Many observers are tempted outside again when temperatures start getting milder. The night sky shows us a completely different aspect in Spring. But what is there to observe? What is there worth looking at?

Here is the astronomical calendar for the next three months – The new astronomical ‘Highlights in the Spring Night Sky’ infographic shows you at a glance what is happening in the night sky during the months of March, April and May.

 

March

03.05. Venus near Mercury

Venus greets us as the Evening Star again this month. We find it at dusk, deep on the western horizon. But another planet can also be seen in the first days of March – Mercury. This nimble planet keeps Venus company and is an opportunity for us to marvel at the two innermost planets.

11:03 Moon near Saturn

Most observers like to use the evening hours for observing the night sky. But anyone who does not get up early this month will miss a special show – The three planets Saturn, Mars and Jupiter all shining in the early morning sky. The Moon nears the gloriously ringed planet on the 11th of March, getting to only about 1.5°away. Observers will have a fantastic sight thanks to the waning crescent Moon.

11.03 Moon at apogee

The moon does not orbit the Earth in an exactly circular orbit, but rather in an ellipse. This means that in the course of a month it can reach a particularly close or an especially distant position. At 403,000 kilometres away, the Moon is smaller today than usual, with an apparent diameter in the night sky of about 29″.

15.03 Mercury at greatest western elongation

Mercury is the fastest orbiting planet in our solar system. But we do not often get an opportunity to observe it well as it always stays close to the Sun. On the 15th it will be at 18.4°away – its greatest angular distance to the Earth. It can be observed at a comfortable height above the horizon between 18:45 and 19:30.

18.03 A meeting of the Moon, Mercury and Venus

Mercury and Venus are now striking objects in the evening sky. And, on March 18th, an extremely delicate and only 1.6% illuminated crescent Moon joins them. An optimal opportunity for taking an atmospheric photograph at dusk.

26.03 Moon near the Earth

While the Moon was at apogee on March 11, it now reaches perigee – its nearest distance to Earth. And, at a distance of 366,000 kilometres, it also appears a bit larger.

29.03. Venus near Uranus

Both Venus and Uranus in the field of view? Few have probably seen this before. But today it is really possible. Then the two planets are only 42 arcminutes apart. Near enough together to observe both of them together in a 2″ wide-angle eyepiece.

 

 

April

02.04. Mars near to Saturn

Mars is the ‘star‘ of 2018. It is slowly preparing for its big show – its opposition in June. By now it is as bright as the brightest stars in the sky. We can find it on the left above the ‘teapot’ in the constellation of Sagittarius. The Red Planet meets with Saturn at the beginning of the month – on April 2 they are about 1° away from each other.

03.04 Moon near Jupiter

Jupiter competes with Venus with a brightness of -2.39 magnitude. Jupiter is one of the most striking objects in the sky even if it does not quite match Venus. The Moon is only at 5° away from it today.

16:04 Mars near Albaldah

It’s always nice to see two bright astronomical objects close to each other. Such alignments in the night sky are noticeable because they are particularly unusual. On April 16, Mars and the star Albaldah make such an alignment.

This star is occasionally occulted by a planet due to its location very close to the ecliptic – this will next occur on 17 February 2035 at 16:32 CET, when Venus will occult Albaldah. But this will not be visible from Central Europe as Venus is below the horizon by then.

24.04 Moon near Regulus

The Moon passes close to the star Regulus today. We can observe this tonight as the Moon approaches and then recedes from Leo’s brightest star. Regulus and the Moon are separated by 42 arcminutes at 21:00. At 23:00, they approach within 14 arcminutes, but an hour later the separation has increased again to 27 arcminutes.

22.04 Lyrids meteor shower

The Lyrids are a meteor shower, which reaches maximum at only 10 to 20 meteors per hour on the 21^st of April. But the optimal observing time is between 22:00 and 4:00 in the morning, when they can be observed undisturbed by the Moon. The shower’s radiant lies in the constellation of Lyra.

29.04. Mercury – greatest western elongation

Mercury orbits fast, whizzing around the Sun in just 88 days. At the beginning of the month it was at greatest western elongation to the Sun, which gave us a good evening visibility. At the end of the month it will reach its greatest eastern elongation. In such cases, Mercury can be seen in the morning sky. Due to the shallow inclination to the ecliptic, Mercury remains near the Sun and is not visible at dawn.

 

 

May

02.05. Venus near Aldebaran

Two bright objects shine at dusk close to the western horizon – Venus and Aldebaran. The red giant is 150 times brighter than the sun. At a distance of 67 light-years however it only reaches an apparent brightness of 0.85 magnitude as seen from the Earth. Even so, it is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It makes a beautiful sight together with Venus.

05./06.05. Eta Aquarids meteor shower

We see again a meteor shower in the second half of the night. The Eta Aquarids appear to originate from the constellation of Aquarius and describe long, bright trails in the night sky. However, the Eta Aquarids do not ‘wake up’ until around 3 o’clock, which puts them only just above the horizon in Central Europe. There is still the chance of catching some bright meteors even so. The average rate is between 20 and 60 meteors per hour.

06.05. Moon near Mars

Another highlight in the early morning sky is a close encounter between the Moon and Mars. The two are separated by just 3° this evening. The 69% illuminated Moon first appears over the southeast horizon at about 1:30. The planet Saturn can already be seen by then to the right and above. The red planet follows the Moon about half an hour later, at 2:00. They can be observed almost exactly in the south until sunrise. A beautiful sight – The constellation of Sagittarius framed by three celestial bodies in the solar system.

09.05 Jupiter at opposition

When evening comes, the largest of all planets peeks over the horizon. Jupiter is today at opposition to the Sun. That means the Earth is exactly between Jupiter and the Sun. The gas giant can now be seen all night, reaching its maximum brightness and appearing particularly large – an optimal chance to admire it with binoculars or a telescope. Jupiter reaches its highest altitude shortly after 1:00 AM and crosses the meridian. The already low-lying planet is best observed now.

17.05. Moon near Venus

A delicate crescent moon and a radiant Venus at dusk – you can observe this beautiful event on 17 May. Today, the Moon moves past the Earth’s sister at only 5° away.

25.05. ‘Golden Handle’ on the Moon

Astronomy in the early evening! The ‘Golden Handle’ can be seen on the Moon tonight. Appearing like a ‘handle of light’, it ‘breaks out’ of the dark part of the Moon just beyond the terminator. The Sun is already illuminating the peaks of the Montes Jura surrounding the Sinus Iridum crater when this is still in the dark – visible between 16:30 and 20 o’clock.

27.05. Moon near Jupiter

The Moon is near to Jupiter this evening. It approaches to within just over 2.5° at 21:30. It is a meeting of two beacons – the Moon and Jupiter are now the brightest objects in the sky.

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The new cosmic calendar for the next three months at a glance!  Our astronomy infographic shows you all you need to keep an eye out for in the coming months.  Check out the text below for more details of each event!

 

 

08 Dec – Moon occults Regulus

At the beginning of December the waning Moon will occult the star Regulus in the constellation Leo.  It is a special event, since Regulus belongs to the brightest stars in the night sky at 1.3 mag.  A pair of binoculars or a small telescope will suffice, to witness it all.  However, you will need a good view of the north-eastern horizon.  Best case scenario would be finding a nice open area or a hill, from which to observe.  It is only important that no houses or forest obstruct your view.

13 Dec –  A Lunar Meeting with Mars

The narrow sickle of the waning Moon will show itself shortly before dawn, meeting up with Mars at about 6 degrees.  Yet there is more to see: with the star Spica, the two celestial bodies will create a triangle.  Closer to the horizon, you will also be able to see Jupiter.  It will appear, as if all four form an arrow pointing towards the horizon.

14 Dec – Geminids

If the night sky is clear, look to the south to see the Geminid meteor shower, originating from the constellation Gemini.  More precisely, the point of origination will be roughly two degrees above the star Pollux.  Between 9 PM and 6 AM is the best time for viewing the Geminids, with roughly 120 meteors per hour . making it one of the most active meteor showers.  Unfortunately, the full Moon will create some competition as it rises, but the event should nevertheless not be missed!

21 Dec – Winter Solstice

Every year on the 21st of 22nd of December, we get to experience the shortest day and longest night of the year.  This year on the 21st, Winter officially begins and the Sun will set early.  The night will last about 12 hours – a dream for every hobby astronomer, who wants to observe for long periods.

31 Dec – The Lunar Occultation of Aldebaran

In the night of the 30th to the 31st, the Moon will occult the star Aldebaran, which is the most prominent star of the Taurus and belongs to the brightest stars in our night sky.  Such an occultation of a bright star is quite an experience.  Almost completely full, the Moon will approach Aldebaran on its dark and interesting side.  The star will disappear sometime around 2 AM and reappear around 30 minutes later on the opposite side.

01 Jan – Mercury at Its Greatest Western Elongation

Mercury orbits so fast and so close to the Sun, that we cannot see it all the time.  Yet, today the planet will be at a distance of 22 degrees from the Sun.  During dawn, Mercury will appear around 6:30 AM in the south-eastern sky.  As the sky brightens, however, you will quickly lose sight of the planet.  Luckily, Mercury is quite bright, so you will be able to see it at even 7:30 AM.  In case it is overcast or you are sleeping off ringing in the New Year, you will still be able to see Mercury until the 10th of January.

03 Jan – Quadrantids

The next meteor show is already upon us: the Quadrantids.  This meteor show will originate from the constellation Boötes and will rain down a maximum of 120 meteors per hour.  You will have the best seats for the show if you happen to be out from the 2nd to the 3rd of January.

07 Jan – Mars Meets Jupiter

On the morning of the 7th, Mars and Jupitar will have tea and crumpets.  In the middle of the constellation Libra, both planets will be illuminated at a distance of 12 arc-minutes from one another, which is about a third of the Moon’s diameter.  You will be able to use your telescope to view both planets in one go!

11 Jan –  The Meeting of the Moon, Mars and Jupiter

A few days later in the same region, Mars and Jupiter will create some more space.  Yet, on this particular morning, the Moon plays a role.  The thin sickle will shine about 3 degrees above the two planets.  Even if you have to dress warm to see it, the sight will melt any ice in the vicinity.

13 Jan – Mercury Meets Saturn

Mercury will give us one more chance, before exiting the stage.  Yet, this morning, the fastest planet will be visible with the gas giant Saturn.  Shortly before sunrise, the two will appear just above the horizon in the south east.

31 Jan – Ceres in Opposition

Ceres is one of the most well known dwarf planets of the solar system with a diameter of 963 kilometers.  It orbits, with the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the Sun every 5 years.  On the 31st January, Ceres will come into opposition to the Sun and you can observe it at its greatest brightness.  With a bright 6.9 size class, it will move from the head of Leo between the constellations Lynx and Cancer.  You can use a telescope or a large set of binoculars to find dwarf planet.  More exact details can be found here:

01 Feb – The Moon Meets Regulus and Mars meets Acrab

If you like to observe during the morning hours, then there is something for you on the 1st of February.  At about 4 AM, the pinzers of Skorpio will rise in the south east.  Yet, there is more: Mars.  The red planet will push past the star Acrab at a distance of around 18″.

Moreover, the following evening, the Moon will be about 7 arc-minutes away from Regulus, the most prominent star of the constellation Leo.  The time for the meeting is quite good: around 7 PM, European Central Time, the Moon will be closest.

08 Feb – The Moon Occults γ Lib

This occultation may not be observed by so many star gazers, since it will take place in dawn, when most are still laying in a warm bed.  That makes the occultation of the star γ Lib by the Moon, within the constellation Libra, quite a seldom seen event.  The Moon will be illuminated at around 45% and be edging ever closer to the star with its bright side.  Around 4:20 AM, the star will disappear behind the Moon and reappear at around 5:30 AM on the un-illuminated side of the Moon.

11 Feb – A Lunar Meeting with Saturn

The Moon seems to enjoy visiting our planets.  On the 11th of February, our satellite will meet with Saturn.  Such meetings are always an amazing sight and a great opportunity for a great photo with a standing camera and lens.  The Moon will be visible about 3.5 degrees higher in the sky, and as a result easier to spot.  Around 5 AM, Saturn will peer over the horizon.  It is not really the best time for the ringed planet however, as it will only appear in the second half of the night for next few months.  As early Summer sets upon us, the planet will appear at more comfortable times.  In June, it will even stand in opposition.

21 Feb – The Moon Occults μ Cet

An occultation at dusk: around 6:20 PM, the Moon will occult the star μ Cet in the constellation Cetus.  After a good hour, at around 7:15, the star will reappear on the other side.  This time the Moon will approach the star with its un-illuminated side.  During observation, you will notice the star disappear so suddenly, as if someone just pinched its flame like that of a candle.

23 Feb – The Moon Occults Aldebaran

A highlight on this day is the lunar occultation of Aldebaran.  As in last December, you should not miss this event, because such occultations are quite seldom and this will be the last occultation of Aldebaran for years to come.

The Moon will inch towards the star with its un-illuminated side.  For many, it is quite a surprise when the star suddenly disappears, despite it being expected.  At around 5:50 PM, Aldebaran will disappear and at 6:50 PM reappear.  For amateurs, it will be interesting to following the occultation to the minute.  With a Touptek Camera and software from SharpCap 2.7 will both be helpful in such a scenario.

Enjoy stargazing and clear skies from the team at Astroshop.

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