STAR WATCH for Fall, 2008

Fall, 2008 Schedule for the Westside Observatory & Planetarium
The Observatory and Planetarium will be open on particular Saturdays during September, October, November and December, 2008.
This year, there will be TWO planetarium show seatings: one during middle afternoons (see schedule) and one preceding sky
viewings (if weather permits). The earlier show has been added for families who want some educational fun on a Saturday
afternoon, and/or may not be able to stay out very late.
DATE
 Planetarium Show Times
 Show Presentation Topics
 Sky Observing Times (if clear)
 Celestial Objects Visible
Sat., Oct.4
 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
 A Closer Look at Scorpius the Scorpion   HELD OVER
 8 to 10 p.m.
 Waxing crescent Moon, Jupiter, summer Milky Way
Sat., Oct.18
 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
 A Closer Look at Cygnus the Swan
 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
 Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, early autumn sky
Sat., Nov.8
 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. (EST)
 A Closer Look at Draco the Dragon
 6 to 8 p.m.
 Waxing gibbous Moon, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus, asteroid Vesta, autumn sky
Sat., Nov.22
 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
 A Closer Look at Draco the Dragon
 6 to 8 p.m.
 Venus, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus, asteroid Vesta, autumn sky
Sat., Dec.6
 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
 A Closer Look at Orion the Hunter
 6 to 8 p.m.
 Waxing gibbous Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus, autumn sky
Sat., Dec.13
 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
 A Closer Look at Orion the Hunter
 6 to 8 p.m.
 Moon (near full), Neptune, Uranus, autumn sky

NIGHTLY CALENDAR for Fall, 2008

      * or !     Interesting to very interesting events
           !!     EXCEPTIONALLY interesting events (must-see!)
           E     Important geometrical or calendar events

Oct.  4
 !
 FREE public events at the WCSU Observatory and Planetarium (WCSU Westside Campus). PLANETARIUM SHOWS at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.: what's in this month's sky, plus the special HELD OVER presentation A Closer Look at Scorpius the Scorpion. SKY OBSERVING (if clear) with the 20-inch telescope, 8 to 10 p.m.
5
The waxing crescent Moon reaches apogee at 404,721 km [251,481 miles] from Earth's center.
6/7
 *
 The First Quarter Moon passes near the bright planet JUPITER. (Look on the evening of the 6th. Technically, closest approach to Jupiter and the time of First Quarter occur a few hours after midnight, but the Moon will have set from our location by then.)
14
FULL Hunter's MOON
17
 *
 The waning gibbous Moon reaches perigee at 363,823 km [226,069 miles] from Earth's center, at around 2 a.m. Near dawn, it is very close to the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) in Taurus.
18
 !
 FREE public events at the WCSU Observatory and Planetarium (WCSU Westside Campus). PLANETARIUM SHOWS at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.: what's in this month's sky, plus the special presentation A Closer Look at Cygnus the Swan. SKY OBSERVING (if clear) with the 20-inch telescope, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
21
Last Quarter Moon
21/22
 *
 The Last Quarter Moon, which will rise around midnight, passes just south of the Beehive star cluster (Messier 44) in Cancer the Crab. Look in the post-midnight ("wee") hours of the 22nd.
22
 !
 The planet MERCURY reaches greatest western elongation in the pre-dawn sky; look E before sunrise. It is at magnitude -0.5 on this date, brightening to -0.8 by the end of the month. On the morning of the 27th, look for Mercury to the left of the thin waning crescent Moon.
28
New Moon
30
 !
 The asteroid VESTA reaches opposition tonight, rising at sunset in the constellation Cetus. Vesta was the fourth asteroid to be discovered (in 1807) and has a diameter of 311 miles. Tonight, Vesta is about 143 million miles from Earth's center. Google "Vesta" on the Web or visit the Sky and Telescope web site for further information. At magnitude 6.4, Vesta is just at the naked-eye visibility limit from a dark location and will be conspicuous in binoculars or telescopes. With a good chart of the star fields (Cetus and Pisces) through which it moves, you can follow the motion of this asteroid during November and December.



Nov. 1
 *
 Look SW after sunset for a close conjunction of the crescent Moon and VENUS.
Nov. 2
 E
 Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Turn your clocks back one hour -- that is, 2 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time becomes 1 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Thereafter, for the rest of 2008, all times will be expressed in Eastern Standard Time.
2
The waxing crescent Moon reaches apogee at 405,724 km [252,105 miles] from Earth's center.
3
 *
 The crescent Moon passes below JUPITER.
5
First Quarter Moon
8
 !
 FREE public events at the WCSU Observatory and Planetarium (WCSU Westside Campus). PLANETARIUM SHOWS at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.: what's in this month's sky, plus the special presentation A Closer Look at Draco the Dragon. SKY OBSERVING (if clear) with the 20-inch telescope, 6 to 8 p.m.
13
FULL Beaver MOON
14
The nearly-Full Moon reaches perigee at 358,971 km [223,054 miles] from Earth's center. Expect larger-than usual ocean tides.
17
 *
 The light of the waning gibbous Moon will somewhat affect observations of the LEONID METEOR SHOWER, diminishing the numbers of meteors seen. Look east after midnight for the constellation Leo, from which the meteors will appear to radiate; the Moon will be high in the south, "westering" if you observe into the pre-dawn hours. On a moonless night, an observer from an otherwise dark location could expect to see one or two dozen very fast meteors per hour.
18
 *
 The waning gibbous Moon will pass near the Beehive star cluster (Messier 44) in the "wee" hours before dawn.
19
Last Quarter Moon
22
 !
 FREE public events at the WCSU Observatory and Planetarium (WCSU Westside Campus). PLANETARIUM SHOWS at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.: what's in this month's sky, plus the special presentation A Closer Look at Draco the Dragon. SKY OBSERVING (if clear) with the 20-inch telescope, 6 to 8 p.m.
27
New Moon
29
The Moon reaches apogee at 406,480 km [252,574 miles] from Earth's center.
Nov. 30 & Dec.1
 !!
 Look west-southwest after sunset to see the waxing crescent Moon, brilliant VENUS (magnitude -4.0) and bright JUPITER (magnitude - 2.0) together in the sky. Venus and Jupiter are closest on the evening of the 30th, while the Moon is closer to Venus on the 1st. The planets and Moon form striking combinations for a few nights around this time.
Dec. 5
First Quarter Moon
6
 !
 FREE public events at the WCSU Observatory and Planetarium (WCSU Westside Campus). PLANETARIUM SHOWS at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.: what's in this month's sky, plus the special presentation A Closer Look at Orion the Hunter. SKY OBSERVING (if clear) with the 20-inch telescope, 6 to 8 p.m.
10/11
 *
 The nearly-Full Moon passes close to the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) in Taurus.
12
FULL Cold MOON, the largest of 2008; it reaches perigee only 5-1/3 hours after Full phase. Perigee is 356,566 km [221,559 miles] from Earth's center, the closest value for 2008. Expect very large (higher highs, lower lows) ocean tides.
13
 !
 FREE public events at the WCSU Observatory and Planetarium (WCSU Westside Campus). PLANETARIUM SHOWS at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.: what's in this month's sky, plus the special presentation A Closer Look at Orion the Hunter. SKY OBSERVING (if clear) with the 20-inch telescope, 6 to 8 p.m.
13
 *
 The nearly-Full Moon's light will wash out what is otherwise an annual 'must-see' event: the GEMINID METEOR SHOWER. Meteors appear to come from near the bright stars Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini, above Orion the Hunter. From a dark location on a moonless night, an observer could expect to see many dozens of moderately-fast meteors per hour. Look E after around 10 p.m. to find Castor and Pollux.
18/19
The Last Quarter Moon, rising arund midnight, passes near the planet SATURN, which once again prepares to enter the late-evening sky.
21
 E
 The winter solstice (Sun farthest south) occurs at 7:04 a.m.
26
The Moon reaches apogee at 406,601 km [252,650 miles] from Earth's center.
27
New Moon
30
 *
 Look low in the WSW post-sunset sky for a close approach of MERCURY (magnitude -0.6) and three-times-brighter JUPITER (magnitude -1.9).


PLANETARY INFORMATION

MERCURY —
 reached greatest eastern elongation on Sept. 1, but this was not a favorable one for Northern Hemisphere observers. It is much better placed as a predawn object in the E sky during late October. Mercury can be glimpsed in evening twilight again, low in the WSW, around the end of the year.
VENUS — gradually emerges from the Sun's glare and will dominate the SW evening sky throughout the fall. Mark the evenings of November 30 and December 1 on your calendars now! There will be two striking gatherings then, of Venus, Jupiter and the crescent Moon in the southwestern sky.
MARS —
passes into the Sun's glare (i.e., it can't easily be observed) during September and remains so for the rest of 2008.
JUPITER — is conspicuous in the southern evening sky from during September and October. Gradually, it drifts into the SW evening sky.
SATURN — , in Leo, vanished into the Sun's glare in late August but reappeared in the E pre-dawn sky during late September. During the fall, it rises ever earlier; by late December, Saturn rises in the E around midnight.

STAR WATCH is brought to you by WCSU Astronomy. Thanks for connecting! For more information, please call the Observatory line at (203) 837 - 8672
or Dr. Dennis Dawson at (203) 837 - 8671.