with a predicted ZHR of 14. The radiant is circumpolar and on the evening of the 21st, a 24% illuminated waxing crescent moon sets at 21:30. On the evening of the 22nd, a 33% illuminated waxing crescent moon sets at 22:40, so if you want to catch this shower, best wait until the moon sets.
The Coma Berenicids peak on the 30th with a ZHR of 5. The radiant is visible from around midnight; unfortunately a near full moon in Taurus spoils this shower.
Comets
Comet 217P/2009 F3 Linear moves back into Orion from Monoceros during December, moving in a North-Westerly direction. It is around mag +10 and fading slowly. It is visible from about 22:00 at the start of the month. By month’s end, it is visible from about 20:00. It passes into the upper half of Orion above the belt, lying to the West of Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis, mag +0.4) around the 27th.
Comet C/2007 Q3 (Siding Spring) is a morning comet during December. It starts the month in Coma Berencies and moves in a North-Easterly direction into Bootes during the month. It is visible from 02:00 at the start of the month and by month’s end it is visible from midnight. It is around mag +9 and is predicted to remain at similar magnitudes until next spring. During the second week of the month, it passes to the North of M53 – a mag +7 globular cluster and Diadem (Alpha Comae Berencies, mag +5.2). By month’s end, it lies roughly to the South of M3 – the mag +6 globular cluster in Canes Venatici.
Comet 81P/Wild 2 moves in a Easterly direction in December from Leo into Virgo. It is a morning comet, visible from 01:00 at the start of the month and by month’s end it is still only visible from 01:00, due to its Easterly motion. It is currently around mag +12, predicted to peak at around mag +10 in early 2010. By month’s end, it lies to the East of Zavijava (Beta Virginis, mag +3.6) and to the West of Saturn and Zaniah (Eta Virginis, mag +3..
Deep Sky
On the deep sky front this month, galaxies M81 and M82 can be observed in Ursa Major. In Andromeda, M31 – The Andromeda galaxy can be observed along with its satellite galaxies M32 and M110. In Perseus, there is the open cluster M34 and the excellent Double Cluster – NGC 869 and 884. In Triangulum, there is the galaxy M33. In Auriga there are three open clusters M36, M37 and M38 and also M35 in Gemini. Taurus has the excellent Pleiades – M45, the Hyades and also M1 – The Crab Nebula. Orion returns to our skies with M42 – The Great Orion Nebula and also Cancer with M44 – The Beehive Cluster.
General Notes
Always keep an eye out for Aurorae. The winter solstice is on the 21st which sees the shortest day of the year and after this date the nights shorten and the days lengthen.
Other interesting naked eye phenomena to look out for include the Zodiacal Light and the Gegenschein. Both are caused by sunlight reflecting off dust particles which are present in the solar system. The Zodiacal Light can be seen in the West after evening twilight has disappeared or in the East before the morning twilight. The best time of year to see the phenomenon is late-Feb to early-April in the evening sky and September/October in the morning sky - it's then that the ecliptic, along which the cone of the zodiacal light lies, is steepest in our skies. The Gegenschein can be seen in the area of the sky opposite the sun. To view either, you must get yourself to a very dark site to cut out the light pollution. When trying to observe either of these phenomena, it is best to do so when the moon is below the horizon.
Clear Skies
Neill McKeown
Information Sources Used and Links
www.skyviewcafe.com - Used for the Sun and Planets section. Also partly used for the Moon Section
Sky at Night Magazine Observing Guide and CD
www.aerith.net and cometchasing.skyhound.com – Used for the Comet Section for information and finder charts
www.ast.cam.ac.uk/%7Ejds/ - BAA and SPA Comet page
kometen.fg-vds.de/fgk_hpe.htm - German Comet page
BAA Handbook
Stardust Magazine
Sky Guide 2009 – South Dublin Astronomical Society
www.heavens-above.com – For the latest ISS passes, Iridium Flares and Shuttle launches
www.irishastronomy.org – Irish Federation of Astronomy Societies Website
www.stronge.org.uk – Excellent weather site including Space Weather
irishastro.org.uk – Irish Astronomical Association website
www.eaas.co.uk – Northern Ireland Amateur Astronomy Society
Galilean Moons – Eclipses, Occultations and Transits – December 09
01-December-09 19:27 Ganymede disappears behind Jupiter's disc
02-December-09 18:02 Europa is eclipsed by Jupiter's shadow
03-December-09 19:07 Callisto's shadow begins to cross Jupiter's disc
06-December-09 19:47 Io's shadow begins to cross Jupiter's disc
07-December-09 20:25 Io reappears from behind Jupiter's disc
08-December-09 17:45 Io exits off Jupiter's disc
08-December-09 20:03 Ganymede is eclipsed by Jupiter's shadow
11-December-09 20:14 Europa exits off Jupiter's disc
12-December-09 18:43 Ganymede exits off Jupiter's disc
14-December-09 18:54 Io is eclipsed by Jupiter's shadow
15-December-09 18:33 Io's shadow exits off Jupiter's disc
15-December-09 19:41 Io exits off Jupiter's disc
18-December-09 19:59 Europa begins to cross Jupiter's disc
19-December-09 18:18 Ganymede's shadow exits off Jupiter's disc
19-December-09 19:10 Ganymede begins to cross Jupiter's disc
20-December-09 18:01 Europa reappears from behind Jupiter's disc
20-December-09 19:37 Callisto's shadow exits off Jupiter's disc
22-December-09 18:16 Io's shadow begins to cross Jupiter's disc
22-December-09 19:20 Io begins to cross Jupiter's disc
23-December-09 18:45 Io reappears from behind Jupiter's disc
26-December-09 19:02 Ganymede's shadow begins to cross Jupiter's disc
31-December-09 18:01 Io exits off Jupiter's disc
Clear Skies
Neill
December's guide is below - Enjoy and Merry Christmas
OBSERVING GUIDE
(Please note all times are UT and are based on an observing location of Belfast and covers the month of December)
The Sun
At the start of the month, the Sun rises at 08:25 and sets at 16:00. By the end of the month, it rises at 08:45 and sets at 16:10.
The Planets
Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation on the 18th. It is visible from the second week of the month as an evening object low in the West. On the 11th, it is mag -0.6, setting at 17:00, one hour after the Sun. By the 18th, it is of similar magnitude and sets at 17:15, over an hour after the Sun. After that, it starts to fade and by Christmas Day, it is mag +0.1, although it does not set until 17:25. By month’s end, it sets at 17:05, roughly an hour after the Sun, but it is mag +2.6.
Venus is a morning object during December, but is not safely observable beyond the first week as it gets too close to the Sun.
Mars is an evening object during December. At the start of the month, it rises at 21:10, by the end of the month; it rises at 19:15. It brightens during the month from mag -0.1 to mag -0.7. It moves away from Cancer towards Leo during the month.
Jupiter can be found in Capricornus during December. It continues to be well placed for observation during this period in the early evening. At the start of the month, it sets at 21:50, by month’s end it sets at 20:20. It fades during the month from mag -2.3 to mag -2.1. The gap between it and Neptune closes during the month with the two half a degree apart on the 21st with Jupiter to the South of Neptune. The four Galilean moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are visible with 10x50 binoculars or a small telescope and are worth a look. A list of eclipses, occultations and transits for the four moons can be found at the end of the guide.
Saturn is a morning object during December in Virgo and at the start of the month, rises at 01:50. By month’s end, it rises at 00:00 and brightens from mag +1.0 to mag +0.9 during the month. It lies near to Zaniah (Eta Virginis, mag +3.
during the month.Uranus can be found in Pisces during December. It is well placed for observation during this period. At the start of the month, it sets at 01:00. By the end of the month, it sets at 23:00. It fades from mag +5.8 to mag +5.9 during the month. It lies to the South of Lambda Piscium (mag +4.5) – one of the stars of the Circlet Asterism and to the West of 20 Piscium (mag +5.5).
Neptune can be found in Capricornus during December. At the start of the month, it sets at 22:10 and by the end of the month, it sets at 20:15. It fades from mag +7.9 to mag +8.0 during the month. It lies to the North of Deneb Algiebi (Delta Capricorni, mag +2.9) and Nashira (Gamma Capricorni, mag +3.7) and is at conjunction with Jupiter on the 21st.
The Moon
In December, there are two full moons on the 2nd and 31st, with the latter producing a lunar eclipse. The last quarter moon is on the 9th with the new moon on the 16th. The first quarter moon is on the 24th.
On the evening of the 1st/morning of the 2nd, the near full moon lies to the North of M45 – The Pleiades. The gap between the two is less than four degrees in the early evening and then increases as the evening progresses.
On the evening of the 2nd/morning of the 3rd, the full moon lies a degree apart from NGC 1746 in the early evening, the gap between the two then increases as the evening progresses. In addition M1 – The Crab Nebula (mag +
lies four degrees to the North of the moon at around 05:00.On the evening of the 3rd, M35 is occultated by a 97% illuminated waning gibbous moon. It disappears behind the Northern limb at about 18:15 and reappears at the Southern limb at about 19:05.
On the morning of the 5th, a 90% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies less than a degree apart from NGC 2392 – The Eskimo Nebula (mag +10) at around 02:00.
On the morning of the 6th, a 82% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies four degrees to the South of M44 – The Beehive Cluster at about 01:00.
On the evening of the 6th, a 73% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies five degrees to the South-East of Mars at about 22:00.
On the morning of the 10th, a 38% illuminated waning crescent moon lies seven degrees to the South of Saturn at about 03:00.
On the morning of the 11th, a 27% illuminated waning crescent moon lies three degrees to the North-East of M104 – The Sombrero Galaxy at around 04:00. Spica (Alpha Virginis, mag +1.0) completes the scene, lying seven degrees to the North-East of the moon.
On the early evenings of the 17th and 18th, Mercury and the moon appear together. On the 17th, sunset is at 16:00 with a 1% illuminated waxing crescent moon setting at about 16:30 with Mercury lying seven degrees to the East. It sets at about 17:15. On the 18th, sunset is at a similar time with a 4% illuminated waxing crescent moon setting at 17:45. Mercury lies four degrees to the West of the moon, setting at about 17:15. MAKE SURE THAT THE SUN HAS SET BEFORE YOU START LOOKING.
On the evening of the 20th, a 16% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies five degrees to the South of a group of deep sky objects at around 19:00. The group consists of M72 – a mag +9 globular cluster and NGC 7009 – The Saturn Nebula, a mag +8 planetary nebula.
On the evening of the 21st, a 23% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies six degrees to the North of Neptune and Jupiter at around 19:00. In addition the two planets are at conjunction around this time.
On the evening of the 23rd, a 42% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies five degrees to the North of Uranus at around 22:00.
On the evening of the 26th, a 71% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies two degrees to the East of M74 - a mag +9 spiral galaxy.
On the evening of the 28th/morning of the 29th, a 88% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies to the West of M45 – The Pleiades. The gap between the two is four degrees at around 19:00, closing to less than one degree by around 02:00.
On the morning of the 30th, a 96% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies two degrees to the North of NGC 1746 at around 05:00.
On the evening of the 30th, a near full moon lies four degrees to the North of M1 – The Crab Nebula at around 20:00.
On the morning of the 31st, M35 is occultated by a near full moon. It disappears behind the Southern limb at around 06:45 and reappears at the Northern limb at around 07:30.
As mentioned above there is a partial lunar eclipse on the evening of New Year’s Eve. It begins at about 18:52 when it enters the umbra – the inner shadow. At its peak, 8% of the Southern limb will be inside the umbra, this occurs at about 19:23. It ends at about 19:52 and the moon leaves the umbra. Not a full eclipse, but the Southern limb should appear significantly darker than the rest of the moon.
Meteors
The ZHR or Zenithal Hourly Rate is the number of meteors an observer would see in one hour under a clear, dark sky with a limiting apparent magnitude of 6.5 and if the radiant of the shower were in the zenith. The rate that can effectively be seen is nearly always lower and decreases as the radiant is closer to the horizon. The Zenith is the overhead point in the sky for an observer. The radiant is the point in the sky, from which (to a planetary observer) meteors appear to originate, i.e. the Perseids, for example, are meteors which appear to come from a point within the constellation of Perseus. A meteor storm is defined as activity greater or equal to a ZHR of 1000. A fireball is defined by the International Astronomical Union as a meteor brighter than any of the planets, i.e. magnitude -4 or brighter. The International Meteor Organisation alternatively defines it as a meteor which would have a magnitude of -3 or brighter at the zenith.
There are four showers during December. The Monocerotids peak on the 9th with a ZHR of 2. The meteors are faint in nature. The radiant is visible from roughly 22:00 and there is some lunar interference with a 39% illuminated waning crescent moon rising at roughly 01:35 on the morning of the 10th in Virgo.
The Geminids peak on the morning of the 14th at roughly 05:10, although there is a window of uncertainty of a couple of hours in the timing, but basically they will peak in the early hours of the 14th. The predicted ZHR is 120 and the meteors are typically slow and can produce fireballs. The radiant is visible from 19:00 on the 13th and the moon is not an issue, so there are perfect conditions for this shower. This is one of the best showers of the year, so go out and take a look on the evening of the 13th/morning of the 14th.
The Ursids peak on the 22nd at roughly 13:30 with a ZHR of 10, although in previous years the ZHR has been 50 for this shower. There is another possible peak at around 07:00 on the morning of the 22nd with a predicted ZHR of 14. The radiant is circumpolar and on the evening of the 21st, a 24% illuminated waxing crescent moon sets at 21:30. On the evening of the 22nd, a 33% illuminated waxing crescent moon sets at 22:40, so if you want to catch this shower, best wait until the moon sets.
The Coma Berenicids peak on the 30th with a ZHR of 5. The radiant is visible from around midnight; unfortunately a near full moon in Taurus spoils this shower.
Comets
Comet 217P/2009 F3 Linear moves back into Orion from Monoceros during December, moving in a North-Westerly direction. It is around mag +10 and fading slowly. It is visible from about 22:00 at the start of the month. By month’s end, it is visible from about 20:00. It passes into the upper half of Orion above the belt, lying to the West of Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis, mag +0.4) around the 27th.
Comet C/2007 Q3 (Siding Spring) is a morning comet during December. It starts the month in Coma Berencies and moves in a North-Easterly direction into Bootes during the month. It is visible from 02:00 at the start of the month and by month’s end it is visible from midnight. It is around mag +9 and is predicted to remain at similar magnitudes until next spring. During the second week of the month, it passes to the North of M53 – a mag +7 globular cluster and Diadem (Alpha Comae Berencies, mag +5.2). By month’s end, it lies roughly to the South of M3 – the mag +6 globular cluster in Canes Venatici.
Comet 81P/Wild 2 moves in a Easterly direction in December from Leo into Virgo. It is a morning comet, visible from 01:00 at the start of the month and by month’s end it is still only visible from 01:00, due to its Easterly motion. It is currently around mag +12, predicted to peak at around mag +10 in early 2010. By month’s end, it lies to the East of Zavijava (Beta Virginis, mag +3.6) and to the West of Saturn and Zaniah (Eta Virginis, mag +3.
. Deep Sky
On the deep sky front this month, galaxies M81 and M82 can be observed in Ursa Major. In Andromeda, M31 – The Andromeda galaxy can be observed along with its satellite galaxies M32 and M110. In Perseus, there is the open cluster M34 and the excellent Double Cluster – NGC 869 and 884. In Triangulum, there is the galaxy M33. In Auriga there are three open clusters M36, M37 and M38 and also M35 in Gemini. Taurus has the excellent Pleiades – M45, the Hyades and also M1 – The Crab Nebula. Orion returns to our skies with M42 – The Great Orion Nebula and also Cancer with M44 – The Beehive Cluster.
General Notes
Always keep an eye out for Aurorae. The winter solstice is on the 21st which sees the shortest day of the year and after this date the nights shorten and the days lengthen.
Other interesting naked eye phenomena to look out for include the Zodiacal Light and the Gegenschein. Both are caused by sunlight reflecting off dust particles which are present in the solar system. The Zodiacal Light can be seen in the West after evening twilight has disappeared or in the East before the morning twilight. The best time of year to see the phenomenon is late-Feb to early-April in the evening sky and September/October in the morning sky - it's then that the ecliptic, along which the cone of the zodiacal light lies, is steepest in our skies. The Gegenschein can be seen in the area of the sky opposite the sun. To view either, you must get yourself to a very dark site to cut out the light pollution. When trying to observe either of these phenomena, it is best to do so when the moon is below the horizon.
Clear Skies
Neill McKeown
Information Sources Used and Links
www.skyviewcafe.com - Used for the Sun and Planets section. Also partly used for the Moon Section
Sky at Night Magazine Observing Guide and CD
www.aerith.net and cometchasing.skyhound.com – Used for the Comet Section for information and finder charts
www.ast.cam.ac.uk/%7Ejds/ - BAA and SPA Comet page
kometen.fg-vds.de/fgk_hpe.htm - German Comet page
BAA Handbook
Stardust Magazine
Sky Guide 2009 – South Dublin Astronomical Society
www.heavens-above.com – For the latest ISS passes, Iridium Flares and Shuttle launches
www.irishastronomy.org – Irish Federation of Astronomy Societies Website
www.stronge.org.uk – Excellent weather site including Space Weather
irishastro.org.uk – Irish Astronomical Association website
www.eaas.co.uk – Northern Ireland Amateur Astronomy Society
Galilean Moons – Eclipses, Occultations and Transits – December 09
01-December-09 19:27 Ganymede disappears behind Jupiter's disc
02-December-09 18:02 Europa is eclipsed by Jupiter's shadow
03-December-09 19:07 Callisto's shadow begins to cross Jupiter's disc
06-December-09 19:47 Io's shadow begins to cross Jupiter's disc
07-December-09 20:25 Io reappears from behind Jupiter's disc
08-December-09 17:45 Io exits off Jupiter's disc
08-December-09 20:03 Ganymede is eclipsed by Jupiter's shadow
11-December-09 20:14 Europa exits off Jupiter's disc
12-December-09 18:43 Ganymede exits off Jupiter's disc
14-December-09 18:54 Io is eclipsed by Jupiter's shadow
15-December-09 18:33 Io's shadow exits off Jupiter's disc
15-December-09 19:41 Io exits off Jupiter's disc
18-December-09 19:59 Europa begins to cross Jupiter's disc
19-December-09 18:18 Ganymede's shadow exits off Jupiter's disc
19-December-09 19:10 Ganymede begins to cross Jupiter's disc
20-December-09 18:01 Europa reappears from behind Jupiter's disc
20-December-09 19:37 Callisto's shadow exits off Jupiter's disc
22-December-09 18:16 Io's shadow begins to cross Jupiter's disc
22-December-09 19:20 Io begins to cross Jupiter's disc
23-December-09 18:45 Io reappears from behind Jupiter's disc
26-December-09 19:02 Ganymede's shadow begins to cross Jupiter's disc
31-December-09 18:01 Io exits off Jupiter's disc
Clear Skies
Neill
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Paul FitzGerald
- Offline
- Main Sequence
-
14 years 5 months ago #82321
by Paul FitzGerald
Paul Fitz
MAC Treasurer
'Astronomy shows how small and insignificant and rare and precious we all are.' - Contact.
Replied by Paul FitzGerald on topic Re:December 09 Observing Guide
Great work yet again Neill.
Paul Fitz
MAC Treasurer
'Astronomy shows how small and insignificant and rare and precious we all are.' - Contact.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- michaeloconnell
- Offline
- Administrator
-
- Frank Ryan
- Offline
- Super Giant
-
- phoenix
- Offline
- Red Giant
-
- phoenix
- Offline
- Red Giant
-
Moderators: Neill
Time to create page: 0.112 seconds
