Snake River Skies the Newsletter of the Magic Valley Astronomical Society
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Snake River Skies The Newsletter of the Magic Valley Astronomical Society December 2020 MVAS President’s Message Membership Meeting See President’s Message for December Centennial Observatory Due to the need to maintain social Colleagues, distance during the Covid-19 pandemic, access to the observatory It is argued that one cannot fight the weather. However, we have learned that we dome is one small group at a time. st can adapt and deal with it. The weather was indeed a challenge to the Dec. 21 Faulkner Planetarium Jupiter-Saturn conjunction. I was at the Herrett Center with Chris Anderson that See inside for Details day, and the two planets stayed behind the clouds until the very last moment. Even www.mvastro.org in that case, I was unable to image the two because the battery on my laptop went out. However, because the two still stayed close, I was able to do some imaging Club Officers the next day, but again the wind and clouds weakened the images. Robert Mayer, President Not only does astronomy give us the opportunity to learn to adapt, but it also [email protected] requires us to take a longer perspective. Too often, I get wrapped up with what dim planetary nebula a high-power eyepiece in a large aperture telescope can look like Gary Leavitt, Vice President at that moment, but I often forget that astronomy is just as pleasurable at wider [email protected] fields of view over longer periods of time. Stepping outside in the evening to watch the two planets come together and then separate over the past four five weeks has Dr. Jay Hartwell, Secretary been not only fascinating to watch, but a reminder to disconnect from the instant- connection world we live in. If you ever need another slower moment like that, but Jim Tubbs, Treasurer / ALCOR don’t have the time, get online and find out when Algol dims again. [email protected] 208-404-2999 Meanwhile, January is the time for the annual telescope clinic. Again, with COVID- 19 restrictions, we’re going to have to go with video. I will be sending out a meeting David Olsen, Newsletter Editor link later. While these Zoom meetings can be a challenge, I am looking forward to [email protected] setting up this one, as I get to set up some telescopes and discuss. That will be at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9. Rick Widmer, Webmaster Lastly, I am a little nervous about writing this, but there were some significant steps [email protected] forward in trying to get star parties to go live over Youtube or Facebook watch. I think we are one test away from finding out. Keep your fingers crossed. Magic Valley Astronomical Society is a member of the Astronomical League Clear Views Rob Mayer M-51 imaged by Rick Widmer & Ken Thomason Herrett Telescope - Shotwell Camera Calendar January 2021 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Last Quarter MVAS General Moon Meeting see president’s msg. for details Centennial Observatory Visible: 49% ↓ Public Star Party Age: 22.24 Days 6:15p - 9p 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Centennial New Moon Observatory Tuesday 6:15-9:00pm Visible 0% Age: 0.32 Days 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 First Quarter Moon Visible 46% ↑ Age: 7.04 Days 24/31 25 26 27 28 29 30 Centennial Full Moon Observatory 12:18 pm Tuesday 6:45-9:00pm Visible 100% Age: 14.46 Days Wolf Moon Snake River Skies is the Newsletter of the Magic Valley Astronomical Society and is published electronically once a month. Snake River Skies © 2021by David Olsen for the Magic Valley Astronomical Society, All Rights Reserved. Images used in this newsletter, unless otherwise noted, are in the public domain and are courtesy of NASA, Wikimedia, or from MVAS File Photos. Full Moon names follow the traditional various First Nations history. Be Careful – Be Safe – Get Out There – Explore Your Universe November Celestial Calendar by Dave Mitsky All times, unless otherwise noted, are UT (subtract 7 hours and, when appropriate, 1 calendar day for MST) 1/2 The Earth is at perihelion (147,093,463 kilometers or 91,399,454 miles distant from the Sun) at 13:51 1/3 The peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower (40 to 120 or more per hour) is predicted to occur at 14:30; the Moon is 4.5 degrees north of the first-magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) at 2:00 1/4 The latest sunrise of the year at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today 1/5 Mercury is at its southernmost latitude from the ecliptic plane (-7.0 degrees) at 9:00 1/6 Last Quarter Moon occurs at 9:37 1/7 The latest onset of morning twilight of the year at latitude 40 degrees north occurs today; the Moon is 6.4 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) at 0:00; the Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to begin at 7:08 1/9 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32’ 32" from a distance of 367,389 kilometers (228,284 miles), at 15:37 1/10 Mercury (magnitude -0.9) is 1.6 degrees southeast of Saturn (magnitude +0.6) at 5:00; the Moon is 5.4 degrees north-northeast of the first-magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 6:00; Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn lie within a circle with a diameter of 2.4 degrees at 19:00; the Moon is at the descending node (longitude 259.7 degrees) at 20:00 1/11 Mercury (magnitude -0.9) is 1.4 degrees southeast of Jupiter (magnitude -1.9) at 19:00; the Moon is 1.5 degrees south of Venus at 21:00 1/12 Venus is at its southernmost declination (-23.2 degrees) at 6:00 1/13 New Moon (lunation 1201) occurs at 12:13; the Moon is 3.2 degrees southeast of Saturn at 23:00 1/14 The Moon, Mercury and Saturn lie within a circle with a diameter of 6.0 degrees at 0:00; the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn lie within a circle with a diameter of 3.8 degrees at 0:00; the Moon is 3.3 degrees southeast of Jupiter at 3:00; the Moon, Mercury and Jupiter lie within a circle with a diameter of 4.0 degrees at 5:00; Pluto is in conjunction with the Sun (35.18 astronomical units from the Earth, latitude -1.2 degrees) at 7:00; the Moon is 2.3 degrees southeast of Mercury at 10:00; Uranus is stationary, with prograde (eastward) motion to commence, at 11:00 1/16 Venus is at the descending node through the ecliptic plane at 12:00 1/17 The Moon is 4.1 degrees southeast of Neptune at 10:00 1/19 The Sun enters Capricornus (ecliptic longitude 299.7 degrees) at 15:00; the Sun's longitude is 300 degrees at 21:00 1/20 The Lunar X (the Purbach or Werner Cross), an X-shaped clair-obscure illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to be fully formed at approximately at 18:31; Mars (magnitude +0.2) is 1.6 degrees north-northwest of Uranus (magnitude +5.8) at 20:00; First Quarter Moon occurs at 21:02 1/21 The Moon is 3.1 degrees southeast of Uranus at 10:00; the Moon, Mars, and Uranus lie within a circle with a diameter of 4.6 degrees at 10:00; the Moon is 4.7 degrees southeast of Mars at 11:00; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29' 33" from a distance of 404,360 kilometers (251,258 miles), at 13:11; asteroid 15 Eunomia (magnitude +8.4) is at opposition in Cancer at 19:00 1/22 Mars is 1.7 degrees north of Uranus at 0:00 1/23 The Moon is 5.7 degrees southeast of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades or Subaru) in Taurus at 10:00; asteroid 4 Vesta (magnitude +7.1) is stationary in Leo at 22:00 1/24 Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation (18.6 degrees) at 2:00; Saturn is in conjunction with the Sun at 3:00; the Moon is 4.0 degrees north of Aldebaran at 4:00; Mercury is at the ascending node through the plane of the ecliptic at 10:00; asteroid 14 Irene (magnitude +9.3) is at opposition in Cancer at 17:00; the Moon is at the descending node (longitude 79.1 degrees) at 22:00 1/26 The Moon is 0.3 degrees north-northeast of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 0:00; Uranus is at eastern quadrature (90 degrees from the Sun) at 13:00 1/27 The Moon is 7.4 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Castor (Alpha Geminorum) at 11:00; the Moon is 3.8 degrees south of the first-magnitude star Pollux (Beta Geminorum) at 16:00 1/28 The Moon is 2.6 degrees north-northeast of the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe) in Cancer at 17:00; Full Moon (known as the Ice Moon, the Moon after Yule, the Old Moon, and the Wolf Moon) occurs at 19:16 1/29 Jupiter is in conjunction with the Sun (6.071 astronomical units from the Earth, latitude -0.63 degrees) at 2:00; Mercury is at perihelion (0.3075 astronomical units from the Sun) at 2:00 1/30 Mercury is stationary, with retrograde (western) motion to commence, at 2:00; the Moon is 4.4 degrees north- northeast of Regulus at 9:00 The Sun, the Moon, & the Planets The Moon is 17.2 days old, is illuminated 97.0%, subtends 31.1 arc minutes, and is located in Gemini on January 1st at 0:00 UT.