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Astronomical Glossary
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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
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* Jupiter - Constellation: Ophiuchus (through November). Shining brightly in morning sky, rises about an hour before morning twilight at the beginning of the month. During the middle of the month, rises between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. for middle lattitude locations. Jan. 5: passes 5 degrees north of Star Antares.
* Venus - First half of month: southwest evening twilight. Second half of month: west-southwest evening twilight. Begins month fairly low in bright twilight; by end of month, northern observers will see it set in fully dark sky.
* Saturn - Constellation: Leo the Lion (all year). Rises about a half-hour after Astronomical Twilight by the middle of the month. It is highest in the sky (60 degrees) around 2:00 a.m. at middle lattitudes. The tilt of Saturn's rings (southern side of rings visible in 2007 and 2008) increases (allowing a better view of the rings) from 12.6 degrees in early January to 15.4 degrees in the middle of April.
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 - at mid-month rises between 2:00 and 3:00 local time and is about 30 degrees high in south-southeast sky at morning twilight.
* Saturn - Constellation: Leo the Lion (all year). At opposition on Feb. 10 (2:00 p.m. EST, officially) when it rises near sunset, transits near local midnight, and sets near sunrise. The tilt of Saturn's rings (southern side of rings visible in 2007 and 2008) increases (allowing a better view of the rings) from 12.6 degrees in early January to 15.4 degrees in the middle of April.
* Venus - Brightly visible in the early evening sky in the west-southwest. Sets about 37 minutes after astronomical twilight at mid-month.
* Saturn - Constellation: Leo the Lion (all year). At opposition on Feb. 10 (2:00 p.m. EST, officially) when it rises near sunset, transits near local midnight, and sets near sunrise. The tilt of Saturn's rings (southern side of rings visible in 2007 and 2008) increases (allowing a better view of the rings) from 12.6 degrees in early January to 15.4 degrees in the middle of April.
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 - in Costellation Capricornus. Difficult to find as it rises at morning twilight in east-southeast.
* Jupiter - in Costellation Ophiuchus. At mid-month, rises around 1:00 in mid-northern lattitudes. Crosses meridian (highest point in sky for day) at about 25 degrees during late morning twilight.
* Saturn - At about 10:00 p.m., crosses meridian (highest point in sky for day) and sets about one half-hour after morning twilight begins in west-northwest. The tilt of Saturn's rings (southern side of rings visible in 2007 and 2008) increases (allowing a better view of the rings) from 12.6 degrees in early January to 15.4 degrees in the middle of April.
* Saturn - At about 10:00 p.m., crosses meridian (highest point in sky for day) and sets about one half-hour after morning twilight begins in west-northwest. The tilt of Saturn's rings (southern side of rings visible in 2007 and 2008) increases (allowing a better view of the rings) from 12.6 degrees in early January to 15.4 degrees in the middle of April.
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 - April 2: moves into different constellation, from Capricornus to Aquarius. Rises as twilight begins to brighten the sky.
* Jupiter -
* Saturn - In Constellation Leo the Lion, nearing the Constellation Cancer. It now has been in four months of retrograde motion; resumes direct (eastward) motion on April 20.
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
** Asteroid or Minor Planet Vesta - Opposition on May 30 (at visual magnitude 5.4), a rare time when Vesta is one-power visible (i.e. visible with just naked-eye), without the use of optical assistance. While near opposition, Vesta is visible most of the time after sunset and before sunrise. It is visual magnitude 6.0 on May 1 and June 30, still a one-power visual object, so the months of May and June is a time when Vesta is one-power visible from areas with a dark sky.
* Jupiter - By mid-month, rises in mid-evening with transit, at about 25 degrees altitude, around 1:30 a.m. It sets later in the morning.
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 - Constellation: Ophiuchus. At opposition on June 5; hence, it rises near sunset, transits near local midnight, and sets near sunrise.
** Asteroid or Minor Planet Vesta - Opposition on May 30 (at visual magnitude 5.4), a rare time when Vesta is one-power visible (i.e. visible with just naked-eye), without the use of optical assistance. While near opposition, Vesta is visible most of the time after sunset and before sunrise. It is visual magnitude 6.0 on May 1 and June 30, still a one-power visual object, so the months of May and June is a time when Vesta is one-power visible from areas with a dark sky.
** Dwarf Planet Pluto - In the Constellation Sagittarius and near the "Milky Way" on the border of the Constellation Serpens. Reaches opposition on June 19. (Telescope recommended for viewing)
* Venus - Continues to dazzle evening viewers, with a maximum separation from the Sun on June 9 (greatest elongation east: 45 degrees). It appears on the northern edge of the Beehive Star Cluster (M44) on June 12 and 13.
** Asteroid or Minor Planet Vesta - Opposition on May 30 (at visual magnitude 5.4), a rare time when Vesta is one-power visible (i.e. visible with just naked-eye), without the use of optical assistance. While near opposition, Vesta is visible most of the time after sunset and before sunrise. It is visual magnitude 6.0 on May 1 and June 30, still a one-power visual object, so the months of May and June is a time when Vesta is one-power visible from areas with a dark sky. (Although experienced observers can find Vesta with the naked-eye, telescope recommended for viewing)
* Jupiter - Constellation: Ophiuchus. At opposition on June 5; hence, it rises near sunset, transits near local midnight, and sets near sunrise.
* Saturn - At mid-month, can be found getting ready to set in the west after sunset; it sets in the west-northwest in late evening. Close to the waxing crescent Moon on the evening of June 18.
** Dwarf Planet Pluto - In the Constellation Sagittarius and near the "Milky Way" on the border of the Constellation Serpens. Reaches opposition on June 19. (Telescope recommended for viewing)
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: In Aries the Ram until July 27, when it moves into Taurus the Bull. Rises just before the beginning of twilight, and is fairly high in the eastern sky by the beginning of morning Astronomical Twilight.
* Jupiter - Transits the Meridian (highest point in the sky) in the southern sky around 9:00 p.m. on July 15 and sets around 2:00 a.m.
* Jupiter - Transits the Meridian (highest point in the sky) in the southern sky around 9:00 p.m. on July 15 and sets around 2:00 a.m.
* Saturn - Constellation: Leo the Lion. Sets in the west-northwest near the end of evening twilight. Venus is in conjunction with Saturn on July 2. On evening of July 16, good binocular grouping of the young crescent Moon, Venus, Saturn, and the Star Regulus.
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 - Begins August in Constellation Sextans, where it stays for half of the month. It then moves to the Constellation Hydra, before returning a week later to the Zodiac in the Constellations of Leo and Cancer. At beginning of month, position in Sextans, combined with being well south of the ecliptic, means visibility greatly varies with lattitude location on Earth; Venus is low on western horizon (approx 5 degrees altitude above horizon) by sunset, for mid-lattitude northern observers. August 18, 12:00 Midnight EDST - Venus in inferior oonjunction with Sun; Venus visible with very great difficulty in Northern Hemisphere, due to nearness of Sun (DO NOT use telescope or binoculars to attempt viewing thin crescent Venus, due to POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO EYE if Sun accidentally enters telescope or binoculars!!!) After inferior conjunction, southern hemisphere observers can view the waxing crescent Venus low in the eastern morning sky; northern hemisphere observers have to wait until the last week of August.
* Mars - In Constellation Taurus the Bull, and passes the northern part of the Hyades on August 19, 5 degrees from Star Aldebaran [which is fainter than Mars]. By the middle of the month, Mars rises shortly before Midnight and is high in the east at morning astronomical twilight.
* Neptune - In Constellation Capricornus all year. August 13, 2:00 p.m. EDST - Neptune at opposition (Neptune visible after sunset and before sunrise, with difficulty).
* Venus - Begins August in Constellation Sextans, where it stays for half of the month. It then moves to the Constellation Hydra, before returning a week later to the Zodiac in the Constellations of Leo and Cancer. At beginning of month, position in Sextans, combined with being well south of the ecliptic, means visibility greatly varies with lattitude location on Earth; Venus is low on western horizon (approx 5 degrees altitude above horizon) by sunset, for mid-lattitude northern observers. Aug. 18, 12:00 Midnight EDST - Venus in inferior oonjunction with Sun; Venus visible with very great difficulty in Northern Hemisphere, due to nearness of Sun (DO NOT use telescope or binoculars to attempt viewing thin crescent Venus, due to POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO EYE if Sun accidentally enters telescope or binoculars!!!) After inferior conjunction, southern hemisphere observers can view the waxing crescent Venus low in the eastern morning sky; northern hemisphere observers have to wait until the last week of August.
* Mars - In Constellation Taurus the Bull, and passes the northern part of the Hyades on August 19, 5 degrees from Star Aldebaran [which is fainter than Mars]. By the middle of the month, Mars rises shortly before Midnight and is high in the east at morning astronomical twilight.
* Jupiter - Stationary on August 7, then resumes direct [westward] motion in the sky. By mid-month, is near the meridian by sunset and sets in west-southwest just before midnight.
* Saturn - Sun's glare quickly makes Saturn very difficult to view in the northern hemisphere, at the beginning of the month, although southern hemisphere observers can still see Saturn, with some difficulty, in the bright evening twilight during part of the second week of August. August 21, 6:00 p.m. EDST, Saturn in conjuntion with the Sun.
* Neptune - In Constellation Capricornus all year. August 13, 2:00 p.m. EDST - Neptune at opposition (Neptune visible after sunset and before sunrise, with difficulty).
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: Taurus the Bull. At mid-month, rises late evening in east; highest in sky near sunrise.
* Saturn - After Aug. 21 conjunction with Sun, Saturn becomes visible, with difficulty, in rising in east in bright morning twilight in Sept. Sept. 2, Saturn is very close to bright star Star Regulus (Saturn 50 minutes of arc north-northeast of Regulus); Saturn and Regulus continue rising together, getting higher in the sky, through Oct.
* Uranus - Constellation: Aquarius--all year. At opposition Sept. 9 and visible, with difficulty, with the naked-eye throughout the late evening and early morning, in sites with little light-pollution.
* Mars - Constellation: Taurus the Bull. At mid-month, rises late evening in east; highest in sky near sunrise.
* Jupiter - Sets in mid-evening in west.
* Uranus - Constellation: Aquarius--all year. At opposition Sept. 9 and visible, with difficulty, with the naked-eye throughout the late evening and early morning, in sites with little light-pollution.
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 - Shines like a beacon in the east-southeast before sunrise.
* Mars - In Constellation Gemini the Twins, begins retrograde motion Nov. 15 - Rises in east in mid-evening, and remains in sky through sunrise; highest in sky around 3:00. By month's end, Mars appears brightest at magnitude -1.2.
* Saturn - Rises in east-northeast shortly after Midnight and is highest in the sky around sunrise. Saturn is at quadrature on Dec. 1, when the planet's shadow on the rings is greatest; hence, at this time Saturn looks most three-dimensional.
* Jupiter - Sets in west-southwest in early evening, near end of evening twilight.
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 dazzling morning skywatchers. By the end of the month, Venus rises about an hour or so before morning twilight.
* Mars - Constellations: Begins in Gemini the Twins and, by Dec. 30, retrogrades into Taurus the Bull. On Christmas Eve (at 3:00 p.m. EST), Mars reaches opposition, when it rises around sunset, transits (highest point in sky) around local Midnight, and sets around sunrise. Dec. 19 marks closest approach of Mars to Earth, marking its brightest appearance for this two-year cycle.
* Saturn - In quadrature on Dec. 1; when planet's shadow on the rings is most pronounced, and the planet looks most three-dimensional. Rises late evening and transits (highest point in sky) around 5:00. Saturn's retrograde loop begins Dec. 20 (7:00 a.m. EST)
* Mars - Constellations: Begins in Gemini the Twins and, by Dec. 30, retrogrades into Taurus the Bull. On Christmas Eve (at 3:00 p.m. EST), Mars reaches opposition, when it rises around sunset, transits (highest point in sky) around local Midnight, and sets around sunrise. Dec. 19 marks closest approach of Mars to Earth, marking its brightest appearance for this two-year cycle.
* Jupiter - Constellations: After being in Ophiuchus for the earlier portion of 2007, Jupiter moves into Sagittarius on Dec. 2. By the middle of December, Jupiter is lost in the glare of the Sun as it approaches solar conjuntion (Jupiter not visible) on Dec. 23 at 1:00 a.m. EST.
* Saturn - In quadrature on Dec. 1; when planet's shadow on the rings is most pronounced, and the planet looks most three-dimensional. Rises late evening and transits (highest point in sky) around 5:00. Saturn's retrograde loop begins Dec. 20 (7:00 a.m. EST)
* Mercury - Reaches superior conjunction: Dec. 17, 10:00 a.m. EST.
* Jupiter - Constellations: After being in Ophiuchus for the earlier portion of 2007, Jupiter moves into Sagittarius on Dec. 2. By the middle of December, Jupiter is lost in the glare of the Sun as it approaches solar conjuntion (Jupiter not visible) on Dec. 23 at 1:00 a.m. EST.
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
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History of Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, Pittsburgh |
