The British Astronomical Association Handbook 2017
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THE HANDBOOK OF THE BRITISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION 2017 2016 October ISSN 0068–130–X CONTENTS PREFACE . 2 HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2017 . 3 CALENDAR 2017 . 4 SKY DIARY . .. 5-6 SUN . 7-9 ECLIPSES . 10-15 APPEARANCE OF PLANETS . 16 VISIBILITY OF PLANETS . 17 RISING AND SETTING OF THE PLANETS IN LATITUDES 52°N AND 35°S . 18-19 PLANETS – EXPLANATION OF TABLES . 20 ELEMENTS OF PLANETARY ORBITS . 21 MERCURY . 22-23 VENUS . 24 EARTH . 25 MOON . 25 LUNAR LIBRATION . 26 MOONRISE AND MOONSET . 27-31 SUN’S SELENOGRAPHIC COLONGITUDE . 32 LUNAR OCCULTATIONS . 33-39 GRAZING LUNAR OCCULTATIONS . 40-41 MARS . 42-43 ASTEROIDS . 44 ASTEROID EPHEMERIDES . 45-50 ASTEROID OCCULTATIONS .. ... 51-53 ASTEROIDS: FAVOURABLE OBSERVING OPPORTUNITIES . 54-56 NEO CLOSE APPROACHES TO EARTH . 57 JUPITER . .. 58-62 SATELLITES OF JUPITER . .. 62-66 JUPITER ECLIPSES, OCCULTATIONS AND TRANSITS . 67-76 SATURN . 77-80 SATELLITES OF SATURN . 81-84 URANUS . 85 NEPTUNE . 86 TRANS–NEPTUNIAN & SCATTERED-DISK OBJECTS . 87 DWARF PLANETS . 88-91 COMETS . 92-96 METEOR DIARY . 97-99 VARIABLE STARS (RZ Cassiopeiae; Algol; λ Tauri) . 100-101 MIRA STARS . 102 VARIABLE STAR OF THE YEAR (T Cassiopeiæ) . .. 103-105 EPHEMERIDES OF VISUAL BINARY STARS . 106-107 BRIGHT STARS . 108 ACTIVE GALAXIES . 109 TIME . 110-111 ASTRONOMICAL AND PHYSICAL CONSTANTS . 112-113 INTERNET RESOURCES . 114-115 GREEK ALPHABET . 115 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS / ERRATA . 116 Front Cover: Northern Lights - taken from Mount Storsteinen, near Tromsø, on 2007 February 14. A great effort taking a 13 second exposure in a wind chill of -21C (Pete Lawrence) British Astronomical Association HANDBOOK FOR 2017 NINETY–SIXTH YEAR OF PUBLICATION BURLINGTON HOUSE, PICCADILLY, LONDON, W1J 0DU Telephone 020 7734 4145 PREFACE Welcome to the 96th Handbook of the British Astronomical Association. The Handbook tries to highlight forthcoming astronomical events for the year but there are always events that can be missed, or are entirely unpredictable, like comets, asteroid close approaches, aurorae, etc. Make sure you watch the BAA’s website for the latest news. Also, make sure you are receiving the e-bulletins by keeping your email up to date with the BAA office. Once again we would also encourage everyone to join their local astronomical society to try equipment, talk to like-minded people, and to give and receive help. It can take a long time to choose the right equipment and learn how to use it, so make the most of your local society. The BAA’s Sections can help too. Contact the Section Directors, who will be pleased to help. You may also like to consider getting involved with the annual events organised as part of World Space Week (4-10 Oct.). This is an international celebration of all things SPACE and focuses on science and technology and its role in the past, present and future of mankind. World Space Week currently consists of space education and outreach events held by space agencies, aerospace companies, schools, planetaria, museums, and astronomy clubs around the world. (http://www. worldspaceweek.org/). Unfortunately we are restricted by the number of pages that we can include in the Handbook. This does mean that some things will have to be left out. However, the Computing Section does try to publish all additional data on the section website (http://britastro.org/computing). Members may also like to know that the Computing Section provides the data for the Royal Astronomical Society’s Diary. Finally, we must thank all the contributors to the Handbook. You will find them acknowledged on page 116. A big thank you also to all the proof readers, and my wife Sue - for all the cups of Tea! Contact details for many of these can be found at the back of every Journal. Alternatively, email the Director, Steve Harvey (address below) and messages can be forwarded to those concerned. Clear skies for 2017 ! Steve Harvey Director, Computing Section Email: [email protected] July 2016 2 Preface BAA Handbook 2017 HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2017 The following events during 2017 are worthy of note: Sun and Moon: There will be four eclipses (two of the Sun and two of the Moon). One of the solar eclipses will be a total eclipse and one an annular eclipse. The total will be visible as a small partial eclipse from the North West of the UK, at sunset. One lunar eclipse is penumbral - visible in its entirety from the UK, and the other is partial - visible at moonrise. Planets, Dwarf Planets and Asteroids: Mercury is best seen (northern latitudes) in the mornings around mid September and late December (for southern latitudes it is best seen in the latter half of May). In the evenings it is best seen around late March to mid-April (mid July to mid-August for southern latitudes). Venus is an evening object until mid March, reaching inferior conjunction on 25 Mar., and then a morning object until late November. Conjunctions occur with Mars (5 Oct.) and Jupiter (13 Nov.). Mars is visible in the evenings until mid-June. A close passage of asteroid 2012 TC4 (~20 m in size) occurs on 12 Oct. - although its orbit is approximate it is not predicted to hit the Earth. Meteors: Among the meteor showers, the Lyrids (22 Apr.), the Orionids (21-24 Oct.), the Leonids (17 Nov.) and the Gemi- nids (14 Dec.) are very favourable. The Quadrantids (3 Jan.), the Eta Aquarids (5-6 May), and the Ursids (22-23 Dec.) are favourable in 2017. The Perseids (12 Aug.) are quite favourable. Comets: The short period comet 2P/Encke comes to perihelion on March 10 and could be a binocular object in the evening sky by mid-February. 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak comes within 0.15 au of the Earth in early April and should be a binocular object at that time. C/2015 V2 (Johnson) comes to perihelion on June 12 when it is at opposition in Bootes. It could reach 6th or 7th magnitude and is well placed from northern hemisphere prior to perihelion. Refer to the BAA Comet Section for latest info : http://britastro.org/comet Space Probes and Artificial Satellites: The Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Dragon V2 capsules are planned for launch, thus restoring capabili- ties for human spaceflight for the USA (since retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011). The Cassini probe is scheduled.