Cosmic Pursuits

Basic astronomy and night sky information

Solar System Observing

Articles about how to understand, find and see solar system objects including planets, the Moon, the Sun, asteroids, meteors, and comets with binoculars, telescopes, and the naked eye.

A Ninth Planet Discovered?

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Science, Solar System

Artist's conception of the hypothetical "Planet 9" in the distant regions of the solar system. Credit: Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)
Artist’s conception of the hypothetical “Planet 9” in the distant regions of the solar system. Credit: Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)

It’s been 170 years since the eighth (and so far last) major planet, Neptune, was discovered in our solar system. Pluto, of course, was discovered in 1930, heralded as the ninth planet, but then demoted by consensus of the astronomical community, largely at the behest of the Caltech astronomer Mike Brown who reasoned that Pluto was not large enough to gravitationally clear its path of other bodies, one of the three criteria for a major planet. In the ten years since Pluto’s demotion, Brown has been asked if there are any other planets in our solar system. His answer: “Nope, that’s it.” [Read more…] about A Ninth Planet Discovered?

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Five Bright Planets Visible in the Morning Sky

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Solar System

The five bright planets of the solar system are visible in the pre-dawn sky from late January to early Febuary 2016.
The five bright planets of the solar system are visible in the pre-dawn sky from late January to early February 2016 in a diagonal line rising from the southeastern horizon towards the southwest.

There’s a ‘planet fest’ in the eastern sky before sunrise in late January and early February 2016 as the five brightest planets– Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter– make an appearance in a long incline from the eastern horizon, well past the meridian, and on towards the southwest. If you’re up early in the next two weeks, 45-60 minutes before sunrise, this is an opportune time to look to the slowly brightening sky to see this alluring array of bright planets [Read more…] about Five Bright Planets Visible in the Morning Sky

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Venus and Saturn Meet in the Morning Sky

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Solar System

Venus and Saturn move within 1/2 of a degree of each other on the morning of January 9, 2016.
Venus and Saturn move within 1/2 of a degree of each other in the southeastern predawn sky on the morning of January 9, 2016.

Look to the southeastern sky before dawn on January 9 to see Venus and Saturn make a close approach to each other before sunrise. Venus is the brighter of the two, about 60x brighter than Saturn. The two planets make their closest approach at about 4h Universal Time when they are just 1/10 of a degree apart. This timing favors observers in Europe and Africa. As dawn arrives in the Americas and Australia and New Zealand, the planets will be slightly farther apart but still quite striking. Binoculars will give a good view of the two planets, and a telescope at low-to-medium power will give an excellent view of the face of Venus, which is about 77% illuminated, and the rings and brightest moons of Saturn. [Read more…] about Venus and Saturn Meet in the Morning Sky

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Planet Roundup… and Comet Catalina Update

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Solar System

Mercury in the southwestern sky about 45 minutes after local sunset on Dec. 31, 2015.
Mercury in the southwestern sky about 45 minutes after local sunset on Dec. 31, 2015.

All five bright planets are visible in the sky during this last week of 2015 and into the new year. Here’s a roundup of where to find them and what to look for, along with your best chance to easily spot Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) on the first morning of 2016 [Read more…] about Planet Roundup… and Comet Catalina Update

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Rain of Geminid Meteors

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Solar System

Alan Dyer at AmazingSky.net braved the cold of a New Mexico night to capture several hours of Geminid meteors on December 13, 2015 over the Very Large Array.

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