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12th Mar 2012 18:14
The Observatory Science Centre
Herstmonceux
Hailsham
East Sussex
BN27 1RN
Herstmonceux
Hailsham
East Sussex
BN27 1RN
Tel: 01323 832731
Fax: 01323 832741
Fax: 01323 832741
What to see on Open Evenings
What to see on 20th and 21st January 2012 - BBC STARGAZING LIVE EVENT
The sun will have set at about 4.30pm on both days so it will be dark when The Centre opens at 6.30pm. The phase of the Moon is 3 or 2 days before NEW MOON so it will already have set and therefore will not be visible all evening. This will make it nice and dark to view deeper sky objects more clearly.
The sun will have set at about 4.30pm on both days so it will be dark when The Centre opens at 6.30pm. The phase of the Moon is 3 or 2 days before NEW MOON so it will already have set and therefore will not be visible all evening. This will make it nice and dark to view deeper sky objects more clearly.
Sky Chart for the 20th January at 8pm & 21st January at 9pm (showing Mars just appearing over the Eastern horizon) from Heavens Above
Jupiter will already have risen and will be visible for most of the evening. However, as the evening progresses Jupiter will sink lower and lower towards the western horizon and will be beyond the reach of the historic telescopes. It will be in the constellation of Aries on the border with Pisces (see sky chart above) and will have a MAGNITUDE of -2.5 which is still very bright. Jupiter reached OPPOSITION on the 29th September 2011 so on the 20/21 January 2012 it will be getting further from Earth. The Gallilean Moons will all be visible at some time during the evening.
Although the main feature of the evening will be Jupiter the telescopes will also be trained on other interesting celestial objects such as the ORION NEBULA.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will the centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
Jupiter will already have risen and will be visible for most of the evening. However, as the evening progresses Jupiter will sink lower and lower towards the western horizon and will be beyond the reach of the historic telescopes. It will be in the constellation of Aries on the border with Pisces (see sky chart above) and will have a MAGNITUDE of -2.5 which is still very bright. Jupiter reached OPPOSITION on the 29th September 2011 so on the 20/21 January 2012 it will be getting further from Earth. The Gallilean Moons will all be visible at some time during the evening.
Although the main feature of the evening will be Jupiter the telescopes will also be trained on other interesting celestial objects such as the ORION NEBULA.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will the centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
What to see on the 11th February
The Sun will have set at 5.07pm so it will be dark when The Centre opens at 6.30pm. The phase of the Moon is 3 days before LAST QUARTER so a waning gibbous. It will not be rising until 10.19pm so will not be visible until much later in the eevening and may not have risen high enough in the sky to be visible through the historic telescopes.
The Sun will have set at 5.07pm so it will be dark when The Centre opens at 6.30pm. The phase of the Moon is 3 days before LAST QUARTER so a waning gibbous. It will not be rising until 10.19pm so will not be visible until much later in the eevening and may not have risen high enough in the sky to be visible through the historic telescopes.
Sky Chart for 11th February at 8pm from Heavens Above
Venus will be a very prominent, extremely bright object in the western sky at a MAGNITUDE -4. It will remain viewable through the historic telescopes for the first part of the evening at least, until it sinks too low towards the western horizon. venus sets at approximately 9pm.
Jupiter will already have risen and will be high in the sky all evening in the constellation of Aries making it a fantastic object to look at through the historic telescopes. It is still a very bright object at MAGNITUDE -2.2. The 4 largest satellites of Jupiter will also be visible with Ganymede on the western side and bright white Europa, Io and Callisto on the eastern side of Jupiter (in order from Jupiter outwards). Io and Europa will be very close together, their paths apparently crossing just before midnight.
Mars is also now starting to make an appearance and will rise at approximately 7.30pm and can be found under the body of the constellation Leo. It will be very bright at MAGNITUDE -0.6 and quite orange looking and will be visible through the historic telescopes towards the second half of the evening. Mars will reach OPPOSITION on the 3rd March when it will be at its closest to Earth this year. If you are lucky you will be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars.
Although Venus, Jupiter and later on Mars will be prominent one other main focus of the evening will be the magnificent ORION NEBULA which on a clear night is stunning. During the evening however the telescopes will also be trained on other interesting celestial objects.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
Venus will be a very prominent, extremely bright object in the western sky at a MAGNITUDE -4. It will remain viewable through the historic telescopes for the first part of the evening at least, until it sinks too low towards the western horizon. venus sets at approximately 9pm.
Jupiter will already have risen and will be high in the sky all evening in the constellation of Aries making it a fantastic object to look at through the historic telescopes. It is still a very bright object at MAGNITUDE -2.2. The 4 largest satellites of Jupiter will also be visible with Ganymede on the western side and bright white Europa, Io and Callisto on the eastern side of Jupiter (in order from Jupiter outwards). Io and Europa will be very close together, their paths apparently crossing just before midnight.
Mars is also now starting to make an appearance and will rise at approximately 7.30pm and can be found under the body of the constellation Leo. It will be very bright at MAGNITUDE -0.6 and quite orange looking and will be visible through the historic telescopes towards the second half of the evening. Mars will reach OPPOSITION on the 3rd March when it will be at its closest to Earth this year. If you are lucky you will be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars.
Although Venus, Jupiter and later on Mars will be prominent one other main focus of the evening will be the magnificent ORION NEBULA which on a clear night is stunning. During the evening however the telescopes will also be trained on other interesting celestial objects.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
What to see on the 18th February
The Sun will have set at 5.20pm so it will be dark when The Centre opens at 6.30pm. The phase of the Moon is 4 days before NEW MOON so a waning crescent. It will already haven risen and set before The Centre opens so will not be visible at all during the evening.
The Sun will have set at 5.20pm so it will be dark when The Centre opens at 6.30pm. The phase of the Moon is 4 days before NEW MOON so a waning crescent. It will already haven risen and set before The Centre opens so will not be visible at all during the evening.
Sky Chart for 18th February at 8pm from Heavens Above
Venus will be a very prominent, extremely bright object in the western sky at a MAGNITUDE -4. It will remain viewable through the historic telescopes for the first part of the evening at least, until it sinks too low towards the western horizon. venus sets at approximately 9.15pm.
Jupiter will already have risen and will be high in the sky all evening in the constellation of Aries making it a fantastic object to look at through the historic telescopes. It is still a very bright object at MAGNITUDE -2.2. The 4 largest satellites of Jupiter will also be visible with Ganymede and Callisto close together on the western side and bright white Europa and Io on the eastern side of Jupiter (in order from Jupiter outwards). Io and Europa will also be very close together.
Mars is also now starting to make an appearance and will rise at approximately 6.45pm and can be found under the body of the constellation Leo. It will be very bright at MAGNITUDE -0.9, quite orange looking and will be visible through the historic telescopes towards the second half of the evening. Mars will reach OPPOSITION on the 3rd March when it will be at its closest to Earth this year. If you are lucky you will be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars.
Although Venus, Jupiter and later on Mars will be prominent one other main focus of the evening will be the magnificent ORION NEBULA which on a clear night is stunning. During the evening however the telescopes will also be trained on other interesting celestial objects.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
Venus will be a very prominent, extremely bright object in the western sky at a MAGNITUDE -4. It will remain viewable through the historic telescopes for the first part of the evening at least, until it sinks too low towards the western horizon. venus sets at approximately 9.15pm.
Jupiter will already have risen and will be high in the sky all evening in the constellation of Aries making it a fantastic object to look at through the historic telescopes. It is still a very bright object at MAGNITUDE -2.2. The 4 largest satellites of Jupiter will also be visible with Ganymede and Callisto close together on the western side and bright white Europa and Io on the eastern side of Jupiter (in order from Jupiter outwards). Io and Europa will also be very close together.
Mars is also now starting to make an appearance and will rise at approximately 6.45pm and can be found under the body of the constellation Leo. It will be very bright at MAGNITUDE -0.9, quite orange looking and will be visible through the historic telescopes towards the second half of the evening. Mars will reach OPPOSITION on the 3rd March when it will be at its closest to Earth this year. If you are lucky you will be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars.
Although Venus, Jupiter and later on Mars will be prominent one other main focus of the evening will be the magnificent ORION NEBULA which on a clear night is stunning. During the evening however the telescopes will also be trained on other interesting celestial objects.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
What to see on the 3rd March
The Sun will have set at 5.45pm so it will be dark when The Centre opens at 6.30pm. The phase of the Moon is 3 days after FIRST QUARTER so a waxing gibbous phase. It will already haven risen at 12.10pm and will not set until 4.14am the following day so will be visible all night.
The Sun will have set at 5.45pm so it will be dark when The Centre opens at 6.30pm. The phase of the Moon is 3 days after FIRST QUARTER so a waxing gibbous phase. It will already haven risen at 12.10pm and will not set until 4.14am the following day so will be visible all night.
Sky Chart for 3rd March at 8pm from Heavens Above
Venus will be a very prominent, extremely bright object at a MAGNITUDE -4.1 It will remain viewable through the historic telescopes until it sinks too low towards the western horizon. Venus sets at approximately 10pm.
Jupiter will already have risen and will be high in the sky all evening in the constellation of Aries making it a fantastic object to look at through the historic telescopes. It is still a very bright object at MAGNITUDE -2.2. The 4 largest satellites of Jupiter will also be visible with Callisto and Io on the western side and bright white Europa and Ganymede on the eastern side of Jupiter. Ganymede will be closest to Jupiter.
Mars will also be a prominent object and the focus of the evening. It will already have risen by the time the Centre opens but will still be low on the eastern horizon under the body of the constellation Leo. It will be very bright at MAGNITUDE -1.2 and look quite orange. It will be visible through the historic telescopes as the evening progresses and it rises high enough above the horizon. The reason for Mars being the focus of the evening is because it will beat OPPOSITION tonight. This means that it is at its closest to Earth this year. However, because the orbit of Mars is elliptical the distance from the Earth to Mars is different at each opposition. This year it is at APHELION and therefore pretty much the furthest away from Earth that it can get during the time of opposition. If you are lucky you will be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars.
Although Mars, Venus and Jupiter will be the main features of the evening, we cannot ignore the Moon which is a fantastic sight through the historic telescopes. Unfortunately because the Moon is so bright this may wash out deeper sky objects including the magnificent ORION NEBULA which on a clear, Moonless night is stunning.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
Venus will be a very prominent, extremely bright object at a MAGNITUDE -4.1 It will remain viewable through the historic telescopes until it sinks too low towards the western horizon. Venus sets at approximately 10pm.
Jupiter will already have risen and will be high in the sky all evening in the constellation of Aries making it a fantastic object to look at through the historic telescopes. It is still a very bright object at MAGNITUDE -2.2. The 4 largest satellites of Jupiter will also be visible with Callisto and Io on the western side and bright white Europa and Ganymede on the eastern side of Jupiter. Ganymede will be closest to Jupiter.
Mars will also be a prominent object and the focus of the evening. It will already have risen by the time the Centre opens but will still be low on the eastern horizon under the body of the constellation Leo. It will be very bright at MAGNITUDE -1.2 and look quite orange. It will be visible through the historic telescopes as the evening progresses and it rises high enough above the horizon. The reason for Mars being the focus of the evening is because it will beat OPPOSITION tonight. This means that it is at its closest to Earth this year. However, because the orbit of Mars is elliptical the distance from the Earth to Mars is different at each opposition. This year it is at APHELION and therefore pretty much the furthest away from Earth that it can get during the time of opposition. If you are lucky you will be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars.
Although Mars, Venus and Jupiter will be the main features of the evening, we cannot ignore the Moon which is a fantastic sight through the historic telescopes. Unfortunately because the Moon is so bright this may wash out deeper sky objects including the magnificent ORION NEBULA which on a clear, Moonless night is stunning.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
What to see on the 17th March
The Sun will have set at 6.09pm so it will be dark when The Centre opens at 6.30pm. The phase of the Moon is 2 days after LAST QUARTER so a waning crescent phase. It will already have set at 12.46pm and therefore will not be visible at all.
The Sun will have set at 6.09pm so it will be dark when The Centre opens at 6.30pm. The phase of the Moon is 2 days after LAST QUARTER so a waning crescent phase. It will already have set at 12.46pm and therefore will not be visible at all.
Sky Chart for 17th March at 8pm from Heavens Above
Venus will be a very prominent, extremely bright object at a MAGNITUDE -4.2 It will remain viewable through the historic telescopes until it sinks too low towards the western horizon. Venus sets at approximately 10.30pm.
Jupiter will also be a prominent object lying very close to Venus in the constellation of Aries. It sets just ahead of Venus at approximately 10.15pm. It is still a very bright object at MAGNITUDE -2.1. The 4 largest satellites of Jupiter will also be visible through the telescopes with Io transiting across the face of Jupiter (east to west) between 5pm and 7.10pm eventually joining Ganymede on the western side of the planet. Bright white Europa and Callisto will be on the eastern side of Jupiter. If you are lucky you may even be able to see the GREAT RED SPOT which will appear around the central meridian (the imaginary line down the centre of the planets disc from pole to pole) of the south equatorial belt (seen as the top weather band through the telescope due to the inverted image) at around 8pm.
Mars will also be a prominent object having already risen by 6.30pm. It is under the body of the constellation Leo at a MAGNITUDE -1.1 and will look quite orange. It should be visible through the historic telescopes for most of the evening as it rises high enough above the horizon. Mars was at OPPOSITION on the 3rd March. If you are lucky you will be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars.
Although Mars, Venus and Jupiter will be the main features of the evening, the historic telescopes will be trained on other interesting celestial objects including the magnificent ORION NEBULA which on a clear, Moonless night is stunning. SATURN also starts to make an appearance and will rise at about 9pm. It will be too low on the horizon initially however by the end of the evening it may be high enough to view through the historic telescopes. It will certainly be visible through the smaller amateur scopes.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
Venus will be a very prominent, extremely bright object at a MAGNITUDE -4.2 It will remain viewable through the historic telescopes until it sinks too low towards the western horizon. Venus sets at approximately 10.30pm.
Jupiter will also be a prominent object lying very close to Venus in the constellation of Aries. It sets just ahead of Venus at approximately 10.15pm. It is still a very bright object at MAGNITUDE -2.1. The 4 largest satellites of Jupiter will also be visible through the telescopes with Io transiting across the face of Jupiter (east to west) between 5pm and 7.10pm eventually joining Ganymede on the western side of the planet. Bright white Europa and Callisto will be on the eastern side of Jupiter. If you are lucky you may even be able to see the GREAT RED SPOT which will appear around the central meridian (the imaginary line down the centre of the planets disc from pole to pole) of the south equatorial belt (seen as the top weather band through the telescope due to the inverted image) at around 8pm.
Mars will also be a prominent object having already risen by 6.30pm. It is under the body of the constellation Leo at a MAGNITUDE -1.1 and will look quite orange. It should be visible through the historic telescopes for most of the evening as it rises high enough above the horizon. Mars was at OPPOSITION on the 3rd March. If you are lucky you will be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars.
Although Mars, Venus and Jupiter will be the main features of the evening, the historic telescopes will be trained on other interesting celestial objects including the magnificent ORION NEBULA which on a clear, Moonless night is stunning. SATURN also starts to make an appearance and will rise at about 9pm. It will be too low on the horizon initially however by the end of the evening it may be high enough to view through the historic telescopes. It will certainly be visible through the smaller amateur scopes.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
What to see on the 31st March
Due to the clocks being shifted an hour forward the Sun will not set until 7.31pm which means that it will not be dark when The Centre opens at 6.30pm. However, the phase of the Moon is 1 day after FIRST QUARTER so a waxing gibbous phase. This means that it will already have risen at 11.59am and will not set until 3.11am the following day making it visible all night. The Moon is so bright that you will be able to see it even before the Sun has set.
Due to the clocks being shifted an hour forward the Sun will not set until 7.31pm which means that it will not be dark when The Centre opens at 6.30pm. However, the phase of the Moon is 1 day after FIRST QUARTER so a waxing gibbous phase. This means that it will already have risen at 11.59am and will not set until 3.11am the following day making it visible all night. The Moon is so bright that you will be able to see it even before the Sun has set.
Sky Chart for 31st March at 8pm from Heavens Above
Four planets will be visible at some time during the evening through the historic telescopes.
Jupiter will be a prominent object lying close to Venus in the constellation of Aries. It sets before Venus at approximately 10.30pm so will not be visible all night so viewing will be the best earlier on in the evening before it sinks too low on the western horizon. It is still a very bright object at MAGNITUDE -2.1. The 4 largest satellites of Jupiter will also be visible through the telescopes with Io transiting across the face of Jupiter (east to west) between 10pm and just after midnight eventually joining Ganymede on the western side of the planet. Bright white Europa and Callisto will be on the eastern side of Jupiter. If you are lucky you may even be able to see the GREAT RED SPOT which will appear around the central meridian (the imaginary line down the centre of the planets disc from pole to pole) of the south equatorial belt (seen as the top weather band through the telescope due to the inverted image) at around 10.30pm.
Venus will be even more prominent than Jupiter. It is an extremely bright object at a MAGNITUDE -4.2 and will not set until about midnight so will remain viewable through the historic telescopes for most of the evening until it sinks too low towards the western horizon.
Mars will also be a prominent object having already risen by 6.30pm. It is under the body of the constellation Leo at a MAGNITUDE -0.9 and will look quite orange. It should be visible through the historic telescopes for most of the evening as it rises high enough above the horizon. Mars was at OPPOSITION on the 3rd March. If you are lucky you will be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars.
Saturn will not rise until almost 9pm so will not be visible initially. It is not as bright as the other planets at MAGNITUDE +0.3. Even though the historic telescopes will not be able to view Saturn until much later, towards the end of the evening, as it moves higher and higher in the night sky the smaller telescopes should be able to locate it. The beautiful RINGS of SATURN will be visible.
Although Mars, Venus, Jupiter and later on Saturn will be the main features of the evening, the historic telescopes will be trained on other interesting celestial objects including the magnificent ORION NEBULA which on a clear, night is stunning. We must also not forget the Moon which is magnificent through the telescopes and will be visible all night.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
Four planets will be visible at some time during the evening through the historic telescopes.
Jupiter will be a prominent object lying close to Venus in the constellation of Aries. It sets before Venus at approximately 10.30pm so will not be visible all night so viewing will be the best earlier on in the evening before it sinks too low on the western horizon. It is still a very bright object at MAGNITUDE -2.1. The 4 largest satellites of Jupiter will also be visible through the telescopes with Io transiting across the face of Jupiter (east to west) between 10pm and just after midnight eventually joining Ganymede on the western side of the planet. Bright white Europa and Callisto will be on the eastern side of Jupiter. If you are lucky you may even be able to see the GREAT RED SPOT which will appear around the central meridian (the imaginary line down the centre of the planets disc from pole to pole) of the south equatorial belt (seen as the top weather band through the telescope due to the inverted image) at around 10.30pm.
Venus will be even more prominent than Jupiter. It is an extremely bright object at a MAGNITUDE -4.2 and will not set until about midnight so will remain viewable through the historic telescopes for most of the evening until it sinks too low towards the western horizon.
Mars will also be a prominent object having already risen by 6.30pm. It is under the body of the constellation Leo at a MAGNITUDE -0.9 and will look quite orange. It should be visible through the historic telescopes for most of the evening as it rises high enough above the horizon. Mars was at OPPOSITION on the 3rd March. If you are lucky you will be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars.
Saturn will not rise until almost 9pm so will not be visible initially. It is not as bright as the other planets at MAGNITUDE +0.3. Even though the historic telescopes will not be able to view Saturn until much later, towards the end of the evening, as it moves higher and higher in the night sky the smaller telescopes should be able to locate it. The beautiful RINGS of SATURN will be visible.
Although Mars, Venus, Jupiter and later on Saturn will be the main features of the evening, the historic telescopes will be trained on other interesting celestial objects including the magnificent ORION NEBULA which on a clear, night is stunning. We must also not forget the Moon which is magnificent through the telescopes and will be visible all night.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
What to see on the 14th April
The Sun will not set until 7.56pm which means that it will still be twilight when The Centre opens at 8pm. The phase of the Moon is 1 day after LAST QUARTER so a waning crescent phase. This means that it will already have set at 12.50pm and will not be visible at all during the evening making the night sky very dark.
The Sun will not set until 7.56pm which means that it will still be twilight when The Centre opens at 8pm. The phase of the Moon is 1 day after LAST QUARTER so a waning crescent phase. This means that it will already have set at 12.50pm and will not be visible at all during the evening making the night sky very dark.
Sky Chart for 14th April at 8pm from Heavens Above
Four planets will be visible to the naked eye at some time during the evening whether it be through the historic telescopes or the smaller telescopes of our local amateur astronomers.
Jupiter will be setting at about 9.45pm and may be too low on the eastern horizon (behind the trees) for the historic telescopes to view. However, the smaller telescopes of the local amateur astronomers will probably manage to catch the last glimpses of this impressive planet. It is in the constellation of Aries and is still a bright object at MAGNITUDE -2.0. The 4 largest satellites of Jupiter will be visible through the smaller telescopes with Europa and Io on the eastern side (from Jupiter outwards) initially then as the evening wears on they will appear to cross over bringing Io closer to Jupiter than Europa. Ganymede and Callisto (from Jupiter outwards) will be on the western side of the planet. If you are lucky you may even be able to see the GREAT RED SPOT towards the end of the evening which will appear around the central meridian (the imaginary line down the centre of the planets disc from pole to pole) of the south equatorial belt (seen as the top weather band through the telescope due to the inverted image) at around 11 minutes past midnight meaning that you may start seeing it coming around the edge of Jupiter from about 11.20pm.
Venus will be a very prominent bright object at a MAGNITUDE -4.2. It and will not set until about 12.30am so will remain viewable through the historic telescopes for most of the evening until it sinks too low towards the western horizon. It was at GREATEST EASTERN ELONGATION on the 27th March so is getting closer to Earth and getting brighter.
Mars will also be a prominent object being well positioned in the night sky having already risen. It is under the body of the constellation Leo at a MAGNITUDE -0.4 and will look quite orange. It will be visible through the historic telescopes all evening. Mars was at OPPOSITION on the 3rd March and is now moving further away from Earth and getting fainter. If you are lucky and it is very clear you will be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars.
Saturn will already have risen by 8pm but will still be quite low on the eastern horizon so may not be visible through the historic telescopes initially. It is not as bright as the other planets at MAGNITUDE +0.2 because it is much further away from Earth. Saturn will reach OPPOSITION on the 15th April, hence "Close Encounter with Saturn". Even though the historic telescopes may not be able to view Saturn until later, as it moves higher and higher in the night sky the smaller telescopes should be able to locate it. The beautiful RINGS of SATURN will be visible.
Although Mars, Venus, Jupiter and later on Saturn will be the main features of the evening, the historic telescopes will be trained on other interesting celestial objects including the magnificent ORION NEBULA which on a clear, night is stunning.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
Four planets will be visible to the naked eye at some time during the evening whether it be through the historic telescopes or the smaller telescopes of our local amateur astronomers.
Jupiter will be setting at about 9.45pm and may be too low on the eastern horizon (behind the trees) for the historic telescopes to view. However, the smaller telescopes of the local amateur astronomers will probably manage to catch the last glimpses of this impressive planet. It is in the constellation of Aries and is still a bright object at MAGNITUDE -2.0. The 4 largest satellites of Jupiter will be visible through the smaller telescopes with Europa and Io on the eastern side (from Jupiter outwards) initially then as the evening wears on they will appear to cross over bringing Io closer to Jupiter than Europa. Ganymede and Callisto (from Jupiter outwards) will be on the western side of the planet. If you are lucky you may even be able to see the GREAT RED SPOT towards the end of the evening which will appear around the central meridian (the imaginary line down the centre of the planets disc from pole to pole) of the south equatorial belt (seen as the top weather band through the telescope due to the inverted image) at around 11 minutes past midnight meaning that you may start seeing it coming around the edge of Jupiter from about 11.20pm.
Venus will be a very prominent bright object at a MAGNITUDE -4.2. It and will not set until about 12.30am so will remain viewable through the historic telescopes for most of the evening until it sinks too low towards the western horizon. It was at GREATEST EASTERN ELONGATION on the 27th March so is getting closer to Earth and getting brighter.
Mars will also be a prominent object being well positioned in the night sky having already risen. It is under the body of the constellation Leo at a MAGNITUDE -0.4 and will look quite orange. It will be visible through the historic telescopes all evening. Mars was at OPPOSITION on the 3rd March and is now moving further away from Earth and getting fainter. If you are lucky and it is very clear you will be able to see the polar ice caps on Mars.
Saturn will already have risen by 8pm but will still be quite low on the eastern horizon so may not be visible through the historic telescopes initially. It is not as bright as the other planets at MAGNITUDE +0.2 because it is much further away from Earth. Saturn will reach OPPOSITION on the 15th April, hence "Close Encounter with Saturn". Even though the historic telescopes may not be able to view Saturn until later, as it moves higher and higher in the night sky the smaller telescopes should be able to locate it. The beautiful RINGS of SATURN will be visible.
Although Mars, Venus, Jupiter and later on Saturn will be the main features of the evening, the historic telescopes will be trained on other interesting celestial objects including the magnificent ORION NEBULA which on a clear, night is stunning.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
What to see on the 18th May
The Sun will not set until 8.51pm which means that it will still be twilight when The Centre opens at 8pm. The phase of the Moon is 3 days before NEW MOON so a very thin waning crescent phase. This also means that it will not be visible at all during the evening having set at 5.36pm, making the night sky very dark.
The Sun will not set until 8.51pm which means that it will still be twilight when The Centre opens at 8pm. The phase of the Moon is 3 days before NEW MOON so a very thin waning crescent phase. This also means that it will not be visible at all during the evening having set at 5.36pm, making the night sky very dark.
Sky Chart for 18th May at 9pm from Heavens Above
Venus will still be a very prominent bright object at MAGNITUDE -4.3 but will be low in the western sky and maybe too low for the historic telescopes. It will not set until about 11.15pm so will remain in the sky for most of the evening before it disappears behind the trees on the western horizon.
Mars will also be a fairly prominent object being well positioned in the night sky having already risen. It is under the body of the constellation Leo but has faded to MAGNITUDE +0.3. It should however still look quite orange. It will be visible through the historic telescopes all evening. Mars was at OPPOSITION on the 3rd March and is now moving further away from Earth hence the reason it is getting fainter and fainter.
Saturn will already have risen by 8pm but is quite low on the horizon. However, it should be visible through the historic telescopes for most of the evening. It will be very similar in brightness to Mars at MAGNITUDE +0.4. Saturn reached OPPOSITION on the 15th April. The beautiful RINGS of SATURN will be visible.
Although Venus initially, Mars and Saturn will be the main features of the evening, the historic telescopes will be trained on other interesting celestial objects.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
Venus will still be a very prominent bright object at MAGNITUDE -4.3 but will be low in the western sky and maybe too low for the historic telescopes. It will not set until about 11.15pm so will remain in the sky for most of the evening before it disappears behind the trees on the western horizon.
Mars will also be a fairly prominent object being well positioned in the night sky having already risen. It is under the body of the constellation Leo but has faded to MAGNITUDE +0.3. It should however still look quite orange. It will be visible through the historic telescopes all evening. Mars was at OPPOSITION on the 3rd March and is now moving further away from Earth hence the reason it is getting fainter and fainter.
Saturn will already have risen by 8pm but is quite low on the horizon. However, it should be visible through the historic telescopes for most of the evening. It will be very similar in brightness to Mars at MAGNITUDE +0.4. Saturn reached OPPOSITION on the 15th April. The beautiful RINGS of SATURN will be visible.
Although Venus initially, Mars and Saturn will be the main features of the evening, the historic telescopes will be trained on other interesting celestial objects.
The smaller telescopes of Wealden Astronomical Society will also be available for you to look through as will The Centre's own Meade 8-inch LX90 (hopefully) which was kindly donated to The Centre by Meade
BBC Stargazing LIVE