[AZ-Observing] Sky Events Almanac 2008
- From: Joe Orman <joe.orman@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: AZ-Observing mailing list <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:14:52 -0800 (PST)
Also available on the web:
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Joe Orman's Sky Events Almanac
2008
Photo Pages: joeorman.shutterace.com
Mark your calendar for these interesting alignments, conjunctions,
occultations, eclipses & meteor showers in the year 2008. 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.
January 4 (morning): Crescent Moon, Venus and bright star Antares form
triangle 7 degrees apart, in SE before sunrise. Antares 3 degrees above
crescent Moon on morning of January 5.
January 17-18 (night): Star cluster Pleiades (M45) just to left of gibbous
Moon, in W about midnight (occultation for N. North America).
January 19 (evening): Mars 2 degrees to upper right of gibbous Moon, in E
after sunset (occultation for NW North America).
January 21 (evening): Mercury at greatest elongation; easily visible on
evenings of January 19 thru 26 low in WSW after sunset.
February 1 (morning): Jupiter 0.7 degrees to lower right of Venus, low in SE
before sunrise. Also bright star Antares 2 degrees to left of thick crescent
moon, higher in SSE. Moon 10 degrees to right of Jupiter on morning of February
3.
February 15-16 (night): Moon passes close to Mars; Mars 1 degree to lower
left of Moon as they set in WNW about 3 a.m.
February 20 (evening): Total lunar eclipse, in E after sunset (Moonrise 6:08
p.m., partial phase starts 6:45 p.m. MST, totality from 8:02 p.m. to 8:51 p.m.,
partial phase ends 10:08 p.m.). Bright star Regulus 3 degrees above moon,
Saturn 3 degrees to lower left of moon.
February 23-24 (night): Saturn at opposition; bright and up all night; 5
degrees from bright star Regulus.
February 27 (morning): Mercury 1 degree above Venus, very low in ESE before
sunrise. Mercury to upper right of Venus thru March 10 (at greatest elongation
on March 3).
March 5 (morning, daytime): Venus 3 degrees to lower left of crescent Moon,
Mercury 1 degree to upper left of Moon (occultation for South America), very
low in ESE before sunrise. During day, Moon occults Venus (disappears about
1:12 p.m., reappears 2:04 p.m.) in SW. May need binoculars or telescope to see.
March 14 (evening): First-quarter Moon one degree from Mars, near zenith
after sunset.
March 19: Spring equinox (10:48 p.m. MST). Sunrise straight east (6:33 a.m.,
azimuth 89.8 degrees), sunset straight west (6:40 p.m., azimuth 270.5 degrees).
Always use proper eye protection when viewing the sun.
March 26-27 (night): Bright star Antares one degree to left of gibbous Moon
as they rise in SE around midnight.
April 8 (evening): Star cluster Pleiades (M45) just to left of crescent
Moon, in W after sunset (occultation for NE North America).
April 11-12 (night): Mars one-quarter degree to lower left of first-quarter
Moon, in WNW about midnight; set about 1 a.m.
May 6 (evening): Mercury 2 degrees below thin crescent Moon, very low in WNW
after sunset.
May 12 (evening): Saturn and bright star Regulus 5 degrees to upper right of
first quarter Moon, very high in S after sunset.
May 13 (evening): Mercury at greatest elongation; easily visible on evenings
of May 5 thru 20, low in WNW after sunset.
May 22 (evening): Mars passes through Beehive star cluster (M44), high in W
after sunset; set in WNW about midnight.
June 7 (evening): Mars one degree to upper right of crescent Moon, in W
after sunset (occultation for New Zealand).
June 30 (morning): Star cluster Pleiades (M45) 1 degree to upper right of
crescent Moon, as they rise in ENE about 3 a.m. (occultation for NE North
America).
June 30 (evening): Bright star Regulus one degree to lower left of Mars,
Saturn 4 degrees to upper left, in W after sunset.
July 8-9 (night): Jupiter at opposition; bright and up all night.
July 10 (evening): Mars 0.7 degrees to lower left of Saturn, in W after
sunset; bright star Regulus 6 degrees to lower right.
August 12-13 (night): Perseids meteor shower. Gibbous Moon setting about
2:30 a.m. will interfere. Shower radiates from constellation Perseus, which
rises in NE about 10 p.m. Best time to look between moonset and morning
twilight. Typical rate 50 meteors per hour.
August 13 (evening): Saturn 0.5 degrees to right of Venus, extremely low in
W after sunset. May need binoculars to see.
September 6 (evening): Mars, Venus and Mercury form 3-degree triangle, very
low in W after sunset. May need binoculars to see. Bright star Antares one
degree above first-quarter Moon, in SSW.
September 11 (evening): Mars 0.3 degrees to lower left of Venus, extremely
low in W after sunset. Mercury 4 degrees to lower left. May need binoculars to
see.
September 22: Fall equinox (8:44 a.m. MST). Sunrise straight east (6:17
a.m., azimuth 89.5 degrees), sunset straight west (6:24 p.m., azimuth 270.3
degrees). Always use proper eye protection when viewing the sun.
October 22 (morning): Mercury at greatest elongation; easily visible on
mornings of October 15 thru 28 low in E before sunrise.
October 25 (evening): Bright star Antares 4 degrees to lower left of Venus,
low in SW after sunset.
October 31 (evening): Venus 5 degrees above crescent Moon, low in SW after
sunset. Moon 7 degrees to left of Venus on November 1.
December 1 (evening): Venus 4 degrees to lower right of crescent Moon
(occultation for Europe, Africa), in SW after sunset. Jupiter 2 degrees to
upper right of Venus
December 28 (evening): Mercury 3 degrees below Jupiter, thin crescent Moon 2
degrees below Mercury, very low in WSW after sunset. May need binoculars to see.
December 31 (evening): Venus 3 degrees below crescent Moon, in SW after
sunset. To lower right, Mercury 1 degree to left of Jupiter, very low in WSW.
May need binoculars to see.
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