Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday, April 7th and 8th written by Joe Slomka
This is the Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday, April 7th and 8th.
The Sun sets at 7:29 PM; night falls at 9:01. Dawn begins at 4:48 AM and ends with the Sun rising at 6:27.
The Moon occupies southeastern Leo on both nights. Monday’s Moon sets at 4:23 AM, the Moon appears 30 arc-minutes in size, is 78% illuminated and rises at 2:15 PM; the Moon shines about 7° above Regulus, the constellation’s brightest star. Tuesday’s sets at 4:47 AM, same size, 83% and rises at 3:22 PM. Wednesday’s rises at 5:07 AM.
Planets are scarce. Uranus and Jupiter share southeastern Taurus. Uranus rises at 8:08 AM, highest at 3:20 PM, shines with 5th magnitude, 3 arc-seconds in size, 27° high and sets at 10:32.
Jupiter rises at 9:23 AM, glows with minus 2nd magnitude, 35 arc-seconds, highest at 4:52 PM, 46° high and sets at 12:25 AM. Wednesday’s can be sighted at 12:27 AM.
Mars is last, in southern Gemini, it rises at 12:08 PM, shines with 6th magnitude, 8 arc-seconds, highest at 7:42 PM and sets at 3:19 PM.
Planets Venus, Mercury, Saturn and Neptune are not visible; they are bunched on the eastern horizon and will appear in coming weeks.
The asteroid Vesta appears as a substitute for the missing planets. Vesta appears every 16 to 18 months and observable for about 2 months. It is the brightest of its class and the 3rd largest; in 2011, the Dawn probe spent a year studying it. Vesta glows with 6th magnitude, appears ½ arc-second, rises at 10:44 PM, highest at 4:04 AM in the East, 26° high and sets at 9:44 AM.
Like planets and comets, asteroids have defined orbits about the Sun. Comets are ice and rock mixes, while asteroids are mostly rock. Comets sport tails behind them, the result of ices evaporating in sunlight. Asteroids appear as dim dots in a telescope. There are several types of asteroid. Some orbit between Jupiter and Mars; others accompany planets; and then there are inhabitants of the far reaches of the solar system. Some of these distant asteroids are redefined as “dwarf planets.” The largest “dwarf planet” is Eris, which is larger and more massive than Pluto.
Clear Skies Joe Slomka