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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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* Mars - Constellation: Taurus the Bull - Just beyond its Dec. 24 opposition, Mars continies to shine brightly most evening and early morning. It is highest in the sky around 10:00 p.m. Mars enters January in retrograde (western) motion, is stationary on Jan. 30 before resuming direct (eastern) motio.
* Jupiter - Constellation: Sagittarius for all of 2008 - Was in conjunction with the Sun (Jupiter not visible) on Dec. 23, so Jupiter remains barely visible for first half of January. By mid-January, Jupiter rises low in the southeast just before sunrise; by the end of the month Jupiter rises before morning twilight. On Feb. 1, very bright Venus passes 0.6 degree north of bright Jupiter; on Feb. 4, they are joined by waning crescent Moon (with its Earthshine).
* Saturn - Constellation: Leo the Lion for all of 2008 - By mid-January, rises in the east-northeast in mid-evening. It is highest in the sky around 3:00 a.m. The southern side of Saturn's rings are visible in January. The tilt of the rings increases each month through May, then the tilt decreases until very slight at the end of 2008. (Earth passes through Saturn's ring-plane in 2009 Sept.; the Sun in 2009 Aug. This is one of the rare times when Saturn's rings cannot be seen from Earth.)
* Mars - Constellation: Taurus the Bull - Just beyond its Dec. 24 opposition, Mars continies to shine brightly most evening and early morning. It is highest in the sky around 10:00 p.m. Mars enters January in retrograde (western) motion, is stationary on Jan. 30 before resuming direct (eastern) motio.
* Saturn - Constellation: Leo the Lion for all of 2008 - By mid-January, rises in the east-northeast in mid-evening. It is highest in the sky around 3:00 a.m. The southern side of Saturn's rings are visible in January. The tilt of the rings increases each month through May, then the tilt decreases until very slight at the end of 2008. (Earth passes through Saturn's ring-plane in 2009 Sept.; the Sun in 2009 Aug. This is one of the rare times when Saturn's rings cannot be seen from 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
* Venus - Shines brilliantly in the east in pre-dawn sky; rises before Civil Twilight. On Feb. 1, very bright Venus passes 0.6 degree north of bright Jupiter; on Feb. 4, they are joined by waning crescent Moon (with its Earthshine). On Feb. 25, 9:00 p.m. EST, Mercury is 1.3 degrees north of Venus; Mercury and Venus remain close until late March.
* Mars - Constellation: Taurus the Bull - As Earth and Mars start to diverge, since its close opposition on Dec. 24, Mars begins to appear smaller and dimmer. In early evening Mars appears high in the sky, as it approaches the northwestern sky where it sets in the early morning hours.
* Jupiter - Constellation: Sagittarius for all of 2008 - Can be seen rising in the southeast before Civil Twilight in the morning sky. On Feb. 1, very bright Venus passes 0.6 degree north of bright Jupiter; on Feb. 4, they are joined by waning crescent Moon (with its Earthshine).
* Saturn - Constellation: Leo the Lion for all of 2008 - Feb. 24, 5:00 a.m. EST, Saturn reaches opposition (Saturn visible all-night); highest in the sky (transit) around local Midnight. Saturn's rings are inclined at about 8 degrees.
* Saturn - Constellation: Leo the Lion for all of 2008 - Feb. 24, 5:00 a.m. EST, Saturn reaches opposition (Saturn visible all-night); highest in the sky (transit) around local Midnight. Saturn's rings are inclined at about 8 degrees.
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 - Visible in western part of sky before setting. At opposition Wed., July 9, 4:00 a.m. EDST, when Jupiter rises around sunset, crosses the meridian (highest point Jupiter reaches in sky) around Midnight, and sets around sunrise.
* Mars - In Constellation Leo the Lion - Sets in west-northwest just after the end of Astronomical Twilight.
* Jupiter - Visible in eastern part of sky after rising. At opposition Wed., July 9, 4:00 a.m. EDST, when Jupiter rises around sunset, crosses the meridian (highest point Jupiter reaches in sky) around Midnight, and sets around sunrise.
* Saturn - In Constellation Leo the Lion - Sets in west-northwest in mid-evening. Visible in western part of sky before setting.
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
* Neptune - Only visible through a telescope. Can be found in the Constellation Capricornus during the entire year. Reaches opposition on Fri., Aug. 15 at 4:00 a.m. EDST; hence, visible throughout the night and early morning.
* Venus - Becomes more visible in early evening sky as it achieves greater apparent distance from the Sun. In mid-August, Venus can be found in evening twilight near Mercury and Saturn. Venus is 0.2 degree south of Saturn on Wed., Aug. 13 (conjunction occurs at 3:00 p.m. EDST). At 1:00 a.m. EDST on Sat., Aug. 23, Mercury is 1.3 degrees south of Venus. Mars joins Mercury and Venus in the evening sky, for several weeks, beginning in late August with conjunctions in mid-September. Southern hemisphere observers have better views of these conjunctions, due to a better ecliptic-to-horizon inclination and because Venus continues to be south of the Sun until early Dec.
* Mars - In the beginning of August, Mars appears in the Constellation Leo the Lion, then moves eastward into the Virgo Constellation on Sun., Aug. 9. On Thur., Aug. 14 at 10:20 p.m. EDST, Mars passes only 1.6 minutes-of-arc from Star Beta Virginus (fairly bright at magnitude -3.6). Mars joins Mercury and Venus in the evening sky, for several weeks, beginning in late August with conjunctions in mid-September. However, as with Saturn, Mars is becoming more difficult to find, as August progresses, as it slips further into the glare of the Sun.
* Jupiter - Was at opposition on July 9. Continues to be seen all evening and is highest in ths sky at mid-evening, setting around 2:00 by mid-month in the west-southwest.
* Saturn - In conjunction with the Sun on Sept. 4 (when Saturn is not visible). Visible, with difficulty, in bright, early evening twilight for first two weeks of month; then is obscured by glare of the Sun. In mid-August, Venus can be found in evening twilight near Mercury and Saturn. Venus is 0.2 degree south of Saturn on Wed., Aug. 13 (conjunction occurs at 3:00 p.m. EDST).
* Neptune - Only visible through a telescope. Can be found in the Constellation Capricornus during the entire year. Reaches opposition on Fri., Aug. 15 at 4:00 a.m. EDST; hence, visible throughout the night and early 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
* Saturn - In Constellation Leo the Lion. It rises in the east around 3:00 for Northern Hemisphere observers. Saturn is fainter than normal (astronomical magnitude: +1.0), and Saturn's rings may be difficult to see in a telescope, due to the fact that at this time Saturn's rings are inclined only 2.8 degrees from the "edge-on" position.
* Asteroid Vesta is at opposition from the Sun on Oct. 30 and is visible all night long. It reaches a peak in brightness of astronoomical magnitude +6.4 on Oct. 27.
* Mars - Begins month in Constellation Virgo, but crosses into Constellation Libra in middle of month. However, by middle of month Northern Hemisphere viewers will lose sight of Mars, as it appears to move closer to the Sun and the Sun's glare obstructs the view of Mars. Mars will be in conjunction with the Sun on Dec. 5 (Mars not visible).
* Jupiter - In middle of month, Jupiter transits (at highest point in sky for the day) near sunset. It sets for Northern Hemisphere viewers near 10:00 p.m. in the west-southwest.
* Asteroid Vesta is at opposition from the Sun on Oct. 30 and is visible all night long. It reaches a peak in brightness of astronoomical magnitude +6.4 on Oct. 27.
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
* Saturn (in Constellation Leo the Lion) - Rises around 1:30 by the middle of November and is high in the southeast sky by the beginning of Civil Twilight. At this time the inclination of Saturn's famous rings is only 1.5 degrees from an "edge-on" position; so the rings may be difficult to see in a telescope or binoculars (at "edge-on" position, rings would be practically impossible to see in a telescope).
* Jupiter - Still quite bright in the evening sky for entire monthwestern sky. Venus is in conjunction with (passing 2 degrees south of) bright Jupiter (magnitude -1.9), with the 3-day-old waxing crescent Moon (showing "Earthshine") only 7 degrees away, a very picturesque scene. A flat southwestern horizon is needed for Northern Hemisphere observers to see all three objects.
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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