Skywatch Line for Wednesday and Thursday, October 2 and 3, 2024, written by Alan French
This is Dudley Observatory’s Skywatch Line for Wednesday and Thursday,
October 2 and 3, 2024, written by Alan French.
The Sun rises at 6:54 A.M. on Wednesday and sets at 6:34 P.M. On Thursday it rises at 6:55 and sets at 6:32. This Thursday has 20 minutes 10 seconds less daylight than last Thursday.
The Moon reaches new Wednesday afternoon and begins moving toward first quarter. On Thursday evening the Moon is too close to the Sun to observe, setting just 14 minutes after sunset. These two nights will be moonless and dark. The Moon will reach first quarter on Thursday, October 10.
The Moon is at apogee at 4:00 P.M. on Wednesday when it is 406,516 km (252,597 miles) from Earth. This is the farthest Moon of 2024. Because the Moon is so far away and appears smaller than usual in Earth’s skies, it is too small to completely cover the Sun and the solar eclipse visible from the Pacific Ocean is an annular eclipse, with a ring of sunlight visible around the Moon’s silhouette at maximum.
Venus is now in the evening sky but sets before 8:00 P.M. If you have a good view to the west southwest and clear skies look for Venus a half-hour after sunset, at 7:03, when it will be 7 degrees above the horizon toward the west southwest. By 7:15 the skies will be darker and Venus will still be 5 degrees above the horizon. Venus is now shining at magnitude -3.9.
Venus is unfavorably positioned along the ecliptic for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere and is low in out skies. It will make its best evening appearance for those in the Southern Hemisphere.
It is not too early to be thinking of gifts for the year-end holidays. If you have an aspiring amateur astronomer on your list there are two fine books introducing the night sky and the binoculars and telescopes suitable for enjoying its sights. A carefully edited and well vetted
book remains an efficient and effective way to learn.
‘Nightwatch; A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe,” by Terence Dickinson and Ken Hewitt-White, now in its fifth edition, is an excellent guide. Its 208 pages cover the basics of the night sky, the equipment for enjoying the night sky, and includes an introduction to
astrophotography. A useful feature for new binocular and telescope owners is a series of star charts with some nice celestial sights to enjoy.
“The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide,” by Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer, now in its fourth edition, is a thicker, 416 page book, and goes into more detail. In place of star charts, it has sky tours, charts of specific areas featuring interesting sights.
You can find more details and reviews of both books online. If you decide one is for you or would make a good gift, be sure to get the latest edition.