Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday, April 21st and 22th, written by Joe Slomka
This is the Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday, April 21st and 22th. Written by Joe Slomka.
The Sun sets at 7:45 PM; night falls at 9:31. Dawn breaks at 4:17 AM and ends with sunrise at 6:02.
The Moon inhabits southeastern Capricornus on both nights. Monday’s Moon rises at 3:01 AM, by 6 AM it appears 17° high in the but is only 1 arc-second in size and sets at 12:19 PM. Tuesday’s, rises at 3:31 AM, by 5 AM it is 4° high, and sets at 1:34 PM.
Western Taurus is shared by Uranus and Jupiter. Uranus, now close to the horizon, rose at 7:15 AM, highest at 2:28 PM, shines with 5th magnitude, appears 3 arc-seconds in size, 18° high and sets at 9:41 PM. Jupiter follows, rising at 8:38 AM, highest at 4:08 PM, glimmers with minus 2nd magnitude, 34 arc-seconds, 38° high and sets at 11:38 PM.
Mars, in Cancer, rises at 11:43 AM, 1st magnitude, appears 7 arc-seconds, 67° degrees in the southwest and sets at 2:40 AM.
Eastern Pisces contains Mercury, Venus and Saturn. As mentioned last week, Venus is now the “Morning Star”, rises at 4:33 AM, blazes with minus 4th magnitude, a large 42 arc-seconds, highest at 10:35 AM, 5° high and sets at 4:38 PM. Saturn returns, rises at 4:49 AM, 1st magnitude, 16 arc-seconds, highest at 10:46 AM and sets at 4:33 PM. Mercury and Neptune are too close to the horizon.
Asteroid VESTA still occupies Libra, shines with 6th magnitude, appears 0.5 arc-seconds, rises at 9:06 PM, highest at 2:54 AM, 28° high in the Southeast and sets at 8:39 AM.
Another visitor, Comet “Swan”, also called “F2”, makes an appearance in Triangulum, arises at 4:37 AM, highest at 1:25 PM, 66% bright, 17° degrees in the Northwest and sets at 10:14 PM.
The annual Lyrid meteor shower is tonight’s main feature. The Lyrid meteor shower, like most meteor showers, are litter left over from passing comets; as these specs of dust enter our atmosphere, they burn up in a fiery trail. This meteor shower has been continuously observed for over 2600 years. The shower is linked to Comet Thatcher and appears to originate near the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra. The peak will be at 4 AM on Tuesday the 22nd; observers should expect about 18 per hour and are advised to look between late evening and Pre-Dawn. It will be visible the rest of the month.
The discovery of Comet Thatcher is very interesting.
Alfred E. Thatcher lived in New York City. On April 5th 1861, he discovered the comet (officially named C/1861 G1), shining with 7th magnitude. He used a 4.5inch refracting telescope, magnified 30 times. Over the next few weeks, the comet approached the Sun and Earth and brightened, before disappearing in June. Comet Thatcher will return in 2278. (This occurred before New York City became awash in street light pollution.)
Clear skies, Joe Slomka