Upcoming Events for ASNH members
Saturday, April 5, 7:00-10:00 pm
Regional Water Authority, Lake Gaillard, North Branford, CT
Observing session
Saturday, May 10, beginning at sunset
Ansonia Nature Center, Ansonia, CT
Observing session
Saturday, May 17, beginning at sunset
Cub Scout Famoree
Camp Cedarcrest, Orange, CT
Telescope observing at this annual meeting of hundreds of scouts and their parents
Saturday, June 21, 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Summer solstice picnic
Sleeping Giant State Park Pavillion, Hamden, CT
Night Sky Highlights for April, May, and June 2014
Solar System
Total eclipse of the Moon
Early morning of April 15, 2014 This will be one of the highlights of the spring, but you will need to get up in the middle of the night or early morning to see it. If you are an early riser, just look for the Moon out a window facing south or west. Here is the schedule (Eastern Daylight Time):
- Partial eclipse begins at 1:20 am
- Total eclipse begins at 3:07 am
- Total eclipse ends at 4:25 am
- Partial eclipse ends at 5:33 am
Meteors from Comet 209P LINEAR
Saturday, May 24, around 3:00 am
This could be the most exciting astronomical event of the spring, or it could be nothing much at all. Meteor astronomers Esko Lyytinen and Peter Jenniskens predict that debris from this comet could produce a spectacular meteor shower, possibly with up to 400 meteors per hour! The meteors should appear to radiate from the constellation Camelopardalis in the northern sky. Be forewarned that predicting meteor activity is very difficult, and this is a one-of-a-kind event and no one knows for sure what will happen. But as the saying goes in meteor watching, one thing that is certain is that you will not see any meteors if you are asleep in your bed. It also seems certain that wherever the sky is clear, many amateur astronomers will not be sleeping in the early morning hours of May 24.
Mars
The red planet will be visible all spring, but it makes it closest approach to Earth in April. It will then be a bright reddish-orange object rising in the eastern sky after sunset. Its color is easy to see with the naked eye. With a telescope, the challenge is to spot its surface markings and white polar cap.
Jupiter
This is the brightest object in the evening sky other than the Moon. It will be high in the southwest after sunset on April evenings, and by June it will be low in the western sky and harder to observe.
Saturn
The ringed planet is always a favorite at star parties and public observing sessions. In 2014, Saturn resides in Libra, and it does not rise until late in the evening in early April. It rises at about sunset in mid-May, and after that it will be ready for telescoping viewing as the sky darkens in May and June.
Mercury
The best time to view this fast-moving planet in the evening sky is in late May and early June. It is not hard to see with the naked eye if you have an unobstructed view of the western horizon. It will be highest in the western sky after sunset on May 24. If it is clear, it may be possible to get a telescopic view of Mercury right after sunset at the Silver Sands or Young’s Pond observing sessions that weekend.
Venus
Throughout the spring and summer months, Venus will be the brightest object in the eastern sky before sunrise.
Deep Sky Objects
On any clear, moonless night, there are countless deep-sky objects to hunt down. Listed here are a few of the best ones visible during the spring. These are some of the objects we like to show guests at the public observing sessions. They are presented in order of their right ascension, so those listed first are best seen in the early spring, and the last ones in late spring or early summer.
Messier 42, the Orion Nebula
Diffuse nebula in Orion
The great nebula of Orion is still high in the evening sky during April. It can be dimly seen with the naked eye as a fuzzy star in the sword of Orion, and it is a beautiful sight through binoculars or a telescope.
Messier 41
Open cluster in Canis Major
Just about 3 degrees down from Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, this large open cluster is easy to see in binoculars, and it is an impressive sight through a telescope with a low-power eyepiece.
Messier 44, the Beehive Cluster
Open cluster in Cancer
Dimly visible to the naked eye from a dark site, this is good binocular target.
Messier 81 and 82
Galaxies in Ursa Major
This is one of the nicest pairs of galaxies visible through amateur telescopes.
Messier 104, the Sombrero Galaxy
Galaxy in Virgo
Shaped like the hat, this galaxy is fairly dim, but it can be seen fairly well through a medium or large aperture telescope.
Messier 3
Globular cluster in Canes Venatici
This is one of the brightest globular clusters in the sky. It can be seen any telescope, but the bigger the scope, the more impressive the view.
Messier 13
Globular cluster in Hercules
Considered by some to be the best globular cluster in the northern hemisphere, the Hercules cluster is best seen when it is overhead in mid-summer, but by June it is high enough in the east to get a decent view.
Messier 57, the Ring Nebula
Planetary nebula in Lyra
This fascinating object, which resembles a smoke ring when viewed through a telescope, is also best viewed later in the summer, but it can be seen quite well late in the evening in June.