Lots of opportunities to spot something interesting happening in the sky this week! Mars, ISON, and Regulus: look to the high east around 3 a.m. local time on October 16th and you may spot Mars appearing side-by-side with the bright star Regulus. The comet ISON can be spotted through a telescope that same night as it appears to pass only 2 degrees above Regulus. Venus and Antares: The evenings of October 16th and 17th offer another chance to spot a bright planet in conjunction with a star. Look above the southwest horizon half an hour after your local sunset to spot Venus perched just above Antares. Partial Lunar Eclipse: on Friday, October 18th, viewers in eastern North America, South America, across Europe, and Africa can spot some dark grey shading across the southeastern edge of the moon. The eclipse will peak at 7:50 pm EDT (23:50 UT). Orionid Meteor Shower: On Sunday, October 20th, the Orionid meteor shower will reach its peak and go on into the wee hours of Monday morning. Though a waning gibbous moon will hinder visibility, the Orionids are well-known to be a prolific shower, sometimes reaching over 50 meteors per hour. The meteors are associated with the famous Halley’s Comet. -RLO Sources: newswatch.nationalgeographic/2013/10/15/5-sky-events-this-week-partial-lunar-eclipse-halleys-shooting-stars/ space/23177-fall-skywatching-eclipses-meteor-showers.html
Posted on: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 04:06:55 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015