ON TOPIC: Astro News

Friday, October 14

Now through mid-November, Mars is closer and appears larger
in a telescope than it will again until 2018!

The naked-eye eclipsing variable star Algol should be in
one of its periodic dimmings, magnitude 3.4 instead of its
usual 2.1, for a couple hours centered on 9:12 p.m. EDT
excellent timing for North American skywatchers! Algol takes
several additional hours to fade and to rebrighten.
Saturday, October 15

The brightest star near the zenith soon after dark is Deneb.
Brighter Vega shines off to its west.

Sunday, October 16

As evening twilight fades, look low in the southwest for
brilliant white Venus with orange Antares twinkling just to
its lower left.

A slight partial eclipse of the Moon occurs before or during
dawn Monday morning for western North America and Hawaii.
The eclipse is also visible from Australia, New Zealand, and
the western Pacific Rim on the evening of the 17th local date.

Monday, October 17

Full Moon .

Tuesday, Oct. 18

The Moon shines above brilliant Mars this evening.

Wednesday, Oct. 19

Look for bright Mars shining to the Moon's right and the
Pleiades star cluster just to the Moon's left.

Thursday, Oct. 20

Very high in the northeast these evenings is the landmark
fall/winter constellation Cassiopeia. It's a W-shape tilted
nearly on end. About equally high in the east is the larger
Great Square of Pegasus, another sign of fall.

This Week's Planet Roundup

Mercury is deep in the glow of sunset.

Venus shines brightly in the southwest during dusk.

Mars is in the midst of a grand apparition! It's shining brilliantly
at magnitude -2.1 in Aries near the Taurus border.

Jupiter is hidden in the glare of the Sun.

Saturn rises around 1 a.m. and shines very high in the southeast by dawn.
It's located about midway between Pollux and Regulus. Before dawn brightens,
binoculars will show the Beehive star cluster, M44, above Saturn

Uranus and Neptune are well placed in the south in early evening.

Pluto is disappearing into the glow of sunset.



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The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
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