THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
207-780-4249 www.usm.maine.edu/planet
70 Falmouth Street Portland, Maine 04103
43.6667° N 70.2667° W
Founded January 1970
Julian date: 2457721.16
"If you don't think you can make anyone fall in love with you,
you've never tried to give anyone a Southworth Planetarium gift
membership.'"
-William Shakespeare
*THE DAILY ASTRONOMER*
*Monday, November 28, 2016*
*Week 13 Night Sky Calendar*
This week brings us to the last month of 2016! With that month arises the
solstice and, at literally the very last minute, the commencement of the
new year. We'll see Saturn's return, Mercury's disappearance and
the ascent of the brilliant winter patterns. The Winter Hexagon soon
rises into prominence and by early December will have risen almost entirely
by night fall.
*The Winter Hexagon. The large asterism consisting of seven bright
winter sky stars: Sirius, Rigel, Aldebaran, Capella, Castor, Pollux, and
Procyon. Betelgeuse is also considered to be part of the Winter Hexagon,
as it marks the hexagon's approximate center. *
*Image by Adrian Janetta *
We can offer only a few astronomical events this week for your enjoyment.
Consider this week to be another ebb in a Universe that generally flows.
*TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29: NEW MOON*
Beginning of lunation cycle 1162.
*TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29: SUN ENTERS OPHIUCHUS*
The Sun appears to move into Ophiuchus the Serpent Charmber, the "13th
constellation," or the one that astrological horoscopes do not acknowledge.
The Sun just left Scorpius and will move into Sagittarius after leaving
Ophiuchus. The thirten constellations through which the Sun appears to
travel are: OPHIUCHUS THE SERPENT CHARMER, Sagittarius the Archer,
Capricornus the Seagoat, Aquarius the Water Bearer, Pisces the Fish, Aries
the Ram, Taurus the Bull, Gemini the Twins, Cancer the Crab. Leo the Lion,
Virgo the Maiden, Libra the Scales and Scorpius the Scorpion. The Sun moves
into Sagittarius on December 18.
*Ophiuchus the Serpent Charmer. The Sun appears to "enter" this*
*constellation on Tuesday. The image is taken from the Atlas Coelestis *
*by John Flamsteed (1729.)*
*THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1: MOON 7.1 DEGREES N OF MERCURY*
Not an easy sight, to be sure. However, one could still find the thin
crescent moon in the western evening sky with Mercury.. The moon will be
5% illuminated and only about 18 degrees from the Sun.
*SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3: MOON 5.8 DEGREES N OF VENUS*
A beautiful pairing, as always. We see the lovely crescent moon (16%
illuminated) about three fingers "above" brilliant Venus. We would have
given this event a bronze medal for the month were it not for all the other
wonderful December astronomical events that we consider to be somewhat more
noteworthy. Despite the lack of medallion, this event will always be
worth a look.
*PLANET WATCH:*
*MERCURY (Host constellations: Sagittarius-Ophiuchus)*
The first world peeks up in the western evening sky. This apparition
favors southern observers, but Mercury remains visible low in the southwest
for northern sky watchers. Mercury will be at greatest eastern elongation
on December 11th, but at inferior conjunction on December 28th. Mercury
will vanish around the third week of December. VERDICT: We would advise
you to venture out during the first half of December to find Mercury.
The elusive world vanishes late this month.
*VENUS (Host constellation: Sagittarius) PICK PLANET!*
People wonder why Venus is such a prima donna when she receives the coveted
"pick planet' diadem almost every month. Venus enjoys the advantage of
being the brightest planet, so whenever it appears it will invariably
outshine it planetary cohorts. This month Venus shines brilliantly as the
western evening sky star. VERDICT: Easy to find if you're outside in
the early evening. Look west and just behold the spectacle.
*MARS (Host constellation: Capricornus - Aquarius)*
Here's an interesting observational exercise: observe Mars in the western
evening sky throughout December. One will notice that Mars is setting
around the same time each night. Mars has been setting around 9:30 p.m.
each night this autumn because Earth and the red planet are moving in such
a way as to make their positions relative to each other nearly constant.
VERDICT: Not only can you see the red planet, you can almost set your
watch by it. What's not to love?
*JUPITER (Host constellation: Virgo)*
Rising earlier each morning, Jupiter is the only pre-dawn planet visible to
the naked eye. The fifth sphere serves as a the brilliant eastern beacon
one can easily see provided one ventures outside a couple of hours before
sunrise. VERDICT: The perfect planet for joggers, dog walkers, and
those accursed few who always arise with alacrity before the alarm blares,
*SATURN (Host constellation : Ophiuchus)*
We're sorry to say that we have to bid Saturn adieu, at least for awhile.
The ringed world vanishes into the dusk, destined to return to the pre-dawn
sky by late December. VERDICT: Don't bother to seek out Saturn until
just before the New Year's celebrations.
© Edward Gleason 2016