December 2018 – Skies News

12/1/2018
December Skies – by Dick Cookman

Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Meteor Showers, Planet Plotting, Winter Solstice, December Moon

Focus Constellations: Hercules, Aquila, Lyra, Cygnus, Pegasus, Pisces, Aries, Triangulum, Andromeda, Perseus, Auriga, Taurus, Gemini. Camelopardalis, Lynx, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco, Cepheus, Cassiopeia

Comet Journal

C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) was discovered on Nov. 7, 2018 in Virgo and rapidly ascended from 14th to 7th magnitude. It was closest to Earth at 62 million miles above our orbital plane on November 27th and is expected to move from Ophiuchus to Sagittarius in December. The comet will reach perihelion on December 3 when it will be only 36 million miles from the Sun and may approach 5th magnitude even though it will be lost in the glow of the Sun and not visible from Earth.

Comet 46P/Wirtanen (2018) is the Christmas Comet which will remain in southern hemisphere skies until the 10th when it may approach ~ 4th magnitude before reaching perihelion on Dec. 12th in Taurus. It will be closest to Earth on the 16th and will remain bright through the Christmas season. It is a short period (5.5 years) comet from the asteroid belt and its exceptionally close approach to Earth of 6.8 million miles may result in several weeks of naked-eye visibility from dark skies.

Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma (2018) in Gemini is at its peak brightness of 9th magnitude between Gemini and Lynx. It is a short period comet (38 years) orbiting the Sun from the Kuiper Belt beyond Uranus.

Mars Landers

Despite the dust free Martian atmosphere, efforts to resume communication with the Opportunity rover silenced on June 10th during the recent planet-wide dust storm have been unsuccessful to date.

On November 26, the Insight lander set down on a 4° slope on a lava plain named Elysium Planitia. So far, all systems are go and the solar panels are charging the batteries at a rate not previously achieved by any Martian lander. Once they are completely charged, detailed imaging will proceed in order to gather data necessary to plan for the lander’s main missions—drilling into the surface to determine rock composition at a depth of 16 feet, and embarking on a seismic study of the deep interior of Mars. Information gained will aid understanding of Martian evolution and how it compares to that of the Earth.

The Curiosity Rover has two redundant control computers which are, amazingly enough, designated Side A and Side B. Side A was engaged after the initial landing but five years ago, on the 200th day of operations, it experienced hardware and software issues and JPL switched over to Side B. Issues on Side A have since been isolated and recent Side B difficulties in storing science data in long-term memory is preventing the storage of the rover’s event records, a journal of all its actions that engineers need in order to make diagnoses. As a result the rover was switched back to Side-A computer on Oct. 3rd. Curiosity’s engineering team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory continues with diagnosis of the anomaly on the Side-B computer.

After more than two weeks of science operations since the switch, the mission is back in business with the latest 60 meter drive. The team plans to drill a new target later this week.

Meteor Showers

According to Guy Ottewell’s 2018 Astronomical Calendar, December skies bring the following meteor showers:

Dec. 1 SAT.: December Phi Cassiopeids. ZHR ~10. 1 day after Last Quarter Moon.

Dec. 7 Fri.: Puppid-Velids. Active Dec 1-15. ZHR ~10. Near New Moon. Very favorable..

Dec. 14 Fri.: Geminids. Peak 22:30 UT? Active Dec 4-17. ZHR ~120. 1 day before First Quarter Moon..

Dec. 22 SAT.: Ursids. Active Dec 17-26. ZHR ~15. 33 km/sec. 1 day before Full Moon. Very unfavorable..

Planet Plotting

Mars (0.0 to 0.05) in Aquarius and Pisces and Saturn (0.5) in Sagittarius are the bright evening planets in the southern and western sky. After the Sun sets in early December, Saturn shines near the horizon in the southwest and will be about 1° from the waxing crescent Moon on the 8th. Best viewing is after dusk during the first two weeks of December. Mars, higher in the south, brightly surpasses the surrounding stars in Aquarius. The waxing crescent Moon will be 4° south of Mars on the 14th. Best viewing for Mars is in the early evening during the first half of December before lunar glare interferes.

Neptune (+7.9) in Aquarius and Uranus (+5.7 to +5.8) in Aries rise during midday and set before and after midnight respectively. The waxing crescent Moon passes within 3° of Neptune on the 14th and the waxing gibbous Moon is 5° from Uranus on the 17th.

During December, Jupiter (-1.6) moves from Scorpius to Ophiuchus in the pre-dawn eastern sky but will rise just before the Sun during the first two weeks of the month after it’s conjunction with the Sun on November 26th. In late December it rises an hour before the Sun. It is slightly over 3° from the waxing crescent Moon on the 6th and less than a degree south of Mercury on the 21st when it appears over 3 times as bright as the tiny inner planet.

Mercury (+2.3 to -0.4) will be low in the southeastern sky in Libra and Ophiuchus before sunrise in early December and will be within 2° of the waning crescent Moon on the 5th. It reaches greatest western elongation of 21° from the Sun on the 15th and then drops back into the glow of sunrise in the latter part of December.

Crescent Venus (-4.5 to -4.4) is in the predawn sky in Virgo and Libra in December. Venus rises about 4AM EST and is brightest on the 1st. It dims slightly during the month as the crescent thickens. The waning crescent Moon will be 4° from Venus on the 3rd at 2:00PM EST.

Planet..Constellation(s)..Magnitude..Planet Passages………………………………………….Time………….Date

Sun…Ophiuchus, Sagittarius..-26.8…New Moon……………………………………………….2:20AM EST..12/7
Mercury..Libra, Ophiuchus..+2.3 to -0.4…….Max. West Elong. …………………………..7:00AM EST..12/15 Jupiter..0.9°S ……………………………………………………………………………………..10:00AM EST..12/21
Venus…Virgo, Libra……….-4.5 to -4.4
Mars…..Aquarius, Pisces..0.0 to 0.5…………..Neptune, 0.04°S ……………………………10:00AM EST..12/7
Jupiter…Scorpius, Ophiuchus..-1.6……………Mercury 0.9°N ……………………………..10:00AM EST..12/21
Saturn…Sagittarius………..+0.5
Uranus..Aries, Pisces……..+5.7 to +5.8
Neptune..Aquarius………….+7.9………………….Mars, 0.04°N ……………………………..10:00AM EST..12/7

Winter Solstice

The December Solstice is at 5:23PM EST on 12/21. At that time, Earth arrives at the position in its orbit where the north pole of the Earth’s axis is tilted away from the Sun which appears at the zenith at solar noon at latitude 23.5°S latitude. At 45°N latitude the Sun is 21.5° above the southern horizon at solar noon on the shortest day of the year. On the solstice the Sun enters the astrological sign of Capricornus when it is really in the constellation Sagittarius! Astrological signs are based on the Zodiac which is the collection of 13 constellations through which the Sun appears to move during the year. Even though Ophiuchus is one of the 13, it was not ever recognized as a Zodiac constellation or Astrological sign because the Sun’s appearance in the constellation is limited to 19 days each year.

Astrological signs are displaced by one sign from reality due to the precession of Earth’s axis which moves through the thirteen constellations in 26,000 years, or ~2000 years per constellation. The Astrological signs are based on the skies of 2000 years ago, so any conclusions about the present or future based on astrological predictions are 2000 years out of date. My personal reaction to this quandary is to read both my astrological sign horoscope (Leo) and that related to reality (Cancer) and pick the one I like best.

December Moon

The New Moon of December on the 7th at 2:20AM EST is the beginning of Lunation 1187 which ends 29.24 days later with the New Moon of January on the 5th at 8:28AM EST. The Full Moon on the 22nd at 12:49PM EST is known as the “Moon before Yule” or “Long Night Moon”. Colonial Americans called it the “Christmas Moon” and Celts called it the “Cold Moon”. Chinese refer to it as the “Bitter Moon”. It was the “Oak Moon” in Medieval England. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe) people recognize it as “Manidoo-Giizisoons” (Little Spirit Moon).

Lunar Apogee (maximum orbital distance) occurs on the 12th at 7:25AM EST when the Moon is at 251,765 miles (63.53 Earth radii). Perigee occurs on the 24th at 4:49AM EST when the Moon is at a distance of 224,353 miles (56.61 Earth radii).

Planet..Constellation..Magnitude..Moon Passage ……………………………………….Moon Phase..Moon Age

Sun……Ophiuchus……-26.8……….2:20AM EST, 12/7 ………………………………….New……………0 days
Mercury..Scorpius…….+0.7………..1.9°N, 74:00PM EST, 12/5 ………………..Waning Crescent..28.21 days
Venus…Virgo…………….-4.5………..4°N, 2:00PM EST, 12/3……………………Waning Crescent..26.12 days
Mars…..Aquarius……….+0.2……….4.0°S, 6:00PM EST, 12/14 ………………..Waxing Crescent..7.15 days
Jupiter..Scorpius………..-1.6…….3.4°NNE, 10:00AM EST, 12/6 ……………….Waning Crescent..28.96 days
Saturn..Sagittarius……..+0.5………..1.1°N, Midnight EST, 12/8 ……………….Waxing Crescent..0.40 days
Uranus..Aries…………….+5.7………5.0°S, 11:00PM EST, 12/17 ……………….Waxing Gibbous..10.36 days
Neptune..Aquarius……..+7.9………..3.0°S, 9:00AM EST, 12/14 ………………..Waxing Crescent..6.78 days 

November 2018 – Skies News

11/4/2018
November Skies – by Dick Cookman

Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Meteor Showers, Planet Plotting, Celestial Sea, November Moon

Focus Constellations: Hercules, Aquila, Lyra, Cygnus, Pegasus, Pisces, Aries, Triangulum, Andromeda, Perseus, Camelopardalis, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Draco, Ursa Minor, Ursa Major

Comet Journal

Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner (2018) is currently in southern hemisphere skies and retreating from the Sun as it orbits back to its aphelion beyond Jupiter after passing through perihelion in early September when it reached 8th magnitude.

Comet 46P/Wirtanen (2018) is in southern hemisphere skies in Fornax and is at 8th magnitude. It is moving northward and has the potential to be a bright Christmas Comet, reaching ~ 4th magnitude as it reaches perihelion on Dec. 12th in Taurus. It is closest to Earth 4 days later and will remain bright through the Christmas season. It is a short period (5.5 years) comet from the asteroid belt and its exceptionally close approach to Earth of 6.8 million miles may result in several weeks of naked-eye visibility from dark skies.

Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma (2018) in Gemini is approaching its peak magnitude of 9th magnitude in Gemini. It is a short period comet (38 years) orbiting the Sun from the Kuiper Belt beyond Uranus to a November 10th perihelion on the other side of the Sun slightly beyond the orbit of Mars.

Mars Landers

It has been 7.5 years since the last attempt to communicate with the Spirit rover. On Oct. 29, 2018 NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory provided the following update about efforts to resume communication with the Opportunity rover silenced on June 10th during the recent planet-wide dust storm:

….NASA will continue its current strategy for attempting to make contact with the powerless(?) Opportunity rover for the foreseeable future. Winds could increase in the next few months at Opportunity’s location on Mars, resulting in dust being blown off the rover’s solar panels. The agency will reassess the situation in the January 2019 time frame.

After Curiosity’s successful drilling attempt on target Stoer was completed on Sol 2138 (Aug 13th), the drilling products were dumped from the drill on Sol 2155 for analysis by the rover’s instruments. On Sol 2157 the rover departed from the Stoer location and drove toward an interesting grey colored patch of bedrock identified from orbit and referred to as Loch Eriboll which is within the Jura member of the Murray Formation on the Vera Rubin Ridge. After examination of 4 sites in the area, Curiosity moved toward Inverness, a large blocky rock selected as the next drilling target. Drilling attempts on Sols 2170 and 2171 were unsuccessful due to rock hardness so further observations at Inverness with other instruments proceeded. Communication issues which interfered with transmission of scientific data to satellite relays in contact with mission scientists on Earth were examined during the interval from Sol 2175 and Sol 2217 after which limited science activities resumed in the Inverness area. Curiosity will next drive towards Lake Orcadie, where further drilling attempts will occur in one of the interesting bright grey areas on the Vera Rubin Ridge identified from orbit.

Meteor Showers

According to Guy Ottewell’s 2018 Astronomical Calendar, November skies bring the following meteor showers:

Nov. 12 Mon. – Northern Taurids. Active Oct 20- Dec 10. ZHR ~5. 29 km/sec. 4 days before First Quarter Moon.

Nov. 18 Sun. – Leonids. Peak 23:27 UT? Active Nov 6-30. ZHR ~15. 71 km/sec. 3 days after First Quarter Moon. Favorable. Progenitor comet – P/Tempel-Tuttle.

Nov. 21 Wed. – Alpha Monocerotids. Active Nov 15-25. ZHR ~5. 65 km/sec. 2 days before Full Moon. Unfavorable.

Nov. 28 Wed. – November Orionids. Active Nov 13-Dec 6. ZHR ~3. 44 km/sec. 2 days before Last Quarter Moon.

Planet Plotting

Mercury (-0.81 to +2.9) will be low in the southwestern sky in Scorpius after sunset in early November and will disappear into the glow of sunset by mid-month. It will be within 7° of the waxing crescent Moon on the 9th.

During November, Jupiter (-1.6) moves from Libra to Scorpius in the post-sunset western evening sky but will dip below the horizon by the 8th when it is 2.7° from the waxing crescent Moon. Jupiter reaches conjunction with the Sun on the 26th. Saturn (+0.6 to +0.5) in Sagittarius is low in the Southwest after sunset and sets in the latter part of the evening. The waxing gibbous Moon passes 1.5° from Saturn on the 11th.

Mars (-0.6 to 0.0) in Capricornus dims by 40% in November but maintains its 1st magnitude status. Telescopic views still reveal icecaps and numerous dark mare and sinus surface features. The first quarter Moon will be 1° south of Mars in the southern evening sky on the 15th. Best viewing for Mars is in early November in the early evening. During mid-November, glare from the Moon will become more of an issue and later in the month, Mars will be poorly positioned for viewing as it will appear low in the southwest close to the horizon.

Neptune (+7.9) in Aquarius and Uranus (+5.7) in Aries rise in the afternoon. The waxing gibbous Moon passes within 3° of Neptune on the 17th and 5° from Uranus on the 20th.

Planet..Constellation(s)..Magnitude………..Planet Passages……………………………………………Time..Date

Sun..Libra, Scorpius……..-26.8…………….11:02AM EST, 11/7……………………………New Moon……0 days
Mercury..Scorpius, Libra…-0.1 to +2.9…Max. East Elongation,……………………………10:00AM EDT..11/6
Inferior Conjunction ………………………………………………………………………………..4:00AM EDT..11/29
Venus….Virgo……………………..-4.1 to -4.5
Mars……Capricornus, Aquarius..-0.6 to-0.0
Jupiter..Libra, Scorpius…………..-1.6………..Solar Conjunction, ………………………….2:00AM EST..11/26
Saturn….Sagittarius…………..+0.6 to +0.5
Uranus……Aries…………………….+5.7
Neptune…Aquarius………………..+7.9

Venus (-4.1 to -4.5) passed through inferior conjunction late last month and moved into the morning sky in Virgo. On the 1st a thin crescent Venus rises a half hour before the Sun and gets brighter during the month as the crescent thickens. The waning crescent Moon will be 10° from Venus on the 5th at 9:00PM EST and north northwest of Venus the following morning.

Celestial Sea

In the Middle East and Mediterranean areas, autumn and winter are the rainy seasons. Ancient civilizations in these regions populated the evening sky with constellations associated with water. The eastern evening sky in November introduces some of these constellations to observers, warning them of the coming winter. By midnight the sky is replete with constellations such as Pisces (the Fish), Cetus (the Whale or Sea Monster) sent by Neptune to devour the maiden, Andromeda. Eridanus (the River), Aquarius (the Waterbearer – considered to be the source of floods by Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures), Pisces Austrinus (the Southern Fish), and Capricornus (the Sea Goat). These six constellations decorate evening skies for several months, announcing the cool days and nights which replenish the thirsty land, enabling successful food production.
Pisces, Aquarius, and Capricornus are Zodiac constellations astride the ecliptic and the other three are south of the ecliptic, almost entirely confined to southern hemisphere skies. Peering into the Celestial Sea with its scarcity of bright stars, we view at a high angle to the plane of the disk of the Milky Way, between it and our galaxy’s south pole. Beyond these constellations lies the void of intergalactic space characterized by a sparse scattering of galaxies, galactic clusters, and superclusters.

November Moon

November’s New Moon on the 7th at 11:02AM EST is the beginning of Lunation 1186 which ends 29.62 days later with the New Moon of December on the 7th at 2:20AM EST. The Full Moon on the 23rd at 12:39AM EST is known as the “Frosty or Beaver Moon.” Colonial Americans called it the “Beaver Moon” and Celts called it the “Dark Moon”. Since they lived on the opposite side of the Earth, Chinese refer to it as the “White Moon”. It was the “Snow Moon” in Medieval England. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe) people recognize it as “Gashkadino-Giizis” (Freezing Over Moon)

Lunar Apogee (maximum orbital distance) occurs on the 14th at 10:56AM EST when the Moon is at 251,245 miles (63.40 Earth radii). Perigee occurs on the 26th at 7:12AM EST when the Moon is at a distance of 227,807 miles (57.48 Earth radii).

Planet..Constellation..Magnitude Moon Passage ………………………………………Moon Phase..Moon Age

Sun………..Libra……..-26.8…………………….11:02AM EST, 11/7…………………………….New……..0 days
Mercury….Scorpius…..-0.1………..7°N, 7:00AM EST…11/9 …………………….Waxing Crescent..1.83 days
Venus…….Virgo………..-4.2………..10°N, 9:00PM EST, 11/5 …………………..Waning Crescent..27.88 days
Mars…….Aquarius…….-0.3………….1.0°S, 9:00PM EST, 11/15 ………………..Waxing Gibbous..8.42 days
Jupiter…..Scorpius……-1.6……..2.7°N, 9:00PM EDT, 11/18 …………………….Waxing Crescent..1.42 days
Saturn….Sagittarius…..+0.6……1.5°N, 11:00AM EST, 11/11 …………………..Waxing Crescent..4.50 days
Uranus……Aries…………+5.7……5.0°S, 3:00PM EST, 11/20 ……………………Waxing Gibbous..13.17 days
Neptune…Aquarius…….+7.9……3.0°S, 1:00AM EST, 11/17 …………………….Waxing Gibbous..9.58 days 

October 2018 – Skies News

10/3/2018
October Skies – by Dick Cookman

Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Meteor Showers, Planet Plotting, Hallowe’en, October Moon

Focus Constellations: Hercules, Aquila, Lyra, Cygnus, Pegasus, Pisces, Aries, Triangulum, Andromeda, Perseus, Camelopardalis, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Draco, Ursa Minor, Ursa Major

Comet Journal

Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner (2018) is a 7th magnitude predawn comet which moves through Canis Major in October after passing through perihelion in early September. The comet is the parent of the Draconid Meteor shower which is expected to occur on October 8/9. The Draconids aren’t normally outstanding but material shed during passage of the parent comet may enhance the shower this year. Comet 46P/Wirtanen (2018) is in southern hemisphere skies between Sculptor and Fornax and is approaching 8th magnitude. It has the potential to be a bright Christmas Comet (~ 4th magnitude) as it reaches perihelion on Dec. 12th in Taurus and is closest to Earth 4 days later. It is a short period (5.5 years) comet from the asteroid belt.

Mars Landers

The planet-encircling dust storm on Mars, which was first detected May 30 and halted operations for the Opportunity rover, continues to abate. “The Sun is breaking through the haze over Perseverance Valley, and soon there will be enough sunlight present that Opportunity should be able to recharge its batteries,” said John Callas, Opportunity project manager at JPL. While recovery of the rover is uncertain, the rover team is cautiously optimistic, knowing that Opportunity has overcome significant challenges during its 14+ years on Mars. The rover lost use of its left-front steering in June of 2017, and right front in 2005. Its 256-megabyte flash memory is no longer functioning and the team also knows that everything about the rover is well beyond its warranty period. Both Opportunity and its twin rover, Spirit, were constructed for 90-day missions (Spirit lasted 20 times longer and Opportunity is going on 60 times). The rovers were designed to travel about 1,000 yards, and Opportunity has logged more than 50,000 yards.

Curiosity’s successful drilling attempt on target Stoer was completed by Sol 2138 (Aug 13th). Since the repaired drill is now operated with an immobile feed mechanism in the extended position, delivery of the drilling samples to the CheMin and SAM instruments is somewhat challenging. Mission scientists determined on Sol 2150 that the first part of the sample was delivered incorrectly because delivery of precise portions of drill tailings is not as accurate as when the feed worked properly. Successful delivery of the drilling sample achieved on Sol 2155 permitted detailed chemical analysis to ensue. Since Sol 2138, Curiosity examined the surrounding terrain using its remote instrument package, performed contact science in the immediate vicinity to understand the composition and physical nature of the bedrock, and performed power-intensive lab-quality analyses of the Stoer sample using its onboard analytical instruments.
The rover departed from the Stoer location on Sol 2157 and drove toward an interesting grey colored patch of bedrock identified from orbit and referred to as Loch Eriboll. It is within the Jura member of the Murray Formation on the Vera Rubin Ridge, Four bedrock targets (“The Law,” “Eathie,” “The Minch,” and “Windy Hills”) were selected to show how the gray bedrock differs from the surrounding tan colored rocks. The ChemCam will be utilized to monitor compositional variation, accompanied by Mastcam documentation of those targets. Mastcam mosaics are being acquired which will include multiple filters to look at the spectral properties of the different rocks of both the Laithach area which has a potential contact between the gray and tan rocks, and the Loch Eriboll area. Curiosity will then move to the new potential drill location.

Meteor Showers

According to Guy Ottewell’s 2018 Astronomical Calendar, October skies bring the following meteor showers:

Oct. 6 SAT.: Camelopardalids. ZHR ~5. 3 days before New Moon.
Oct. 9 Tue.: Draconids. Active Oct 6-10. ZHR ~20. Near New Moon. Very favorable.
Oct. 10 Wed.: Southern Taurids. Active Sep 10-Nov 20. ZHR ~5. 1 day after New Moon.
Oct. 21 SUN.: Orionids. Active Oct 2-Nov 7. ZHR ~25. 4 days before Full Moon. Quite favorable.

The Orionids and Draconids are best with ~25 and ~20 meteors per hour respectively in dark skies lacking light pollution.

Planet Plotting

Crescent Venus (-4.4 to -4.0) is in Libra and Virgo in October and is still 2° above the horizon a half hour after sunset. The waxing crescent Moon will be 13.0° north of Venus on the 10th at Midnight EDT and northwest of Venus that evening. On the 14th, Venus will be about 7° south of Mercury and on the 26th it will be at inferior conjunction with the Sun. The waxing crescent Moon will be 5.5° north-northeast of Mercury on the 10th at 11:00AM EDT. Mercury (-0.8 to -0.1) will be low in the West after sunset in late October and will be 3.0° south of Jupiter at Midnight on the 29th. Jupiter (-1.7 to -1.6) is in Libra in the western evening sky. The waxing crescent Moon is 4° north of Jupiter on the 11th. Saturn (+0.5 to +0.6) in Sagittarius is low in the Southwest after sunset and sets in the latter part of the evening. The waxing gibbous Moon passes within 2° of Saturn on the 14th.

Mars (-1.3 to -0.6) decorates the evening southern sky in Capricornus in October. It is not as bright as it was at opposition this summer but still presents a bright orange apparition in October. The planet-wide dust storm which drastically degraded telescopic views this summer has

Planet..Constellation(s)..Magnitude………..Planet Passages……………………………………………Time..Date
Sun…….Leo, Virgo………-26.8………………..New Moon …………………………………….11:47PM EDT..10/8
Mercury..Virgo, Libra, Scorpius..-0.8 to -0.1..Venus, 7.0° S, ……………………………..11:00AM EDT..10/14
Jupiter, 3.0° N, ………………………………………………………………………………………….Midnight..10/29
Venus….Libra, Virgo…….-4.4 to -4.0…………..Mercury, 7.0° N,………………………..11:00AM EDT..10/14 Inferior Conjunction ………………………………………………………………………………10:00AM EDT..10/26
Mars……Capricornus……-1.3 to -0.6
Jupiter…….Libra…………..-1.7 to -1.6………Mercury, 3.0° S, …………………………………..Midnight..10/29
Saturn….Sagittarius………+0.5 to +0.6
Uranus……Aries……………+5.7………………..Opposition ………………………………….9:00PM EDT..10/23
Neptune…Aquarius……….+7.8

settled down, revealing the icecaps and numerous dark mare and sinus surface features. A waxing gibbous Moon will be 5° north of Mars in the southern sky on the 18th. Best viewing for Mars is in early October in the early evening. Later in the month, Mars will appear closer to the southwestern horizon in early evening and glare from the Moon will become more of an issue.

Neptune (+7.8) in Aquarius and Uranus (+5.7) in Aries rise before sunset. The waxing gibbous Moon passes within 2° of Neptune on the 20th and 5° from Uranus on the 24th.

Hallowe’en

Halloween, formerly recognized as “All Hallows E’en” or “Hallows Eve,” is the eve of All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1st.) All Souls’ Day follows on the 2nd. Each day celebrates the 4th cross-quarter day of the year. Cross-quarter days are approximately half way between the equinoxes and solstices and are occasions for recognition of other holidays like Candlemas/Groundhog Day (1st cross-quarter day) and May Day (2nd cross-quarter day). Samhain, the Celtic New Year celebrated with a feast on Nov. 1st, was the Day of the Dead, a Druid holiday which paid homage to ancestors and the souls of loved ones who have died. Celts associated the low altitude of the Sun and cold weather with the dying of the year and with dark spirits prowling through the evening dusk. Halloween is our annual revival of their ancient rituals which preceded the Christianization of the holiday.

October Moon

October’s New Moon on the 8th at 11:47PM EDT is the beginning of Lunation 1185 which ends 29.97 days later with the New Moon of November on the 7th at 11:02AM EST. The Full Moon on the 24th at 12:45PM EDT is the first full moon after the “Harvest Moon” and is known as the “Hunter’s Moon.” Celts called it the “Harvest Moon” and Colonial Americans called it the “Hunter’s Moon” because hunting was facilitated by fields gleaned during the Harvest Moon of September, providing minimal cover for animals. Chinese refer to it as the “Kindly Moon,” and it was the “Blood Moon” in Medieval England. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe) people recognize it as “Binaakwe-giizis” (Falling Leaves Moon.)

Lunar Perigee (closest to Earth) is 227,666 miles or 57.52 Earth radii on the 5th at 6:27PM EDT. Apogee (maximum orbital distance) occurs on the 17th at 3:16PM EDT when the Moon is at 251,175 miles (63.52 Earth radii). A 2nd perigee occurs on the 31st at 4:05PM EDT when the Moon is at a distance of 370,204 km.. It is the most distant perigee of 2018.

Planet..Constellation..Magnitude Moon Passage ……………………………………….Moon Phase..Moon Age

Sun……….Virgo……….-26.8……………11:47PM EDT, 10/8…………………………………New……..0 days
Mercury….Virgo…………-1.3…..5.5°NNE, Midnight EDT,..10/10 ……………..Waxing Crescent..1.01 days
Venus…….Virgo…………-4.4………..13°N, 11;00AM EDT, 10/10 …………….Waxing Crescent..1.47 days
Mars…..Capricornus…..-1.8…..1.9°N, 9:00AM EDT, 10/18 ……………………..Waxing Gibbous..9.38 days
Jupiter……Libra………….-1.7…..4.0°N, 5:00PM EDT, 10/11 ……………………Waxing Crescent..2.72 days
Saturn….Sagittarius……+0.4…..1.8°N, 11:00PM EDT, 10/14 ………………….Waxing Crescent..5.97 days
Uranus……Aries…………+5.7……5.0°S, 9:00AM EDT, 10/24 ………………….Waxing Gibbous..15.38 days
Neptune…Aquarius…….+7.8……3.0°S, 6:00PM EDT, 10/20 …………………..Waxing Gibbous..11.76 days

September 2018 – Skies News

09/3/2018
September Skies – by Dick Cookman

Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Meteor Showers, Planet Plotting, Fall Equinox, September Moon

Focus Constellations: Bootes, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Ophiuchus, Aquila, Lyra, Cygnus, Cepheus, Draco, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia, Perseus, Andromeda, Pegasus

Comet Journal

Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner (2018) moves from Auriga, through Taurus, and into Gemini in September. It is within 2° of Capella at the start of the month. It is approaching 7th magnitude and may reach naked eye visibility at 6th magnitude when near perihelion on September 10th. The comet has a bluish tail extending to the west visible through a small telescope at low (~50) power.

Comet C/2018 N1 (NEOWISE) spends most of September between Libra and Virgo. It reached magnitude 8.0 after passing perihelion on August 1 and has since dimmed to 12th magnitude as it retreats from Earth.

Mars Landers

We await anxiously for ET to Phone Home! Our extra terrestrial Martian rover Opportunity was subjected to the planet-wide dust storm on Mars which began in June and is currently dissipating. We lost all communication with the rover as the dust storm blanketed its solar panels with dust and available solar energy dropped catastrophically. Battery charge deteriorated to the point where the rover dropped into deep sleep, and mission scientists are desperately trying to waken it. Once the dust storm settles to the point where the solar panels should start to recharge the batteries, a process which may be aided by solar panel clearing winds, NASA plans to allow 45 days for continuing the reawakening procedures before abandoning efforts. Scientists familiar with the mission question the short time allocated and believe that they are not being given a fair shot to awaken the rover. They suggest that a more reasonable schedule for Opportunity would allow for the same effort that was made to awaken Spirit (March 22, 2010 to May 25, 2011).

Send a postcard to NASA to encourage extending the schedule here:

https://mars.nasa.gov/participate/postcard/opportunity-rover/#Step-1.

Curiosity is not subject to the same communication and functional problems as Opportunity because it runs on the onboard Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator, or MMRTP, an energy source that relies on the heat generated by decaying plutonium dioxide.

The drilling program at the Duluth site in the Blunts Point Member of the Murray Formation began on May 23rd (Sol 2060-2061), and Curiosity analyzed atmospheric samples for methane on Sol 2075. Then, with the Duluth drilling successfully completed, the rover pulled away from Duluth on Sol 2087 (June 19th) and headed uphill, reaching the crest of Vera Rubin Ridge at the end of the month on Sol 2094. Two attempts to drill into the Pettegrove Point Member of the Murray Formation at Ailsa Craig and Voyageurs failed due to the excessively hard rock making up the crest of Vera Rubin Ridge.

A drilling attempt on target Stoer was successfully completed by Sol 2138 (Aug 13th). Stoer was selected as a target because it exhibited the following features: (1) The DRT brush was able to slightly scratch the surface of the rock, (2) the drilling site is in a slight depression, and (3) the rock surface is evidently softer than the calcium sulfate veins which permeate the rock formation and project above it. Calcium sulfate on Earth makes up two minerals,— gypsum (hardness 2.0) and anhydrite (hardness 3.5). Therefore the rock formation must be softer than 3.5 or possibly 2.0. These characteristics taken together indicated the presence of softer rock, an hypothesis confirmed by the ensuing successful drilling.

Meteor Showers

According to Guy Ottewell’s 2018 Astronomical Calendar, the following meteor showers grace September skies:
Sep. 1 SAT.: Aurigids. Active Aug 28-Sep 5. ZHR ~5. 2 days before Last Quarter Moon.
Sep. 9 SUN.: September Epsilon Perseids. Active Sep 5-21. ZHR ~10. Near New Moon. Very favorable.
Sep. 27 Thu.: Daytime Sextantids. Active Sep 9- Oct 9. ZHR ~5.

All three are relatively minor showers. The Epsilon Perseids are the best with an average of 10 meteors per hour in dark moonless skies when light pollution is absent.

Planet Plotting

Venus (-4.3 to -4.4) is in Virgo in September and sets less than an hour after the Sun. It is bright enough to be seen in the glow of sunset. The waxing crescent Moon will be 10.0° north of Venus on the 12th at Noon and northeast of Venus that evening. On the 28th Venus will be about 14° WSW of Jupiter. Mercury (-0.8) will be low in the west after sunset in early September after which it will disappear into the glow of the Sun. It then brightens to magnitude -1.6 before reaching Superior Conjunction on the 20th when it is on the other side of the Sun. Mercury may reappear in the east at magnitude -0.8 slightly before sunrise at month’s end.

Jupiter (-1.8 to -1.7) is in Libra in the western evening sky. The waxing crescent Moon is 4° north of Jupiter on the 13th. Saturn (+0.4 to +0.5) in Sagittarius is low in the southwest after sunset and sets in the latter part of the evening. The waxing gibbous Moon passes within 2° of Saturn on the 17th.
After moving from Capricornus to Sagittarius in July, Mars returns to Capricornus in September. It is the bright orange beacon in the southern evening sky and sets after midnight.

Although it is more than a month since opposition, Mars remains bright at magnitudes -2.1 to -1.3 in Capricornus. Telescopic views sufficient to see surface details improved from those seen at opposition after the planet-wide dust storm settled down.

Best viewing will be during the first half of the month during the weeks before and after New Moon when Mars is highest in the mid-evening southern sky. A waxing gibbous Moon will be 4° north of Mars in the southern sky on the 20th, after which Mars is best seen in the early evening before Moonrise.

Neptune (+7.8) in Aquarius and Uranus (+5.7) in Aries rise an hour and 2+ hours after Mars in the afternoon. The waning gibbous Moon passes within 2° of Neptune on the 23rd and 5° Uranus on the 27th.

Planet..Constellation(s)..Magnitude..Planet Passages ………………………………………………………………..Time, Date

Sun…….Leo/Virgo…………..-26.8…………..New Moon…………………………………………………………….2:01PM EDT…..9/9
…………………………………………………………Earth, Fall Equinox…………………………………………………9:54PM EDT…..9/20
Mercury..Leo/Virgo………-0.8 to -1.6 to -0.8….Superior …………Conjunction…………………………..10:00PM EDT….9/20
Venus……Virgo……………….-4.3 to -4.4……Jupiter, 13.8° ENE ………………………………………………..8:00PM EDT….9/28
Mars..Sagittarius, Capricornus..-2.1 to -1.3
Jupiter…..Libra……………………-1.8 to -1.7
Saturn…..Sagittarius……………+0.4 to +0.5
Uranus….Aries……………………+5.7
Neptune..Aquarius………………+7.8

Autumnal Equinox

The equinox is at 9:54PM EDT on September 22nd. On the equinox, the axis of the Earth is at right angles to a line between the Earth and Sun and is tilted in the direction of motion of Earth in its orbit. This results in 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness everywhere on Earth and marks the start of autumn in the northern hemisphere.

The equinox also coincides with higher frequency of northern lights displays due to intensified flow of charged particles from the Sun. Although not fully understood, this may be due to favorable orientation of Earth’s geomagnetic field relative to that of the solar wind magnetic field. The resulting positive interference of geomagnetic and solar wind waves may increase the cascade of ions which excite atoms in the atmosphere above Earth’s magnetic poles, causing them to glow.

September Moon

The New Moon of September on the 9th at 2:01PM EDT is the beginning of Lunation 1184 which ends 29.37 days later with the New Moon of October on the 8th at 11:47PM EDT.

The Full Moon on the 24th at 10:52PM EDT is the first full moon after the equinox and is known as the “Harvest Moon.” Celts called it the “Singing Moon,” and Colonial Americans called it the “Harvest Moon” Chinese refer to it as the “Chrysanthemum Moon,” and it was the “Barley Moon” in Medieval England. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe people) recognize it as “Wabaabagaa Giizis” (Leaves Turning Moon.)

Lunar Perigee (closest to Earth) is 224,533 miles or 56.65 Earth radii on the 7th at 9:20PM EDT. Apogee (maximum orbital distance) occurs on the 19th at 8:53PM EDT when the Moon is at 251,578 miles (63.48 Earth radii).

Planet..Constellation..Magnitude..Moon Passage …………………………………………………Moon Phase..Moon Age

Sun………..Leo…….-26.8………5:548AM EDT, 8/112 …………………………………………..New…….0 days
Mercury..Cancer……+4.3………0.89°NNE, 7:00PM EDT, 9/8………………………………..Waning Crescent…28.54 days
Venus……Virgo………-4.2……..10°N, Noon EDT, 9/12 ………………………………………….Waxing Crescent..2.92 days
Mars..Capricornus….-2.3………5.0°N, 3:00AM EDT, 9/20…………………………………….Waxing Gibbous…11.54 days
Jupiter……Libra……..-1.9………4.0°N, 10:00PM EDT, 9/13 ……………………………………Waxing Crescent…4.33 days
Saturn..Sagittarius…+0.3………2.0°N, Noon EDT, 9/17…………………………………………Waxing Gibbous…7.92 days
Uranus…….Aries……+5.7………5.0°S, 3:00AM EDT, 9/27 …………………………………….Waning Gibbous…17.54 days
Neptune..Aquarius…+7.8……..2.0°S, Noon EDT, 9/23………………………………………….Waxing Gibbous…13.92 days

August 2018 – Skies News

08/3/2018
August Skies – by Dick Cookman

Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Meteor Showers, Planet Plotting, August Moon

Focus Constellations: Coma Berenices, Bootes, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Ophiuchus, Aquila, Lyra, Cygnus, Cepheus, Draco, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Pegasus
Comet Journal

C/2016 S3 (PanSTARRS) was on course to reach naked eye visibility when closest to Earth on August 7th and near perihelion on the 16th. Unfortunately it chose to disintegrate on July 27th when, like Icarus, the son of Daedalus, despite the admonishments of his father, it too flew too close to the Sun. LISTEN TO YOUR FATHER, HE KNOWS MORE ABOUT LIFE THAN YOU DO, AND, HE COMPLIES WITH YOUR MOTHER’S WISHES!!

21P/Giacobini-Zinner (2018), which moves through Cassiopeia and Camelopardalis in August, is approaching 8th magnitude and may reach 6th magnitude at perihelion in September, possibly reaching naked eye visibility. It is a short term comet with an orbital period of 6.55 years. Comet

C/2018 N1 (NEOWISE) is in southeastern Ophiuchus at magnitude 9.0 in early August and moves westward in an orbit sub-parallel to the ecliptic. By mid-month it crosses into Libra then reaches its western boundary by the 31st. Closest approach to Earth was on July 27th and perihelion is on August 2nd. As Comet Neowise and Earth separate in August, it will dim to 12th or 13th magnitude.

Mars Landers

Opportunity is halfway down the approximately 656-feet (200-meter) Perseverance Valley on the west rim of Endeavour Crater and is immersed in a cloud of dust which is part of the planet-wide dust storm which has bedeviled observers during this opposition. By June 10th the storm enveloped the rover and caused loss of communication. Since the last contact with the rover, Opportunity probably experienced a low-power fault, causing the the rover to hunker down into sleep mode which will end only when the skies eventually clear and the batteries are recharged.

Curiosity is still active because it is not subject to the same communication and functional problems as Opportunity. Instead of solar panels, it runs on the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator, or MMRTP, an energy source that relies on the heat generated by decaying plutonium dioxide.

The recent success of mission scientists in overcoming the drilling and sample delivery problems in the drilling program allowed testing of powder collected from drilling of ancient mudstones in 2015. The powder derived was heated so as to release gases from complex organic molecules thought to be present in the powder and testing of the gases revealed the presence of numerous carbon based molecules including: Thiophene, benzene, toluene, propane, and butane. In addition, atmospheric testing during Curiosity’s residence on Mars reveals that methane abundance has varied in a periodic manner (low levels – late spring, early summer & late autumn, early winter; high levels – late summer, early autumn.) Methane on Earth is derived from biologic sources and the presence of organic molecules in the upper five centimeters of rock at the drilling sites is potential evidence for ancient biological sources. Although these results increase the possibility of ancient or current life on Mars, they are not confirmation. Both results can also result from abiotic processes.

Low frequency radar studies of the southern polar cap by Mars Express from 2012 to 2015 were analyzed by Italian scientists and interpreted to reveal a 12 mile wide area of liquid water at the base of the ice sheet. Such areas are known to exist on Earth, but Mars is too cold for liquid water unless the water is too saline to freeze.

Meteor Showers

According to Guy Ottewell’s 2018 Astronomical Calendar, August hosts the following meteor showers:

August 11-13 Mon: Perseids. Active Jul 17- Aug 24. ZHR ~110. 2 days after New Moon. Especially favorable.
August 18 SAT.: Kappa Cygnids ZHR ~3. Near 1st quarter Moon. Minor shower.

The Perseid Meteor Shower coincides with almost ideal, Moon-free skies. The meteors are fast moving and bright. They result from the debris scattered from previous passages of Comet 109/P Swift–Tuttle (the Great Comet of 1862.) The Kappa Cygnids come from a stream of debris which includes Minor Planet 2008ED69. The meteors and minor planet may result from the fragmentation of a larger body which formerly followed a orbit similar to that of the shower.

Planet Plotting

Venus (-4.1 to -4.3) is in Virgo in August and sets not long after the Sun but is bright enough to be seen in the glow of sunset. It is at maximum eastern elongation on the 17th, when it will be 45.9° from the Sun and dominate the early evening western sky, possibly exceeding -4.3 in magnitude. A thin waxing crescent Moon is about 6.0° from Venus on the 14th. Mercury is buried in the glare of sunset and sets less than an hour after the Sun. It reaches inferior conjunction on the 9th when it is too close to the Sun to be seen. At maximum western elongation of 18° on the 26th, it will be a relatively bright predawn eastern beacon. It is slightly over 5.0° of the waning crescent Moon on the 11th. Jupiter (-2.0 to -18) is in Libra in the western and southwestern evening sky. It is near the waxing crescent Moon on the 17th. In August, Saturn (+0.2 to +0.4) in Sagittarius rises in the southeast before sunset. The waxing gibbous Moon passes the ringed planet on the 21st.

Mars (-2.8 to -1.8), in Capricornus passed through opposition on the 27th and was closest to Earth (0.385 AU) on the 31st. This was its best opposition since 2003. Close oppositions include 1719 – .3740 Astronomical Units, 1766 – .3733 AU, 1845 – .3730 AU, 1924 – .3728 AU, 1956 – 0.3790 AU, 1971 – 0.3759 AU, and 2003 – 0.3727 AU 2050 – .3741 AU, 2082 – .3736 AU.

Planet..Constellation(s)..Magnitude..Planet Passages ………………………………………………………………..Time, Date

Sun…….Cancer/Leo…………..-26.8…………..New Moon…………………………………………………10:48PM EDT…..7/12
Mercury..Leo, Cancer/Leo..+3.0 to +4.8 to -0.7..Inferior ….Conjunction…………………………1:00AM EDT….8/9 …………………………………………………………….Max. Western …….Elongation…………………….5:00PM EDT….8/26
Venus……Leo………………….-4.1 to -4.3……….Max Eastern ………Elongation…………………….1:00PM EDT….8/17
Mars…….Capricornus………….-2.8 to -2.1
Jupiter…..Libra……………………-2.0 to -1.8
Saturn…..Sagittarius……………+0.2 to +0.4
Uranus….Aries…………………….+5.8 to +5.7
Neptune..Aquarius……………….+7.9 to +7.8

During the 1956 opposition, Dick Cookman made detailed telescopic observations with his 6” diameter home made equatorial newtonian reflector and determined that Percival Lowell’s conclusion that Mars had canals was wrong. Recent observation confirmed Cookman’s determination so world governments conducted numerous Martian orbital expeditions and landings to further support his observations. In early August, Mars is still exceedingly bright at magnitude -2.8 and will diminish to -2.1 by month’s end. Telescopic views sufficient to see surface details should be spectacular if the planet-wide dust storm settles down. Best viewing will be during the first half of August with Mars big and bright, when Moonset occurs well before Mars is higher in the southeastern sky. Even through the Moon moves closer during the 1st two weeks of the month, its glare lessens as the month progresses because the Moon wanes. A waxing gibbous Moon will be above Mars in the southern sky on the 23rd, after which Mars is best seen in the early evening before Moonrise. Neptune (+7.8) and Uranus (+5.8 to +5.7) rise after Mars in Aquarius and Aries respectively in the latter evening. The waning gibbous Moon passes within 2° of Uranus on the 4th, Neptune on the 27th, and is 5° from Uranus on the 30th.

August Moon
August’s New Moon on the 12th at 5:58AM EDT is the beginning of Lunation 1183 which ends 29.26 days later with the New Moon of September on the 11th at 5:58AM EDT. A partial solar eclipse will enthrall observers in northern Canada, northern Europe and most of Asia on the 11th when the Moon comes between Earth and the Sun covering up one third of the Sun. The Full Moon on the 26th at 7:56AM EDT is known as the “Green Corn or Grain Moon.” Celts called it the “Dispute Moon,” and Colonial Americans called it the “Dog Day’s Moon.” Chinese refer to it as the “Harvest Moon,” and it was the “Corn Moon” in Medieval England. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe people) recognize it as “Manoominike-giizis” (Ricing Moon.) Lunar Perigee (closest to Earth) is 222,500 miles or 56.14 Earth radii on the 10th at 2:07PM EDT. Apogee (maximum orbital distance) occurs on the 23rd at 7:23 AM EDT when the Moon is at 252,119 miles (63.62 Earth radii).

Planet..Constellation..Magnitude..Moon Passage …………………………………………………Moon Phase..Moon Age

Sun………..Leo…….-26.8………5:548AM EDT, 8/112 ………………………………………………..New…….0 days
Mercury..Cancer……+4.3………5.5°N, 1:31AM EDT, 8/11……………………………………..Waning Crescent…29.09 days
Venus……Virgo………-4.2………6°N, 10:0AM EDT, 8/14 ………………………………………Waxing Crescent..2.17 days
Mars..Capricornus….-2.3………7.0°N, 1:00PM EDT, 8/23…………………………………….Waxing Gibbous…11.29 days
Jupiter……Libra……..-1.9………5.0°N, 7:00AM EDT, 8/17 ……………………………………..Waxing Crescent…5.04 days
Saturn..Sagittarius…+0.3………2.0°N, 6:00AM EDT, 8/215…………………………………..Waxing Gibbous…9.00 days
Uranus…….Aries……+5.8……….2.0°S, 5:00PM EDT, 8/4 ………………………………………Waning Gibbous..21.76 days
Uranus…….Aries……+5.7………5.0°S, 11:00PM EDT, 8/30 …………………………………….Waning Gibbous…18.71 days
Neptune..Aquarius…+7.8……..2.0°S, 6:00AM EDT, 8/27……………………………………….Waning Gibbous…15.00 days

July 2018 – Skies News

07/2/2018
July Skies – by Dick Cookman

Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Meteor Showers, Planet Plotting, July Moon

Focus Constellations: Leo, Coma Berenices, Bootes, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Ophiuchus, Aquila, Lyra, Cygnus, Cepheus, Draco, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia, Camelopardalis

Comet Journal

C/2016 M1 (PanSTARRS) is brightening to 9th magnitude for southern hemisphere observers but is not visible in the northern hemisphere. C/2016 S3 (PanSTARRS) is also at 9th magnitude as it travels through Camelopardalis in July. It will brighten slightly when approaching perihelion on August 15th. 21P/Giacobini-Zinner (2018) is approaching 8th magnitude and is moving northward through Cygnus and Cepheus in July. It is expected to reach 6th magnitude at perihelion in September and may even reach naked eye visibility. It is a short term comet with an orbital period of 6.55 years.

Mars Landers

Opportunity is halfway down the approximately 656-feet (200-meter) Perseverance Valley on the west rim of Endeavour Crater, pursuing evidence for support of one of several hypotheses as to the origin of the valley. At the end of May a nearby dust storm approached the rover. By June 10th the storm enveloped the rover and caused loss of communication. Since the last contact with the rover, Opportunity probably experienced a low-power fault, causing the onset of sleep mode which will end only when the skies eventually clear and the batteries are recharged. By the 20th the storm grew in size, encircling the planet. This phenomena can occur during summer for the southern hemisphere of Mars when dust particles in the air absorb and transfer heat into the air causing increasing wind velocity. This effect is exaggerated as Mars approaches perihelion and receives increasing amounts of solar energy. Perihelion will occur on Sept. 16th. Some Mars observers believe that the dust storms occur in order to diminish their telescopic views of the planet, a hint that the God of War feels that his appearance and actions are none of their business.

At the end of May, after completing examination and crossing of the long sought hematite unit known as Vera Rubin Ridge, and conducting observations of the terrain farther north, Curiosity was able to successfully drill and extract samples from a large rock dubbed Duluth from the Blunts Point Member of the Murray formation. The drilling samples were then delivered to the two laboratories within the rover. The laboratories are designed to conduct chemical and mineralogical analysis. This huge accomplishment finally compensated for the Dec. 16, 2016 failure of the drilling equipment and procedures which paralyzed the drilling program, one of the major functions of the rover. Mission scientists finally overcame the drilling and delivery problems by creating new techniques for which the rover was never designed. This permitted resumption of the drilling program which was planned to provide rock, sediment, and atmospheric composition data which can be utilized to investigate the possibilities of life during Martian geologic history.

Following the success at Duluth, Curiosity turned to the south and headed back toward the crest of Vera Rubin Ridge. The rover surmounted the ridge by Sol 2094 (6/28/18), moved out onto the flatter terrain to the south, and resumed its climb the flank of Mt. Sharp.

Meteor Showers

According to Guy Ottewell’s 2018 Astronomical Calendar, July hosts the following meteor showers:

July 28 SAT.: Piscid Austrinids. Active Jul 15- Aug 10. ZHR ~5. Near Full Moon.
July 28 SAT.: July Gamma Draconids? Peak 12:30 UT? ZHR ~20. 1 day after Full Moon. Very unfavorable.
July 30 Mon.: Southern Delta Aquarids. Active Jul 12-Aug 23. ZHR ~25. 2 days after Full Moon. Very unfavorable.
July 30 Mon.: Alpha Capricornids. Active Jul 3- Aug 15. ZHR ~5. 23 km/sec. 2 days after Full Moon.

The first two showers have no known progenitors and last two showers may result from streams of debris from Comet 96P/Machholz and minor planet 169P/NEAT.

Planet Plotting

Venus (-4.1 to -4.3) is in Leo in July and approaches Virgo at month’s end. It sets about 2 hours after sunset throughout July, and easily dominates the western evening sky. The waxing crescent Moon passes within 2.0° of Venus on the 15th. Mercury is below and slightly north of Venus and sets slightly more than an hour after the Sun. It is brighter in early July and sinks into the glow of sunset during the month as it moves from Cancer into Leo. It is at maximum eastern elongation (26.4°) on the 12th and within 2.0° of the waxing crescent Moon on the 14th. Jupiter (-2.2 to -2.0) is in Libra in the southern and southwestern evening sky. It is near the waxing gibbous Moon on the 20th. In July, Saturn (+0.0 to +0.2) in Sagittarius rises in the southeast as the Sun sets. The waxing gibbous Moon passes the ringed planet at 2AM EDT on the 25th.

July is the Month of Mars (-2.2 to -2.8), which reaches opposition in Capricornus on the 27th and is closest to Earth (0.385 AU) on the 31st. This is its best opposition since 2003. Preceding close oppositions include 1956 – 0.379 AU, 1971 – 0.376 AU, and 2003 – 0.373 AU. The 1956 opposition was when Dick Cookman made detailed telescopic observations and determined that Percival Lowell was in error in his estimation that Mars had canals. More recent observation have confirmed Cookman’s determination and world governments have conducted numerous Martian orbital expedition and landings to further support his observations.

Planet..Constellation(s)..Magnitude..Planet Passages ………………………………………………………………..Time, Date

Sun…….Gemini/Cancer………..-26.8…………..New Moon………………………………………………………….10:48PM EDT…..7/12
Mercury..Cancer/Leo…………..+0.0 to +2.8….Max. Eastern ……………….Elongation

Venus……Leo……………………..-4.1 to -4.3
Mars…….Capricornus………….-2.2 to -2.8……Opposition …………………………………………………………1:00AM EDT….7/27 ……………………………………………………………..Closest to Earth …………………………………………………..4:00AM EDT….7/31
Jupiter…..Libra……………………-2.2 to -2.0
Saturn…..Sagittarius……………+0.0 to +0.2
Uranus….Aries…………………….+5.8
Neptune..Aquarius……………….+7.9 to +7.8

Although Mars is slightly farther (0.385 vs. 0.373), dimmer (-2.8 vs. -2.9), and smaller (24.3” vs. 25”) during this opposition than that of 2003, observers will benefit from the higher arc above the southern horizon that Mars takes through the sky as there will be less atmospheric distortion.
In early July Mars already is 20.9” in diameter and since it rotates slightly slower than Earth, observers may see a slightly different view of the planet each night and cover its entire sphere with consecutive observations during the course of July. A good telescope with a 4-5”+ aperture and a good quality eyepiece providing 140X+ magnification will reveal views sufficient to see surface details if the planet-wide dust storm settles down during the month.
The Full Moon will be higher than Mars in the southern sky and will also occur in Capricornus a little more than 15 hours after opposition, producing significant glare during the best nights of this opposition. Observers may moderate lunar glare by waiting until the predawn hours on the nights preceding the opposition when the Moon sets before Mars. After opposition, the best viewing will be after sunset when Mars rises before the Moon.

July Moon The New Moon of July on the 12th at 10:48PM EDT is the beginning of Lunation 1182 which ends 29.26 days later with the New Moon of August on the 11th at 5:58AM EDT. The Full Moon in on the 27th at 4:20PM EDT is known as the “Thunder or Hay Moon.” Celts called it “Moon of Claiming,” and Colonial Americans called it “Summer Moon.” Chinese refer to it as “Hungry Ghost Moon,” and it was the “Mead Moon” in Medieval England. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe people) recognize it as “Miin-giizis” (Berry Moon.) Eastern hemisphere observers will be treated to a total lunar eclipse on the night of the 27th, allowing them a full view of Mars in its glory near opposition.
Lunar Perigee (closest to Earth) is 222,500 miles or 56.04 Earth radii on the 10th at 2:07PM EDT. Apogee (maximum orbital distance) occurs on the 23rd at 7:23 AM EDT when the Moon is at 252,119 miles (63.69 Earth radii).

Planet..Constellation..Magnitude..Moon Passage ……………………………………………………….Moon Phase..Moon Age

Sun……Gemini…………-26.8………10:48PM EDT, 7/12 …………………………………………………New…….0 days
Mercury..Cancer……….+0.7………2.0°N, 6:00PM EDT, 7/14………………………………………….Waxing Crescent…1.80 days
Venus……..Leo…………-4.2………1.6°N, Midnight EDT, 7/15 ………………………………………..Waxing Crescent..2.05 days
Mars..Capricornus……-2.8………7.0°N, 6:00PM EDT, 7/27………………………………………….Waning Gibbous…14.80 days
Jupiter..Libra……………-2.0………4.0°N, 8:00PM EDT, 7/20 ………………………………………..Waxing Gibbous…7.78 days
Saturn..Sagittarius…….+0.2………2.0°N, 2:00AM EDT, 7/25……………………………………….Waxing Gibbous…12.13 days
Uranus..Aries…………..+5.8……….5.0°S, 10:00AM EDT, 7/7 ……………………………………….Waning Crescent..23.76 days
Neptune..Aquarius……+7.9………3.0°S, 8:00PM EDT, 7/3 …………………………………………Waning Gibbous…20.18 days
Neptune..Aquarius…….+7.8……..3.0°S, 2:00AM EDT, 7/31…………………………………………Waning Gibbous…18.13 days

June 2018 – Skies News

06/2/2018
June Skies – by Dick Cookman

Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Meteor Showers, Summer Solstice, Planet Plotting, June Moon

Focus Constellations: Leo, Lynx, Camelopardalis, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Ursa Minor, Draco, Ursa Major, Coma Berenices, Bootes, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus, Aquila

Comet Journal

Ninth magnitude comet C/2016 M1 (PanSTARRS) is the only June comet exceeding 10th magnitude, but its extreme southerly position produces unfavorable views this year for northern observers. It is moving southward through Sagittarius and is best observed well after midnight. It will leave northern hemisphere skies in early June, long before its August perihelion.

Mars Landers

Opportunity is halfway down the approximately 656-feet (200-meter) Perseverance Valley on the west rim of Endeavour Crater, pursuing evidence for support of one of several hypotheses as to the origin of the valley. The rover has been driving to position itself for investigation of some tabular and vesicular rocks which have been the objective of the science team for several days (sols). On Sol 5070 (April 28, 2018), the robotic arm (IDD) achieved a position to reach some of the rock surfaces. A Microscopic Imager (MI) mosaic was collected on Sol 5072 (May 1, 2018) and the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) conducted a multi-hour integration to determine the elemental composition. With the rover adjacent to these rocks, the Panoramic Camera (Pancam) imaged close-up, color stereo arrays to fill out the investigation. As of Sol 5093 (May 22, 2018), solar energy production was 664 watt-hours. Total travel on Mars by Opportunity has now reached 28.06 miles (45.16 kilometers).

On April 20th, after a 3 month examination of Vera Rubin Ridge (Hematite Unit) on the flank of Mt. Sharp, Curiosity descended from the ridge in order to reexamine the layers immediately below the ridge and to test out a new drilling procedure on softer rocks. The rover then turned northward to traverse a rock strewn area underlain by the Blunts Point Member of the Murray formation to approach the distant Red Cliff. A large rock dubbed Duluth was chosen as the drilling target to test the new procedure developed to counter the failure of the drill feed mechanism in December 2016. The last two attempts failed due to insufficient force applied by rotation of the drill. The new drilling was successful on May 20th because a hammer drill component was added which allowed the drill to penetrate two inches into the rock. The next few sols were devoted to develop successful delivery of the drilling samples to the two laboratories within the rover which will conduct chemical and mineralogy analysis of the samples.

Meteor Showers

June’s meteor showers include the Aretids on the 7th and the Bootids on the 23rd. The Aretids peak a day after the 3rd quarter Moon and are an intense daytime shower producing a significant radio/radar signature. The shower is of uncertain parentage with the near-Earth asteroid 1566 Icarus and Comet 96/P Machholtz as likely candidates. Each has an orbit that resemble that of the shower.

The Bootids are a minor shower associated with Comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke. It peaks 3 days after the 1st quarter Moon and will experience major interference from the waxing gibbous Moon.

Summer Solstice

The solstice is at 6:51AM EDT on the 21st. Sol (sun) – stice (stands still) occurs at two places in Earth’s orbit. The northern hemisphere summer position is when Earth arrives at the orbital position where its axis is leaning toward the Sun, lighting up the northern hemisphere when the Sun is directly above 23.5° north latitude. The other position is where the axis tilts away from the Sun which is then directly above 23.5° south latitude causing southern hemisphere summer and northern hemisphere winter. Since our axis precesses, the orbital positions of the solstices change every year as one complete wobble takes 26,000 years. This is compounded as our elliptical orbit also precesses in the opposite direction, completing one complete rotation every 113,000 years. The combination results in a 21,000 year cycle of tilting away from and toward the Sun when positioned closest to and farthest from the Sun. This coincides with retreat and advance of continental glaciation which may also be influenced by the 45,000 year cycle of changing axial tilt and the 100,000 year cycle of variation of eccentricity of Earth’s orbit.

Planet Plotting

Brilliant Venus (-3.9 ) moves from Gemini, through Cancer, and into Leo in June like a beacon wandering through the evening southwestern sky between 1st magnitude Pollux in Gemini and 1st magnitude Regulus in Leo. In the latter part of the month, it will be trailed by Mercury which marches through Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer as it dims from magnitude -1.7 to 0.0 and rises up through the glow of sunset after its conjunction with the Sun on the 5th. A thin waxing crescent Moon will pass Mercury on the 14th and Venus on the 16th.

Jupiter (-2.43 to -2.32) rides high in Libra in the southern evening sky. It is dimming slightly from its brightest at opposition in May and will appear near the waxing gibbous Moon on the 23rd. In early June, Saturn (+0.2 to +0.0) in Sagittarius rises in the southeast about 10PM EDT and Mars (-1.2 to -2.1) in Capricornus rises two hours later and brightens drastically during June as it approaches a breathtaking opposition in July when it will be brighter than at any time since 2003. Both rise earlier each evening until the 27th when Saturn reaches opposition and is at its brightest for 2018. Mars appears to more than double in brightness and increase by a third in size in June as it approaches opposition in July. The waxing gibbous Moon appears to approach Saturn at midnight on the 28th, and Mars will receive two visits of the waning gibbous Moon, the 1st on June 3rd and the 2nd on the 30th.

Neptune (7.9) rises in Aquarius at about 2AM EDT on the 1st and about midnight at month’s end. It is near the waning gibbous Moon on the 6th. Uranus (+5.9) in Aries appears low in the eastern sky before dawn in the latter part of June. On the 9th, the waning crescent Moon approaches Uranus at 11PM EDT.

Planet..Constellation(s)..Magnitude..Planet Passages ………………………………………………………………..Time, Date

Sun…….Aries, Taurus…………….-26.8………..New Moon……………………………………………………3:43PM EDT…..6/13
Mercury..Taurus/Gemini/Cancer…-1.7 to 0.0….Superior …………..Conjunction……………………10:00PM EDT….6/5
Venus…..Gemini/Cancer/Leo…….-3.9 to -4.1
Mars…….Capricornus……………..-1.2 to -2.1
Jupiter…..Libra……………………….-2.3 to -2.2
Saturn…..Sagittarius……………….+0.2 to 0.0..Opposition ………………………………………………………….9:00AM EDT…6/27
Uranus….Aries………………………..+5.9 to +5.8
Neptune..Aquarius……………………+7.9

June Moon

June’s New Moon on the 13th at 3:43PM EDT is the beginning of Lunation 1181 which ends 29.26 days later with the New Moon of July on the 12th at 10:48PM EDT. The Full Moon on the 28th at 12:53AM EDT is known as the “Rose or Flower Moon” and the “Strawberry Moon.” Celts called it “Moon of Horses,” and Colonial Americans called it “Rose Moon.” Chinese refer to it as “Lotus Moon,” and it was the “Dyan Moon” in Medieval England. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe people) recognize it as “Odemiini-giizis” (Strawberry Moon.)

Lunar Apogee (maximum orbital distance) occurs on the 2nd at 12:35 PM EDT when the Moon is at 251,852 miles (63.55Earth radii). It is again at apogee (252,315 miles (63.66 Earth radii) at 10:43PM EDT on the 29th. Perigee (closest to Earth) is 223,385 miles or 56.37 Earth radii on the 14th at 7:53PM EDT.

Planet..Constellation..Magnitude..Moon Passage …………………………………………………..Moon Phase..Moon Age

Sun……Taurus…………-26.8………..3:43PM EDT, 6/13 ………………………………………………New…….0 days
Mercury..Gemini……….-1.2………4.6°S, 10:00AM EDT, 6/14………………………………………Waxing Crescent…0.76 days
Venus…..Cancer……….-3.9………2.0°S, 9:00AM EDT, 6/16 ……………………………………….Waxing Crescent..2.27 days
Mars..Capricornus……-1.3………3.0°N, 8:00AM EDT, 6/3 …………………………………………Waning Gibbous…19.01 days
Mars..Capricornus……-2.1………4.0°N, 10:00PM EDT, 6/30………………………………………Waning Gibbous…17.26 days
Jupiter..Libra……………-2.2………4.0°N, 3:00PM EDT, 6/23 ………………………………………Waxing Gibbous…9.97 days
Saturn..Sagittarius……..0.0………1.8°N, 12:00AM EDT, 6/28………………………………………Waxing Gibbous…14.35 days
Uranus..Aries…………..+5.9……….5.0°S, 11:00PM EDT, 6/9 ……………………………………….Waning Crescent..25.63 days
Neptune..Aquarius………+7.9……..2.0°S, 2:00PM EDT, 6/6………………………………………..Waning Gibbous…22.26 days

May 2018 – Skies News

05/4/2018
May Skies – by Dick Cookman

Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Planet Plotting, May Moon

Focus Constellations: Leo, Çancer, Gemini, Auriga, Lynx, Camelopardalis, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Ursa Minor, Draco, Ursa Major, Coma Berenices, Bootes, Corona Borealis, Hercules

Comet Journal

Ninth magnitude comet C/2016 M1 (PanSTARRS) is the only May comet exceeding 10th magnitude, but its extreme southerly position produces unfavorable views this year for northern observers. It is moving southward through Sagittarius and is best observed well after midnight. It will leave northern hemisphere skies in early June, long before its August perihelion.

C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) is not as bright at 10th magnitude but is much better positioned in Auriga, passing south of Capella in early May. it reaches perihelion on May 9th then dims as it continues its journey back to its Oort Belt home.

Mars Landers

According to A.J.S. Rayl in his March 5, 2018 Planetary Society blog: “the Spirit and Opportunity Exploration Rovers which landed on Mars in early 2004 have surprised every one, including their human handlers. With their human-like personalities, never-give-up determination, remarkable resilience, and a kind of tenacity defined in these pages as MER metal, the twins endeared themselves to people around the world. Each met all the objectives during their primary missions, and made headlines, sending home science gold in evidence of past water environments on ancient Mars.

Spirit went on to explore the Columbia Hills and its surroundings, making history as the first robot to scale a hill, the first to discover near pure opaline silica, and first to send home evidence of carbonates, signs of water we might drink. After more than six challenging but highly productive years in an unforgiving Gusev Crater, Spirit went into low energy hibernation in March 2010 as the mission’s fourth winter took hold. We never heard from her again.

Opportunity trekked onward and in August 2011 pulled up to the outer western rim of Endeavour Crater and into area called Cape York. She would soon find evidence for ancient clay minerals, known as smectites, and the most ancient Martian ground ever found by a surface mission on Mars. Today, this rover continues to explore the big crater’s rim farther south at Cape Byron, from inside Perseverance Valley, a channel that cuts through the rim segment west to east, from rim to floor.
“We have watched Opportunity overcome so many obstacles and do so many things – we’ve watched her wander into and around craters, drive across a sea of ripples and dunes, and we have gotten stuck a number of times and managed to get ourselves out,” said MER Engineering Team Chief Bill Nelson, of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where all of NASA’s Mars rovers were born. “We have watched various astronomical events, like Comet Siding Spring, and imaged the Martian moons, and dust devils moving by,” he continued. “We have watched landers come in and we have watched orbiters arrive. We’ve done a lot of different kinds of things and in the process we have made a number of scientific and engineering discoveries. Through it all, our rover just keeps going and going.”
With Sol 5000 coming as it did in the contrails of the 14th anniversary of surface operations and 14th birthday for Opportunity in January, the significance of this Martian measure of mission longevity was generally lost on Earth’s population at large. Still, 5000 sols is – big.”

Curiosity is a relative newcomer on Mars with only 2000 sols logged as of March 22nd during its exploration of Gale Crater. After an almost 3 year southwesterly trek from the landing site to Mt. Sharp, the rover turned to the southeast to start its ascent. It crossed the lower layers of the mountain, climbed over the Murray formation, then ascended Vera Rubin Ridge. On Jan. 29th, Curiosity turned to the northeast and continued exploration of the top of the ridge. After turning eastward on Mar. 15th it arrived at the middle of the strongest spectral detection of hematite identified from orbit on March 28th. After detailed observations were completed, most of April was devoted to examination of a diverse collection of conglomerates, breccias, and other rocks at the top of Vera Rubin Ridge on the flank of the mountain. April 20th marked the conclusion of exploration as Curiosity backtracked westward, descended from the ridge, then turned northward over rocks of the Murray formation. The next destination for the rover is the Red Cliff which is a potential drilling target.

Meteor Showers

The best meteor shower of May is the Eta Aquarids which peak on the 6th during the waning gibbous Moon. Meteor rates average about one per minute in dark skies. The Sun rises before Moonset so glare from the adjacent Moon in Capricornus will interfere during best viewing during the predawn hours when Earth is plunging into the river of debris abandoned by previous passages of Comet Halley.

Planet Plotting

Venus (-3.8 to -3.9 ) is in Taurus and Gemini in May and shines brightly in the early evening western sky. A star-studded pinwheel decorates the evening sky with brilliant Venus in the center surrounded by a circle of bright 1st magnitude stars such as Procyon in Canis Minor, Castor and Pollux in Gemini, Capella in Auriga, Aldebaran in Taurus, and Rigel & Betelgeuse in Orion. On the evening of the 17th, the waxing crescent Moon will appear in close proximity with Venus, and both will set together. After Venus sets in the west, Jupiter (-2.4 to -2.3) rises in Libra in the east. It is at opposition on the 8th when the Sun, Earth, and Jupiter are lined up and Jupiter is at its brightest for 2018. It rises as the Sun sets and sets at sunrise. It will be within 4° of the waxing gibbous Moon in the afternoon of the 27th.

Saturn (+0.3 to +0.2) in Sagittarius rises after midnight, and Mars (-0.4 to -1.4) in Capricornus and Sagittarius follows an hour later. Both are visible in the southeast before dawn. Mars appears to double in brightness and nearly doubles in size in May as it approaches opposition in July. The waning gibbous Moon appears to approach Saturn before dawn on the 4th and the 31st, and will be closest during the following afternoons. The Moon will be in close proximity to Mars before dawn on the 6th. Neptune (7.9) rises just before dawn in early May in Aquarius and about 2AM EDT on the 31st. It may be found low in the southeast before dawn in May and is within 2° of the waning crescent Moon on the 10th. Uranus (+5.9) in Aries appears low in the eastern sky before dawn and Mercury (+0.4 to -1.6) in Pisces, Aries, and Taurus is immersed in the glow of dawn. On the 13th, the narrow waning crescent Moon approaches Uranus and Mercury before dawn and is closest at midday.

Planet..Constellation(s)..Magnitude..Planet Passages ………………………………………………………….Time, Date

Sun…….Aries, Taurus……………-26.8……………New Moon……………………………………………….7:48AM EDT…..5/15
Mercury..Pisces, Aries, Taurus..+0.4 to -1.6…..Uranus, 2.0°N………………………………………….5:00PM EDT….5/12
Venus…..Taurus, Gemini…………-3.8 to -3.9
Mars…….Sagittarius, Capricornus……. -0.4 to -1.2
Jupiter…..Libra……………………….-2.4 to -2.3….Opposition……………………………………………….9:00PM EDT….5/8
Saturn…..Sagittarius……………….+0.3 to +0.2
Uranus….Aries……………………….+5.9……………Mercury, 2.0°S …………………………………………5:00PM EDT….5/12
Neptune..Aquarius………………….+7.9

May Moon

The New Moon of May on the 15th at 7:48AM EDT is the beginning of Lunation 1180 which ends 29.30 days later with June’s New Moon on the 13th at 3:43PM EDT. The Full Moon on the 29th at 10:20AM EDT is known as the “Planting or Flower Moon” and the “Milk Moon.” Celts called it “Bright Moon,” and Colonial Americans called it “Milk Moon.” Chinese refer to it as “Dragon Moon,” and it was the “Hare Moon” in Medieval England. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe people) recognize it as “Zaagibagaa-giizis” (Budding Moon.)

Lunar Apogee (maximum orbital distance) occurs on the 5th at 8:35 PM EDT when the Moon is at 251,318 miles (63.41Earth radii). Perigee (closest to Earth) is 226,040 miles or 57.04 Earth radii on the 17th at 5:05PM EDT.

Planet..Constellation..Magnitude..Moon Passage …………………………………………………….Moon Phase..Moon Age

Sun……Taurus…………-26.8………..7:48AM EDT 5/15 …………………………………………………..New…………….0 days
Mercury..Pisces………..-0.1……….2.0°S, 1:00PM EDT, 5/13
……………………………………………Waning Crescent 27.63 days
Venus…..Taurus…………..-3.8……….5.0°S, 2:00PM EDT, 5/17 ……………………………………….Waxing Crescent..1.71 days
Mars…..Sagittarius…….-0.5………3.0°N, 3:00AM EDT, 5/6
……………………………………………Waning Gibbous 20.21 days
Jupiter..Libra……………..-2.3………4.0°N, 2:00PM EDT, 5/27 …………………………………………Waxing Gibbous 12.26 days
Saturn..Sagittarius……..+0.3………1.7°N, 4:00PM EDT, 5/4……………………………………………Waning Gibbous 18.75 days
Saturn..Sagittarius……..+0.2………1.6°N, 9:00PM EDT, 5/31
……………………………………………Waning Gibbous 15.38 days
Uranus..Aries…………..+5.9………5.0°S, 11:00AM EDT, 5/13 ………………………………………….Waning Crescent 27.54 days
Neptune..Aquarius………+7.9………2.0°S, 5:00AM EDT, 5/10…………………………………………Waning Crescent 24.29 days

April 2018-Skies News

04/3/2018
April Skies – by Dick Cookman

Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Meteor Showers, Planet Plotting, April Moon, Easter, April Fool’s Day, Friday the 13th

Focus Constellations: Leo, Çancer, Gemini, Taurus, Auriga, Lynx, Camelopardalis, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Ursa Minor, Draco, Ursa Major, Coma Berenices, Bootes

Comet Journal

Tenth magnitude comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) is moving slowly northward between Auriga and Perseus, and will pass by Capella in early May before passing through perihelion on May 9th. It may reach 9th magnitude near perihelion and is expected to remain at 9th to 11th magnitude through the summer.

Mars Landers

This summary of the Mars Landers activities in the last month differs from past renditions due to political trends on Earth. The current acting NASA administrator is leaving on April 30th after filling in for Charles Bolden, the last NASA administrator who resigned in January, 2017, ending a nine year tenure. The precarious situation of NASA’s planetary exploration programs is illustrated in the following excerpts from the March 15th, 2015 article by the Planetary Society’s Casey Drier:

Despite the finding of the latest biennial Planetary Science Senior Review that rates the Opportunity Mission higher than every other current Mars mission, including those for Curiosity, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Express, and Mars Odyssey, Senate testimony by the NASA administrator Bolden questioned continuation of the mission.
He stated: Is the Opportunity Rover a Mission ‘Whose Time Has Passed? “We cannot continue to operate instruments and missions whose time has passed, because I won’t be able to put something like InSight on Mars in 2016…I have to make choices…”

The cost to operate the Opportunity rover is about $14 million per year. This is a little less than 1% of the beleaguered Planetary Science Division’s budget, and about 0.08% of NASA’s total budget. In 2012, InSight was selected as the next mission to land on Mars. Opportunity was running that year. Work on InSight began in earnest; funding peaked at $203.3 million in 2014 as assembly and integration of the spacecraft began. Again, Opportunity explored Mars that year. Same for 2015 as work on InSight continued. For 2016, the last year of InSight’s development, NASA is requesting $92.1 million to finish and launch the spacecraft, less than in previous years. Suddenly, Opportunity is too expensive. The vast majority of the money that will ever be spent on InSight has already been spent. For the entirety of InSight’s development, from 2012 to now, Opportunity continued to explore the martian surface. It’s clearly not a choice between Opportunity and InSight, they’ve coexisted happily during the most expensive period of InSight’s life cycle.

Has Opportunity’s time passed? Well, it’s been on Mars for over 11 years now, longer than any other mission to Mars’ surface. That’s a long time, but time used well. In addition to finishing the world’s fastest (albeit only) martian marathon, it has helped to revolutionize our understanding of the role of liquid water in Mars’ history. Its exploration is ongoing. In fact, it just discovered a rock “unlike any we’ve seen before” while searching for clay minerals near Marathon Valley. The pictures it returns to us every day are haunting and beautiful.

Bolden was right: there are choices to be made, but not the false choice between two stalwart missions and the next Mars lander. The choice we face is whether to fight for Opportunity and LRO or not. Let’s choose—all of us—to fight for these missions and for all of the precious scientific discoveries they have yet to make. We lose them now, and they’re likely gone forever. Congress has demonstrated a consistent willingness to add money for planetary exploration by adding funding for three years in a row. If NASA asked, it’s likely that Congress would be happy to support both missions.

Meteor Showers

It should worth getting up early for the Lyrid Meteor Shower on the night of April 21/22 as it is one of the better showers of the year. It occurs a week before Full Moon and glare from the first quarter Moon will be minimal as it sets long before best viewing during the predawn hours. At that time Earth is plunging head on into the river of wayward comet debris abandoned during last few passages through the inner Solar System of long period Comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher). It will seem as though the meteors come from the constellation Lyra which is close to the zenith in the southeastern sky before dawn. At least 15 to 20 meteors per hour will appear to emanate in all directions from Lyra like support ribs on an umbrella unless there is an outburst such as that in 1982 which produced up to 4 to 5 meteors per minute.

Planet Plotting

In April, Venus (-3.8) is in Aries and Taurus and shines brightly in the early evening western sky. Venus is about 10° above the horizon in the hour after sunset and rises higher in the sky during the month. On the evening of the 17th, the waxing crescent Moon will appear in close proximity with Venus and both will set together. After Venus sets in the west, Jupiter (-2.2 to -2.4) in Libra rises slightly south of east by 11:00 PM EDT in early April. It will be within 4° of the waning gibbous Moon on the 3rd. Later in the month Jupiter will rise before Venus sets and will grow brighter as it approaches opposition in May. On the 30th, the waning gibbous Moon will again pass within 4° from Jupiter.

Mars (+0.2 to -0.4) and Saturn (+0.5 to +0.4) in Sagittarius are morning planets rising after midnight. On April 2nd, at 8:00AM EDT, they are within 1.3° of one another and may be viewed before dawn when they are low in the south-southeast. On the 7th, Mars, Saturn, and the waning gibbous
Moon will be in close proximity before dawn. Neptune (8.0) is in Aquarius and passed through Solar Conjunction in March. It may be found low in the southeast before dawn in April and is within 2° of the waning crescent Moon on the 12th. Uranus (+5.9) in Pisces and Aries reaches Solar Conjunction on the 18th and is not a viable target in April. On the morning after New Moon on the 15th, an extremely narrow crescent Moon is 4.4° SSE of Uranus.

Mercury (+5.3 to +0.5) is in Pisces and Cetus in April. It’s orbit inclination of 7° to the orbit of Earth, the largest of any solar system planet, causes Mercury to be the only planet to visit Cetus, all others are restricted to the zodiac as they circle the Sun. Mercury is not visible during the first half of April as it is at inferior conjunction with the Sun on April 1st. It may be seen in the glow of sunrise at month’s end when it reaches maximum western elongation on the 29th.

Planet..Constellation(s)..Magnitude..Planet Passages …………………………………………………………………..Time, Date

Sun…….Pisces, Aries…..-26.8……………New Moon …………………………………………………………9:57PM EDT, 4/15
Mercury..Pisces, Cetus..+5.3 to +0.5…..Inferior Conjunction
…………………………………………………………2:00PM EDT, 4/1
……………………………………………………..Max. West Elongation …………………………………………………………2:00PM EDT, 4/29
Venus…..Aries, Taurus….-3.9
Mars…….Sagittarius…….+0.3 to -0.4……Saturn, 1.3°N ………………………………………………………….8:00AM EDT, 4/2
Jupiter…..Libra……………+2.2 to -2.4
Saturn…..Sagittarius……+0.5 to +0.4……Mars, 1.3°S ………………………………………………………….8:00AM EDT, 4/2
Uranus….Pisces, Aries…+5.9………………Solar Conjunction …………………………………………………………10:00AM EDT, 4/18
Neptune..Aquarius……….+8.0 to +7.9

April Moon

April’s New Moon on the 15th at 9:57PM EDT is the beginning of Lunation 1179 which ends 29.38 days later with May’s New Moon on the 15th at 7:48AM EDT.

The Full Moon on the 29th at 8:58PM EDT is known as the “Grass Moon” and “Egg Moon”, celebrating grass sprouting and the end of the hen’s molting season when egg production returns. The Celts called it the “Growing Moon”, and Colonial Americans called it the “Planter’s Moon.” Chinese refer to it as the “Peony Moon”, and it was the “Seed Moon” in Medieval England. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe people) recognize it as “Pokwaagami-giizis” (Broken Snowshoe Moon.)

Lunar Apogee (maximum orbital distance) occurs on the 8th at 1:31AM EDT when the Moon is at 251123 miles (63.36 Earth radii). Perigee (closest to Earth) is 229108 miles or 57.81 Earth radii on the 20th at 10:41AM EDT.

Easter, April Fool’s Day, Friday the 13th

April 1st is Easter, the 1st Sunday following the 1st Full Moon after the Spring Equinox. The 1st of April is also the 1st Sunday in April, which Congress established in 1986 as time change day (amended in 2007 to the 2nd Sunday in March when we turn our clocks forward on Saturday night as we switch over to nighttime losing time(NLT)). A similar governmental intervention into the measurement of time 436 years ago, started the tradition of “All Fool’s Day” on April 1st. Folks who objected to Pope Gregory’s calendar change which corrected errors accumulated since Julius Caesar’s time were sent on “fool’s errands” by more knowledgeable members of society when they tried to continue the tradition of celebrating New Years Day on April 1st.

Friday the 13th evolved as an unlucky day because the number 13 and Friday were both considered unlucky. Friday falls on the 13th either once, twice, or three times a year. If you are an Italian living in South America, the unlucky day would be Tuesday the 17th.

Planet..Constellation..Magnitude..Moon Passage
…………………………………………………..Moon Phase..Moon Age

Sun……Pisces…………-26.8………..9:57PM EDT 4/15
…………………………………………………..New…………….0 days
Mercury..Pisces………..+0.4……….4.0°S, 5:00AM EDT, 4/14 ……………………………………………Waning Crescent..27.83 days
Venus…..Aries…………..-3.8……….5.0°S, 3:00PM EDT, 4/17 …………………………………………….Waxing Crescent..1.71 days
Mars…..Sagittarius…….+0.7………3.0°N, 2:00PM EST, 4/7 ……………………………………………Waning Gibbous..21.20 days
Jupiter..Libra……………..-2.2………4.0°N, 10:00AM EST, 4/3 ……………………………………………Waning Gibbous..17.03 days
Jupiter..Libra……………..-2.4………4.0°N, 1:00PM EST, 4/30 ……………………………………………Waning Gibbous..14.50 days
Saturn..Sagittarius……..+0.5………1.9°N, 9:00AM EDT, 4/7 ……………………………………………Waning Gibbous..20.99 days
Uranus..Pisces…………..+5.9………4.4°SSE, 2:00AM EDT, 4/16 …………………………………………….Waxing Crescent..0.17 days
Neptune..Aquarius………+7.9………1.9°S, 7:00PM EDT, 4/12 ……………………………………………Waning Crescent..26.41 days 

March 2018 – Skies News

02/28/2018 March Skies – by Dick Cookman Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Meteor Showers/Vernal Equinox, Planet Plotting, March Moon Focus Constellations: Leo, Çancer, Gemini, Orion, Taurus, Auriga, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Ursa Minor, Draco, Bootes, Ursa Major, Lynx, Camelopardalis Comet Journal No bright comets are expected for the next few months. The brightest is unlikely to […]