Astronomical Observing at Fishcreek - Friday 8/21/2009


 UPDATE: Friday, 8/21/09 at 5:00pm...

This is sad, indeed...
We're forced to cancel tonight's event
because of, believe it or not, PAVING!
The parking lot is completely blocked
due to fresh paving.

We'll try again next Friday.
They had to pick a new-moon Friday...<sigh>
 

Click HERE for event status.

Click HERE for a printer-friendly version of the information on this page.

Click HERE for general Information you should know about our events - Q&A of Where, When and What.

OK, deep-sky dim-object aficionados... Tonight's the night you've been waiting for!  We're Moonless the entire night.  It only happens once a month, and it seems to never happen on a Friday.  We'll have a dark night for this entire observing session.  Unfortunately, Saturn is now too low on the horizon to allow quality images to be seen but Jupiter is now with us!  Also, we have the colorful double stars, open clusters made up of hundreds of stars, the globular clusters comprised of hundreds of thousands of stars, planetary nebula formed by dying stars, diffuse nebula and emission nebula where stars are being born, and galaxies we can observe since the light of the Moon won't drown out the dim light of these distant island universes.  Jupiter is now in view as soon as it gets dark and you'll see why it's called the King of the Planets.  Perhaps we'll even catch a glimpse of the scar left by an impact of an unknown object.  If you don't know to what I'm referring, please click HERE for information.  To top it off, Jupiter reached opposition last Friday, so it will appear closest and largest tonight until Sept 21, 2010.  If you want to get a great look at Jupiter, tonight is the night!  If the skies to the west are cloud-free just after sunset, we still might be able to catch a glimpse of Mercury - a very difficult object, due to its closeness to the Sun.

Click HERE for a list of DeepSky Objects that will be available to us this session.

We hope to see you here for a night under the stars - now in our fourteenth year!

For observing conditions at our site, please click on the link below: 
ClearSkyClock for Fishcreek Site  (the darker blue the squares are, the better)

Quick links:
    Inner Solar System     Outer Solar System    General Information about our events

The following Sun, Moon and planet detail was calculated as it will be
on Friday 08/21/09 at 9:19:29pm EDT (nautical twilight)
Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com
Above Horizon Below Horizon Constellation Mag Rises Sets
  Sun Leo -26.7 06:38 20:18
  Mercury Virgo 0.2 09:00 21:13
  Venus Gemini -4.0 03:43 18:33
  Mars Taurus 1.0 01:36 16:49
Jupiter   Capricornus -2.9 19:49 06:07
  Saturn Leo 1.1 08:34 21:20
Uranus   Pisces 5.7 21:11 09:04
Neptune   Capricornus 7.8 19:56 06:29
Pluto   Sagittarius 14.2 16:26 02:27
  Moon Leo -5.8 08:07 20:46

 

Sun data
 
Rises:

6:38am
Transits:

1:28pm - Time of highest position in the sky, due South
Sets:

8:18pm
Constellation:

Leo
Distance:

1.01148028 AU = 151,315,296 km = 94,022,967 miles = 8.42 light-minutes
Magnitude:

-26.7
Apparent size:

31.62 arcminutes in angular diameter

Twilight ends...
Civil:

 8:44pm - Sun is   6° below the horizon
Nautical:

 9:19pm - Sun is 12° below the horizon
Astronomical:

 9:57pm - Sun is 18° below the horizon
Autumnal Equinox:

Tuesday Sept 22, 2009 at 5:19pm (when Fall officially arrives)
Next Solar Eclipses in Stow, Ohio:
    Partial eclipse (>80%) on Monday August 21, 2017 2:30pm EDT
    Total eclipse (an amazing sight!) on Monday April 8, 2024 2:15pm EST (3:15pm EDT)
On 8/21/2009 at 9:19:29pm the Sun will be 12º below the west-northwest horizon

 (back to 'Quick Links')

 

Moon data
 
Rises:

8:07am
Transits:

2:33pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South)
Sets:

8:46pm
Constellation:

Leo
Phase:

3.88% illuminated (waxing crescent)
Distance:

0.00245533 AU = 367,312 km = 228,237 miles = 1.23 light-seconds
Magnitude:

-5.8
Apparent size:

32.52 arcminutes in angular diameter
Elongation from Sun:

22.67° (evening sky)
Age:

1d 15h 21m since last New Moon
Next Phase:

First Quarter on Thursday Aug 27, 2009 at 7:42am
Next Lunar eclipse:

Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT
On 8/21/2009 at 9:19:29pm the Moon will be 7.5º below the west horizon

The Moon will look like this before it sets at 8:46pm...

Note: All graphics are correct-image representations.  A telescope will reverse this left-right and possibly invert up-down depending on type of equipment being used.

 (back to 'Quick Links')

 

Mercury data
 
Rises:

9:00am
Transits:

3:07pm - Time of highest position in the sky, due South
Sets:

9:13pm
Constellation:

Virgo
Phase:

56.57% illuminated
Distance:

0.96080817 AU = 143,734,856 km = 89,312,700 miles = 8 light-minutes
Magnitude:

0.2
Apparent size:

7.00 arcseconds in angular diameter
Elongation from Sun:

27.22° (evening sky)
Next maximum elongations...
Evening:

Monday, August 24, 2009 (27° 21' 57")
Morning:

Morning: Tuesday, October 06, 2009 (17° 56' 43")
On 8/21/2009 at 9:19:29pm Mercury will be 2.4º below the west horizon

(back to 'Quick Links')

 

Venus data
 
Rises:

  3:43am
Transits:

11:08am - Time of highest position in the sky, due South
Sets:

  6:33pm
Constellation:

Gemini
Phase:

80.28% illuminated
Distance:

1.26970357 AU = 189,944,951 km = 118,026,322 miles = 10.58 light-minutes
Magnitude:

-4.0 (extremely bright, visible in the morning before sunrise)
Apparent size:

13.14 arcseconds in angular diameter
Elongation from Sun:

34.59° (morning sky)
Next maximum elongations...
Evening:

Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59")
Morning:

Saturday, January 08, 2011 (46° 57' 24")
On 8/21/2009 at 9:19:29pm Venus will be 23.1º below the northwest horizon

 (back to 'Quick Links')

 

Mars data
 
Rises:

1:36am - Aug 22
Transits:

9:12am - Aug 22 - Time of highest position in the sky, due South
Sets:

4:49pm - Aug 22
Constellation:

Taurus
Phase:

89.88% illuminated
Distance:

1.65862366 AU = 248,126,568 km = 154,178,703 miles = 13.82 light-minutes
Magnitude:

1.0
Apparent size:

5.64 arcseconds in angular diameter
Elongation from Sun:

61.45° (morning sky)

Dates of Opposition (when Mars is closest to the Earth)

Previous:

Monday Dec 24, 2007 at 2:29pm

Next:

Friday Jan 29, 2010 at 3:21pm
Next close approach:

Friday Jan 29, 2010
On 8/21/2009 at 9:19:29pm Mars will be 25.4º below the north horizon

No, Mars will *not* be "as big as a Full Moon on August 27!"
Please see the following links for more information about this annual 'Mars Hoax'
    Sky & Telescope article
    Snopes.com article
    Hoax-slayer article
    Universe Today article

 (back to 'Quick Links')

 

Jupiter data
 
Rises:

7:49pm
Transits:

0:58am - Aug 22 - Time of highest position in the sky, due South
Sets:

6:07am - Aug 22
Constellation:

Capricornus
Phase:

99.98% illuminated
Distance:

4.03497061 AU = 603,623,011 km = 375,073,955 miles = 33.61 light-minutes
Magnitude:

-2.9
Apparent size:

48.86 arcseconds in angular diameter
Elongation from Sun:

171.93° (morning sky)

Dates of Opposition (when Jupiter is closest to the Earth)

Previous:

Friday Aug 14, 2009 at 1:44pm

Next:

Tuesday Sep 21, 2010 at 7:28am
On 8/21/2009 at 9:19:29pm Jupiter will be 13.9º above the east-southeast horizon
and will look like this when it clears the trees to the east of the observing field at 9:30pm

Note: All graphics are correct-image representations.  A telescope will reverse this left-right and possibly invert up-down depending on type of equipment being used.

Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Friday Aug 21, 2009 at 9:55pm
GRS longitude: 135.4º
Jupiter moons activity (during darkness):
      none
(back to 'Quick Links')

 

Saturn data
 
Rises:

8:34am
Transits:

2:57pm - Time of highest position in the sky, due South
Sets:

9:20pm
Constellation:

Leo
Phase:

99.96% illuminated
Distance:

10.36064019 AU = 1,549,929,712 km = 963,081,685 miles = 1.44 light-hours
Magnitude:

1.1
Apparent size:

16.04 arcseconds in angular diameter
Elongation from Sun:

22.70° (evening sky)

Dates of Opposition (when Saturn is closest to the Earth)

Previous:

Sunday Mar 8, 2009 at 3:44pm

Next:

Sunday Mar 21, 2010 at 8:28pm
On 8/21/2009 at 9:19:29pm Saturn will be 1º below the west horizon
and would look like this IF we could see it.  Unfortunately, it will be too low on the horizon to observe.
Notice how incredibly thin the rings now appear.  They will disappear completely the first week of September as they do every 14 years or so.

Note: All graphics are correct-image representations.  A telescope will reverse this left-right and possibly invert up-down depending on type of equipment being used.

 (back to 'Quick Links')

 

Uranus data
 
Rises:

9:11pm
Transits:

3:08am - Aug 22 - Time of highest position in the sky, due South
Sets:

9:04am - Aug 22
Constellation:

Pisces
Phase:

99.99% illuminated
Distance:

19.18826356 AU = 2,870,523,371 km = 1,783,660,552 miles = 2.66 light-hours
Magnitude:

5.7
Apparent size:

3.67 arcseconds in angular diameter
Elongation from Sun:

153.46° (morning sky)

Dates of Opposition (when Uranus is closest to the Earth)

Previous:

Friday Sep 12, 2008 at 10:14pm

Next:

Thursday Sep 17, 2009 at 5:34am
On 8/21/2009 at 9:19:29pm Uranus will be 0.3º above the east horizon

 (back to 'Quick Links')

 

Neptune data
 
Rises:

7:56pm
Transits:

1:12am - Aug 22 - Time of highest position in the sky, due South
Sets:

6:29am - Aug 22
Constellation:

Capricornus
Phase:

100.00% illuminated
Distance:

29.0191836 AU = 4,341,208,076 km = 2,697,501,672 miles = 4.03 light-hours
Magnitude:

7.8
Apparent size:

2.35 arcseconds in angular diameter
Elongation from Sun:

175.83° (evening sky)

Dates of Opposition (when Neptune is closest to the Earth)

Previous:

Monday Aug 17, 2009 at 4:47pm

Next:

Friday Aug 20, 2010 at 5:59am
On 8/21/2009 at 9:19:29pm Neptune will be 13.2º above the east-southeast horizon horizon

 (back to 'Quick Links')

 

Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data
 
Rises:

4:26pm
Transits:

9:26pm - Time of highest position in the sky, due South
Sets:

2:27am - Aug 22

Constellation:

Sagittarius
Phase:

99.98% illuminated
Distance:

31.15460361 AU = 4,660,662,362 km = 2,896,001,365 miles = 4.32 light-hours
Magnitude:

14.2
Apparent size:

0.11 arcseconds in angular diameter
Elongation from Sun:

121.49° (evening sky)

Dates of Opposition (when Pluto is closest to the Earth)

Previous:

Tuesday Jun 23, 2009 at 3:49am

Next:

Friday Jun 25, 2010 at 2:59pm
On 8/21/2009 at 9:19:29pm Pluto will be 30.9º above the south-southeast horizon

 (back to 'Quick Links')


Inner Solar System - the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Earth
(Created using Software Bisque's TheSky software)
Notice that Mercury is very nearly at maximum eastern elongation (visible in the evening) which occurs on Monday, August 24th, and that
Venus is now past its maximum western elongation (visible in the morning) which occurred on Friday, June 5th.


(back to 'Quick Links')
 

 

Outer Solar System - the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
(Created using Software Bisque's TheSky software)
Notice that Neptune recently reached opposition on Aug 17 2009 and likewise Jupiter on Aug 14th



 (back to 'Quick Links')
 

Click HERE for event status.

Click HERE for a printer-friendly version of the information on this page.

Click HERE for general Information you should know about our events - Q&A of Where, When and What.

Very sincerely yours,
Dave Jessie
"Time spent observing the heavens is not deducted from your life span"
(back to 'Quick Links')

Back to home page

 

Web hosting generously provided by