Archive for year: 2020

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

Focus Constellations:  Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco, Lyra, Aquila, Cygnus, Pegasus, Pisces, Andromeda, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Perseus, Taurus, Auriga, Camelopardalis

Comet Journals

Comet  88P/Howell (2020) is in Sagittarius and will move into Capricornus in early December. It reached 8th magnitude as it passed through perihelion in Scorpius on September 26th and is rapidly dimming. It is a short period comet with an aphelion slightly inside the orbit of Jupiter and a perihelion inside the orbit of Mars. 

C/2020 S3 (Erasmus) is a predawn, 10th magnitude comet in Sextans. In November, it will move through Crater and Corvus and end up in Virgo on the 30th. At perihelion on Dec. 12/13 in Scorpius, it may reach 6th magnitude.   

Comet C/2020 M3 (ATLAS) is at 8th magnitude and is entering Orion after passing perihelion on October 25. It will move into Taurus in December then will began to dim as it retreats from the inner Solar System. 

Mars Landers

The InSight heat sensing “mole” is now buried in the hole that it is digging. The only visible component is the copper communication tether connecting it to lander. Mission scientists plan to pack soil in the hole above “mole” in order to maintain downward pressure on the “mole” so that it can resume pounding in early 2021 with its hammer drill and dig its way through the hard “duracrust” unexpectedly discovered at the drilling site. When it reaches the desired depth of 10 to 16 feet, its instrumentation will began measurement of Mars’ internal heat.  

Curiosity spent most of September and October drilling and sampling three drill holes at the Mary Anning outcrop on Mt. Sharp in Gale Crater. Drill samples were  analyzed with its various instruments and environmental conditions were measured during intervals when drilling activities were on hold. At the end of October, the rover moved to nearby locale where it could embark on observation of the Maybole rock outcrop where additional drilling is planned.

In a recent Nature Astronomy report on a multi-year experiment conducted in the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) chemistry lab, a team of scientists found that certain minerals in rocks at Gale Crater may have formed in an ice-covered lake. These minerals may have formed during a cold stage sandwiched between warmer periods, or after Mars lost most of its atmosphere and began to turn permanently cold. The team found evidence for a cold ancient environment in the  carbon dioxide and oxygen extracted by the SAM lab from 13 dust and rock samples collected over the course of five years.

Carbon in CO2 provides clues about the mysterious Martian climate. This element is as critical as water in the search for life elsewhere. On Earth, carbon flows continuously through the air, water, and surface in a well-understood cycle that hinges on life and natural physical and chemical processes. Scientists are finding there’s also a carbon cycle on Mars and they’re working to understand it. With little water or abundant surface life on the Red Planet for at least the past 3 billion years, the carbon cycle is much different than Earth’s.

“Nevertheless, the carbon cycling is still happening and is still important because it’s not only helping reveal information about Mars’ ancient climate,” says Paul Mahaffy, principal investigator on SAM and director of the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA Goddard. “It’s also showing us that Mars is a dynamic planet that’s circulating elements that are the buildings blocks of life as we know it.” 

Meteor Showers

November meteor showers include the Taurid fireballs which are best viewed after midnight on the 11th and 12th before moonrise. The Leonids peak at about 20 per hour before dawn on the 17th followed by fewer Alpha Monocerotids on the 21st.

November 5 – 12: Taurids. Active October 1-November 25. Radiant 03h52m +22°, ZHR 5. 29km/sec. Waning Gibbous and Crescent Moon. Progenitors: Asteroid 2004 TG10, Comet Enke.

November 17: Leonids. Active November 6-November 30, Radiant 10h12m +22°, ZHR 10 – storm, 70 km/sec. Waxing Crescent Moon. Progenitor: Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle 

November 21: Alpha Monocerotids. Active November 15-November 25, Radiant 07h48m +01°, ZHR 5 – 400+, 65km/sec. Waxing Crescent Moon. Progenitor: Unknown.

Planet Plotting 

The short reign of Mars in the evening sky is drawing to a close. After Opposition in October, it dimmed and will be 40% as bright on November 30 as it was the 1st. Although Mars is bright at opposition every two years, it will not be as bright until 2033 when south hemisphere observers will be favored as Mars will be located close to its perihelion (near Sun) point and Earth close to its aphelion, an arrangement known as a “perihelic opposition”. 

Planet	Constellation(s)	Magnitude	Planet Passages	Time	Date
Sun	Libra, Scorpius, Ophiuchus	-26.8	New Moon	12:07AM EST	11/15
Mercury	Virgo, Libra	+1.4 to -0.7	Max West Elongation	Noon, EST	11/10
Venus	Virgo, Libra	-3.9
Mars	Pisces	-2.1 to -1.1
Jupiter	Sagittarius	-2.0 to -1.9
Saturn	Sagittarius	0.6
Uranus	Aries	+5.7
Neptune	Aquarius	+7.8 to +7.9

Uranus (+5.7) in Aries, Mars (-2.1 to -1.1) in Pisces, Neptune (+7.8 to +7.9) in Aquarius, and Saturn (+0.6) and Jupiter (-2.0 to -1.9) in Sagittarius are evening planets in November. Uranus was at Opposition on Oct. 31 and is visible all night. Mars is high in the eastern sky in the early evening and sets before dawn. Neptune rises 3 hours before sunset and sets in the wee hours. Jupiter and Saturn dominate the southern evening sky and set in the late evening.

Mercury (-1.4 to -0.7) in Virgo and Libra in November is low in the predawn western sky in the early part of the month and reaches maximum Western Elongation on the 10th at noon. By the end of November, it will dive deep into the glow of sunset and disappear. Venus (-3.9) also is in Virgo and Libra in November and is significantly brighter than Mercury. It rises and sets slightly over an hour earlier than Mercury throughout the month.

The waning crescent Moon is within 3.0° of Venus at 4:00PM EST on the 12th, and 1.7° from Mercury at 4:00PM EST on the 13th. The waxing crescent Moon is 2.0° from Jupiter at 4:00AM EST on the 19th and 3.0° from Saturn 6 hours later. The waxing gibbous Moon is 5.0° from Neptune at 7:00AM EST on the 23rd, 5.0° from Mars at 3:00PM EST on the 25th and 3.0° from Uranus at Noon EST on the 27th.

November Moon 

The New Moon on November 15 at 12:07AM EST is the beginning of Lunation 1211 which ends 29.35 days later with the New Moon on December 29 at 10:28PM EST. The Full Moon of November is on the 31st at 10:49AM EDT. It is commonly known as the “Frosty” or “Beaver” Moon. It is also the “Hunters Moon” which is the full moon following the “Harvest Moon” that we had in October this year. In colonial times, the November Moon was the “Beaver” Moon”. In Medieval England, the it was the “Snow Moon.” Celts named it the “Dark Moon” and the Chinese call it the “White Moon”. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe) people recognize it as “Baashkaakodin-Giizis” (Freezing Moon). 

Lunar Perigee is on the 14th at 6:43AM EST when the Moon is 222,350 miles from Earth (56.11 Earth radii). Apogee (maximum orbital distance) is on November 26 at 7:29PM EST when the Moon’s distance is 252,211 miles (63.64 Earth radii).

Planet	Constellation	Magnitude	Moon Passages	Moon Phase	Moon Age
Sun	Libra	-26.8	12:07AM EST, 11/15	New	0 days
Mercury	Virgo	-0.6	1.7°N, 4:00PM EST, 11/13	Waning Crescent	28.387 days
Venus	Virgo	-3.9	3.0°N, 4:00PM EST, 11/12	Waning Crescent	27.8 days
Mars	Pisces	-1.3	5.0°S, 3:00PM EST, 11/25	Waxing Gibbous	9.01 days
Jupiter	Sagittarius	-1.9	2.0°S, 4:00AM EST. 11/19	Waxing Crescent	3.16 days
Saturn	Sagittarius	0.6	3.0°S, 10:00AM EST, 11/19	Waxing Crescent	3.41 days
Uranus	Aries	5.7	3.0°S,Noon EST, 11/27	Waxing Gibbous	11.50 days
Neptune	Aquarius	7.9	5.0°S, 7:00AM EST, 11/23	Waxing Gibbous	7.29 days

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

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

Comet Journals

Comet  88P/Howell (2020) is in Libra and will move along the ecliptic into Scorpius in late September. It is approaching 8th magnitude as it nears perihelion in Scorpius on the 26th. It is a short period comet with an aphelion slightly inside the orbit of Jupiter and a perihelion inside the orbit of Mars. 

9th magnitude Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) is in Virgo in early September. It is orbiting sub-parallel to the ecliptic and will be in Libra at the end of the month when it will drop to 12th magnitude. After reaching almost 1st magnitude in July, it dimmed while departing from the inner solar system. The next best observation opportunity will be in about 6000 years.

Comet C/2020 M3 ( ATLAS ) is approaching 10th magnitude in southern hemisphere skies in Fornax and Eridanus. It is at perihelion on October 25 and will move into northern skies in November when it may reach 9th magnitude when it is closest to Earth on November 14. 

Mars Landers

InSight landed on Mars in November 2018 and set up its seismometer. It detected a quake in April, 2019 and has detected over 450 “marsquakes” so far. The seismometer data permitted scientists to determine depths to the boundaries between the internal layering of Mars and yielded preliminary information about the composition of the deep layers. The weather instruments in the lander were put into safe mode on August 16 while scientist attempt to evaluate why they were not providing data to the computer for later transmission to orbiting spacecraft. Insight’s heat probe is a 16-inch-long (40-centimeter-long) spike “mole” equipped with an internal hammering mechanism. After months of failed attempts to successfully drill to a depth where internal heat can be measured, mission scientists developed techniques which allowed limited success in June and July. The mole has since has had less success causing mission scientists to investigate further techniques for continuing the drilling process. The subsurface is finer grained and much more compacted than initially expected and produces less friction with the sides of the hole. This causes the mole to bounce instead of digging deeper with each hammer blow.

Curiosity is on the border Glen Torridon, the clay-bearing unit in the valley adjacent to Vera Rubin Ridge on 16,404 foot Mt. Sharp at the center of Gale Crater, the ancient remnant of a massive impact. On Sol 2830, the rover arrived at the next drilling site named after Mary Anning who discovered the first full Ichthyosaur and the first Plesiosaur on the southern coast of England and whose early 1800’s discoveries were appropriated by now nameless male scientists. On Sol 2839 (August 2, 2020), Curiosity‘s 27th drill hole was completed on the Mary Anning outcrop and the drilled sample was examined to ensure that it was good enough to deliver to CheMin and SAM for analysis. SAM analysis generates gases which are analyzed for organics. ChemCam chemical measurements of the drill hole were also planned in order to document rock chemistry at depth. Mastcam multispectral and ChemCam passive observations of the drill tailings also yields a complementary spectral assessment of the mineralogy of the drilling powder. Results of the detailed analysis performed on the drilling products at the Mary Anning outcrop convinced mission scientists to conduct another drilling which was completed on September 2 (Sol 2872-2873). The results were so intriguing that they plan to utilize the limited supply of tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide on the drillings to concentrate any organic molecules to detectable levels.`

Meteor Showers

The best meteor showers in September are the Alpha Aurigids and the Delta Aurigids. The Piscids are a minor shower.

September 1: Alpha Aurigids. Active August 25-September 5. Radiant 5h36m +42°, ZHR 10. 66 km/sec. Waning Gibbous Moon. Progenitor: Comet Kiess (C/1911 N1).

September 8: Delta Aurigids. Active September 5-October 10, Radiant 4h00m +47°, ZHR 6, 64 km/sec. Waning Gibbous Moon. Progenitor: The meteor shower may result from an unknown short period (115 years) retrograde comet. 

September 20: Piscids. Active September 3-October 2, Radiant 00h20m -01°, ZHR 3, 26 km/sec. Waxing Crescent Moon. Progenitor: Possibly C/1972 E1 (Bradfield) or Comet Wirtanen? 

Autumnal Equinox 

The equinox is at 9:31AM 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 at that time of year. 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. Unfortunately, the current low in the 9 to 11 year solar sunspot cycle which results in a mostly quiet Sun may limit the possibility of any significant auroras, but hope remains eternal.

Planet	Constellation(s)	Magnitude	Planet Passages	Time	Date
Sun	Leo, Virgo	-26.8	New Moon	7:00AM EDT	9/17
Mercury	Leo, Virgo	-0.5 to +0.1
Venus	Gemini, Cancer, Leo	-4.1 to -4.0
Mars	Pisces	-1.8 to -2.5
Jupiter	Sagittarius	-2.4 to -2.2
Saturn	Sagittarius	+0.3 to +0.5
Uranus	Aries	+5.7
Neptune	Aquarius	+7.8	Opposition	4:00PM EDT	9/11

 

Planet Plotting 

In early September, Mercury (-0.5) is buried in the Sun’s glow as it sets less than an hour after the Sun. It will set later each day of the month and will rise slowly out of the glow as it approaches greatest eastern elongation in early October. Jupiter (-2.4) and Saturn (+0.3) in Sagittarius dominate the southern evening sky and set in the wee hours after midnight. Neptune (+7.8) in Aquarius rises after sunset and Mars (-1.1) in Pisces, makes its appearance by 11:00PM EDT. Uranus (+5.7) in Aries rises before midnight EDT and Venus (-4.1) in Gemini begins its predawn dominance about 5:00AM EDT. 

Mars makes a major jump in apparent size and brightness in September as it approaches Opposition in October. At the 2020 opposition Mars will be slightly beyond its perihelion (closest to the Sun) which occurred on August 3. Earth was at aphelion on July 4, so Mars will be at a relatively close 38+ million miles (~83% of its current distance). The apparent diameter of Mars will increase about 17% between now and October, making the disk appear almost 40% larger than it is currently and brightness will more than double. Mars is an awesome sight through even smaller telescopes and will get better and better as October draws near. Mars will rise two hours earlier on September 30 when it will be brighter than any other evening planet or star.

The waning gibbous Moon is 4.0° from Neptune at 5:00PM EDT on the 2nd, 3.0° from Uranus at midnight EDT on the 6th, after which it is 0.03° from Mars an hour later. The waning crescent Moon is 4.0° from Venus at 1:00AM EDT on the 14th and the waxing crescent Moon is 6.0° from Mercury on the 18th.  On the 25th, the waxing gibbous Moon is 1.6° from Jupiter at 3:00AM EDT and 2.0° from Saturn at 5:00PM EDT. It is 4.0° from Neptune at 10:00PM EDT on September 29.

September Moon 

The New Moon of September 17 at 7:00AM EDT is the beginning of Lunation 1209 which ends 29.75 days later with the New Moon on October 16 at 3:31PM EDT. The Full Moon of September is on the 2nd at 1:22AM EDT. It is commonly known as the “Fruit” Moon. September’s full moon is not a candidate for “Harvest Moon” this year because the full moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox on the 22nd receives that honor, making October the winner this year. In colonial times, before definitions changed, September hosted the “Harvest Moon”. In Medieval England, the September full moon was the “Barley Moon.” Celts named it the “Singing Moon” and the Chinese call it the “Chrysanthemum Moon”. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe) people recognize it as “Waabaagbagaa-giizis” (Leaves Turning Moon). 

Lunar Apogee (maximum orbital distance) is on September 6 at 2:29AM EDT when the Moon’s distance is 252,032 miles (63.59 Earth radii). Perigee is on the 18th at 9:48AM EDT when the Moon is 223,123 miles from Earth (56.30 Earth radii).

Planet	Constellation	Magnitude	Moon Passages	Moon Phase	Moon Age
Sun	Virgo	-26.8	7:00AM EDT, 9/17	New	0 days
Mercury	Virgo	0.0	6.0°N, 6:00PM EDT, 9/18	Waxing Crescent	0.46 days
Venus	Cancer	-4.0	4.0°N, 1:00AM EDT, 9/14	Waning Crescent	22.38 days
Mars	Pisces	-1.9	0.03°N, 1:00AM EDT, 9/6	Waning Gibbous	18.11 days
Jupiter	Sagittarius	-2.2	1.6°S, 3:00AM EDT. 9/25	Waxing Gibbous	7.83 days
Saturn	Sagittarius	0.4	2.0°S, 5:00PM EDT, 9/25	Waxing Gibbous	8.42 days
Uranus	Aries	5.7	3.0°S, Midnight EDT, 9/6	Waning Gibbous	18.07 days
Neptune   Neptune	Aquarius   Aquarius	7.8	4.0°S, 5:00PM EDT, 9/2     4.0°S, 10:00PM EDT, 9/29	Waning Gibbous Waxing Gibbous	14.77 days              12.63 days

 

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

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

Comet Journals

Comet C/2017 U6 (Lemmon) is approaching 5th magnitude as it moves through Hydra and into Sextans in the latter part of June, and through Leo & Virgo into Coma Berenices in July. It is a long period comet which dropped out of the Oort Cloud, briefly dropped below the plane of the solar system when reaching perihelion (closest to the Sun – 0.91AU) on June 18, 2020, and is closest to Earth on the 29th. It will rise through the solar system plane in July and return to the Oort Cloud.

Comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) just passed through Auriga and will reach Gemini by July 31. It is at 7th magnitude and will dim in July.

Comet 58P/Jackson-Neujmin is a 10th magnitude comet in Cetus and will dim as it enters Orion at the end of July.

Comet C/2017 T2 PanSTARRS is 8th magnitude comet and is also dimming as it exits Ursa Major and moves into Coma Berenices in July. It is a long period comet which rose out of the Oort Cloud below the solar system on an orbit tilted at over 60 degrees to the solar system plane. It passed through perihelion (closest to the Sun) on May 4, 2020, and will drop back through the plane of the solar system in September and embark on its long journey back to the Oort Cloud.

Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) is moving northward as it departs from Orion at 7th magnitude. It will move northward through Gemini and pass between Ursa Major and Leo Minor after passing through perihelion on July 3. It will be closest to Earth on the 23rd when it may be visible to the naked eye providing that its passage by the Sun doesn’t cause disintegration.

Mars Landers

InSight is the first Mars mission specifically dedicated to uncovering the secrets beneath the surface. It landed on Mars in November 2018 and set up its seismometer. Insight detected a quake in April, 2019 and has detected over 450 “marsquakes” so far. These measurements reveal that Mars is tectonically active in some areas, possibly due to volcanic activity or other internal heat sources. Magnetometer data shows that Mars has areas with strongly magnetized basement rock. Insight’s heat probe is a 16-inch-long (40-centimeter-long) spike “mole” equipped with an internal hammering mechanism. As it burrows into the soil, it pulls a ribbonlike tether with embedded temperature sensors along its length. The mole has had difficulty digging through the cohesive “duricrust” near the surface. There is insufficient friction between the mole and sides of the hole, causing the mole to bounce in place when hammering. It became lodged at a very shallow depth then popped out of the hole in October and again on Jan. 21. After the limited success with side pressure, the team decided to push down on the back cap while avoiding damage to the tether and has achieved success in slowly burrowing further.

Curiosity is on the border Glen Torridon, the clay-bearing unit in the valley adjacent to Vera Rubin Ridge on 16,404 foot Mt. Sharp at the center of Gale Crater, the ancient remnant of a massive impact. After the March drive up onto younger rocks of the Greenheugh pediment which is beyond and above the valley, scientists determined from drill cuttings at Edinburgh and Glasgow in April and early May that Greenheugh pediment sandstones represent a totally different environment of deposition than the older mudstones of the valley. On Sol 2778 (May 29) the rover was directed to hit the road again, descend from the pediment, and head toward the “sulfate bearing unit” farther up the slopes of Mt. Sharp after brief stops at a landslide at the base of the pediment scarp and at Bloodstone Hill, a light toned mound at the eastern edge of the pediment.

Meteor Showers, Asteroid Surprises

There are 3 meteor showers in late June and early July. The best is the Bootid shower at the end of June which has to compete with the last quarter Moon in nearby Leo. The two other showers are relatively weak, with the Pegasids in southern skies. The Phoenicids are also buried in southern hemisphere skies as are three additional showers at the end of July.

June 27: Bootids. Active June 26-July 2. Radiant 14h56m +48°, ZHR variable 0-100+. 18 km/sec. Waxing Crescent & Gibbous Moon. Progenitor: Comet 7P Pons-Winnecke, a short-period comet orbiting the Sun once every 6.37 years which was last at perihelion in January, 2015.

July 9: Pegasids. Active July 7-13, Radiant 22h40m +15°, ZHR 3, 47 km/sec. Waning Gibbous Moon. Progenitor: Long period Comet C/1979 Y1 (Bradfield) which has an orbital period of 300 years and was last at perihelion in Feb. 1980.

July 13: Phoenicids. Active July 10-16, Radiant 2h08m -43°, ZHR Variable 3-10, 35 km/sec. Waning Crescent Moon. Progenitor: long-lost Comet D/1819 W1 (Blanpain) with a current remnant, short period Comet 289P/Blanpain, which has an orbital period of 5.31 years and was last at perihelion in Dec. 2019.

Summer Solstice

The June Solstice on June 20 is at 5:44PM EDT. The following link leads to Mary Stuart Adams’ website, the Storyteller’s Night Sky. Her website and other media presentations achieve such a remarkable combination of Astronomy, Mythology, and History that audiences tune in weekly or even more frequently. For this solstice, I highly recommend going to:

https://storytellersnightsky.com/summer-solstice-in-the-shadow-of-eclipse-with-mary-stewart-adams-hosted-online-june-16-by-ford-house for a much more literary story than is normally presented in this newsletter. In addition, you may be so enthralled with her work that you, too, become a frequent visitor.

Planet..Constellation(s).Magnitude.Planet Passages.Time.Date
Sun…..Taurus, Gemini -26.8……..New Moon….2:41AM EDT..6/21
Sun…..Gemini, Cancer -26.8……..New Moon….1:33PM EDT..7/20
Mercury.Gemini…+5.0 to -0.7…Max. West Elong..11:00AM EDT 7/22
…………………………………………………….Inferior Conjunct.11:00PM EDT 7/30
Venus…Taurus…-4.4 to -4.7 to -4.3
Mars….Pisces…-0.5 to -1.1
Jupiter.Sagittarius……-2.6……..Opposition…4:00AM EDT 7/14
Saturn..Capricornus..+0.2 to +0.1….Opposition…6:00PM EDT 7/20
………………Sagittarius
Uranus..Aries……..+5.8
Neptune.Aquarius…..+7.9 to +7.8

Planet Plotting

Skies in early July are replete with brilliant planets. With a small telescope you can see all seven planets, then look down on the ground for #8. Jupiter (-2.6) in Sagittarius and Saturn (+0.2 to +0.1) in Capricornus and Sagittarius start the parade when they rise in the east in the early evening and are brightest when they are due south a midnight at Opposition on the 14th and 20th respectively. Neptune (+7.9 to +7.8) in Aquarius follows, rising after midnight and, not to be outdone, Mars (-0.5 to -1.1) in Pisces, makes its appearance soon after.

Mars makes a big jump in apparent size and brightness in July as it approaches Opposition in October. The 2020 opposition finds both Earth and Mars relatively close to their perihelion (closest to the Sun) positions, placing Mars at a relatively close 38+ million miles (half as far as it is right now). Apparent diameter of Mars will double between now and October making the disk appear 4 times larger (don’t you just love π r^2?).
Uranus (+5.8 to +5.9) in Aries rises a couple of hours before dawn and Venus (-4.4 to -4.7 to -4.3) in Taurus rises an hour later in Taurus. Wait till mid-July to see Mercury (+5.0 to -0.7) in Gemini make its presence known after Venus rises. Mercury is a maximum Western Elongation on the 22nd and reaches Inferior Conjunction on the 30th.

The waning gibbous Moon is 1.9° from Jupiter at 6:00PM EDT on the 5th, and 2.0° from Saturn at 5:00AM EDT on the 6th. It is 4.0° from Neptune at 3:00AM EDT on the 10th and 2.0° from Mars on the 11th. The waning crescent Moon passes within 4.0° of Uranus at 8:00AM EDT on the 14th, 3.0° from Venus on the 17th, and 4.0° from Mercury on the 18th.

June/July Moon

The New Moon of June on the 24th at 2:41AM EDT is the beginning of Lunation 1206 which ends 29.43 days later with the New Moon on July 20 at 1:33PM EDT. The Full Moon of July on the 5th at 12:44AM EDT is commonly known as the “Thunder or Hay” Moon and offers us a penumbral lunar eclipse visible in most of North America and in South America, Western Europe, Africa, and Antarctica. It was called the “Summer Moon” in colonial times and in Medieval England it was the “Mead Moon.” Celts named it the “Moon of Claiming” and the Chinese call it the “Hungry Ghost Moon”. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe) people recognize it as “Miin-giizis” (Berry Moon).

Lunar Perigee (minimum orbital distance) occurs on June 29 at 10:13PM EDT when the Moon is at a distance of 229,260 miles (56.00 Earth radii). Apogee is on July 12 at 3:27PM EDT when the Moon’s distance is 251,158 miles (63.37 Earth radii).

Planet.Constellation.Magnitude.Moon Passages.Moon Phase. Moon Age
Sun…..Taurus…….-26.8……2:41AM EDT, 6/21..New…0 days
Sun…..Gemini…….-26.8……1:33PM EDT, 7/20..New…0 days
Mercury.Aquarius……+1.0……4.0°N, Midnight EDT, 7/18
…………………………..Waning Crescent…..26.89 days
Venus…Aries………-4.3……3.0°N, 3:00AM EDT, 7/17
…………………………..Waning Crescent…..26.01 days
Mars….Sagittarius…-0.7……2.0°S, 4:00PM EDT, 7/11
…………………………..Waning Gibbous……20.55 days
Jupiter.Sagittarius…-2.6……1.9°S, 6:00PM EDT, 7/5
…………………………..Waning Gibbous……14.64 days
Saturn..Sagittarius…+0.2……2.0°S, 5:00AM EDT, 7/6
…………………………..Waning Gibbous……15.10 days
Uranus..Aries………+5.8……4.0°S, 8:00AM EDT, 7/14
…………………………..Waning Crescent…..23.22 days
Neptune.Aquarius……+7.9……4.0°S, 3:00AM EDT, 7/10
…………………………..Waning Gibbous……19.01 days

03/2/2020
March Skies by Dick Cookman
Highlights: Comet Journal, Martian Landers, Meteor Showers, Vernal Equinox, Planet Plotting, March Moon

Focus Constellations: Pisces, Andromeda, Aries, Perseus, Auriga, Taurus, Orion, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Lynx, Camelopardalis, Ursa Major, Draco, Ursa Minor, Cepheus, Cassiopeia

Comet Journals

Comet C/2017 T2 PanSTARRS is a 9th magnitude comet in Cassiopeia in March. On February 1, it was next to the Double Cluster, then moved toward Cassiopeia. The comet may brighten to 8th magnitude. It is a long period comet which rose out of the Oort Cloud below the solar system on an orbit tilted at over 60 degrees to the solar system plane. It will reach perihelion (closest to the Sun) on May 4, 2020, and then drop back through the plane of the solar system in September and embark on its long journey back to the Oort Cloud.

C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS) was discovered on December 16, 2019 and is moving northward through Pegasus at 10th magnitude in March. It will enter Andromeda in the middle of the month when it may reach 8th magnitude at perihelion and will enter Cassiopeia in early April. The comet will be closest to Earth on May 2nd when it will be in Camelopardalis.

C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) was discovered on December 28, 2019 and is moving northwestward through Ursa Major at 11th magnitude in March. It appears to be a fragment of a once larger comet that split. The other fragment may have been the Great Comet of 1844. Y4 Atlas could potentially brighten more than expected if further splitting occurs. It will be closest to Earth on May 24 and at perihelion on May 31 in Taurus when it may be bright enough to see with the naked eye!

Mars Landers

InSight is the first Mars mission specifically dedicated to uncovering the secrets beneath the surface. It landed on Mars in November 2018 and set up its seismometer. Insight detected a quake in April, 2019 and has detected over 450 “marsquakes” so far. These measurements reveal that Mars is tectonically active in some areas, possibly due to volcanic activity or other internal heat sources.

Magnetometer data shows that Mars has areas with strongly magnetized basement rock. Billions of years ago, Mars had a magnetic field. It is no longer present, but it left ghosts behind, magnetizing ancient rocks that are now between 200 feet (61 meters) to several miles below ground.

Insight’s heat probe is a 16-inch-long (40-centimeter-long) spike “mole” equipped with an internal hammering mechanism. As it burrows into the soil, it pulls a ribbonlike tether attached to its back cap. The ribbonlike tether extends from the lander to the back cap of the mole. The tether has embedded temperature sensors along its length.

The mole has had difficulty digging through the cohesive “duricrust” near the surface. There is insufficient friction between the mole and sides of the hole causing the mole to bounce in place when hammering. It became lodged at a very shallow depth then popped out of the hole in October. The probe drilled another 1.25” on Nov. 21 when side pressure was applied with the robotic arm. On Dec. 16, the mole achieved another 2.5” of depth. On Jan. 21, digging was interrupted as the mole backed out about 2 centimeters. After the limited success with side pressure the team decided to investigate ways to push down on the back cap while avoiding damage to the tether.

Curiosity is on the border Glen Torridon, the clay-bearing unit in the valley adjacent to Vera Rubin Ridge on 16,404 foot Mt. Sharp at the center of Gale Crater, the ancient remnant of a massive impact. Younger rocks comprising the Greenheugh pediment lie beyond and above the valley. The Greenheugh pediment sandstones represent a totally different environment of deposition than the older mudstones of the valley. From Sol 2656 (January 27) to Sol 2689 (February 26) the rover studied the youngest rocks in Glen Torridon, obtaining drill samples at Hutton Crater on Sol 2670 (February 10). After extensive analysis, mission scientists decided to risk a short cut to get up onto Greenheugh pediment, instead of a safer months-long circuitous route. The rover will, for the first time, attempt to ascend a series of 30 degree slopes.

Meteor Showers, Asteroid Surprises

The Virginid Meteor series of showers in March peak between the 3rd and 22nd. The Gamma Normid Shower is a minor Southern Hemisphere shower. Gibbous and full phases of the Moon will interfere with any meteors between March 3 and 15.

Several peaks: Virginids. Active Jan. 25-Apr. 15. Radiant 13h00m +04°(Mar 25). ZHR up to 5. 30 km/sec. Gibbous & Full Moon. Progenitor: Asteroid 1998 SJ 70.

March 14: Gamma Normids. Active Feb. 25-Mar. 22. Radiant 16h36m -51°. ZHR 8. 56 km/sec. Waning Gibbous Moon. Progenitor: Unknown.

The only asteroid passing closer to the Earth than the Moon in the last month was 4 meter diameter Asteroid 2020 DR4 which passed at 0.2 x lunar distance on Feb. 25 at 7.4 km/sec.

Vernal Equinox

The Spring Equinox on March 19 is at 11:50PM EDT. Easter Sunday (on April 12) is on the Sunday following the Full Moon (April 7) closest to the Equinox. Two thousand years ago, the Sun, Earth, and the constellation Aries were lined up on the Vernal Equinox, placing Earth in the age of Aries. The equinoxes are defined as the places in Earth’s orbit where a line connecting Earth and Sun is perpendicular to Earth’s axis. The wobbling axis completes a circuit in 26,000 years causing the line perpendicular to the axis to sweep through each of the 13 zodiacal constellations in 2000 years (Yes, there are13. Too bad astrology ignores Ophiuchus in its horoscopes.) On March 19, the Sun, Earth, and the constellation, Pisces are lined up, placing us in the age of Pisces. The age of Aquarius is yet to come, and the 5th Dimension were well ahead of their times.

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

Sun..Aquarius, Pisces……..-26.8…………..New Moon
………………………………………………5:38AM, EDT..3/24
Mercury..Aquarius..+3.2 to +0.2..Max. West Elongation
…………………………………………..10:00PM, EDT..3/23
Venus..Pisces, Aries, Taurus..-4.1 to -4.3…Uranus, 2.0°S …………………………………………..11:00AM EDT..3/9 …………………………………………..Max. East Elongation ……………………………………………6:00PM EDT..3/24
Mars..Sagittarius, Capricornus..+1.1 to +0.8..Jupiter, 0.7° …………………………………………….2:00AM EDT..3/20 …………………………………………………….Saturn, 0.9°N …………………………………………….7:00AM EDT..3/31
Jupiter…Sagittarius………..-1.8 to -2.0…..Mars, 0.7°S …………………………………………….2:00AM EDT..3/20
Saturn..Sagittarius, Capricornus..+0.7..Mars, 0.9°S ……………………………………………7:00AM EDT..3/31
Uranus….Aries……………+5.8 ………….Venus, 2.0°N …………………………………………..11:00AM EDT..3/9
Neptune..Aquarius………+8.0 ……..Solar Conjunction
…………………………………………….8:00AM, EDT..3/8

Planet Plotting

Venus (-4.1 to-4.3) in Pisces, Aries, and Taurus and Uranus (+5.8 to +5.9) in Aries are evening planets in March. On the 9th, brilliant Venus will appear to be 2.0° from dim Uranus. Binoculars are required for viewing Uranus which is 1900 million miles from Earth. Venus will be at a distance of almost 70 million miles and, on the 24th, will be at greatest eastern elongation when it is 46° from the setting Sun. On the 23rd, the Sun and Earth will be at equal distances from Venus at 66.46 million miles because Venus is 45° degree from the Sun and is at the vertex of a right angle with Earth and the Sun. Theoretically, Venus should be half lit at maximum elongation, but the actual timing of half-Venus usually varies from predictions (9:00PM EDT, 3/26) and from the elongation by a few days for reasons not quite understood. Determination of the actual time of this “Venus dichotomy” is a good observing project.

The predawn sky is replete with planets shining brightly in the southern skies. Jupiter (-1.8 to -2.0) is in Sagittarius, Saturn (+0.7) and Mars (+1.1 to +0.8) are in Sagittarius and Capricornus. Mars (+1.1 to +0.8) orbits in front of the two giant planets during March, making close passes of Jupiter on the 20th and Saturn on the 31st. Neptune (+8.0) and Mercury (+3.2 to +0.2) are in Aquarius with the former reaching conjunction with the Sun on the 8th and the latter at greatest western elongation (28°) from the Sun on the 23rd.

On the 18th, the waning crescent Moon is 0.7° from Mars at 4:00AM EDT, 1.5° from Jupiter at 6:00AM EDT, and 2.0° from Saturn at 8:00PM EDT. It is 4.0° from Mercury at 2:00PM EDT on the 21st and 3.8° from Neptune at 11:00PM EDT on the 22nd. The waxing crescent Moon passes 4.0° from Uranus at 5:00PM EDT on the 26th, 7.0° from Venus at 7:00AM EDT on the 28th, and 0.09° from Saturn at 7:00AM EDT on the 31st.

March Moon

The New Moon of March is on the 24th at 5:28AM EDT is the beginning of Lunation 1203 which ends 29.77 days later with the New Moon on April 22 at 10:26PM EDT. The Full Moon of March on the 9th at 1:48PM EDT is commonly known as the “Sap, Crow, or Lenten” Moon. It was called the “Fish Moon” in colonial times and in Medieval England it was the “Chaste Moon.” Celts named it the “Moon of Winds” and the Chinese call it the “Sleepy Moon”. Anishinaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe) people recognize it as “Onaabani-giizis” (Snowcrust Moon).

Lunar Perigee (minimum orbital distance) occurs on the 10th at 2:30AM EDT when the Moon is at a distance of 221,905 miles (56.00 Earth radii). Apogee is on the 24th at 11:23AM EDT when the Moon’s distance is 252,707 miles (63.76 Earth radii).

Planet..Constellation..Magnitude……Moon Passages
……………………………………….Moon Phase..Moon Age
Sun…Pisces…………-26.8…………..5:28AM EDT, 3/24
……………………………………………..New……………….0 days
Mercury..Aquarius..+0.4…………..4.0°SE, 2:00PM EDT, 3/21
…………………………………………Waning Crescent..27.14 days
Venus..Aries…………-4.3…………….7.0°S, 7:00AM EDT, 3/28
…………………………………………Waxing Crescent..4.06 days
Mars…Sagittarius….+0.9…………….0.7°S, 4:00AM EDT, 3/18
…………………………………………Waning Crescent..23.73 days
Jupiter..Sagittarius….-1.9…………..1.5°S, 6:00AM EDT, 3/18
…………………………………………Waning Crescent..25.81 days
Saturn..Sagittarius….+0.7………….2.0°S, 8:00PM EDT, 3/18
…………………………………………Waning Crescent..24.39 days
Saturn..Capricornus..+0.7…………0.09°S, 7:00AM EDT, 3/18
…………………………………………Waxing Crescent..7.06 days
Uranus….Aries……….+5.9………….4.0°S, 5:00PM EDT, 3/26
…………………………………………Waxing Crescent..2.48 days
Neptune..Aquarius….+8.0…………3.8°SE, 11:00PM EDT, 28.52
…………………………………………Waning Crescent..28.52 days