Brian Ventrudo

Three Clusters and a Cheshire Cat

January 13, 2017 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Deep Sky

The stars along the northern Milky Way rising in the eastern sky. To the right lies the Hyades above which is the smaller Pleiades star cluster. To the right lies the constellation Auriga, the Charioteer. — The stars along the northern Milky Way rising in the eastern sky. To the right lies the Hyades above which is the smaller Pleiades star cluster. To the left of center in this image lies the constellation Auriga, the Charioteer.

Visible nearly overhead in the northern hemisphere, the bright constellation Auriga makes for pleasant viewing this time of year. The constellation, which looks like a big hexagon about 15° across, sits in a fine star field along the northern Milky Way directly opposite the much richer sky near the galactic center in Sagittarius. Auriga also holds the dazzling star Capella, the most northerly first-magnitude star in the skies. The constellation is also visible above the northern horizon from most populated parts of the southern hemisphere. Whether you have a pair of binoculars or a small telescope, make an appointment to examine the three finest open star clusters of Auriga– M36, M37, and M38– along with a smiling asterism embedded in the stream of the Milky Way [Read more…] about Three Clusters and a Cheshire Cat

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A Guide to Observing Comet 45/P Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková

January 5, 2017 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Solar System

Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova imaged by amateur astronomer Tim Puckett in 2011.

A little periodic comet is visiting the inner solar system over the next few months. Comet 45/P Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková, a tiny piece of ice and dust left over from the earliest days of the solar system, moves periodically around the Sun every 5.25 years. It made its closest approach to the Sun on December 31, 2016 and it’s visible now. As it passes close to Earth in February, it will brighten and appear to move quickly across the sky from day to day. You’ll need binoculars to see it, but it’s worth following this little leftover hunk of the early solar system [Read more…] about A Guide to Observing Comet 45/P Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková

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Venus and the “New Year” Crescent Moon

January 2, 2017 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Solar System

venus-moon-new-year-2017 — Venus and the crescent Moon on the evening of January 1, 2017, imaged from Bethesda, MD.

The waning of the first day of 2017 sees the slender crescent Moon, rounded out by Earthshine, and the brilliant planet Venus in the western sky after sunset. Venus puts on quite a show this month as it reaches greatest eastern elongation on January 12 and lies some 47° east of the Sun. The planet then grows in brightness to magnitude -4.7 by month’s end. That’s as bright as the planet ever gets, bright enough to cast shadows on a dark night.

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The Sky This Month – January 2017

January 1, 2017 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Celestial Events

Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova on Dec. 23, 2016. A skinny gas or ion tail extends to the east of the blue-green coma. The comet is currently visible near the end of evening twilight. Credit: Jose Chambo — Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova on Dec. 23, 2016. A thin ion tail extends to the east of the coma. The comet is visible in evening twilight through mid-January, then reappears after it swings around the Sun in late January and into February and March 2017. Credit: Jose Chambo at cometografia.es

“And now we welcome the New Year, full of things that have never been.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke

1 January 2017. Begin the new year by counting your blessings, then strolling out after sunset to examine the dazzling sight of a slender crescent Moon within 5° of Venus in the southwestern sky [Read more…] about The Sky This Month – January 2017

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The Sky This Month – December 2016

December 1, 2016 by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Celestial Events

Meteors from the Geminid meteor shower (credit: Asim Patel)

It’s an excellent month for stargazers, so I encourage you to take some time out of your busy holiday preparations to enjoy the night sky. There are two respectable meteor showers, and the Moon passes close to five major planets during the month. Brilliant Venus dominates the western sky after sunset, while Jupiter outshines every star as it continues to brighten in the eastern sky before sunrise. And on the last day of 2016, Neptune comes within 0.1º of the planet Mars, the closest approach of these two planets in more than 700 years! Here’s what to see in the night sky this month… [Read more…] about The Sky This Month – December 2016

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