What's Up in Space

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This Weekend's Night Sky

17 – 19 May

Saturn has now become the dominant planet in our evening sky and can be seen in the east appearing as bright yellow ‘star’. Jupiter can still be spotted in the west after sunset but will be visible only for a short period of time after twilight. Jupiter will be joined by Mercury and Venus over the next couple of weeks.

The Pointers and Crux, the Southern Cross, can be found three-quarters of the way up the southern sky, the Diamond and False Crosses are nearby. The region between Crux and the False Cross is home to many star clusters and nebulae visible to the unaided eye and in binoculars.

Rising alone in the north-east is a reddish coloured star called Arcturus it is the fourth brightest star in our night sky. This star is an orange giant star about 36 light years away and is about 170 times brighter than the Sun.

Scorpius (Te Matau a Maui/The Hook of Maui) is climbing higher in the east. Look for a red star, Antares, and a flowing curve of stars forming the shape. Antares is a red giant star about 550 light years away it is the 15th brightest star in the night sky. The Milky Way is at its brightest and widest in this region.

4-5 May

Jupiter is low in the west after sunset and Saturn can be seen in the east by midnight it Saturn be high in the north appearing as bright yellow ‘star’. Small telescopes will reveal the rings and at least one moon.

After sunset Orion can be seen lying on his side in the west, the three stars marking his belt are almost vertical and when the middle star sets it marks due west. His two hunting dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor follow him towards the horizon.

The Pointers and Crux, the Southern Cross, can be found three-quarters of the way up the southern sky and by midnight they are overhead, the Diamond and False Crosses are nearby. The region between Crux and the false cross is home to many star clusters and nebulae.

Rising in the north-east is a reddish coloured star called Arcturus. It is the fourth brightest star in our night sky.

Scorpius (Te Matau a Maui/The Hook of Maui) is climbing higher in the east. Look for the red star Antares/Rehua, a red giant star about 550 light years away, and a lovely curve of stars forming the shape. Antares is a red giant star about 550 light years away it is the 15th brightest star in the night sky. The Milky Way is at its brightest and widest in this region.

26 – 28 April

Full Moon occurred at 7:57 am this morning and over the next two nights it will dominate our night sky. Binoculars will reveal the bright lines called rays stretching from some craters. The rays are formed from material that was ejected during the formation of a crater. Saturn is rising in the East and tonight (April 26) the Moon will be about 5 degrees to the right of Saturn in the early evening.

As the evening progresses the moon will slowly move away from Saturn towards the star brightest star in Libra, the scales. The moon will occult (move in front and cover) the star soon after 10.30 pm. This disappearance takes place on the bright limb of the moon making it very difficult to observe. Just over an hour later the star emerges again from the opposite side of the moon.

Opposite, in the west, during twilight and for about 2 hours after sunset Jupiter can be seen in the west. Above is Orion can lying on his side in the west, the three stars marking his belt are almost vertical and when the middle star sets it marks due west.

Following Orion are his two hunting dogs the brightest stars in these two constellation are Sirius, the brightest star in our night sky, and Procyon which is the 8th brightest star in the night sky.

The Pointers (Alpha and Beta Centauri) and Crux, the Southern Cross, can be found half way up the southern sky, by midnight they will overhead, the Diamond and False Crosses are nearby.

20 – 21 April

Jupiter is low in the west after sunset and Saturn can be seen rising in the east, by midnight it will be high in the north appearing as bright yellow ‘star’. Small telescopes will reveal the rings and at least one moon.

The Moon is at first quarter on Friday night and this is a great time for exploring the many craters and features along the terminator, the day/night line, along the lunar surface. Binoculars will reveal the largest craters and dark Maria that were called seas. These ‘seas’ were once huge lakes of basaltic lava that have cooled inside impact basins. This material is much darker than brighter crustal material that forms the Lunar Highlands.

After sunset Orion can be seen lying on his side in the west, the three stars marking his belt are almost vertical and when the middle star sets it marks due west.

Following Orion are his two hunting dogs the brightest stars in these two constellation are Sirius, the brightest star in our night sky, and Procyon which is the 8th brightest star in the night sky. Both are nearby neighbours to our Sun at 8.7 and 11.4 light years respectively.

The Pointers (Alpha and Beta Centauri) and Crux, the Southern Cross, can be found half way up the southern sky, by midnight they will overhead, the Diamond and False Crosses are nearby.

Scorpius (Te Matau a Maui/The Hook of Maui) is rising in the south-east. Look for the red star Antares/Rehua marking its heart and a lovely curve of stars that marks the Scorpion’s body/ fish. Astronomically, the Sun moves across through Scorpius over just one week, from November 23 – November 30, the Sun then spends the dates from 30 November to 17 December moving across the constellation of Ophiuchus.

12 – 15 April

Jupiter is low in the west after sunset and will be joined by the crescent Moon over the weekend; they will be at there closest on Monday evening. Saturn can be seen rising in the east, by midnight it will be high in the north appearing as bright yellow ‘star’. Small telescopes will reveal the rings and at least one moon.

After sunset the Pointers and Crux, the Southern Cross can be found half way up the southern sky, by midnight they will overhead, the Diamond and False Crosses are nearby.

With the crescent Moon reappearing in our evening sky this weekend it is still a good opportunity to check out the faint glow of the Milky Way and the two clouds of Magellan that sit near Achernar. All three are galaxies and the Milky Way (Te Ika Roa/The Long Fish) is our galaxy and forms the mottled glow running from the southeast to northwest after sunset.

Scorpius (Te Matau a Maui/The Hook of Maui) is rising in the south-east. Look for the red star Antares/Rehua marking its heart and a lovely curve of stars marks the Scorpion’s body/ fish hook. Antares is a red giant star about 550 light years away and a mass of 12 times that of the Sun.

15 – 17 March

Comet Pan-STARRS has left our sky and is now gracing the northern hemisphere evening sky. Comet Lemmon C/2012 F6 is still in our but is still only visible in binoculars.

This will be the last few weeks to catch Jupiter in the west after sunset; during April we lose Jupiter in to the twilight sky.

Saturn will rise in the east after twilight and by midnight it will be high towards the north appearing as bright yellow ‘star’. Small telescopes will reveal the rings and at least one moon.

After sunset the Pointers and Crux, the Southern Cross are half way up the southern sky whilst the Diamond and False Crosses are overhead.

With the crescent Moon reappearing in our evening sky this weekend is a good opportunity to check out the faint glow of the Milky Way and the two clouds of Magellan that sit near Achernar. All three are galaxies and the Milky Way (Te Ika Roa/The Long Fish) is our galaxy and forms a mottled glow running from the southeast to northwest after sunset.

By midnight our winter constellation Scorpius (Te Matau a Maui/The Hook of Maui) will have risen in the south-east heralding the arrival of autumn. Look for the red star Antares markings it heart.

8 – 10 March

Comet Panstarrs will low in the west after sunset and will be lost to view early next week! The comet is closest to the Sun on the 10th of March when it will be about 50 million km from the Sun.

Comet Lemmon C/2012 F6 is below and to the right of Achernar. Binoculars will reveal the nucleus and coma with a faint tail.

After sunset the Pointers and Crux, the Southern Cross, can be seen half way up the southern sky whilst the Diamond and False Crosses are almost overhead. The region between Crux and the false cross contains large numbers of star clusters and nebulae that can be seen with unaided or in binoculars.

Canopus the second brightest star in the night sky is also high overhead.

Jupiter is in the northwest sky after sunset, the Pleiades/Matariki star cluster can be found below Jupiter. Saturn will rise in the east around 11 pm.

Here is a link to the monthly Jodcast that Carter produces that looks at what is happening in the southern sky: http://www.jodcast.net/

1 – 3 March

Comet Panstarrs has now reached naked eye visibility! It is in the south-west after sunset and will continue to brighten over the weekend. The comet has a nice tail and a bright nucleus.

Comet Lemmon C/2012 F6 is below Achernar and is also brightening. Binoculars will reveal the nucleus and coma with a long, but faint, tail.

The Pointers and Crux, the Southern Cross, are now half up the south-eastern sky whilst the Diamond and False Crosses are almost overhead after sunset.

Canopus the second brightest star in the night sky is also high overhead.

Jupiter is in the northwest sky sunset and is still a great target for binoculars or telescopes. Jupiter will set in the west around midnight by which time Saturn has risen in the east. The Pleiades/Matariki star cluster can be found not far from Jupiter.