The Solar Almanac

This month's events in astronomy.

[jellobiafrasays]

A Dictionary of Existentialism (1960 ed.)

[thesolaralmanac]

Is every page blank because I have to provide my own meanings?

[thesolaralmanac]

I bet Tumblr will flag this.

[thesolaralmanac]

Planets at Dusk

Mercury and Jupiter can be found right after sunset in early November 2018. The crescent Moon will hang above Jupiter on Nov 8 and Mercury on Nov 9, making these planets easy to find.

The red star Antares (α Sco) lies below Mercury. Seen through a telescope, Mercury is approaching last quarter phase.

Click map to enlarge.

Map: Computed for viewers in the western USA. Up is up: Your southwest horizon is at foot of image. Tools: Binoculars necessary, telescope helpful. Best time to look: 15+ minutes after sunset. Do not wait until dark. Duration: November 8-9, 2018.

[thesolaralmanac]

Planets After Dark

Venus and Mercury return to the evening sky in December 2014.

This is the time to test your binocular skills at dusk, as Venus passes close to the stars of Sagittarius.

A beautiful conjunction of the Moon and Venus occurs on December 22, with the Moon 7˚ to the right of Venus. A similar conjunction occurs on December 24, with Venus 7˚ to the right of Mars.

Map: Looking southwest at sunset. Zenith is up. Computed for a customer in the Southwest USA.

Visibility: Binoculars necessary. Duration: At dusk, all month.