Newsletter – September 2019

 

NEWS

 Welcome to the September edition of this newsletter.

You may notice a new look to the website. I have decided to revamp it following a move to a new server, so if you find anything that is not working or have any other suggestions then please let me know. (secretary@northstaffsas.co.uk)

June’s Practical Workshop was well attended with a couple of scopes that needed a little guidance on set up. Also a brief chat about astrophotography.

I’m really looking forward to this month’s presentation by Kevin Kilburn. It’s entitled “Double Sunset at Leek, Staffordshire”. I saw this talk some time ago at Keele and I’m looking forward to what promises to be a very enlightening talk. 

This month’s observing night will be on 18th September depending on the weather combined with the practical workshop.

The next practical workshop is scheduled for Wednesday 18th September. This and any other events are listed on the NSAS Events page.

May I remind everyone that the society solar scope is available throughout the winter too! It is on a monthly basis and there is just a £25 returnable deposit required. Contact me at the email below or see me at the meeting. More details here.

If anyone has any ideas for new features on the website or on any improvements you’d like to see to existing ones then please drop me an email or text.

Also keep an eye on our Facebook page as any breaking news will more than likely appear there first as I can update that from my phone.

Our new members Facebook group is here

The sky maps can be downloaded from here

The next regular meeting is on October 1st,  which is GRAVITY – How Gravity is Created – A New Theory for the 21st Century – Peter Roberts

If anyone has anything they want to include on the website/newsletter/etc then please email me secretary@northstaffsas.co.uk

Wishing you clear skies, Duncan

 

SKYMAP

Sky Calendar — September 2019

2 Moon near Spica (evening sky) at 15h UT. 
 Spica (Wikipedia)
4 Mercury at superior conjunction with the Sun at 1h UT. The elusive innermost planet passes into the evening sky.
5 Moon near Antares (evening sky) at 23h UT. 
 Antares (Wikipedia)
6 First Quarter Moon at 3:11 UT.
6 Moon near Jupiter (evening sky) at 8h UT. Mag. −2.2. 
 Jupiter (Wikipedia)
8 Moon near Saturn (evening sky) at 14h UT. Mag. 0.4. Occultation visible from northern and western Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. 
 Saturn (Wikipedia)
10 Neptune at opposition (midnight sky) at 7h UT. The best time to view the most distant planet in the Solar System. Requires a telescope. Mag. +7.8. Very close to Phi Aqr (Mag. 4.2) on 6 Sept (see map). 
 Neptune (Wikipedia)
13 Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 14h UT (distance 406,377 km; angular size 29.4′).
14 Full Moon at 4:34 UT. 
 Full Moon Names (Wikipedia)
19 Moon near the Pleiades (morning sky) at 23h UT. 
 The Pleiades (Wikipedia)
20 Moon near Aldebaran (morning sky) at 16h UT. 
 Aldebaran (Wikipedia)
22 Last Quarter Moon at 2:42 UT.
23 September equinox at 7:51 UT. The time when the Sun reaches the point along the ecliptic where it crosses into the southern celestial hemisphere marking the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. 
 Equinox (Wikipedia)
23 Moon near Castor (morning sky) at 19h UT.
24 Moon near Pollux (morning sky) at 0h UT.
24 Moon near Beehive cluster M44 (morning sky) at 23h UT.
26 Moon near Regulus (33° from Sun, morning sky) at 11h UT. 
 Regulus (Wikipedia)
28 Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 2:29 UT (357,802 km; angular size 33.4′). Only 16 hours before New Moon.
28 Moon near Mars (10° from Sun, morning sky) at 5h UT. Mag. 1.8. 
 Mars (Wikipedia)
28 New Moon at 18:27 UT. Start of lunation 1197.
29 Mercury 1.3° NNE of Spica (18° from Sun, evening sky) at 9h UT. Mags. −0.2 and 1.0. Venus nearby.
29 Moon near Venus (13° from Sun, evening sky) at 16h UT. Mag. −3.9. 
 Venus (Wikipedia)
30 Moon near Spica (18° from Sun, evening sky) at 1h UT.
30 Moon near Mercury (19° from Sun, evening sky) at 3h UT. 
 Mercury (Wikipedia)
All times Universal Time (UT).

CONSTELLATION OF THE MONTH

Sky Calendar — September 2019

2 Moon near Spica (evening sky) at 15h UT. 
 Spica (Wikipedia)
4 Mercury at superior conjunction with the Sun at 1h UT. The elusive innermost planet passes into the evening sky.
5 Moon near Antares (evening sky) at 23h UT. 
 Antares (Wikipedia)
6 First Quarter Moon at 3:11 UT.
6 Moon near Jupiter (evening sky) at 8h UT. Mag. −2.2. 
 Jupiter (Wikipedia)
8 Moon near Saturn (evening sky) at 14h UT. Mag. 0.4. Occultation visible from northern and western Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. 
 Saturn (Wikipedia)
10 Neptune at opposition (midnight sky) at 7h UT. The best time to view the most distant planet in the Solar System. Requires a telescope. Mag. +7.8. Very close to Phi Aqr (Mag. 4.2) on 6 Sept (see map). 
 Neptune (Wikipedia)
13 Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 14h UT (distance 406,377 km; angular size 29.4′).
14 Full Moon at 4:34 UT. 
 Full Moon Names (Wikipedia)
19 Moon near the Pleiades (morning sky) at 23h UT. 
 The Pleiades (Wikipedia)
20 Moon near Aldebaran (morning sky) at 16h UT. 
 Aldebaran (Wikipedia)
22 Last Quarter Moon at 2:42 UT.
23 September equinox at 7:51 UT. The time when the Sun reaches the point along the ecliptic where it crosses into the southern celestial hemisphere marking the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. 
 Equinox (Wikipedia)
23 Moon near Castor (morning sky) at 19h UT.
24 Moon near Pollux (morning sky) at 0h UT.
24 Moon near Beehive cluster M44 (morning sky) at 23h UT.
26 Moon near Regulus (33° from Sun, morning sky) at 11h UT. 
 Regulus (Wikipedia)
28 Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 2:29 UT (357,802 km; angular size 33.4′). Only 16 hours before New Moon.
28 Moon near Mars (10° from Sun, morning sky) at 5h UT. Mag. 1.8. 
 Mars (Wikipedia)
28 New Moon at 18:27 UT. Start of lunation 1197.
29 Mercury 1.3° NNE of Spica (18° from Sun, evening sky) at 9h UT. Mags. −0.2 and 1.0. Venus nearby.
29 Moon near Venus (13° from Sun, evening sky) at 16h UT. Mag. −3.9. 
 Venus (Wikipedia)
30 Moon near Spica (18° from Sun, evening sky) at 1h UT.
30 Moon near Mercury (19° from Sun, evening sky) at 3h UT. 
 Mercury (Wikipedia)
All times Universal Time (UT).

IN THE NIGHT SKY

The Moon and Jupiter will share the same right ascension, with the Moon passing 2°18′ to the north of Jupiter. The Moon will be 7 days old.

At around the same time, the two objects will also make a close approach, technically called an appulse.

From London, the pair will be difficult to observe as they will appear no higher than 15° above the horizon. They will become visible around 19:57 (BST) as the dusk sky fades, 15° above your southern horizon. They will then sink towards the horizon, setting 3 hours and 20 minutes after the Sun at 22:54.

The Moon will be at mag -11.9, and Jupiter at mag -2.2, both in the constellation Ophiuchus.

The pair will be too widely separated to fit within the field of view of a telescope, but will be visible to the naked eye or through a pair of binoculars.

A graph of the angular separation between the Moon and Jupiter around the time of closest approach is available here.

The positions of the two objects at the moment of conjunction will be as follows:

Object Right Ascension Declination Constellation Magnitude Angular Size
The Moon 16h56m00s -19°59′ Ophiuchus -11.9 30’56″7
Jupiter 16h56m00s -22°17′ Ophiuchus -2.2 37″5

The coordinates above are given in J2000.0. The pair will be at an angular separation of 91° from the Sun, which is in Leo at this time of year.

 

 

FOR MORE CONJUNCTIONS – see https://in-the-sky.org//newsindex.php?feed=conjunctions

Regular Meetings

21st Hartshill Scout Group HQ, Mount Pleasant, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. ST5 1DP

Practical Workshop

Third Wednesday of the month (September – June)