Upstate New York Stargazing – Aug Week 2, 2017

Author's Note: The "Upstate New York Stargazing" series ran on the newyorkupstate.com and syracuse.com websites (and limited use in-print) from 2016 to 2018. For the full list of articles, see the Upstate New York Stargazing page.

Stargazing in Upstate NY: What to see in the night skies Aug. 4 to 11

Have solar glasses? Check to make sure they are good ones by looking for the ISO-12312-2 certification and manufacturer's contact info. Example solar-safe glasses from eclipseglasses.com.

Updated: Jan. 02, 2019, 3:48 p.m. | Published: Aug. 04, 2017, 2:20 p.m.

By Special to nyup.com

By Damian Allis | Contributing Writer

This summertime weekly summary for planetary, satellite, constellation, and other observing opportunities covers the first full week of August. With just under three weeks until the Aug. 21 solar eclipse, there's plenty of time to make sure you have safe solar glasses without excessive last-minute shipping fees. There have been many reports recently about unsafe solar glasses being sold for the eclipse – a sad state of affairs regardless of whether the sellers are uninformed or knowingly skimping on materials. The trick to solar observing is not simply to reduce the amount of visible light going into your eyes, but to remove as much of the high intensity visible light and damaging ultraviolet light as possible to keep from serious and permanent retinal damage. A recent NASA News press release goes into great detail about safe preparations for the eclipse, breaking down the issue of safe eclipses glasses as follows:

In a nutshell: If you doubt – throw them out.

Many local libraries have already obtained solar-safe glasses for the eclipse, and I encourage you to check with your local branch to see if and when they'll be made available. And don't worry – everyone else is going to call in sick that afternoon, too.

As a reminder: A number of eclipse articles have already been posted on syracuse.com, including:

* A general eclipse overview of when and where to watch

* Which libraries will be providing free solar-safe glasses in Central New York

* Some general observing information about the eclipse from the May and June UNY Stargazing series

Below is a list of scheduled lecture and observing opportunities around Upstate New York for the eclipse – this list will be reproduced in the following articles and will hopefully be added to as other locations announce events. If you know of an event not listed, please send an email with details. As always around here, we can only hope for clear skies!

Solar Eclipse Calendar

OrganizerLocationEventDateTimeContact Info
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadySolar EclipseAug. 211:22 – 3:56 PMemail, website
Cazenovia Public LibraryCazenoviaSolar Eclipse LectureAug. 167:00 – 8:30 PM315-655-9322 website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalSolar EclipseAug. 2111:30 AM – 4:00 PMemail, website
Liverpool Public LibraryLiverpoolSolar Eclipse PartyAug. 211:00 – 4:00 PM315-457-0310 website
Marcellus Free LibraryMarcellusSolar Eclipse PartyAug. 211:00 – 4:00 PM315-673-3221 website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervilleEclipse Lecture, ClintonAug. 27:00 – 8:30 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervilleEclipse Lecture, CanastotaAug. 37:00 – 8:30 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervilleSolar EclipseAug. 2112:00 – 4:00 PMemail, website
Onondaga County LibrariesNOPL North SyracuseSolar Eclipse LectureAug. 146:30 – 8:00 PM315-458-6184 website
Onondaga County LibrariesJamesvilleLecture & Solar Eclipse @ DeWitt & Jamesville LibraryAug. 2112:00 – 4:00 PM315-446-3578 website
Onondaga County LibrariesSyracuseSolar Eclipse Party @ Hazard BranchAug. 2112:00 – 4:00 PM315-435-5326 website
Onondaga County LibrariesSyracuseSolar Eclipse Party @ Paine BranchAug. 212:00 – 3:00 PM315-435-5442 website
Onondaga County LibrariesSyracuseSolar Eclipse Party @ White BranchAug. 212:00 – 3:00 PM315-435-3519 website
Skaneateles LibrarySkaneatelesSolar Eclipse LectureAug. 121:00 – 2:00 PMemail website

Lectures And Observing Opportunities In Upstate/Central New York

New York has a number of astronomers, astronomy clubs, and observatories that host public sessions throughout the year. Announced sessions from several respondent NY astronomy organizations are provided from the second week to the end of August so you can plan accordingly. As wind and cloud cover are always factors when observing, please check the provided contact information and/or email the groups a day-or-so before an announced session, as some groups will also schedule weather-alternate dates. Also use the contact info for directions and to check on any applicable event or parking fees.

Astronomy Events Calendar

OrganizerLocationEventDateTimeContact Info
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic ObservingAug. 41/2 Hour After Sunsetemail, website
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic ObservingAug. 181/2 Hour After Sunsetemail, website
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic ObservingAug. 211/2 Hour After Sunsetemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyNight Sky AdventureAug. 158:00 – 9:30 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyAAAA MeetingAug. 177:30 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyOctagon Barn Star PartyAug. 188:00 – 10:00 PMemail, website
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghAug. 58:30 – 10:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghAug. 128:30 – 10:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Baltimore WoodsMarcellusBob Piekiel & Perseid Meteor ShowerAug. 12/138:30 – 11:00 PMemail, website
Baltimore WoodsMarcellusBob Piekiel & Solar ObservingAug. 26/271:00 – 3:00 PMemail, website
Green Lakes State ParkFayettevilleBob Piekiel & Summer SkiesAug. 18/198:00 – 10:00 PM315-637-6111 website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingAug. 48:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingAug. 118:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalPerseid Meteor ShowerAug. 128:00 PM – 12:30 AMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingAug. 188:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingAug. 258:00 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervilleMeetingAug. 97:30 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervillePublic Stargazing @ Waterville LibraryAug. 26/278:30 – 11:30 PMemail, website

ISS And Other Bright Satellites

Satellite flyovers are commonplace, with several bright passes easily visible per hour in the nighttime sky, yet a thrill to new observers of all ages. Few flyovers compare in brightness or interest to the International Space Station. The flyovers of the football field-sized craft with its massive solar panel arrays can be predicted to within several seconds and take several minutes to complete.

The 4th to the 8th will see double flyovers in the pre-midnight skies, followed by early flyovers through the 11th. If you follow the August 11th flyover far enough, you'll see the ISS pass very close to Saturn, will within the field of view of 10×50 binoculars. Properly equipped members of the amateur radio community can even add audio to their visual experiences by listening to transmissions from the ISS – see ariss.org or issfanclub.com for details.

ISS Flyovers

DateBrightnessApprox. StartStart Direct.Approx. EndEnd Direct.
4-Augmoderately9:10 PMNW9:15 PME/NE
4-Augextremely10:46 PMNW10:49 PMN/NE
5-Augvery9:54 PMNW9:59 PME/NE
5-Augmoderately11:30 PMW/NW11:31 PMW/NW
6-Augvery9:02 PMNW9:07 PME/NE
6-Augextremely10:38 PMW/NW10:41 PMW
7-Augextremely9:45 PMNW9:50 PME
7-Augsomewhat11:22 PMW11:23 PMW
8-Augvery8:53 PMNW8:59 PME
8-Augvery10:30 PMW/NW10:32 PMSW
9-Augextremely9:37 PMW/NW9:42 PMSE
10-Augmoderately10:22 PMW10:24 PMSW
11-Augvery9:29 PMW/NW9:34 PMS

Predictions courtesy of heavens-above.com. For updated nightly predictions, visit spotthestation.nasa.gov.

Lunar Phases

Full:Third Quarter:New:First Quarter:
Aug. 7, 2:10 PMAug. 14, 9:14 PMAug. 21, 2:30 PMAug. 29, 4:12 AM

The Moon's increasing brightness as Full Moon approaches washes out fainter stars, random meteors, and other celestial objects – this is bad for most observing, but excellent for new observers, as only the brightest stars (those that mark the major constellations) and planets remain visible for your easy identification. If you've never tried it, the Moon is a wonderful binocular object. The labeled image identifies features easily found with low-power binoculars.

Lunar features prominent in low-power binoculars.

Observing Guides

Items and events listed below assume you're outside and observing most anywhere in New York state. The longer you're outside and away from indoor or bright lights, the better your dark adaption will be. If you have to use your smartphone, find a red light app or piece of red acetate, else set your brightness as low as possible.

The sky at 10 p.m. from Aug. 4 to 11, accurate all week except for the changing Moon position.

Evening Skies: The two most prominent shapes in the sky are the Big Dipper and the Summer Triangle, with the Sagittarius Teapot highlighted in several previous articles. Whether or not you can see the Teapot, another very distinctive shape is as high as it will get in the southern sky right now just to the west. The body of Scorpius, easily identified by the bright red-orange star Antares and now residing below Saturn in the nighttime sky, hooks down and back up around the southern tree line at our latitude in a shape that nearly every civilization has recorded as being a celestial scorpion. Like the Teapot, the Scorpion tail is between us and the galactic center – a scan with binoculars will reveal a number of objects that do not come into focus like their surrounding stars.

The Big Dipper is a bright and easy guide for finding Polaris, the north star. From its handle, you can "arc" down to Arcturus. Jupiter, which stands out soon after sunset, is close to the bright star Spica in Virgo and to the southwest of bright Arcturus in Bootes. Saturn is also visible soon after dusk, rising soon after the bright orange star Antares in Scorpius.

The sky at 4 a.m. from Aug. 4 to 11, accurate all week except for the changing Moon position.

Morning Skies: Venus is unmistakable in the early morning sky, second only to the Moon in brightness before sunrise. The torso of Orion is increasingly peaking above the pre-dawn skies behind Taurus the Bull. As dawn approaches, Venus and the bright stars Betelgeuse, Aldebaran, and Capella may be the last few celestial objects you see.

Planetary Viewing

Mercury: While technically visible after sunset this week, Mercury is very low on the horizon and awash in scattered sunlight. Observers with binoculars might consider scanning the western horizon before 9:00 p.m. to find it, but DO NOT risk doing so until after the sun has set, as even a moment of magnified sunlight will permanently damage your vision. For the patient, Mercury becomes a good early morning target with Mars in late August/early September.

Venus: Venus remains unmistakable in the early morning and even into sunrise, rising just before 3:20 a.m. all week. With good, steady binoculars, you should be able to see that Venus is currently more than half-lit – and you can follow the changing phases of Venus as it and the Earth make our way around the Sun. Venus joins the twins Castor and Pollux in Gemini this week before striking the heart of Cancer the Crab at month's end.

Venus and the best sights of winter skies this week.

Mars: Mars will not return to our pre-midnight skies until this time next year, but will become a morning target in late August/early September. August 4th marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Phoenix Mars Lander mission, whose parachute decent on May 25th of 2008 was even captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The Phoenix chute deployed as seen from the MRO.

Jupiter: If you look southwest soon after sunset, Jupiter will be the brightest object you can see. Jupiter is setting earlier every night but is gaining back some of its observing time now that we're past the summer solstice. Low power binoculars are excellent for spying the four bright Galilean moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – and several online guides will even map their orbits for you. Jupiter is to the west of the bright star Spica in Virgo, roughly a full fist-width if you measure with your arm fully-extended. If the skies fail to cooperate at any point, you can still spend time exploring the largest planet in our Solar System thanks to the great science being done by the NASA Juno Probe currently in Jovian orbit.

Saturn: Still on the western edge of the brightest part of the Milky Way, Saturn is going to spend the next 17 months making its way to the eastern edge above the teapot of Sagittarius, all the while giving us an excellent observing target until next autumn. If skies are agreeable on August 11th, observers will even be treated to a very close flyby of the ISS just before 9:34 p.m.

Saturn and the ISS on August 11th. If staring at Saturn with low-power binoculars, you will also see up-to 5 additional satellites zoom through your field of view several minutes before.

As a refresher from the June 30th to July 7th article, those looking in the direction of Saturn with binoculars are treated to a host of Messier ("M") Objects – all residing between ourselves and the center of the Milky Way galaxy above the spout of the Sagittarius teapot. A good star chart and some guide stars will help you determine just which object you're looking at.

The Perseid Meteor Shower, Peaking Aug. 12

The Perseids are arguably the best, and best-timed, meteor shower of the year, with long-night observing sessions made all the easier by reasonable temperatures and not having school the next day. If you saw an image announcing "the greatest meteor shower in human history" on social media these past few weeks, you may end up being quite disappointed in the quality of the show this year – and hopefully a little more skeptical on August 13th of the veracity of the claims made on shared, unattributed images. The quality of the Persieds this year will be greatly diminished by the presence of the Moon before 11 p.m. on the 11th and its presence during the peak on the morning of the 12th, which will wash out much of the splendor of any meteor trails you might see. That said, the Persieds are a very widely-spread shower, with activity from the end of July to the end of August. If you're out and observing under a clear, dark sky right now, you may see a few bright Perseid streaks regardless.

The name of each meteor shower is based on the constellation from which the shooting stars appear to radiate – a position in the sky we call the radiant. In the case of the Perseids, the meteor shower radiant appears to be just off the head of Perseus, which rises from the northeast just after 9 p.m. this month. The meteor shower itself is provided to us by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which last made its dramatic pass in 1992 and which will return again to replenish the debris field in 2126.

The radiant of the Persieds and some prominent shapes in the sky at 10 p.m.

Dr. Damian Allis is the director of CNY Observers and a NASA Solar System Ambassador. If you know of any other NY astronomy events or clubs to promote, please contact the author.

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Upstate New York Stargazing – January, 2017

Author's Note: The "Upstate New York Stargazing" series ran on the newyorkupstate.com and syracuse.com websites (and limited use in-print) from 2016 to 2018. For the full list of articles, see the Upstate New York Stargazing page.

Upstate NY Stargazing in January: Quadrantid meteors and Winter's best early evenings

The Flame and Horsehead Nebulae in the constellation Orion the Hunter. The belt star Alnitak is the brightest star in the image, just above the Flame Nebula. Image by Mike Selby, Andrew Chatman (member of ASRAS-Rochester Astronomy Club) and Stefan Schmidt at SC Observatory, Samphran, Thailand.

Updated: Jan. 03, 2017, 3:30 p.m. | Published: Jan. 03, 2017, 2:30 p.m.

By Damian Allis | Contributing writer

Once upon a time, amateur astrophotography was a real pain in the asterism. You had to deal with focus, stray light, random satellites, cloud cover, slow-moving planes, the random stiff breeze, and a host of other issues – all in the dark and for varyingly long exposure times – even before the ordeal of developing the film or plate. You still have the same problems today of composing your shot, hoping for clear skies, and weighing down your tripod to keep the camera from shaking, but we've one major advantage over days gone by – you only have to pay for the camera nowadays, and not the film and darkroom kits.

Modern astrophotography has grown by leaps and bounds thanks to the same improvements in technology that have miniaturized +20 megapixel cameras into the thinnest smartphones. When quality equipment combines with knowledgeable users, images like the absolutely captivating one above are ready to go head-to-head with any space gallery contenders you might find online. The long exposure shots used to generate such images capture all shades of subtle detail in faint galaxies and nebulae, all while making visible a dense starry backdrop our eyes simply never evolved to account for.

Images like the above represent more than just a visually stunning view of the famous Horsehead and Flame Nebulae in the constellation Orion – the above image shows us some of our nearest galactic neighbors in shining detail. While the times and sights seem to change ever more rapidly here on Earth, most of the stars you can see in this picture have been within its cropped borders for many millions of years as this neighborhood has traveled around the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. Many, many generations on, any future astrophotographers still stuck imaging from Earth will be able to capture the same piece of celestial real estate and overlay the images, giving astronomers information about the motions of stars in the frame, changes to the shape of the gas clouds, and a host of other subtler information.

Evening and nighttime guide

The view looking south at 8 p.m. on Jan. 15 (except for the changing Moon position, this mid-month view is accurate for all of January). Click for a larger view.

Items and events listed below assume you're outside and observing most anywhere in New York state. The longer you're outside and away from indoor or bright lights, the better your dark adaption will be. If you have to use your smartphone, find a red light app or piece of red acetate, else set your brightness as low as possible.

Southern Sights: The "Best of Winter" is in full effect after 9 p.m. this month, with the prominent constellations Taurus, Orion, Canis Major, Gemini, Auriga, and Canis Minor all visible to the south. What makes these constellations prominent are the number and brightness of some of their stars. Orion's body is an easy find to all observers, with the three stars of the belt likely jumping out first. Aldebaran serves as your anchor for Taurus, Sirius an anchor for Canis Major, Procyon is a bright star in a less-populated area to help mark Canis Minor, Capella marks Auriga, and Castor and Pollux help orient Gemini.

Orion can guide you around its neighborhood. Red = belt stars to Sirius and Canis Major; Orange = Rigel and belt center to Gemini; Yellow = Bellatrix and Betelgeuse to Canis Major; Green = Belt stars to Aldebaran and Taurus; Blue = Saiph and Orion's head to Capella in Auriga.Click for a larger view.

Mars:

Mars continues its slow migration along the horizon from southwest to west this month, setting at around 9 p.m. each night in the process. Mars and Neptune rang in the New Year together on the evening of Jan. 1, although you needed magnification and good conditions to see Neptune in your field of view. The Moon joined this pair on Jan. 2 for a pleasant sight in low-power binoculars, but the bright Moon made finding Neptune even more difficult. Mars makes for a second planet/Moon pairing on Jan. 31 with Venus, which will make for a great sight at low-power.

On Jan. 1, Mars and Neptune were at their closest in an eyepiece for 2017. On Jan. 2, the Moon joined the line. On Jan. 31, Mars, Venus, and the Moon just fit within 10×50 binoculars. Click for a larger view.

Venus:

Venus remains unmissable this month after sunset to the south/southwest, second only in brightness to the Moon. We gain just under two additional minutes of Venus viewing each night this month, setting close to 8 p.m. on Jan. 1 and 8:45 p.m. on the 31st. You'll have plenty of time to work on training your eyes to see first sight of Venus in the sky, as it remains with us near sunset until well into March of 2017. Venus and Neptune will be very closely spaced on Jan. 12, and then Venus plays celestial catch-up with Mars for the rest of the month, culminating in an excellent sight on Jan. 31 – the crescent Moon, Mars, and Venus all within the field of view of 10×50 binoculars.

Early riser alert

Jupiter:

Jupiter rose brightly above the eastern horizon near 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 1 and by 11:45 p.m. at month's end – placing it high in the southern sky for those out before sunrise. Its four Galilean Moons – Callisto, Io, Europa, and Ganymede – are all visible in low-power binoculars when Jupiter rises, but are washed out early by sunlight even before sunrise approaches. Jupiter and a waning crescent moon will make a very nice pairing after 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 19.

Saturn: Saturn returns earlier and earlier this month, but still may be a tough catch during the first few weeks. Saturn is not impressively bright and rises close to sunrise, meaning it can get washed out by sunlight in short order. Intrepid observers should check to the southeast after 6:30 a.m. after 4:45 a.m. by month's end. Low-power binoculars will show you an oval star, while higher magnification should give you views of the planet and rings. The very waning crescent moon and Saturn will make a very nice pairing the morning of Jan. 24 after 5:30 a.m.

Mercury: Mercury replaces Saturn as our just-before-sunrise planet to catch in January. Your best chance of seeing it occurs on the morning of Jan. 15, when it rises just over the southeast horizon after 6:20 a.m. Mercury is a fair bit brighter than Saturn in the morning and is not close to bright stars, so should be a reasonable catch.

January observing opportunities In Upstate/Central New York

New York has several evenly-spaced astronomers, astronomy clubs, and observatories that host sessions throughout the year. Many of these sessions are free and open to the public, often close to the New Moon when skies are darkest and the chance for seeing deep, distant objects is greatest. These observers and facilities are the very best places to see the month's best objects using some of the best equipment, all while having very knowledgeable observers at your side to answer questions and guide discussion. Many of these organizations also hold monthly meetings, where seasoned amateurs can learn about recent news and discoveries from guest lecturers, and brand new observers are encouraged to join and begin the path towards seasoned amateur status.

Announced public sessions from several respondent NY astronomy organizations are provided below for January. As wind and cloud cover are always factors when observing, please check the website links or email the groups for directions and to find out about an event a day-or-so before the announced session. Also note that some groups will include weather-alternate dates for scheduled sessions.

Astronomy Events Calendar

OrganizerLocationEventDateTimeContact Info
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic Star GazingJan. 66:00 PMemail, website
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic Star GazingJan. 206:00 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadySenior Science DayJan. 23:00 – 4:00 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyNight Sky AdventureJan. 177:00 – 8:30 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyAAAA MeetingsJan. 197:30 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Baltimore WoodsMarcellusWinter Skies With Bob PiekielJan. 206:30 – 8:30 PMemail, website
Green Lakes State ParkFayettevilleSolar Observing With Bob PiekielJan. 141:00 – 3:00 PM(315) 637-6111, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalKoperniKids All In A winter's DayJan. 710:30 AM – 12:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalWinter StarsJan. 137:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalKoperniKids A Visit To The MoonJan. 1410:30 AM – 12:00 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervillePublic Star GazingJan. 287:30 PM – 11:00 PMemail, website

ISS And Other Bright Flyovers

Satellite flyovers are commonplace, with several bright passes per hour, yet a thrill to new observers of all ages. Few flyovers compare in brightness or interest to the International Space Station. The flyovers of the football-sized craft with its massive solar panel arrays can be predicted to within several seconds and take several minutes to complete.

January ISS observers will need to sneak a second cup of coffee in the afternoon, as all visible ISS flyovers occur between 5 and 7 a.m. until the 27th. With luck and clear skies, early risers will have opportunity to see double flyovers on the 3rd, 5th, 16th, and 18th. Late-January flyovers occur soon after sunset, making them easy targets for early-sleepers as well.

Simply go out a few minutes before the start time, orient yourself, and look for what will at first seem like a distant plane.

ISS fly-bys

DateBrightnessApprox. StartStart DirectionApprox. EndEnd Direction
1/1moderately5:29 AMS5:33 AME/NE
1/2extremely6:13 AMW/SW6:18 AMNE
1/3very5:24 AME/NE5:26 AME/NE
1/3very6:57 AMW/NW7:02 AMNE
1/4extremely6:07 AMNW6:10 AMNE
1/5very6:50 AMW/NW6:54 AMNE
1/5somewhat5:17 AMNE5:18 AMNE
1/6very6:00 AMN6:02 AMNE
1/7moderately6:42 AMNW6:47 AMNE
1/8moderately5:52 AMN5:54 AMNE
1/9moderately6:35 AMNW6:39 AMNE
1/10moderately5:45 AMN5:47 AMNE
1/11very6:27 AMN/NW6:32 AME/NE
1/12moderately5:37 AMN/NE5:39 AME/NE
1/13very6:19 AMN/NW6:24 AME
1/14very5:29 AMN/NE5:32 AME/NE
1/15extremely6:12 AMNW6:17 AME/SE
1/16very6:54 AMW/NW7:00 AMS/SE
1/16very5:22 AME/NE5:24 AME
1/17extremely6:04 AMW6:08 AMSE
1/18very5:14 AME/SE5:16 AME/SE
1/18moderately6:47 AMW6:51 AMS/SW
1/19very5:57 AMSW6:00 AMS/SE
      
1/27very6:48 PMS/SW6:50 PMS/SE
1/28moderately5:57 PMS/SE6:00 PME/SE
1/28moderately7:31 PMW/SW7:33 PMW/SW
1/29extremely6:39 PMSW6:43 PME
1/30very5:47 PMS/SW5:53 PME/NE
1/30very7:23 PMW7:25 PMW/NW
1/31extremely6:30 PMW/SW6:35 PMNE

Predictions courtesy of heavens-above.com.

Moon: Lunar Phases

New:First Quarter:Full:Third Quarter:New:
Dec. 29, 1:53 AMJan. 5, 2:47 PMJan. 12, 6:34 AMJan. 19, 5:14 PMJan. 27, 7:07 PM

The moon's increasing brightness as full moon approaches washes out fainter stars, random meteors, and other celestial objects – this is bad for most observing, but excellent for new observers, as only the brightest stars (those that mark the major constellations) and planets remain visible for your easy identification. If you've never tried it, the moon is a wonderful binocular object.

Take note: Observers next month will be treated to a penumbral lunar eclipse on Feb. 11.

Meteor Showers: Quadrantids – Active Jan. 1-10, Peaking Jan. 3-4

Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the debris field of a comet or asteroid. As these objects approach the warming sun in their long orbits, they leave tiny bits behind – imagine pebbles popping out the back of a large gravel truck on an increasingly bumpy road. In the case of meteor showers, the brilliant streaks you see are due to particles usually no larger than grains of sand. The Earth plows through the swarm of these tiny particles at up-to 12 miles-per-second. High in the upper atmosphere, these particles burn up due to friction and ionize the air around them, producing the long light trails we see. We can predict the peak observing nights for a meteor shower because we know when and where in Earth's orbit we'll pass through the same part of the Solar System – this yearly periodicity in meteor activity is what let us identify and name meteor showers well before we ever had evidence of what caused them.

Looking north and east at 2 a.m. on Jan 3. The easiest markers for the Quadrantid radiant are the handle of the Big Dipper above (red) and the bright star Arcturus in Bootes to the east. Click for a larger view.

The name of each meteor shower is based on the constellation from which the shooting stars appear to radiate – a position in the sky we call the radiant. Technically, this meteor shower should have the moniker Bootids, as it originates within the constellation borders of Bootes the Herdsman. The Quadrantids instead owe their name to the defunct constellation Quadrans Muralis, which existed in the late-18th/early-19th centuries just long enough to have the meteor shower named for it.

The Quadrantid radiant is an easy find if you can spot the Big Dipper – just look slightly beyond the handle to orient yourself. Unlike most of the meteor showers, the Quadrantids are not produced by a comet – asteroid 2003 EH1, an unassuming object not discovered until 2003, has a 5.5 year orbit that places it near the path of Earth's orbit.

How to observe: The Quadrantids can be impressive but usually peak during a very narrow window, with up to 120 meteors per hour possible. Observers this year will benefit from the absent Moon, which sets before 11 p.m. during peak nights. Observers out after midnight are treated to Jupiter low on the eastern horizon and the wealth of bright constellations stretching from southeast to southwest.

To optimize your experience, lie flat on the ground with your feet pointed towards the Big Dipper and your head elevated – meteors will then appear to fly right over and around you. Counts and brightness tend to increase the later you stay out, with peak observing times usually between 1 and 5 a.m. The swarm of tiny particles is distributed broadly in orbit, meaning some people may see shooting stars associated with the Quadrantids throughout the first third of the month.

Learn A Constellation: Orion The Hunter

Orion the Hunter. Click for a larger view.

Orion the Hunter is old, bright, and has never, ever missed a trek out during even the worst New York winter night.

How old? In last month's article, we mentioned that Taurus the Bull was arguably identified as a bull in a cave painting as far back as 15,500 B.C. Orion takes his club and clobbers that date – prehistoric carvings associated with the stars in Orion date back to roughly 35,000 years ago. The seven prominent stars of Orion have been associated with some mythical celestial object for as long as any civilization has a record – it is safe to say that every one of our ancestors with decent enough vision to see any stars knew the stars of Orion as something significant to their folklore.

How bright? Statistically, very bright. Five of Orion's stars crack the Top 50 brightest-from-Earth list, and its seven most prominent stars – Rigel, Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Alnilam, Alnitak, Saiph, and Mintaka – make up what is arguably the most easily identified grouping in the night sky. As a human form, the three belt stars – Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka – are unique for their brightness and near-perfect, straight line spacing. The red supergiant Betelgeuse is an odds-on favorite to go supernova in the next few million years – amateur astronomers have been crossing fingers to be around to witness this celestial lottery drawing for as long as we've known it was near the end of its lifespan. At the opposite corner, Rigel is the seventh-brightest star in the sky and is either a triplet or quadruple star system itself.

In our modern grouping, seven stars does not an Orion make! Once you've found the bright body, work your way around the upper torso to identify the stars of the head and arms. To some, the one arm is holding a club and the other arm a shield, while others might see Orion represented with a bow in one hand and an arrow pulled from a quiver in the other.

With the Orion Nebula in sight, search for the close group of four bright stars known as Trapezium within. Click for a larger view.

Orion is a busy constellation at all magnifications, with several sights for low-power binoculars and many targets for quality telescopes. The most famous of these regions is M42, the great Orion Nebula, which lies just below the belt. This wispiness is apparent even without magnification – there is clearly something more than just a star there to see. The Orion Nebula is a local stellar nursery, where gas clouds are slowly condensing into brand new stars. With good skies and higher magnification, you can see the Trapezium within M42, possibly the newest open star cluster in our sky. Very good binoculars and a steady tripod may even help you see De Mairan's Nebula, designated M43, nearby.

There is much more to Orion than the unaided eyes can see, including numerous nebulae and other deep sky objects.

The Horsehead and Flame Nebulae from the opening image lie next to the belt star Alnitak and are not easy to pull detail out of without quality scopes or good imaging equipment. These two objects are not alone in their need for more dedicated observing – even with the wealth of objects ready for binocular viewing, our eyes are simply not equipped to handle all of the subtle detail that surrounds Orion. An image from October 2010 that currently resides on Orion's Wikipedia page does begin to reveal all of this amazing detail.

Dr. Damian Allis is the director of CNY Observers and a NASA Solar System Ambassador. If you know of any other NY astronomy events or clubs to promote, please contact the author.

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