The night sky this month

Northern Hemisphere The Night Sky Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the Northern Hemisphere night sky during October 2018. The Planets Jupiter - Saturn - Mercury - Mars - Venus - Highlights October - still worth observing Mars. October - a good month to observe Uranus with binoculars or a small telescope. October - still a good month to observe Neptune with a small telescope. October - early morning: find a Comet with binoculars. October - evening: find the...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the Northern Hemisphere night sky during September 2018. The Planets Jupiter - Saturn - Mercury - Mars - Venus - Highlights Early September - observe Mars. Early September - observe Saturn. September - evenings: - Find the globular cluster in Hercules and spot the "Double-double" in Lyra. September - evenings: - A good month to observe Neptune with a small telescope. September - evening: find the...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the Northern Hemisphere night sky during August 2018. The Planets Jupiter - Saturn - Mercury - Mars - Venus - Highlights August - observe Mars. August - observe Saturn. August- Find the globular cluster in Hercules and spot the "Double-double" in Lyra. August - A good month to observe Neptune with a small telescope. The mornings of August 12th and 13th - midnight to dawn: look out for the Perseid meteor shower - with no...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the Northern Hemisphere night sky during July 2018. The Planets Jupiter - Saturn - Mercury - Mars - Venus - Highlights July - still a great month to view Jupiter. Saturn in the evening Sky. July - Find the globular cluster in Hercules and spot the "Double-double" in Lyra. Early July: A very good time to spot Noctilucent Clouds! July 3rd ~2:30 am: Mars and a waning gibbous Moon. July 9th - sunset: Venus close to Regulus...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the Northern Hemisphere night sky during June 2018. The Planets Jupiter. Saturn. Mercury. Mars. Venus. Highlights June - a great month to view Jupiter. June 1st ~2 am: Saturn close to a waning gibbous Moon.In the early hours of the 1st, the waning gibbous Moon will lie just up to the left of Saturn as they cross the meridian. [A good photo opportunity.] June 3rd ~2:30 am: Mars and a waning gibbous Moon.In the early...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the Northern Hemisphere night sky during May 2018. The Planets Jupiter - Saturn - Mercury - Mars - Venus - Highlights May - a great month to view Jupiter. May: Look for the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. May 5th and 6th before dawn: The Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower. May 5th - before dawn: Saturn, the Moon and Mars together in the southern sky. May 17th after sunset: Venus above a very thin crescent Moon. May 6th and 22nd -...

Northern Hemisphere Fiona Healy tells us what we can see in the Northern Hemisphere night sky during April 2018. Fiona Healy and Fiona Healy from the Carter Observatory in New Zealand speak about the Southern Hemisphere night sky during April 2018. We would have descriptions here, but unfortunately Fiona's cat has run off with them and none of us are brave enough to try and get them back.

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the Northern Hemisphere night sky during March 2018. Jupiter. Saturn. Mercury. Mars. Venus. Highlights March 2nd to 4th after sunset: Venus and Mercury within 1.3 degrees of each other. March 10th/11th before dawn: Saturn, Mars and a waning Moon. March 19th after sunset: Venus, Mercury and a very thin crescent Moon. March 23rd evening: The Moon in the Hyades Cluster. March 8th and 24th: The Alpine Valley. This month we...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the Northern Hemisphere night sky during February 2018. Jupiter - Saturn - Mercury - Mars - Venus - Highlights February 8th before dawn: A waning Moon close to Jupiter - with Mars nearby. February 9th before dawn: Mars and a waning Moon. February 17th after sunset: Venus and a thin crescent Moon. February 23rd/24th evening: The Moon in a beautiful skyscape. February 6th and 22nd evening: The Hyginus Rille. In her final...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the northern hemisphere night sky during January 2018. Jupiter. Saturn. Mercury. Mars. Venus. Highlights Around the 17th of January (with no Moon in the sky): find M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy - and perhaps M33 in Triangulum January 5th before dawn: A waning Moon closes on Regulus in Leo. January 6th before dawn: Mars and Jupiter up close. January 13th before dawn: Saturn and Mercury. January 26th: Two Great Lunar...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the Northern Hemisphere night sky during December 2017. The Planets Jupiter - Saturn - Mercury - Mars - Venus - Highlights M31 and M33. December 2nd before dawn: Mars and Jupiter and a last chance to observe Venus for a while. December 14th before dawn: Mars, Jupiter and a thin crescent Moon. December 14th and 15th after midnight: the Geminid Meteor Shower. December 22nd/23rd - late evenings: the Ursid Meteor...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the Northern Hemisphere night sky during November 2017. The Planets JupiterJupiter passed behind the Sun on October 26th and so will become visible again in the pre-dawn sky after the first week or so November. It will then lie down to the lower left of Venus. However, by the end of November it will rise some two hours before the Sun allowing its 31 arcsecond disk, shining at a magnitude of -1.7, to be observed under clear skies....

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the northern hemisphere night sky during October 2017. The Planets JupiterJupiter might just be visible for the first few days of October very low above the west-southwestern horizon after sunset. It passes behind the Sun on October 26th to become visible again in the pre-dawn sky in mid November. SaturnSaturn can be seen low in the southwest during twilight this month dropping down towards the horizon a little more each week....

The Night Sky Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the northern hemisphere night sky during September 2017. The Planets Jupiter: Saturn Mercury. Mars Venus Highlights of the Month September - Find the globular cluster in Hercules and spot the 'Double-double' in Lyra: There are two very nice objects to spot with binoculars in the south-eastern sky well after dark this month. Two thirds of the way up the right hand side of the 4 stars that make up the...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the northern hemisphere night sky during August 2017. The Planets Jupiter Saturn Mercury Mars Venus Highlights of the Month August - Find the globular cluster in Hercules and spot the 'Double-double' in Lyra. Just to the left of the bright star Vega in Lyra is the multiple star system Epsilon Lyrae, often called the double-double. With binoculars a binary star is seen but, when observed with a telescope, each of these two...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the northern hemisphere night sky during July 2017. The Planets JupiterSaturnMercuryMarsVenusHighlights June - The best month to observe Saturn - Saturn reached opposition on the 14th of June, so is now due south and highest in the sky in the late evening. It lies in the southern part of Ophiuchus some 16 degrees up and to the left of the orange star Antares in Scorpius. Held steady, binoculars should enable you to see Saturn's...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the northern hemisphere night sky during June 2017. The Planets Jupiter - Saturn - Mercury - Mars - Venus - Highlights Early June - still worth viewing Jupiter. .The features seen in the Jovian atmosphere have been changing quite significantly over the last few years - for a while the South Equatorial Belt vanished completely) but has now returned to its normal wide state. June - The best month to observe Saturn. .The thing...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the northern hemisphere night sky during May 2017. The Stars and Galaxies The Planets Jupiter Saturn Mercury Mars Venus Highlights JupiterThis is a great month to observe Jupiter which came into opposition on April 7th so, during May, will be visible in the south during the evening. It is moving down the ecliptic and lies in Virgo. It now reaches an elevation of ~36 degrees when crossing the meridian. An interesting...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the northern hemisphere night sky during April 2017. The Stars and Galaxies Constellations and Stars Orion setting in the west, with upper part of Taurus and the Pleiades still visible. Also above Orion Gemini is visible with the stars Caster above and Pollux below. Also below Gemini is Procyon the only bright star in Canis Minor. Leo is visible in the south with a wonderful region called the Realm of the Galaxies just behind...

Northern Hemisphere Ian Morison tells us what we can see in the northern hemisphere night sky during March 2017. Highlights of the Month 1st-4th March - after sunset: Three planets and (on the 1st) a very thin crescent Moon. On these nights, Venus is 12 degrees down to the lower right of Mars, both in the southwest, and between them lies Uranus. On the 1st of March, they will be joined by a very thin waxing crescent Moon. March 4th, following 10pm: The Full Moon occults Gamma Tauri in...