The Sky This Week 2003 October 17 – 24
The Moon wanes in the morning sky this week, edging closer to the eastern horizon in the gathering morning twilight. New Moon occurs on the 25th at 8:50 am Eastern Daylight Time. Look for Luna near the Twin Stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux, before dawn on the 18th. On the mornings of the 21st and 22nd she swaps sides with the bright glow of rising Jupiter. Enjoy these pre-dawn views now; in another week we ìfall backî to Standard Time.
As the Moon slips into the morning sky, try to take advantage of her absence and head out to a dark-sky location to enjoy the sights of the autumn sky before the nights get too cold. On the evening of the 18th the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club will host a public stargazing session at C.M. Crockett Park in Fauquier County. Information and directions are posted on the Club’s website at www.novac.com, or call the park at (540) 788-4867. Closer to home, the National Capital Astronomers will be “Exploring the Sky” from Rock Creek Park’s Nature Center on the same evening. Call (202) 895-6070 for more information on this event.
These two “star parties” will probably be your last good chances to get a good view of Mars before the red planet’s disc shrinks to half its apparent size from the recent record close approach. Mars continues to shine brightly in the evening sky, and he’ll remain a prominent fixture there for several more months, but the telescopic view is rapidly changing. Several small dust storms have begun to kick up on the dusty Martian plains, and the once-prominent south polar cap has all but disappeared. Between the rapidly shrinking disc and the potential for global weather effects as Mars’ summer wears on, the next few weeks will be the best we’ll have for another two years.
The late evening skywatcher is now rewarded for burning the midnight oil by the rising stars of the Great Winter Circle. As the nights rapidly lengthen, the beacons of our coldest season steadily march up from the eastern horizon. By midnight the striding figure of Orion has cleared the horizon, and by 2:00 am all of the circle’s bright stars are up. Nine of the 25 brightest stars in the sky surround Orion, and in the midst of these is a pale yellow object that doesn’t twinkle like the other stars. This is Saturn, which will soon become the center of telescopic attention, just in time to take over for fading Mars. The ringed planet will be ideally placed for the holidays, but you can get a good look at him now.
The last week of late sunrise features a great chance to get acquainted with Jupiter, who gets a visit from the waning Moon in the middle of the week. Old Jove is now slowly drifting eastward among the stars of Leo, the Lion, so he’ll have to wait for late winter and spring to gain his prominence in the evening sky.
