|
WEEKLY SKYWATCH
By
Jarrett DuBois
Down to Earth
Astronomy
November
30 - December 6, 2008
Planets – Venus is low in the
south/southwestern sky during twilight. Venus will be to the right
of the moon on 12/1. Jupiter is in the south/southwestern sky
during twilight. Jupiter will be to the right of the moon on 12/1.
Saturn is in the southern sky before sunrise.
Moon
– First Quarter Moon: 12/5.
Comets -
none
visible to the unaided eye.
Deep Space
– The familiar pattern of stars that make up the Big Dipper are low
to the northwestern horizon during early evening.
Meteor Showers
– The minor meteor shower, the Alpha Puppids, peaks from 12/2-5.
Keep looking up.
You never know what you'll observe and enjoy in the night sky!
The December 2008 Sky. ( 378 words)
The long, dark
nights of December will bring beautiful celestial sights for
stargazers throughout the month. The winter season begins on 12/21
at 6:04 AM Central Standard Time. December brings the return of the
brightest star in our night sky and some truly beautiful deep space
objects to enjoy.
The two bright planets to enjoy this month are Venus and Jupiter.
They can be found low in the southwest sky early in the evening.
Both of these planets will be to the right of the moon on 12/1.
Venus is brighter than Jupiter and is closer to the moon on that
evening. On 12/31, Venus will be below the moon.
The lone predawn planet this month is Saturn.
..................
................ also known as the “Dog Star”, can be easily found
by following the three main belt stars of the constellation of
Orion back down to the horizon. They will lead you to Sirius, a
relatively close star that is just over 8 light years away. Sirius
goes through some interesting changes as it rises, much the same as
Venus does when it is close to the horizon. Sirius dances and
changes color, as if looking through a prism. Once you see this
happen, you can understand why this star is often reported as a
UFO, when in fact it’s bright Sirius “dancing” due to atmospheric
distortion.
The featured area of the sky this month is the constellation Canis
Major, home to Sirius, the Dog Star.
Holiday Shopping List.
Once again
it’s that time of year when the holiday shopping is in full force,
and many people are interested in astronomy equipment as holiday
gifts. One of the hot products this season is the personal handheld
planetarium, such as the Meade Instruments MySky or the Celestron
Sky Scout. There are many new products available this year for
amateur astronomy, so here are some tips to help you make the most
of your holiday purchase of astronomy equipment.
Binoculars are a great way for
all to get a start in astronomy. A good all-purpose pair of
binoculars is the 10x50, where 10 is the magnification and 50 is
the diameter of the front lens in millimeters. They can also be
used for bird/nature studies and sporting events. For night sky
viewing you should avoid the fixed focus type. Fixed focus
binoculars are OK for bird watching or sporting events, but when
you use them for astronomy, objects appear fuzzy because the image
is beyond their range of focus. Also, look to see if the binoculars
will accept an L-bracket for mounting to a tripod. This accessory
is a must if you would also like to use your binoculars for nature
studies and bird watching. Binoculars get heavy and hard to hold
steady. By mounting them to a tripod, you will get the best views
and save your arms from getting tired.
If you are interested in
purchasing a telescope, there are a few key questions that will
help you narrow your choices and make the best selection. The main
question is cost and how much you can afford to spend on an
instrument. Once you have a price range in mind, the other
important questions include: How much will you use it? How easy is
it to set up and use? Can you get accessories? One of the best
places to start is by looking at one of the astronomy publication
like Sky & Telescope or Astronomy. Many of your questions will be
answered by reading the ads and by calling or visiting the websites
of the manufacturers listed in the magazines. There are numerous
companies that advertise in these magazines and they are always
helpful answering questions and giving suggestions.
Happy Holidays, good luck with your purchase, and have fun as you
search the night sky for those celestial delights.
.
|
