If It’s Clear
If It’s Clear
By Fulton Wright Jr.
Prescott, AZ
Celestial events (from Sky & Telescope magazine, Astronomy magazine, and anywhere else I can find information) customized for Prescott, Arizona.
Remember, the Moon is 1/2 degree or 30 arcminutes in diameter. All times are Mountain Standard Time.
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May 2012
You can STILL see comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd), but you will want a medium (6 inch) telescope and dark skies. See Astronomy magazine, May 2012, p. 42 for a finder chart.
During May Venus goes from 26% illuminated, 38 arc seconds in size, and setting at 10:35 PM to 1% illuminated, 57 arc seconds in size, and setting at 8:16 PM. It is on its way to pass in front of the sun on the afternoon of June 5. (See note at the end of this article.)
On Saturday, May 5, at 7:14 PM (5 minutes before sunset) the full Moon rises, spoiling any chance of hunting for faint fuzzies for the night.
On the night of Saturday, May 12, at 1:19 AM (the 13th), the last quarter Moon rises.
On Sunday, May 20, not only is it new Moon, but, in the late afternoon, there will be an annular solar eclipse. The centerline of the path of annularity passes through Page, Arizona. If you go, you will not be the only person there. The partial phase starts at 5:24 PM. The annular phase starts at 6:32 PM and lasts for 4.5 minutes. The Sun (and Moon, of course) will be about 10 degrees above the west horizon. The Sun sets before the exiting partial phase is over. Flagstaff is just south of the annular path. Prescott is a little further south but will also see a deep partial eclipse. Even though the sun is very low, it is not safe to view directly any phase of this eclipse without a real solar filter. My favorite is a #14 welders plate. Sky & Telescope and Astronomy Magazine both have articles about the eclipse in their May issues.
On Tuesday, May 22, shortly after sunset at 7:32 PM, you can see a bunch of bright objects strung out along the western horizon. From south to north we have Sirius (magnitude -1.4), Betelgeuse (magnitude 0.6), The Moon (magnitude -2.4, thin crescent), Venus (magnitude -4.3, also thin but smaller crescent), Elnath (magnitude 1.7, near Venus), and Capella (magnitude 0.1, somewhat higher). At 7:29 PM the 3rd magnitude star, Zeta Tauri, will disappear behind the moon’s north-planetary-west, dark limb. The sky will still be pretty light so you will want a telescope to find it. The star will reappear at 8:21 PM from the north-planetary-east, somewhat bright limb. Sky & Telescope, May 2012, p. 52 has an article about the occultation.
On the night of Monday, May 28, at 12:59 AM (the 29th), the first quarter Moon sets.
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June 2012
It is hard to believe you can STILL see comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd). You can, but it is getting pretty dim now. You will want at least a medium (6 inch) telescope and dark skies. See Astronomy magazine, June 2012, p. 42 for a finder chart.
On the night of Sunday, June 3, at 7:10 PM (29 minutes before sunset) the full Moon rises spoiling any chance of seeing faint fuzzies for the night. The Moon is near perigee so it will look especially big. The next few days will be a good time to look at the south planetary-east part as libration tips it toward us. The big show is after midnight (so actually on June 4), when you can see a partial eclipse. Here is the schedule:
1:51 AM Moon enters penumbra (not observable).
2:20 AM (approximate) First hint of penumbral phase visible.
3:03 AM Moon enters umbra (partial phase starts).
3:33 AM Astronomical twilight starts.
4:04 AM Maximum eclipse (38% of Moon in umbra).
4:12 AM Nautical twilight starts.
4:48 AM Civil twilight starts.
5:06 AM Moon leaves umbra (partial phase ends).
5:17 AM Sun rises.
5:27 AM Moon sets.
On Tuesday, June 5, you can see a transit of Venus. At 3:06 PM the planet just touches the disk of the Sun (1st contact). By 3:24 PM the planet will be completely in front of the Sun’s disk (2nd contact). The transit will still be in progress when the Sun sets at 7:40 PM. You don’t have to travel anywhere to see it (although you might want to travel to avoid clouds), but you will want optical aid (binoculars or a telescope) and will need a real solar filter on the front of your binoculars or telescope (or in front of your eyes if you want to try to see the 1 arc minute black dot on the 30 arc minute Sun). This is not an especially spectacular event, but it is an especially rare one. You are unlikely to be able to view the next one on December 11, 2117.
On Sunday, June 10, the Moon is at last quarter phase and rises at 12:21 AM (June 11).
On Sunday, June 17, about 4:45 AM, you can see (top to bottom) Jupiter, the Moon, and Venus huddled barely above the east-northeast horizon.
On Monday, June 18, it is new moon and you have all night to hunt for faint fuzzies.
On Wednesday, June 20, the summer solstice occurs. Long, hot days, short warm nights.
On Tuesday, June 26, the Moon is at first quarter phase and sets at 12:08 AM (June 27).
On Friday, June 29, Pluto is at opposition. That means that any time this month or next is a good time to find our most famous non-planet. Sky & Telescope, June 2012, p. 52 has a finder chart.
On Saturday, June 30, Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation. This is not a particularly good one, but if you want to give it a shot, start looking about 8:15 PM, low in the west.
