All of The Above Presents December 2017
Predictions for Jon Wood Field
Current Conditions at Jon Wood Field (Jet Stream data by www.weatherstreet.com) You are Here
Forecast for Jon Wood Field (Weather forecast data by www.wunderground.com)
The Solar System: December 16, 2017 Body Constellation Rise Set When to View Sun Ophiuchus 7:36 AM 5:31 PM So much for Astrology Moon Ophiuchus 5:58 AM 4:43 PM Good night Moon Mercury Ophiuchus 6:54 AM 5:03 PM Back in the east Wait for it… Venus Ophiuchus 7:11 AM 5:07 PM Mars Virgo 3:37 AM 2:36 PM Pre-dawn, higher every day Jupiter Libra 4:23 AM 3:05 PM Ditto 5:52 PM Heading into conjunction Saturn Sagittarius 7:56 AM Uranus Pisces 2:00 PM 2:57AM Most of the night Neptune Aquarius 12:08 PM 11:28 PM First half of the night Pluto Sagittarius 9:14 AM 7:15 PM No chance
The Solar Update
The Sun: December 16, 2017 Solar image by www.spaceweather.com
The Sun-H α : December 16, 2017 Image by www.gong2.nso.edu – Cerro Tololo, Chile
Time for the Lunar Update! https://youtu.be/RZWvDD3X8uc
The Moon: December 16, 2017 Lunation: 28.4 Illumination: 1.6% Distance: 254,442 mi 409,486 km 1.37 Light Second Apparent Diameter: 29.2’ Location: Ophiuchus
Lunar Events for December • December 18 th - New Moon • December 18 st – Apogee • December 26 th – 1 st Quarter • December 30 th – Occultation of Aldebaran 6:11PM • January 1 st – Full Moon • January 11 th – Conjunction with Mars and Jupiter • January 16 th – New Moon
The Planet Update
In the West – Nothing to see here. Move along.
Neptune is the Planet in the age of Aquarius
Uranus still in the tail of the fish
Mars, Jupiter and Spica before sunrise
Lunar Occultation of Aldebaran – 12/30/17 6:11 PM
Mars/Jupiter Conjunction - 0.2° on 1/7/18 Zubeneschamali Zubenelgenubi
Comet C/2017 (ASASSN1) Est. +11
Comet 24P Schaumasse Est. +10.5 Bootes Virgo Libra
Comet 62P Tsuchinshan Est. +10.0 Virgo
Comet C/2016 R2 (PANSTARRS) Est. +11.0 Taurus Orion
Constellation Update Last Chance for the Jon Wood Field Capricornus Delphinus Piscus Austrinus Lyra Aquila Vulpecula Sagitta High in the Sky (neck breakers): Cetus Andromeda Pisces Sculptor Aries Fornax Perseus Eridanus Fresh from the East: Camelopardalis Lepus Auriga Lynx Taurus Gemini Orion
Valorie’s Final Constellations of the Month
Auriga – The Charioteer
Auriga – The Charioteer
Taurus – The Bull
Taurus – The Bull
December/January Target Lists
December Target List: Relaxing Piece of cake Target Type Constellation Notes Image Huge open cluster near the foot M35 OC Gemini of Castor. Great Orion Nebula – It’s winter so it must be done. Take your M42 NB Orion time and “see” it. Hind’s Crimson Star – Reddest R Leporis CS Lepus star you are likely to see. Meissa – multiple star system at ϒ Orionis DS Orion the head of Orion. “ Keid ” (home star to the planet Omicron 2 Vulcan from Star Trek) +4.4, +9.7 Eridani TS Eridanus @ 83” and +11.5 @ 9”
December Target List: Intriguing Small to medium telescopes Target Type Constellation Notes Image Double star with huge magnitude Rigel DS Orion difference. Mag +0.28, +6.8 @ 9” “Bright Nebula” – That’s a joke. Very M78 NB Orion low surface brightness. Mag +8.3 Remnant of a super nova observed by Chinese astronomers in 1054. Mag M1 SNR Taurus +8.4 Globular cluster hiding in the south. M79 GC Lepus Mag +7.7, Class V The “37” Cluster. Mag +5.9 Numbers NGC 2169 OC Orion may be inverted due to your optics.
December Target List: Taxing Light Buckets Target Type Constellation Notes Image Eskimo Nebula – Mag +9.2 Use NGC 2392 PN Gemini OIII filter and >100x for detail Caldwell 49 / Rosette Nebula – NGC 2238 NB Monoceros Mag +9, 1.3° diameter. Medusa Nebula, Abell 21, NGC 4194 PN Gemini Sharpless 2-274: Mag +13.97
Observing Challenge of the Month: Observe a minima of Algol • Eclipsing Binary • Normally Mag +2.1 • Dims to Mag +3.4 • Period 2.87 days • Compare to Rho Persei 12/18 – 2:22 AM EST 12/20 – 11:11 PM EST 12/23 – 8:00 PM EST 12/26 – 4:49 PM EST
Celestial Events to Note: • December 18 th – New Moon • December 21 st – Winter Solstice • December 21 st – Saturn in Conjunction with the Sun • December 30 th – Lunar Occultation of Aldebaran • January 6 th and 7 th – Jupiter/Mars Conjunction • January 7 th – Latest Sunrise of the year (7:43 AM) • January 9 th – Venus and Pluto in conjunction with the Sun • January 16 th – New Moon • January 20 th – Next exceptional episode of “All of the Above”
Clear Skies!
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