2009 -
International Year of Astronomy
October **
November **
December
and
Year of Science 2009
A.D. 2009
**
September
Current Year |
Astro Calendar |
Astro Calendar |
Planets |
Astronomical Glossary
Click here for links to the
Moon, planets, star clusters, stars, and other astronomical terms referred to in this Astronomical Calendar.
Planets Defined --
Planet Mercury *** Planet Venus *** Planet Earth: Aphelion *** Perihelion *** Perihelion of Earth
Moon of Earth: Apogee *** Perigee *** Moon Phases: Phases of Moon Defined -- New Moon *** First Quarter *** Full Moon *** Last (or "Third") Quarter
Planet Mars *** Planet Jupiter *** Planet Saturn *** Planet Uranus *** Planet Neptune *** Dwarf Planet Pluto
NEWS: Astronomy, Space, Science |
History of Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, Pittsburgh |
2009 -
International Year of Astronomy
and
Year of Science 2009
* Mars - From Earth's perspective, Mars appears too close to the Sun for viewing for most of January. Mars begins to appear in the morning sky, near Mercury, at the end of the month, but viewing is difficult low in the east-southeast.
* Saturn - Constellation: Begins year in Leo the the Lion and moves into Virgo the Virgin on Sept. 2 where it resides for the rest of 2009. Rises in the east in late evening and is highest in the southern sky around 4:00 a.m. At beginning of month, Saturn's rings are inclined only 0.81 degree towards Earth, resulting in the rings being nearly edge-on and barely visible in a telescope (only such appearance for the next 15 years). On Jan. 1, Saturn begins a retrograde loop (it moves opposite from the standard motion of planets, from day-to-day, in relation to the background stars).
* Venus - Brilliant Venus continues to dazzle observers in the west-southwest after sunset.
* Jupiter - Constellation: Begins month in Sagittarius, but quickly moves into Capricornus by January 4 (with Mercury) where it stays for rest of 2009. As month begins, Jupiter appears only 1.3 degrees northwest of Mercury, low in the west-southwest evening sky, just after sunset. After beginning of month, Jupiter sinks toward conjunction (Jupiter not visible) with the Sun on Jan. 24 at 1:00 a.m. EST.
* Saturn - Constellation: Begins year in Leo the the Lion and moves into Virgo the Virgin on Sept. 2 where it resides for the rest of 2009. Rises in the east in late evening and is highest in the southern sky around 4:00 a.m. At beginning of month, Saturn's rings are inclined only 0.81 degree towards Earth, resulting in the rings being nearly edge-on and barely visible in a telescope (only such appearance for the next 15 years). On Jan. 1, Saturn begins a retrograde loop (it moves opposite from the standard motion of planets, from day-to-day, in relation to the background stars).
Moon of Earth: Apogee *** Perigee *** Moon Phases: Phases of Moon Defined -- New Moon *** First Quarter *** Full Moon *** Last (or "Third") Quarter
Planet Mars *** Planet Jupiter *** Planet Saturn *** Planet Uranus *** Planet Neptune *** Dwarf-Planet Pluto
* Mars- Constellations: begins month in Capricornus the Sea-Goat then moves into Aquarius the Waterbearer on March 11. At the beginning of month, difficult to find as it rises in glow of sunrise. Later in month, it rises during twilight before sunrise.
* Jupiter - Can be seen just above east-southeast horizon about 30 to 40 minutes before sunrise.
* Saturn - Constellation: eastern portion of Leo the Lion. Saturn reaches opposition on March 8 (4:00 p.m. EDST). Then, it rises in the evening around sunset, transits around local midnight (highest point in the sky, each day), and sets in the morning around sunrise. Through a telescope, Saturn will look unusual as the rings will be difficult to see. The rings are nearly edge-on, as observed from Earth; the rings are only inclined 2.57 degrees toward Earth.
* Asteroid and Dwarf Planet Ceres - Constellation: On March 1 moves from Leo the Lion to Leo Minor the Smaller Lion; re-enters Leo the Lion on March 29. Ceres reached opposition on Feb. 25 (10:00 a.m. EDST). It rises in the evening around sunset, transits around local midnight (highest point in the sky, each day), and sets in the morning around sunrise. At vusual magnitude 6.9-7.0, Ceres is closest to the Earth since 1857; Ceres will not be this close to Earth again until A.D. 4164. For observers with good eyesight, Ceres may be visible to the naked-eye; however, it can be found with a telescope by most people.
* Saturn - Constellation: eastern portion of Leo the Lion. Saturn reaches opposition on March 8 (4:00 p.m. EDST). Then, it rises in the evening around sunset, transits around local midnight (highest point in the sky, each day), and sets in the morning around sunrise. Through a telescope, Saturn will look unusual as the rings will be difficult to see. The rings are nearly edge-on, as observed from Earth; the rings are only inclined 2.57 degrees toward Earth.
* Asteroid and Dwarf Planet Ceres - Constellation: On March 1 moves from Leo the Lion to Leo Minor the Smaller Lion; re-enters Leo the Lion on March 29. Ceres reached opposition on Feb. 25 (10:00 a.m. EDST). It rises in the evening around sunset, transits around local midnight (highest point in the sky, each day), and sets in the morning around sunrise. At vusual magnitude 6.9-7.0, Ceres is closest to the Earth since 1857; Ceres will not be this close to Earth again until A.D. 4164. For observers with good eyesight, Ceres may be visible to the naked-eye; however, it can be found with a telescope by most people.
Moon of Earth: Apogee *** Perigee *** Moon Phases: Phases of Moon Defined -- New Moon *** First Quarter *** Full Moon *** Last (or "Third") Quarter
Planet Mars *** Planet Jupiter *** Planet Saturn *** Planet Uranus *** Planet Neptune *** Dwarf-Planet Pluto
* Mars - Constellations: in Cetus from May 1 through 4, then returns to Pisces. For most of May, Venus follows Mars (Venus about 6 degrees behind Mars) through the Constellation Pisces.
* Jupiter - Becomes visible by mid-month at dawn. Mon. May 25, 8:00 a.m. EDST - Jupiter 0.4 degree south of Neptune.
* Saturn - Begins month in retrograde motion; becomes stationary on May 17, whereby it resumes direct (eastward) motion agains the background stars. On May 15, it transits (highest point in the sky that evening) at 7:32 p.m. local mean time; its rings have opened to an inclination of 4.2 degrees, widest the rings will be seen until late November.
Moon of Earth: Apogee *** Perigee *** Moon Phases: Phases of Moon Defined -- New Moon *** First Quarter *** Full Moon *** Last (or "Third") Quarter
Planet Mars *** Planet Jupiter *** Planet Saturn *** Planet Uranus *** Planet Neptune *** Dwarf-Planet Pluto
* Venus - Continues to dominate the early morning sky. By June 5, rises about a half-hour after astronomical twilight begins, in northern USA.
* Mars - In Constellation Aries the Ram. * Fri., June 19, 10:00 a.m. EDST - Venus 2 degrees south of Mars; * Fri., June 19, 1:00 p.m. EDST - Mars 6 degrees south of Moon.
* Jupiter - Rises in late evening and transits (highest in sky for day) at 4:21 a.m. local mean time on June 15. This bright planet begins retrograde loop on June 15, before it reaches opposition on 2009 August 14 at 2:00 p.m. EDST.
* Dwarf Planet Pluto - In Constellation Sagittarius. Tue., June 23, 4:00 a.m. EDST - Dwarf Planet Pluto at opposition (visible all-night long, with difficulty in a telescope); due to location with many Milky Way background stars, better viewed in years when Pluto is away from the background Milky Way.
* Saturn - Transits (highest in sky for day) in late afternoon, at mid-month, and sets near local midnight, in the northern hemisphere. On June 15, Saturn's rings are inclined at 3.7 degrees.
* Dwarf Planet Pluto - In Constellation Sagittarius. Tue., June 23, 4:00 a.m. EDST - Dwarf Planet Pluto at opposition (visible all-night long, with difficulty in a telescope); due to location with many Milky Way background stars, better viewed in years when Pluto is away from the background Milky Way.
Moon of Earth: Apogee *** Perigee *** Moon Phases: Phases of Moon Defined -- New Moon *** First Quarter *** Full Moon *** Last (or "Third") Quarter
Planet Mars *** Planet Jupiter *** Planet Saturn *** Planet Uranus *** Planet Neptune *** Dwarf-Planet Pluto
* Mars - (July 2: moves from Constellation Aries the Ram into Taurus the Bull) Venus and Mars continue to stay fairly close together in the east in the morning sky. Nice grouping of Venus, Mars, waning crescent Moon and Hyades Star Cluster on morning of Saturday, July 18.
* Jupiter - (Constellation: Capricornus) Rises late evening and shines brightly in south at dawn. Mon., July 13, 3:00 p.m. EDST - Jupiter 0.6 degree south of Neptune.
* Jupiter - (Constellation: Capricornus) Rises late evening and shines brightly in south at dawn. Mon., July 13, 3:00 p.m. EDST - Jupiter 0.6 degree south of Neptune.
* Saturn - (Constellation: Leo the Lion) Fairly high in western sky at dusk, but decends after sunset. Saturn's rings appear quite thin (open only 2.7 degrees by mid-month). Consequently, Saturn's brightness has lessened to magnitude 1.1. This is one of the very rare times when Saturn is this faint in the sky.
Moon of Earth: Apogee *** Perigee *** Moon Phases: Phases of Moon Defined -- New Moon *** First Quarter *** Full Moon *** Last (or "Third") Quarter
Planet Mars *** Planet Jupiter *** Planet Saturn *** Planet Uranus *** Planet Neptune *** Dwarf-Planet Pluto
* Mars - Constellation: moves from Taurus the Bull to Gemini the Twins on Aug. 26. Fri., Aug. 28, 10:00 p.m. EDST - Mars 0.8 degree south of Open Star Cluster M35.
* Jupiter - Fri., Aug. 14, 2:00 p.m. EDST - Jupiter at opposition: Jupiter visible all-night long. Jupiter rises near sunset, transits (highest in sky) near local midnight, and sets near local sunrise. At this opposition, Jupiter is closer than normal, and hence, it appears signficantly larger than normal: 48.95 seconds of arc in diameter. On July 19, amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley of Murrumbateman, Australia noticed an impact mark on Jupiter. What Hit Jupiter?
* Neptune - Constellation: Capricornus (eastern portion of constellation). Mon., Aug. 17, 5:00 p.m. EDST - Neptune at opposition: Neptune visible all-night long in telescopes only!
* Jupiter - Fri., Aug. 14, 2:00 p.m. EDST - Jupiter at opposition: Jupiter visible all-night long. Jupiter rises near sunset, transits (highest in sky) near local midnight, and sets near local sunrise. At this opposition, Jupiter is closer than normal, and hence, it appears signficantly larger than normal: 48.95 seconds of arc in diameter. On July 19, amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley of Murrumbateman, Australia noticed an impact mark on Jupiter. What Hit Jupiter?
* Saturn - Becoming more difficult to see as it gets closer to the Sun by the end of the month. Also, dimmer than usual due to rings being nearly edge-on; rings not easily visible. Ring-plane passage occurs Sept. 4, but will not be observable.
* Neptune - Constellation: Capricornus (eastern portion of constellation). Mon., Aug. 17, 5:00 p.m. EDST - Neptune at opposition: Neptune visible all-night long in telescopes only!
Moon of Earth: Apogee *** Perigee *** Moon Phases: Phases of Moon Defined -- New Moon *** First Quarter *** Full Moon *** Last (or "Third") Quarter
Planet Mars *** Planet Jupiter *** Planet Saturn *** Planet Uranus *** Planet Neptune *** Dwarf-Planet Pluto
* Mars
* Jupiter
* Uranus - Constellation: western portion of Pisces.
* Jupiter
* Uranus - Constellation: western portion of Pisces.
Moon of Earth: Apogee *** Perigee *** Moon Phases: Phases of Moon Defined -- New Moon *** First Quarter *** Full Moon *** Last (or "Third") Quarter
Planet Mars *** Planet Jupiter *** Planet Saturn *** Planet Uranus *** Planet Neptune *** Dwarf-Planet Pluto
* Jupiter
* Uranus - Constellation: western portion of Pisces.
* Jupiter
* Uranus - Constellation: western portion of Pisces.
Moon of Earth: Apogee *** Perigee *** Moon Phases: Phases of Moon Defined -- New Moon *** First Quarter *** Full Moon *** Last (or "Third") Quarter
Planet Mars *** Planet Jupiter *** Planet Saturn *** Planet Uranus *** Planet Neptune *** Dwarf-Planet Pluto
NEWS: Astronomy, Space, Science |
History of Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, Pittsburgh |
