Skywatch Line for Monday, Columbus Day, and Tuesday, October 14th and 15th, written by Joe Slomka
This is the Skywatch Line for Monday, Columbus Day, and Tuesday, October 14th and 15th, written by Joe Slomka.
The Sun sets at 6:14 PM; night falls at 7:48. Dawn begins at 5:35 AM and ends with the Sun rising at 7:09.
Monday’s Moon appears in Aquarius; it set at 3:16 AM and rises at 4:58 PM. The 12-day-old Moon is 20° high in the southeast, 33 arc-seconds in size and 91% illuminated. This evening it appears about 3° below left of Saturn which shines with 0.7 magnitude. Tuesday, the Moon shifts to Pisces, 17° high, slightly larger, 97% illuminated, sets at 4:36 AM, rises at 5:21 PM and sets at 5:56 AM, Wednesday; it is Neptune’s turn to cuddle up to the Moon.
Venus continues its station in southwestern Libra, blazing with minus 4th magnitude, 13 arc-seconds, 82% illuminated, 6° high at 7 PM and sets at 7:34 PM. Eastern Neptune houses Pisces, rises at 5:21 PM, 7th magnitude, 2 arc-seconds, 17° high and sets at 5:07 PM.
Saturn appears in the Moon’s shadow and 14° from Neptune; it rises at 4:53 PM, shines with zero magnitude, 18 arc-seconds, highest at 10:20 PM, 21° high at 7 PM and sets at 3:51 AM. Comet C/2023 A3, in Virgo, is visible 25° above Venus, rises at 8:07 AM, 2nd magnitude, highest at 2:14 PM, 14° high, 15% lit and sets at 8:22 PM. These planets except Venus appear either 100% illuminated or close to it.
Uranus shares Taurus with Jupiter. Uranus arises at 7:41 PM, 5th magnitude, 3 arc-seconds, highest at 2:58 AM and 54° altitude. Giant Jupiter, 25° from Uranus, rises at 9:10 PM, shines with minus 2nd magnitude, a large 44 arc-seconds, highest at 4:43 AM and 69° at 5 AM. Tuesday, the Great Red Spot (a giant storm) becomes visible at 11:37 PM. On Wednesday, the Jovian moon Ganymede, initiates an eclipse at 12:23 AM, Io also begins eclipse at 12:33, Ganymede’s trek ends at 2:28 AM, followed by Io at 3:53 AM.
Mars brings up the rear in southeastern Gemini. The Red Planet continues to brighten and enlarge; it glistens with zero magnitude, 8 arc-seconds, 88% illuminated, rises at 11:22 PM, 59° highest at 6:54 AM.
In 2019, James Peebles won the Nobel Prize for his work on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). In 1929, American astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that galaxies were flying away from each other. Belgian Catholic priest-astronomer George Lemaitre, using Einstein’s theories, proposed a sudden creation and expansion of the universe in 1939, now known as the “Big Bang”. Peebles realized that the Big Bang would leave a trace of cosmic radiation. Bell Labs engineers Wilson and Penzias, while trying to understand static in radio transmissions, realized that static was CMB leftovers of the Big Bang. They were rewarded with the Nobel Prize in 1978.
Clear Skies Joe Slomka