Night Sky Highlights for October-December, 2014
Solar System
Lunar eclipse
Morning of Wednesday, October 8
Unfortunately, the timing of this eclipse of the Moon does not favor the Eastern US, but if the skies are clear we should see at least part of it before dawn. The timing of events is as follows:
4:14 am: Penumbral eclipse begins
5:15 am: Partial eclipse begins
6:24 am: Total eclipse begins
6:59 am: Moon sets
Mars
The red planet is moving east in its orbit around the Sun and so is the Earth, and as a result Mars remains in the southern and western sky in the evenings throughout the fall. It is not especially close to Earth, but its orange-red ball should be visible through a telescope.
Saturn
You can still catch Saturn low in the western sky right after sunset in October, but later in the fall it is too close to the Sun to be seen.
Uranus
Now in Pisces, this greenish planet borders on naked-eye visibility, and it is not hard to find with binoculars or a telescope if you have a good map, such as this one from Sky & Telescope:
http://d366w3m5tf0813.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/WEB_Uranus_Neptune_2014.pdf
Neptune
The link above also provides a finder chart for Neptune, which is in Aquarius, and can be observed with binoculars or a telescope in the evening throughout the fall.
Venus
Venus enters the evening sky in October, but for most of the fall it will be very low in the west after sunset and therefore difficult to see. By mid-December, it will be higher and easier to observe after sunset.
Mercury
Late October and early November provide a relatively good chance to see Mercury in the morning sky before dawn. It will be farthest from the Sun, and therefore easier to observe, on November 1.
Jupiter
Early in the fall, the giant planet does not rise until after midnight, but by December it can be observed in the eastern sky late in the evening.
Geminid Meteor Shower
Peaking on December 13 and 14
With maximum rates of 50 to 130 meteors per hour, the Geminids are considered the most prolific annual meteor shower (even surpassing the popular Perseids of August). The meteors can be seen all night long, but this year the Moon rises about midnight on these dates, so the best viewing may be before the Moon brightens the sky.
Deep Sky Objects
The cool, crisp evenings of autumn often provide good conditions for observing the night sky. Listed here are a few of the most popular targets. More than half of them can be seen, at least dimly, with the naked eye.
Perseus Double Cluster
Pair of open clusters in Perseus
With the naked eye, these two clusters appear as a faint oblong cloud. Through a telescope, hundreds of stars can be seen, including several red giant stars (which have an orange-red tint). This is almost certainly the most impressive pair of open clusters in the night sky.
Messier 15
Globular cluster in Pegasus
At about magnitude 6, this is bright globular cluster is easy to find. A telescope shows its very condensed center and a scattering of stars around the edges.
Messier 27, the Dumbbell Nebula
Planetary nebula in Vulpecula
This is one of the largest and brightest planetary nebulas in the sky. Through large binoculars or a telescope, it has an hourglass shape.
NGC 7000, the North America Nebula
Emission nebula in Cygnus
This nebula’s resemblance to the continent of North America is easy to see in photographs, but it is not at all obvious visually through a telescope. However, this large nebula can be seen quite easily with the naked eye on a dark autumn evening. It appears as a bright patch in the Milky Way, roughly the size of the full Moon, about 1 degree northeast of Deneb, the first magnitude star that marks the tail of Cygnus, the Swan.
Messier 31, the Andromeda Galaxy
Spiral galaxy in Andromeda
The nearest spiral galaxy to our own can be seen with the naked eye on a dark clear night. Through a telescope, its two largest satellite galaxies (M32 and M101) can also be seen.
Gamma Andromeda
Double star in Andromeda
This pair provides a nice telescopic view, with a bright yellow star and a dimmer blue companion separated by about 10 arcseconds.
NGC 6960 and 6992, the Veil Nebula
Supernova remnant in Cygnus
This nebula spans about 3 degrees of sky, but it is dim and not an easy target. However, under dark skies with a large telescope (or a smaller, wide-field scope), considerable detail of its structure can be seen. Using an OIII filter dramatically improves the view.
Messier 45, the Pleiades
Naked-eye open cluster in Taurus
This group is also known as the Seven Sisters, and an observer with good eyesight can see seven or more stars under good conditions. Even under light polluted skies, about five stars can be seen in a tiny dipper shape. This is a great object for binoculars or a telescope with a wide-angle eyepiece.
The Hyades
Naked-eye open cluster in Taurus
This cluster appears large because it is relatively close to us, at about 150 light years. The reddish first-magnitude Aldebaran marks the location of this cluster, but Aldebaran is actually closer to us and not part of the group. Several of the other brightest stars form a V-shape that represents the head of Taurus, the Bull.
NGC 253, the Silver Coin Galaxy
Spiral galaxy in Sculptor
This member of our local galaxy group is low in the southern sky from Connecticut, but it is still well worth tracking down. Its large oval shape can be seen in small telescopes, and with a large scope and a dark sky, the entire galaxy has a mottled appearance.