Rome Star Gazers

For a great website to locate the planets, go to www.nightskyinfo.com.  This site will tell you about the planets and give you a good star map to locate them (116).

Sunset Sky: (Sunset until 11 p.m.)

Well, Mercury has set in the west so it is not visible.   Saturn has set in the west as well.  In fact, Saturn is in conjunction with the Sun on September 18th.
At sunset, the brightest planet visible to the naked eye is, Jupiter, the Gaseous Giant.  It is high in the southeast as the sky darkens.  You can also spot Uranus low in the east at this time as well if you know where to look and have good clear, dark skies.
Don’t forget to look for Neptune at this time as well.  It will take a pair of binoculars or a small telescope but it is easily within reach if you know where to look.

Late Evening (11 p.m. until 4 a.m.):

Since Jupiter transits around 10 p.m., it will not set in the west until around 3 a.m. or so.  You can also see Uranus and Neptune to the east of Jupiter, following it in a short parade of planets from the east to the west.

Predawn Sky:  (4 a.m. until sunrise)

The early morning sky holds Mars, high in the south east.  Look for its beautiful amber hue.  Next you will unmistakably see Venus, the Morning Star.  Venus is easily the brightest object in the eastern sky before sunrise.  If you have the equipment, look at it through a small telescope to see that it is in a gibbous phase.

It is interesting to note the Venus and Mercury are the only planets that go through the phases like the Moon.

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For a great website to locate the planets, go to www.nightskyinfo.com.  This site will tell you about the planets and give you a good star map to locate them (116).

Sunset Sky: (Sunset until 11 p.m.)

Just as the skies begin to get dark enough to see the brightest stars, we can already see Jupiter shining brightly high in the southeast.  We are losing Saturn in the early sunset sky.   Through a small telescope or pair of binoculars you can see the four Galilean moons and cloud belts which encircle the planet.  This past weekend, we had a group of Civil Air Partol cadets at Richard B. Russell airport looking at Jupiter.  Over the 2.5 hours of our observing session the cadets noticed that they could actually see that a couple of the moons had changed positions.  The Galilean moons move fast enough to see a position change if you look over an hour or so.

Mercury and Saturn were too low to the western horizon to be seen.  I doubt if you will be able to see them this week but if you have clear skies in the west and a good low horizon, you may yet get a glimpse of them.

Late Evening (11 p.m. until 4 a.m.):

Uranus and Neptune are both up this time of the evening.  You will need a good star map and telescope to capture these gems.

Predawn Sky:  (4 a.m. until sunrise)

Around 6:00 a.m. (your time), the sky is bracketed by Jupiter to the west and Venus to the east.  Venus is very bright and unmistakable in its splendor.   In between these two treasures you will find the Red Planet, Mars.   Mars is not as bright as either of the two bookends but it is still a good sight, none the less.  Since it is fairly far away from Earth right now, you will not be able to see much detail but it is still worth a look through a telescope.  By January, it will be quite a bit closer and we will be able to see more features on its surface then.

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For a great website to locate the planets, go to www.nightskyinfo.com.  This site will tell you about the planets and give you a good star map to locate them (116).

Sunset Sky: (Sunset until 11 p.m.)
We are losing Saturn in the early sunset sky.   If you have a very low western horizon, you might still get a glimpse of it but that will be short lived.  Not to fear though, because by the end of September Saturn will be up in the early morning skies, low in the east.
Mercury is in greatest elongation (27 degrees) at 12 noon EDT on Monday (24th), so this is a good time to try to spot the innermost planet.

Late Evening (11 p.m. until 4 a.m.):
Jupiter rises in the east and by this time of night, it is high enough for good observing.  Look for the four Galilean moons and cloud belts.  If your sky is clear enough you can see that the four moons are more than just points of light.  You will be able to see that they are different sizes.  With a small telescope, you might also be able to see a shadow of one of them cross the surface of Jupiter.

Predawn Sky:  (4 a.m. until sunrise)
The early morning sky holds Venus, Mars, and Jupiter.  If you get up before the Sun, the first thing you will notice is Venus to the east.  Then you will notice Jupiter to the west.  Both of these are very bright and easy to spot.
In between the two, you will find Mars.  It is not nearly as bright but its amber hue will give it away.  For an interesting story about Mars, look above.

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For a great website to locate the planets, go to www.nightskyinfo.com.  This site will tell you about the planets and give you a good star map to locate them (116).

Monday (17th), Neptune is at opposition at 5 p.m. EDT.
Tuesday (18th), Mercury passes 3 degrees south of Saturn at 5 p.m. EDT.
Friday (21st). Venus passes 7 degrees south of Pollux at midnight EDT.

Sunset Sky: (Sunset until 11 p.m.)
Mercury and Saturn are closing together in the sunset sky.  To see them, look low on the western horizon just after sunset.  If you have a good low western horizon, this will be beautiful sight.

Late Evening (11 p.m. until 4 a.m.):
Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus are all three high in the sky around midnight.   Jupiter is by far the brightest and most interesting planet.  Look for it Galilean moons and cloud belts.

Predawn Sky:  (4 a.m. until sunrise)
The morning sky holds Mars and Venus.  Mars is not very bright in comparison but still easy to spot.  Look for the amber hue to find Mars.   Venus is extremely easy to spot, high in the eastern sky.   While looking, pan your view to the west and you will still see Jupiter.

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For a great website to locate the planets, go to www.nightskyinfo.com.  This site will tell you about the planets and give you a good star map to locate them (116).

Sunday (2nd) Mercury passes 0.6 degrees north of Regulus at 3 p.m. EDT
Sunset Sky: (Sunset until 11 p.m.)
The early evening sky holds Mercury and Saturn.  Mercury is still lower on the horizon but Saturn is moving toward it in a daily retreat to the sun’s glare.  What is actually happening is, the Earth is orbiting the Sun causing the stars to slide westward in their normal annual progression.  The gaseous planets, because of their great distances move very slowly relative to the stars.  As such, the gaseous planets move along with the starry canopy.  Now, Mercury is a close-to-Earth planet so any movement it makes is more easily observed.  Also Mercury is close to the Sun and orbits very rapidly.  All said and done, Saturn is moving westward with the stars and Mercury is remaining relatively stationary in the sky because of it orbit position about the Sun.  This makes it appear that Saturn is moving toward Mercury.  Boy, am I glad I cleared THAT up.

Late Evening (11 p.m. until 4 a.m.):
The late evening is the best time to observe the Gas Giant, Jupiter.  It will be high in the southern sky and very bright.  It is fun to watch as the four Galilean moons whirl around it.  If you take 30-minute observations of the moons you will be able to detect their motion, particularly if they are in close proximity of the planet.
Friday (14th), Jupiter will be as large and as bright as it has been since the fall of 1999.  It will appear 48.9” across and will shine in at a magnitude -2.9!
Neptune is still very close to Jupiter and you can use it as a pointer to spot Neptune.  This may be your best chance to positively identify this dim planet.   It will take a pair of binoculars to see it.

Predawn Sky:  (4 a.m. until sunrise)
If you rise before the sun and go outside, your heavens will be bracketed by two celestial bookends.  To the east you will see Venus burning in very brightly.  Looking to the west, you will see Jupiter nearly as bright as Venus.   These two planets make for a beautiful pair.  With a little more concentration and scrutiny you will also see the red planet Mars high in the southern sky.  You may hear about how Mars is going to be so big and bright, well, as we have discussed before, it is not true.  Mars is not very big and not very bright.  In fact, Mercury is twice as bright as Mars is this month.
Uranus is also up in the early morning.  Look for it east of Aquarius.  Uranus is not very bright but it can be see under clear dark skies if you know just where to look.

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For a great website to locate the planets, go to www.nightskyinfo.com.  This site will tell you about the planets and give you a good star map to locate them (116).

Sunset Sky: (Sunset until 11 p.m.)
The early evening sky still holds the ringed planet, Saturn.  This is an especially interesting time to view Saturn because the ring plane is nearly facing Earth.  As we look at Saturn you can see that the rings are very thin and less descript.  Although, during this time, we can’t see the rings as well, it is easier for us to see the moons that orbit the planet.

Take note, if you want to see Saturn, you have about 6 weeks before it descends into the sunset sky.  Look low on the western horizon for Saturn as soon as the skies get dark enough for some stars to become visible.

You should also be able to see Mercury low on the western horizon this week as well.  It will be very faint and small but clearly not star like in appearance.  Give it a try.
Late Evening (11 p.m. until 4 a.m.):

During this time of the evening, Jupiter will be fairly high in the southeastern sky.  It is very bright and should be easy to spot with the naked eye.  Jupiter is snuggly positioned between Capricornus and Aquarius.  Looking at Jupiter through a small telescope or pair of binoculars, you will see Jupiter’s cloud belts and four Galilean moons.
Right next to Jupiter you will see the gas giant, Neptune.  In order to spot this one, you will need a small telescope or pair of binoculars.  So when you are finished looking at the Galilean moons, pan your instrument a couple degrees eastward to find Neptune.

Predawn Sky:  (4 a.m. until sunrise)
The order of the predawn planets is Uranus, Mars, and Venus.  Neptune’s twin, Uranus, is much brighter and easier to observe.  Look about 15 degrees east of Jupiter for this planet.  You can see Uranus with your naked eye if you have good clear, dark skies, and know where to look.
The next planet is Mars, the Red Planet.  It is located in Taurus, the Bull.  It is fairly bright and with its amber hue, should be fairly easy to identify.  The only problem you may have is mistaking if for Aldebaran, the red star in Taurus.
Finally, we will spot the easiest planet of the all, Venus, Earth’s Twin.  Looking low on the southeastern horizon, you will spot a very bright light.  That will be Venus.  It is so bright because of its reflective cloud layers.  They are so dense and thick that we have to us x-ray imaging to get a view of the surface of Venus.

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For a great website to locate the planets, go to www.nightskyinfo.com.  This site will tell you about the planets and give you a good star map to locate them (116).

Sunset Sky: (Sunset until 11 p.m.)

This week we can begin to see Mercury low in the western sky around sunset.  It will be low and dim, but you might get a glimpse of it before it sets.  Also, we still have a pretty good view of Saturn with its thin ring structure.  It is still heading toward the western horizon and by September will be lost to the Sun’s setting glare.  But for now, it is still a great show.  Take your small to moderate telescope and give it a good look.  The thin rings are worth the effort.

Late Evening (11 p.m. until 4 a.m.):

As Saturn sets in the west, Uranus rises in the east.  By this time of the evening, Jupiter will be well above the eastern horizon and good for viewing.  Look for its four Galilean moons and cloud belts.  Coupled with Jupiter we still have the other gas giant, Neptune.  It is very dim and you will need a small telescope of pair of binoculars to view it.  Use Jupiter as a good reference point to locate Neptune.  As I mentioned first, Uranus is up and you should be able to spot it with your naked eye if you have good dark skies.

Predawn Sky:  (4 a.m. until sunrise)

The predawn skies hold Mars, the Red Planet, and Venus, Earth’s Twin.  Mars is fairly high and will give itself away by its amber hue.   Venus is easy to spot because it is so bright and brilliant.   You will have a hard time missing this celestial wonder.

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For a great website to locate the planets, go to www.nightskyinfo.com.  This site will tell you about the planets and give you a good star map to locate them (116).

Mercury is in Superior Conjunction on Monday (13th) at 10 p.m. EDT.  This is when Mercury and the Earth are on opposite sides of the Sun from each other.

Sunset Sky: (Sunset until 11 p.m.)

If you’ve not seen Saturn through a small telescope, you are in for a real treat now.  If you look to the southwest at sunset, you will see Saturn high and bright.  Through a small telescope you can just make out the flat rings that encircle the planet.  Later in the year, the rings will disappear for a time and then reappear.  This is due to the angle the rings are tilted or rather not tilted toward the Earth.

Late Evening (11 p.m. until 4 a.m.):

The late evening planet Jupiter is quite a treat as well.  It is especially nice since you can use Jupiter to help you point out Neptune as well.  The two gas giants, Jupiter and Neptune, are hugged together in a celestial dance low on the eastern horizon in the early evening.

Jupiter will pass 6 degrees south of Neptune at 3 p.m. EDT. Jupiter and its four Galilean moons, cloud belts, and large Red Spot are quite a sight.

Predawn Sky:  (4 a.m. until sunrise)

As we said earlier, Mercury is not visible this week.  However, Uranus, Mars, and Venus can easily be seen during the early morning hours in the east.   Uranus is about 15 degrees east of Neptune and is a naked eye object if you know where to look.  Even so, you will need good dark skies.

Mars is still moving westward relative to Venus, so it will be higher in the sky.  To spot Mars, look for its amber hue.
If you are up during the pre-dawn hours, you will have no trouble seeing Venus.  Venus will pass 3 degrees north of Aldebaran in Taurus, the Bull, at 2 p.m. EDT. When you look at Venus, you will notice that it is in a waxing gibbous phase.

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For a great website to locate the planets, go to www.nightskyinfo.com.  This site will tell you about the planets and give you a good star map to locate them (116).

Sunset Sky: (Sunset until 11 p.m.)

The Ringed Planet, Saturn, is well to the west by sunset.  It is still a wonderful object through a small telescope and will remain so for several weeks.  One thing that makes it especially interesting is, the rings become invisible as the Earth passes through Saturn’s ring plane.  This flattening of the rings occurs once every 16 years of so as Saturn orbits the Sun.  Now is a great time to view and appreciate this sight.

Late Evening (11 p.m. until 4 a.m.):

The two gas giants, Jupiter and Neptune, are hugged together in a celestial dance low on the eastern horizon in the early evening.  By 11 p.m., they are high enough in the east to give a good view.  Of course as the evening progresses, they will rise higher for better viewing.
When looking at Jupiter, look at its four Galilean moons and cloud belts and large Red Spot.  These features are always interesting and in constant flux.
Neptune is just 1 degree south of Jupiter and can be seen with a pair of binoculars.  On Friday (10th) you will have a chance to see the Moon, Jupiter and Neptune in one field of view of your binoculars.  This should be a great picture.

Predawn Sky:  (4 a.m. until sunrise)

Uranus, Mars, and Venus can be seen during the early morning hours in the east.   Uranus is about 15 degrees east of Neptune and a bit brighter than its twin.  You can see it with your naked eye if you have good dark skies and know where to look.
Mars is moving westward relative to Venus.  You may recall that a couple weeks ago they passed each other.  Mars has an amber hue to it and it is quite a bit dimmer than Venus.
Venus is extremely bright and easy to spot.  If you look at it through a pair of binoculars you will not be able to see any surface details other than it phase, which happens to be waxing gibbous.
Mercury is hidden in the sun’s glare as it begins to pass between the Sun and Earth.

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For a great website to locate the planets, go to www.nightskyinfo.com.  This site will tell you about the planets and give you a good star map to locate them (116).

Sunset Sky: (Sunset until 11 p.m.)

This week, Saturn is still high enough in the western sky to be a wonderful sight at sunset.  It will remain in the west until around Midnight, when it sets.  You should look for the flat view of the rings around Saturn, this is a fairly unusual view: once every 16 years or so.

Late Evening (11 p.m. until 4 a.m.):

The early evening sky holds my favorite planet, Jupiter.  Jupiter is a large and bright naked eye planet.  With nothing more than a pair of binoculars it easily shows its four Galilean moons and cloud belts.  Not nearly as easy to see is Neptune, which is right next to Jupiter.

Predawn Sky:  (4 a.m. until sunrise)

The early morning planets trail Jupiter and Neptune by an hour or so.  The first planet is Neptune’s twin, Uranus.  This gas giant is a naked eye planet under ideal conditions of clarity and darkness.
Later in the early morning we will see Mars and Venus rise in the eastern sky.  For a while we saw Venus first but now it Mars that rises higher in the sky.  As the week progress, we will see Mars rise earlier each week and Venus rise later, increasing the apparent distance between them.
By now we have lost Mercury to the early morning Sun’s glare.  It will be late July before we can see it again.  Only then it will be in the early evening low on the western horizon.

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