We are proud to present you wih another edition of Marshall's night sky events this week! Welcome, we hope you find something of interest! Let us know in the replies if you did, we would love to hear about it! We have also started a look back at events this week in history, hope you enjoy the new segment.
Let's get started by examining the highlights of the night sky this week, 15-21 APRIL 2024. As usual we will list the highlights and discuss a few. We hope you find this info useful and if you have anything you wish to discuss or add, please hit the "Reply" button below and let us know!
Please note that all images are from Stellarium, the link to the webpage is here: http://stellarium.org/ All other information is freely gathered from various websites, Apps, planetarium software and social media. We would encourage you to download and print your finder charts more specific to your location, the charts/graphics included are for basic guidance only. Many websites like Sky maps.com will allow you to download and print out a free planisphere for each month, link: https://www.skymaps.com/
EVENTS
15th) - Moon at first quarter at 19:13
18th) - Mercury 2° North of Venus
20th) - Conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus.
20th) - Moon at apogee - 02:10
PLANETS
Mars and Saturn, rise soon after dawn begins. Look for them just above the east-southeast horizon about 45 minutes before sunrise. They widen from 2½° apart on the morning of April 13th to 6½° on the 20th.
Jupiter, magnitude –2.1 in Aries, is in the west-southwest in twilight. It sets less than an hour after full dark.
Uranus, A mere 1½° above Jupiter early in the mornings this week. Low altitude and lingering twilight make this one a hard catch. Uranus and Jupiter will be in conjunction with Uranus ½° to Jupiter's upper right, by the 20th these will be much lower!
COMETS
12P/Pons-Brooks
It returns for the first time in 70 years. It brightened about 1 mag in outburst on Apr. 3. Now it is 3.8 mag (Apr. 5, Yoshimi Nagai). It will turn to fade out rapidly after the peak. In the Northern Hemisphere, it will be unobservable soon. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is not observable now, but it will be observable soon.
- Pons ZO.png (105.62 KiB) Viewed 243 times
- Pons ZI.png (53.32 KiB) Viewed 243 times
C/2021 S3 (PANSTARRS)
It brightened up to 9.6 mag from February to March (Feb. 25, Thomas Lehmann). Now it is 9.8 mag (Apr. 3, Marek Biely). It will fade out rapidly after this. In the Northern Hemisphere, it stays observable in good condition. In the Southern Hemisphere, it will be unobservable in May.
- Pann ZO.png (97.94 KiB) Viewed 243 times
- Pann ZI.png (97.56 KiB) Viewed 243 times
C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)
It will approach to Sun down to 0.4 a.u. in late September, and it is expected to brighten up to 0 mag. Now it is 11.3 mag (Apr. 2, Stephane Garro). It will brighten rapidly after this. In the Northern Hemisphere, it will be getting lower gradually after this, and it will be unobservable in July. In the Southern Hemisphere, it stays observable in good condition. At the high light, in the Northern Hemisphere, it will be observable in good condition after the
- Tscuh ZO.png (71.85 KiB) Viewed 243 times
- Tsuch ZI.png (39.87 KiB) Viewed 243 times
13P/OLBERS
It returned for the first time in 68 years. It will brighten up to 7.5 mag in summer. Now it is 10.4 mag (Apr. 2, Osamu Miyazaki). It will brighten rapidly after this. It locates somewhat low in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, it will be unobservable soon.
- Olbers ZO.png (103.37 KiB) Viewed 243 times
- Olbers ZI.png (56.25 KiB) Viewed 243 times
STARS
Betelgeuse
Betelgeuse has stopped fading. Orion's red supergiant, always a slow variable star, lost 0.3 or 0.4 magnitude (visual) from late January to early March, prompting speculation that another "great dimming" might be starting like its one in winter 2000. But for the last 5 weeks or so Betelgeuse has held at about mag +0.7.
SIRIUS
Have you ever tried for Sirius B?
Sirius A and B are now at their widest apparent separation in their 50-year orbit, 11 arcseconds apart, and will remain so for the next couple years before they start closing up again.
T Coronae Borealis
A star system, located 3,000 light-years away from Earth, is predicted to become visible to the unaided eye soon. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity as the nova outburst only occurs about every 80 years. T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, last exploded in 1946 and astronomers believe it will do so again between February and September 2024. Plan ahead just in case!
Full article in link below.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/ ... ern-crown/
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
15th)25 years ago, in 1999, Landsat 7 is launched, becoming at the time the most accurately calibrated Earth-observing satellite.
16th) 52 years ago, in 1972, Apollo 16 is launched to land on the Moon.
17th) 150 years ago, in 1874, the French astronomer Jerome Coggia discovers Comet Coggia (C/1874 H1, the Great Comet of 1874).
69 years ago, in 1955, Albert Einstein dies of a rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, in Princeton, New Jersey.
57 years ago, in 1967, Surveyor 3 is launched for the Moon.
54 years ago, in 1970, Apollo 13 splashes down in the South Pacific Ocean and is retrieved by the USS Iwo Jima.
17 years ago, in 2007, the first Columbian satellite, Libertad 1, is successfully launched.
12 years ago, in 2012, the retired shuttle Discovery is flown atop a 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft to Dulles airport in Washington.
10 years ago, in 2014, the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) makes a planned impact on the Moons surface.
18th) 234 years ago, in 1790, Caroline Herschel discovers her fourth comet, Comet C/1790 H1 (Herschel).
16 years ago, in 2008, the first Vietnamese satellite, Vinasat-1, is successfully launched.
6 years ago, in 2018, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is launched by NASA aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
19th) 62 years ago, in 1962, NASA announces that the Friendship 7 spacecraft will be lent to the U.S. Information Agency for a world tour, known as the "fourth orbit of Friendship 7".
53 years ago, in 1971, the USSR launches the first space station, Salyut 1.
49 years ago, in 1975, India launches the nations first satellite, Aryabhata.
23 years ago, in 2001, the shuttle Endeavour (STS-100) launches, bringing the Canadarm2 to the
23 years ago, in 2001, Chris Hadfield, aboard the
12 years ago, in 2012, the retired shuttle Discovery is delivered to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Virginia for public display.
20th) 57 years ago, in 1967, Surveyor 3 is the second craft to make a soft landing on the Moon.
52 years ago, in 1972, Apollo 16 lands on the moon.
51 years ago, in 1973, Canada's Anik A2 communications satellite is launched.
20 years ago, in 2004, Gravity Probe B (GP-B) is successfully launched by NASA to measure spacetime curvature near the Earth.
21st) 30 years ago, in 1994, the Clementine lunar probe finishes its systematic mapping of the Moon.
11 years ago, in 2013, Orbital ATK's Antares rocket makes its maiden flight.
SPACE LAUNCHES 15-21 2024
15th) Long March 2D | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China 04:10 AM
17/18th) Starlink Group 6-51, Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral,
17th) WorldView Legion 1 & 2, Falcon 9 Block 5, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA, 08:30 PM GMT
19th) Starlink Group 6-52, Falcon 9 Block 5, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA, 12:40 AM GMT
International Space Station
We highly recommend using "Spot the station" from NASA to find out when the International Space station will be passing over your location. This is a fun object to see flying high above, try using binoculars here, lot's of fun!
For the HAM radio enthusiasts among you, please keep a eye on the ARISS website for upcoming contacts or SSTV broadcasts for when the International Space Station is within range. There are several HAMS on board the
This video below is from the
