The pre-dawn planet show we sky-watchers have been enjoying in June will continue into July, but some changes are on the way as we progress through the month. Mercury’s orbit will swing it past the Sun where it will emerge on the other side of our star between July 25th to the 29th. Look for Mercury in the west around 8:30 pm on the 29th when it lies just below and left of a crescent Moon. The combination of the orbital movements of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn; and also that of Earth, will cause these planets to appear to rise sooner, although still in the very late evening or very early morning eastern skies.

Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are all moving toward opposition later this year when they will all be at their closest to Earth and at their greatest brightness in over a year.

Saturn rises before 11 pm in early July and from 1 am to dawn will be favorably placed for viewing. Saturn brightens this month and telescopic views will be great; its rings system tilted 13 degrees to our line of sight. Saturn will be just above and left of the waning gibbous Moon on July 15th.

Jupiter rises just after midnight on July 1st and an hour before on July 31st. It brightens too in July. Best views occur in the hours just before dawn when it will be the highest in the sky, and telescopic views will reveal many surface features, while binoculars will show its 4 brightest Moons as jewels on either side of the giant planet.

Mars rises around 2 am in the east and slowly brightens throughout the month. Mars will still appear small even in telescopes, but when at opposition in December it will be more than 2 times bigger and much brighter. This will be something to look forward to seeing; a special holiday gift for us this year!

Venus dominates the eastern sky before dawn and appears close to a number of bright stars during the month as it moves along its orbit. Venus is just above Aldebaran (Taurus) on July 1st; passes just above Orion July 16 to 18; and just below a nice waning crescent Moon on July 26.

Earth reaches aphelion in its elliptical orbit; farthest point from the Sun on July 4th. July’s Full Moon is on the 13th.

All seven of the major planets will gather in the pre-dawn eastern sky this month. This is a relatively rare event, although I recall a similar line-up about 20 years ago, but in the early evening western sky.

On the morning of June 24th looking east about 1 hour before sunrise, the 5 “naked eye” planets will span the eastern sky in order of distance from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be seen, looking from left to right along a gently rising line of some 100 degrees along the ecliptic. The waning crescent Moon will also be nearby. All will be visible with the unaided eye.

Uranus and Neptune are also in the mix though binoculars will be needed to spot them. Uranus will be just east(left) of the Moon, and Neptune will be just west (right) of Jupiter. Mercury (magnitude +0.5) will be lowest to the horizon, and Venus (magn. –3.9) will be above and right. The Moon will be next in line mid-way from Venus toward the next planet, Mars (magn. +0.5). Jupiter (magn. –2.4) is next, followed by Saturn (magn. +0.4). These magnitudes (brightness) will help sky-watchers pin-point each planet. Also on the mornings before and after June 24th, the Moon will be closer to Mars or Venus respectively.

With no planets visible in the evening it is worth while to look at the Moon. A two day old crescent Moon will be just below the 2 brightest stars in Gemini; Castor and Pollux, just after sunset on June 1st. On June 5th the Moon will be near Regulus; Leo’s brightest star. The gibbous Moon is close to Spica (in Virgo) on June 9th, and the Full Moon is June 14th.

Saturn will be best viewed an hour before sunrise when it is at its highest in the sky. Jupiter, also well up then, offers the most visible surface details for those with telescopes. Mars’s surface features remain challenging even in telescopes this month even as it brightens. Venus is brightest of all, and on June 26th the Pleiades star cluster may be seen just above Venus and Mercury.

Overall June will be an excellent month for sky-watchers to enjoy!

A TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE MOON is the highlight for Sky-Watchers in May this year, occurring on the evening of May 15th and the early morning hours of May 16th across the USA! Meanwhile there will be plenty of planet activity in the eastern early morning skies before sunrise for us to enjoy. East coast observers will see the entire eclipse in a dark sky, while in the Mid-West, the Full Moon will rise already partially inside the Earth’s shadow.

The Moon enters the deep umbra part of Earth’s shadow at 10:27 pm EDT. The first sign of the eclipse will be a grayish creep across the Moon giving way to a reddish-orange coloring. Totality (Moon completely inside Earth’s shadow)will last from 11:29 pm to 12:53 am EDT (85 minutes long). Mid-totality is at 12:11 am EDT (May 16th). Partial phases last until 1:55 am EDT. (Remember Central time zones times are an hour earlier.)

Make plans to check out this eclipse several times during the 3 hour 25 minute total length of it to enjoy the fullness of it! We will have plenty of time to do so —– so long as skies are clear!

A decent Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks on the morning of May 4th, looking east around 4 am. The radiant (from where meteors appear to come) remains low, so fewer meteors may be seen this year because of approaching dawn, but take a look anyway. Ten to twenty meteors, very fast moving, may be expected to be seen per hour.

Saturn rises around 3 am in early May and by 1 am at the end of the month. It is in good position to be seen easily in the southeast sky an hour before dawn. The Moon will be just below the ringed planet on May 22nd.

Mars is up by 4 am on May 1st and by 3 am on May 31st. Mars, which is brightening, will be very close to much brighter Jupiter on the morning of May 25, with the Moon passing just below the pair of planets. On May 29th Mars will be just below Jupiter around 5 am in the eastern sky. Jupiter will also appear close to Venus in early May. Venus, often called “the morning star,” is the brighter of the two planets, and is the brightest object in the sky after the Moon and Sun all month. (Jupiter is next brightest).

April, the first full month of spring, beckons sky-watchers to rise early to catch some fine planetary action before dawn all month. The LYRID meteor shower will also put on a decent show around mid-April. MERCURY will give us its best evening appearance of 2022, and a spectacular conjunction of Venus and Jupiter will occur on April 30.

Mercury rises higher above the western horizon all month, becoming an easy object to spot by April 16th. Mercury will remain above the western horizon for 75 minutes after sunset. We will be able to see the soft glow of the PLEIADES star cluster above Mercury. By April 27 to 29 Mercury’s motion will close the gap so that it will be seen just below the Pleiades.

All other planets will be seen in the eastern sky before dawn. Jupiter will already be visible when Mars rises around 5 am local time during the first week of the month. Saturn and Venus will arrive about 2 hours before sunrise; with Venus being the brightest and therefore easiest to see. Saturn will be to the right and just below Venus, and Mars (the dimmest), will be to Saturn’s upper right. On April 5th, Mars and Saturn will be so close as to almost touch one another.

Venus will start to move away from (to the left) Mars and Saturn during the next two weeks of April, and by April 24th, the waning crescent Moon will be seen below Saturn; and below Mars on the 25th, and below Venus on the 26th. On April 27th, look for the Moon below Jupiter, with Venus just to right of the giant planet.

The grand finale of the April planet show will be on the 30th. Jupiter and Venus, the two brightest planets in the solar system as seen from Earth, will be seen less than the width of the Moon apart!! Though there will be more Jupiter/Venus conjunctions over the next few years, but none this close will happen until November of 2039!!

This month’s annual meteor shower, the Lyrids, peaks on the night of April 16th. Look to the eastern sky two-thirds of the way up from horizon to zenith around 3 to 4 am. After this, the rising waning gibbous Moon will brighten the skies making it harder to see meteors. At best, we can expect 15 to 20 meteors per hour.

April’s Full Moon is April 16th; one day before Easter!

Our night sky begins to tell us that spring is just around the corner as Zodiac constellation, LEO, appears well up in our east-southeastern skies in early to mid-March. Leo is a fairly bright constellation recognized by a “backwards” question mark front end, and a triangle-shaped back end. First magnitude star, REGULUS, is at the bottom of the question mark.

Spring begins officially on March 20th at 11:33 am EDT. (the Vernal Equinox). For several days around this date day-time and night-time hours are nearly equal. (about 12 hours each). Day length will gradually increase going forward into the next months.

Ground Hog Day, February 2nd, marked the exact mid-point between the Winter Solstice (December) and the Vernal Equinox. Though the Ground Hog and his shadow (seen or un-seen) has no astronomical significance, many ancient cultures recognized February 2nd as important. It told them that winter was half gone and that the warmer spring and higher Sun were drawing near.

All visible planets will be found in our eastern skies before dawn this month. Venus dominates as the brightest; rising a full 2 hours before the Sun. Mars comes up a half hour later in early March and the two seem to draw quite close. Saturn is up a little bit later, and by mid month a triangle will be formed with Venus at the top, Mars to bottom right, and Saturn to bottom left.

The best scene of the month brings all three planets and a 26 day old waning crescent Moon together. On March 28th the Moon will be just below Mars, while Venus and Saturn will be close to each other and only 6 degrees above the Moon. Binoculars should capture them all in one field of view, 30 to 40 minutes before sunrise.

Full Moon this month will be on March 18th.

Jupiter approaches conjunction with the Sun this month, but before it does, we can still spot it low in the western sky for an hour after sunset during the first week of February. As of February 4th, Saturn is in conjunction with the Sun, so it is already our of sight. But it will re-appear in the morning eastern sky by the end of February.

All other planet action takes place in the pre-dawn eastern sky.

Venus will be unusually bright during the first half of February making it impossible to miss. Its extra brightness is due to its elliptical orbit bringing it closer to Earth than usual. (38 million miles compared to 43 million miles). It will be up two hours before the Sun.

Mars, though much fainter, joins Venus beginning on February 9th just below and to the right of it. On February 27th the waning crescent Moon may be seen below and right of Mars.

Mercury is also visible an hour before sunrise to the east (left) of Mars from February 15th to February 28th. Saturn joins the planet group at the end of February appearing very low and to the left of Mercury.

Binoculars will help us to see all 4 planets and the crescent Moon before sunrise on the last 3 days of the month. Looking ahead to March will find Jupiter joining the 4 planets, so that during the first week of March there will be 5 planets spanning some 50 degrees of our sky along the path of the zodiac (ecliptic)!

February Full Moon is on the 16th. Meanwhile, continue to look south all month and enjoy the bright winter constellations encircling Orion. Included in those 6 constellations are 8 of the top 20 brightest stars in the sky!

2022 will prove to be another great year for Sky-Watchers with plenty of events to watch including a total lunar eclipse in May. Three outer planets will be at opposition (their best and brightest) in the second half of the year. Saturn on August 14th; Jupiter on September 26th; and Mars on December 8th.

January opens the year with a great lineup of 4 planets in the southwestern sky soon after sunset. The crescent Moon will slide underneath all 4 planets for several nights early in the month. And Mars will be found in the morning sky before dawn moving through the rich Milky Way star fields of Sagittarius.

Start looking near the southwest on January 1st for brilliant Venus. By January 8th it will have pulled in front of the Sun and be lost to view until late January when it will come up before the Sun rises in the southeastern sky. Venus will set 1 hour after sunset from January 1st to January 7th. Just to its upper left is Mercury. A very thin crescent Moon is also upper left of Venus slightly past Mercury. Saturn will be found nearby about 12 degrees above the Moon, and even further to the left look for Jupiter, noticeably brighter than Mercury or Saturn.

As Venus appears to sink toward the Sun (January 1st to the 7th), Mercury will appear to rise toward Saturn. By January 12th and 13th these two planets will appear very close (just 3 degrees apart). Mercury will still set an hour after sunset through January 17, but by January 23 it too will disappear in front of the Sun.

Saturn will drop in altitude all month and will be lost in the glare of the Sun by January 20th. Check out Saturn close to the Moon on January 5th.

Jupiter will remain visible all month, but by January 31st it will start to disappear into the glare of the Sun, so look for it earlier in the month.

The Quadrantid meteor shower, usually one of the better ones each year, peaks around January 3rd. It is centered in the northeastern sky in the direction of Bootes, Hercules, and Lyra. As with most meteor showers the early morning hours are the best viewing time, so look for the Quadrantids around 4 am. But dress warmly; remember it is winter! Expect anywhere from 30 to 60 meteors per hour from this shower. Active dates are from December 29th through January 12th, with the January 3rd peak.

Full Moon will be on January 17th.

We close 2021, which was a great year for Sky-Watchers filled with many observing treats in our night skies, with a December filled with planets, meteors, and maybe, a bright comet. Venus will peak in maximum brightness just after sunset, and the annual GEMINID meteor shower will peak on December 14th. And it is possible that a comet will reach unaided eye visibility in mid-December!

Venus will be the first planet to appear, low in the south-western sky. On December 4th it will be so bright that we will be able to see it even in bright twilight after sunset. The slim waxing crescent Moon will be very close to Venus on December 16th.

Comet C/2021/A1 (Leonard) MIGHT be visible on December 15th to the 17th, just below Venus, and it may be visible without optical aid. But scan the area below Venus with binoculars first to find it. Comets are small masses of the same materials that make up planets that travel in elongated orbits around the Sun. From time to time comets may become visible to us as their orbits bring them closer to the Sun, and therefore, closer to us. They grow in brightness due to reflected light from the Sun, producing no light of their own. They are cold objects. And as they break up due to the Sun’s heat and energy, they will sport streaming tails. It will be worth while for us to look for this comet especially since it may approach naked eye brightness. It will be around for about a week before it dips below the western horizon.

Saturn will be found to the left (east) of Venus, still among the stars of Capricornus. It is bright but much, much dimmer than Venus. The Moon will be below Saturn on December 7th. Jupiter is left (east) of Saturn and still quite bright. The waxing Moon stands below Jupiter on December 8th and Jupiter will be seen to the right (west) of the Moon on the 9th. Both Saturn and Jupiter will be setting by 9 pm at the end of December so look for them before that.

The annual Geminind meteor shower will peak in the early morning hours of December 14th looking west. The Moon will interfere with seeing the meteors until it sets at 3 a.m. local time, so plan on looking from 4 a.m. until dawn. Geminids may produce up to 120 meteors per hour on some occasions.

Our annual Planetarium Christmas Program returns this month to the Kent County High School at 7:00 p.m. on December 16th, and 17th; and again on December 20th, 21st, and 22nd. This year’s title, CHRISTMAS SIGNS AND TRUTHS, explores the truth about some familiar Christmas traditions, while telling the usual Christmas story, and blending in a good dose of astronomical stars and treats. We invite our community to come out and see what will be our 34th Xmas program —- highlighting the work of our Kent County High School astronomy and radio station students —- and accepting it as our holiday gift to everyone. Add it to your own annual Christmas tradition!

May God bless all of you —- Sky-Watchers —— one and all!!!! Merry Christmas!!!!

On Friday November 19th, the Sun, Earth, and the Moon will line up and most of the Moon will pass through Earth’s shadow. Though this will be a nearly TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE; it will be close. Ninety-seven per cent of the Moon will be inside Earth’s shadow.

The eclipse will start at 1:02 am EST as the Moon enters the lighter part of Earth’s shadow (called the penumbra). The eclipse really gets going when the Moon enters the umbra (darker part of the Earth’s shadow at 2:18 am EST. The Moon will slide through this darkest part of the shadow for almost 3 1/2 hours. Lunar eclipses last long enough for sky-watchers to observe the progress of the eclipse and then go away for awhile and come back to observe it again. All told from start to finish, the Moon will be in the penumbra shadow for 6 hours! (1:02 am to 7:03 am).

Because this will not be a full total eclipse, it will not be as dark as usual. But only 3% of the Moon will be outside the umbra, so it will be interesting for us to watch this eclipse to see exactly how dark it will be. The eclipse will take place in the region of the sky where the constellation Taurus the bull resides. It will be a very interesting night!

On November 7th we shift back to standard time (at 2 am on Sunday November 7th). All month three bright planets continue to dominate our evening skies; Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn.

Venus, the brightest of the three, sits the lowest to the horizon. But it is so bright that it can be seen within 1/2 hour of sunset and will remain visible for 90 minutes after the Sun goes down above the southwestern horizon. On November 7th a slim crescent Moon may be seen to the right of Venus.

Sky-watchers with binoculars should look at Venus on November 14th and look for a misty smudge of light just above it. This is M 22, a globular star cluster, one object from a list of some 100 clusters, galaxies, and nebulae collected by French astronomer Charles Messier back in the late 1700’s. This list of objects remains popular today for backyard telescope owners to locate with their scopes.

By the end of November Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter will span a 35 degree arc from southwest to south, looking back to the left of Venus. Between November 7 and 11 the waxing crescent Moon will trace along this line of planets.

Saturn comes into view as twilight descends and will not set until 11:30 pm on November 1st; by 9:30 by November 30th. The Moon will be nearest Saturn on November 9th and 10th. Jupiter is very bright and easily spotted left (east) of Venus. Jupiter sets around midnight. Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s cloud belts remain highlights for telescope viewers all month.

It will be a busy month for all sky-watchers with the eclipse and the planets —— and, in November we start to get a glimpse of the bright winter constellations peaking up above the eastern horizon.