Top 2009 sky sights

Bob Doyle, Columnist

For those readers who have recently obtained binoculars or a telescope, here are some suggested sky sights for the coming year. I will code these sights as E (seen well by eye), B (seen best with binoculars) and T (seen only with optical aid, particularly with a low power telescope).

Each month, I mention the half full evening (shaped like a “D”), the best moon shape to view the craters and lunar mountains through binoculars or telescope. The full moon is mostly an eye spectacle, as this moon phase lacks shadows which make it difficult to see the craters and mountains. The alignment of the crescent moon and Venus is always worth viewing, just by the eye alone. In each season, there will be a line up of two or more planets as seen from the Earth; these special sights can often be enhanced with binoculars, although some can be seen just by eye.

Next few days and tomorrow evening, look low in the 5:40 p.m. southwest for the crescent moon, bright Jupiter and Mercury. On New Year’s Eve, the crescent moon appears near the brilliant planet Jupiter in the early evening.

JANUARY: 3-4 — Evening half moon (like a D) (B,T); Evening of 10th, bright full moon (E); Evening of 22, Venus and Uranus (to left) about two moon widths apart (B); Late January, Mercury low in southeastern dawn 6:45 a.m. (B): Evenings of 29 and 30, Moon and Venus in early evening (E).

FEBRUARY: First few days of month, evening half full moon (D) (B,T); Feb. 9, full moon (E); early through mid month, Mercury well seen low in 6:30 a.m. Southeast dawn (B); Feb. 20-26 in 6:15 a.m. Southeast dawn, see three planets lined up (from top down, Mercury, Jupiter and Mars), Moon too, 22, 23; Dusk on 27, Crescent moon and Venus (E, B).

MARCH: 2-4 — evening D Moon (B,T); 8 — Saturn opposite to sun, closest and in view all night long (E,T); mid-March — Venus at dusk lower each night, nearly impossible to see by 21 (E); 24, Crescent moon and Jupiter in 6 a.m. (EDT) southeastern dawn.

APRIL: First few days evening D moon (B,T); 7 — Evening moon and Saturn (above) (E); 9 — Full moon (E); 22 — Moon, Venus and Mars low in 5:45 a.m. eastern dawn; late April, watch Mercury creep up to 7 Sisters star cluster low in 9 p.m. western dusk (E,B).

MAY: First few days Evening D Moon (B,T); 3 — evening moon & Saturn (E)}: 8 — full moon (E); 21 — Moon, Venus and Mars in 5:10 a.m. Eastern dawn (E): 27 — Jupiter and Neptune close in 4 a.m. southern dawn (T); last few days of May and early June, evening D moon (B,T).

JUNE: Early June, Venus at greatest angle from sun at dawn, rises well before dawn in summer months; 7 — Full moon, low path across night sky (E); mid-June, Mercury seen low in east, northeast in 5 a.m. dawn (B); few days before and after start of summer on 21, Venus and Mars close in 5 a.m. eastern dawn, joined by moon on 19 (E); 28 — evening D moon, good for viewing craters a few days before and after this date (B,T).

JULY: 7 —full moon, low path across night sky (E), 17-19, eastern 5 a.m. sky features crescent moon, Venus, Mars, Bull’s eye star and 7 Sisters star cluster (E); few days before or after 28, evening D moon (B,T).

AUGUST: 5 — Full moon (B,T): 14 — Jupiter in opposition, closest, brightest, seen all through night (E,B,T): 27 — evening D moon (B,T).

SEPTEMBER: 4 — Full moon (E); 20 — Venus and star Regulus less than a moon’s width apart in 5 a.m. eastern sky (E,B): 26 — Evening D moon (B,T).

OCTOBER: 3 — Full moon (E); early October, Mercury best in 6:30 a.m. eastern dawn; 8 — Mercury and Saturn close (E), 13 — Venus and Saturn close 6:30 a.m.; 25 — Evening D moon (B,T).

NOVEMBER: 2 — Full moon (E); 17 — predawn for Leonid meteor shower (E); few days before and after November 24 for evening D moon (B,T).

DECEMBER: 2 — Full moon (E); around 14 — Geminid meteor shower late p.m., early a.m. hours (E); 24 — evening D moon (B,T); 31 — second full moon of month (termed blue moon) (E).

There will be no planetarium presentations today and next Sunday; our public presentations resume on Jan. 11. Bob Doyle invites any questions or comments from readers; you can either leave a message on his voice mail at (301) 687-7799 or use email (rdoyle@frostburg.edu)