[AZ-Observing] 2004: A Year of Sky Events
- From: Joe Orman <joe.orman@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: AZ-Observing mailing list <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>,EVAC mailing list <evac@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2004 12:05:01 -0800 (PST)
2004: A Year of Sky Events
by Joe Orman
Photo Pages: http://pages.prodigy.net/pam.orman/JoeGallery.html
Mark your calendar for these interesting alignments, conjunctions,
occultations, eclipses & meteor showers in the year 2004. Times are calculated
for Phoenix, Arizona; other locations may differ. Most will be easy to see with
the unaided eye, some very challenging -- take a look! Constructive comments
and corrections welcome. This list may be copied and distributed for
non-commercial use, but it must be credited to Joe Orman.
This list is also available online:
http://pages.prodigy.net/pam.orman/JoeAlmanac2004.html
January 18 (morning): Bright star Antares (magnitude 1.1) 3 degrees to right
of crescent Moon, in SE before sunrise.
January 19 (morning): Mercury 8 degrees to left of crescent Moon, low in SE
before sunrise.
January 27 (evening): Mars 3 degrees to upper right of crescent Moon, high
in WSW after sunset.
January 24 (evening): Venus 5 degrees to lower right of crescent Moon, in
WSW after sunset.
February 9 - 10 (night): Gibbous Moon occults magnitude 2.8 star gamma
Virginis (disappears behind bright side 12:25 a.m. MST, reappears from dark
side 1:24 a.m.), high in SE.
February 23 (evening): Venus 4 degrees to lower right of crescent Moon, in W
after sunset.
February 25 (evening): Mars 1 degree to upper right of crescent Moon, high
in W after sunset.
March 7 (evening): Full Moon rises almost straight east in twilight (sunset
6:30 p.m. MST, moonrise 7:32 p.m., Moon 3 degrees up straight east at 7:51
p.m.).
March 11 - 12 (night): Gibbous Moon occults magnitude 2.3 star delta Scorpii
(disappears behind bright side 12:32 a.m. MST, reappears from dark side 1:11
a.m.), low in SE.
March 19: Spring equinox (11:49 p.m. MST). Sunset straight west March 19
(6:39 p.m., azimuth 270.4 degrees), sunrise straight east March 20 (6:31 a.m.,
azimuth 89.3 degrees). Always use proper eye protection when viewing the sun.
March 24 (evening): Venus 3 degrees to lower right of crescent Moon, in W
after sunset.
March 25 (evening): Mars 1 degree to lower left of crescent Moon, high in W
after sunset (occultation for northern North America, Iceland).
April 2 (evening): Venus in Pleiades star cluster, in W after sunset (Mars
to upper left).
April 23 (evening): Crescent Moon, Mars and Venus make triangle within 8
degrees, in W after sunset (Mars to upper left of Venus mid-April through
mid-May).
April 23: Comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) perihelion (closest to Sun). Closest to
Earth May 19. Best viewing in morning twilight late April, in evening late May.
May 6: Comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) closest to Earth. Perihelion (closest to Sun)
May 15. Best viewing early May through late May.
May 20 (evening): Venus 5 degrees to upper left of thin crescent Moon, very
low in WNW after sunset (occultation in Europe, Africa, Asia), Mars and Saturn
to upper left. Venus 5 degrees to lower right of crescent Moon on May 21.
May 22 - 26 (evenings): Mars less than 2 degrees to right or upper right of
Saturn, in W after sunset. Venus to lower right.
June 8 (daytime): Venus transits sun (visible in Atlantic Ocean regions
only; not visible from Western North America). Always use proper eye protection
when viewing the sun.
June 30 - July 8 (mornings): Bright star Aldebaran (magnitude 1.1) is less
than 1 1/2 degree to lower right or right of Venus, low in ENE before sunrise.
July 10 (evening): Mercury (magnitude -0.2) 1/4 degrees above Mars
(magnitude 1.8), very low in WNW after sunset.
July 20 (evening): Jupiter 7 degrees to left of crescent Moon, low in W
after sunset. Mercury to lower right.
July 24 (evening): Bright star Regulus (magnitude 1.3) 1 degree to upper
right of Mercury (magnitude 0.4), very low in W after sunset.
August 12 - 13 (night): Perseids meteor shower. Crescent Moon rising after 3
a.m. will only interfere slightly. Shower radiates from constellation Perseus,
which rises in NE about 10 p.m.. Best time to look between midnight and dawn.
Typical rate 50 to 100 meteors per hour.
August 17 (evening): Jupiter 3 degrees to left of thin crescent Moon, very
low in W after sunset.
August 31 - September 2 (mornings): Saturn 2 degrees to the upper left of
Venus, in E before sunrise.
September 10 (morning): Bright star Regulus (magnitude 1.3) 1/3 degree to
upper right of Mercury (magnitude -0.4), low in E before sunrise.
September 22: Fall equinox (9:30 a.m. MST). Sunrise straight east (6:17
a.m., azimuth 89.4 degrees), sunset straight west (6:24 p.m., azimuth 270.3
degrees). Always use proper eye protection when viewing the sun.
September 28 (morning): Full Moon sets straight west at sunrise (sunrise
6:21 a.m. MST, moonset 6:23 a.m.).
October 3 (morning): Bright star Regulus (magnitude 1.3) 1/4 degree to the
lower left of Venus, in E before sunrise.
October 27 (evening): Total Lunar Eclipse, in E (moonrise at 5:33 p.m. MST,
partial phase starts 6:16 p.m., totality from 7:25 p.m. to 8:43 p.m.).
November 4 (morning): Jupiter 1/2 degree to lower right of Venus (3/4 degree
to the right of Venus on November 5), in E before sunrise.
November 5 - 6 (night): Last-quarter Moon occults magnitude 3.5 star eta
Leonis (disappears behind bright side 2:09 a.m. MST, reappears from dark side
2:38 a.m.), in E.
November 9 (morning): Jupiter 1 degree to lower right of crescent Moon,
Venus and Mars below, in ESE before sunrise (Moon occults Jupiter in northern
and eastern North America).
November 10 (morning): Vertical alignment within 20 degrees: Jupiter, Venus,
thin crescent Moon, and Mars, in ESE before sunrise (Moon occults Venus in Asia
and Australia November 10, Mars in Africa and Australia November 11).
November 17 - 18 (night): Leonids meteor shower. First quarter Moon setting
about 11 p.m. will not interfere. Shower radiates from constellation Leo, which
rises in E about midnight. Best time to look between midnight and dawn. Typical
rate 20 meteors per hour, some years much higher.
December 5 - 6 (mornings): Mars 1 1/4 degrees to lower right of Venus, low
in ESE before sunrise.
December 7 (morning): Jupiter 1 1/2 degrees to upper right of crescent Moon,
high in SE before sunrise (occultation for much of North America).
December 9 (morning): Venus 8 degrees to lower left of crescent Moon, Mars
between them, low in ESE before sunrise.
December 13 - 14 (night): Geminids meteor shower. Crescent Moon setting
about 7 p.m. will not interfere. Shower radiates from Castor in constellation
Gemini, which rises in NE around 7 p.m. and is near zenith in early morning
hours. Best time to look between 9 p.m. and dawn. Typical rate 60 meteors per
hour.
December 27 - 31 (mornings): Mercury less than 1 1/2 degrees to the upper
left of Venus, very low in ESE before sunrise.
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