April 2011
Well things are improving.
ONE CLEAR NIGHT THIS YEAR!
On Saturday February 26 we actually had a clear night of viewing and the Shoalhaven Astronomers Members held our Club Social Viewing at my observatory in Kangaroo Valley.
What a terrific evening for myself and my visitors. The weather remained kind and we were able to view until about 11.15 pm, finishing with a hazy view of Saturn as it cleared the trees on the east of the field.
Some of the sights observed were M42 in Orion, the Jewel Box, the wide double star β (beta) Crux and the nearby carbon star in Crux known as the “Stop Light”, η (eta) Carina nebula and the Sombrero Galaxy.
Members found it interesting to compare some objects through different size scopes and which eyepieces suited different objects.
OBSERVATIONS
Late March and April will see the rich part of the northern Milky Way moving toward the western horizon so try and get a last good look at some of the brighter deep sky sights in Orion, Taurus and Canis Major.
For a few months, before the winter Milky Way draws our full attention it is a perfect time for those with access to larger scopes to go galaxy hunting in the area of sky between RA 10 hrs (right ascension or hour angle) and RA 14 hrs where we find the rich field of galaxies outside the plane of our galaxy where they are not obscured by the rich galactic star fields.
If you have a smaller scope try for the brighter Messier (M) objects first.
This area of sky including Leo, Coma Berenices, Corvus, and Virgo contains literally hundreds of galaxies.
The April issue of Aust Sky and Telescope has a good article on the galaxies in Leo, my personal favourite being the Trio in Leo, M95, M96, and M105, three galaxies that can be seen in one field of view.
Another favourite, easily found by ”star-hopping” in Corvus the Crow is M104 or The Sombrero Galaxy.
It is also a good reminder that as the night sky moves through its annual cycle there is always something over the horizon for the diligent amateur observer.
PLANETS - Mercury - best seen in the morning sky after it leaves inferior conjunction (between Earth and the Sun) toward the end of April. Venus – also a Morning Star, will join Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus in Pisces.
On 23rd April, Venus is only 1° from Uranus, worth a try for our seventh planet at mag. 5.9! Mars – leaves the Sun’s glare and becomes a morning object in April. Jupiter – too close to the Sun but comes into view in the dawn sky by end of April (see note on Venus). Saturn – hello, what’s this? A planet in the evening sky!! Rising as the Sun sets, Saturn is perfectly placed for viewing throughout autumn and winter. Saturn reaches opposition on 4th April which means it will be due north at midnight, local time. This planet is the showcase object when sharing your telescope with newcomers and is a perennial joy for amateurs. Uranus – see Venus, a morning object. Neptune – a sort of morning object, rising around 2AM, is only for the dedicated during April.
In the Sky Map below – courtesy of Quasar Publishing – you will see some great alignments of planets in late April.
The rather irregular blob next to Venus is me and my white-out. This is the approximate location of Uranus which is not visible to the naked eye but can be found in any small telescope, even your finder scope.
Clear Skies!
The riohe Trio in Leo (Image courtesy of Astro Cruise)
in Leo (Image courtesy of Astro Cruise)
PLANETS - Mercury - best seen in the morning sky after it leaves inferior conjunction (between Earth and the Sun) toward the end of April. Venus – also a Morning Star, will join Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus in Pisces. On 23rd April, Venus is only 1° from Uranus, worth a try for our seventh planet at mag. 5.9! Mars – leaves the Sun’s glare and becomes a morning object in April. Jupiter – too close to the Sun but comes into view in the dawn sky by end of April (see note on Venus). Saturn – hello, what’s this? A planet in the evening sky!! Rising as the Sun sets, Saturn is perfectly placed for viewing throughout autumn and winter. Saturn reaches opposition on 4th April which means it will be due north at midnight, local time. This planet is the showcase object when sharing your telescope with newcomers and is a perennial joy for amateurs. Uranus – see Venus, a morning object. Neptune – a sort of morning object, rising around 2AM, is only for the dedicated during April.
In the Sky Map below – courtesy of Quasar Publishing – you will see some great alignments of planets in late April. The rather irregular blob next to Venus is me and my white-out. This is the approximate location of Uranus which is not visible to the naked eye but can be found in any small telescope, even your finder scope. Clear Skies!