The small planet Mercury is too close to the Sun and not visible. The planet Venus is getting close to the Sun but could be seen from 6 am onwards low on the horizon in the constellation Aquarius. The red planet Mars is best seen from 0.20 am onwards low above the horizon and in the constellation Scorpius. The giant planet Jupiter is visible throughout the night in the constellation Leo. Saturn, the planet with the rings, is best seen from 1.30 am onwards, low in the sky and in the constellation Ophiuchus.
Wednesday 16 March
Daytime and not visible, but worth to mention though. At 11.55 am the Carrington Solar Rotation begins its rotation number 2175. Our Sun rotates and each rotation is numbered.
Satellites are visible as moving "stars" in the sky. Visual with the naked eye, and no telescope is needed. Iridiums are satellites which flare or brighten at a sudden. They are worth a watch. A bright Iridium flare is visible at 6.35 pm in the North at an altitude of 55° in the constellation Cepheus.
If you have binoculars, have a look at the giant planet Jupiter. You will see up to four tiny “stars” in a line besides the planet. These are the Galilean satellites or Jovian Moons, Jupiter’s 4 largest Moons. A small telescope with medium to high magnification (around 75x) will also reveal dark bands in the planet’s atmosphere, crossing the disk of the planet.
At 7.03 pm the Jupiter Moon Ganymede begins its transit over the disc of the planet. It begins its transit at 7.48 pm. At 8.03 pm the Jupiter Moon Europa disappears from its occultation. The Jupiter Moon Io begins its transit at 8.38 pm. At this time we have 2 Moons (Io, Ganymede) and 1 shadow (from Ganymede) in front of Jupiter. Only 1 Moon visible around Jupiter; 1 occulted or eclipsed, 2 in transit. At 8.49 pm the Jupiter Moon Io begins its shadow. We have now 2 Moons (Io, Ganymede) and 2 shadows (from Io, Ganymede) in front of Jupiter. At 8.52 pm the Great Red Spot will transit the planet. At 10.12 pm the Jupiter Moon Ganymede ends the transit and at 10.52 pm the Jupiter Moon Io ends the transit. It is 11.05 pm and the Jupiter Moon Io ends the shadow and at 11.06 pm the Jupiter Moon Ganymede ends the shadow. The Jupiter Moon Europa ends the eclipse at 11.12 pm.
The Moon is in maximum libration East at 0.07 am. Mare Crisium limb is tipped into the Earth's view.
The International Space Station, ISS is visible with the naked eye and moves like a bright dotted star in the sky. You do not need any instrument to watch. ISS appears at 3.40 am in the East South East at an altitude of 34°. ISS disappears already after a few minutes at 3.44 am in the Eastern horizon.
Another Iridium flare appears at 4.14 am in the South West at an altitude of 50° in the constellation Bootes. At about the same time, in the South South West and at an altitude of 39° another flare appears in the constellation Virgo.
One orbit of ISS takes some 90 minutes. ISS appears again at 5.12 am in the West at an altitude of 15°. Culmination or highest point in the sky is at 5.15 am in the South at 68° altitude. ISS disappears at 5.20 am in the Eastern horizon.
Thursday 17 March
The Jupiter Moon Io ends its eclipse at 8.19 pm.
At 8.38 pm an Iridium flare appears in the East South East at an altitude of 70° in the constellation Leo Minor. A little later, at 8.55 am another flare appears in the North at only 9° high in the constellation Cygnus.
The Jupiter Moon Callisto begins its shadow over Jupiter at 9.10 pm. The transit of this Moon will end at 9.33 pm and the shadow ends after midnight at 0.07 am.
ISS appears at 2.49 am in the East at an altitude of 11°. After a few minutes, at 2.51 am, ISS disappears already in the Eastern horizon. After an orbit of 90 minutes, ISS appears again at 4.22 am in the West South West at an altitude of 49°. Culmination is at 4.22 am in the South at 70° high. ISS disappears at 4.28 am in the East.
A rather bright Iridium flare appears at 5.41 am in the East North East at an altitude of 10° in the constellation Andromeda. Another flare appears at 5.50 am in East North East at an altitude of 11° in the constellation Pegasus.
Friday 18 March
Today in 1965 Voskhod 2 was launched into space carrying Aleksey Leonov and Pavel Belyayev aboard. On the 2nd orbit Leonov left the spacecraft through the air lock while still tethered to the vessel. He was the first man to climb out of a spacecraft in space. While outside he took motion pictures and practiced moving outside of the spacecraft for 10 minutes. Voskhod 2 made 17 orbits at about 110 miles or 177 km above the Earth.
An Iridium flare appears at 8.06 pm in the South South East at an altitude of 40° in the constellation Hydra. Another flare appears at 8.49 pm in the North at an altitude of 11° in the constellation Cygnus.
The Great Red Spot is in transit on the giant planet Jupiter at 10.30 pm.
The Golden Handle is visible on the Moon from 11.10 pm to 4.20 am. The Sun rises on the Jura mountains, while Sinus Iridum is still in shadow.
ISS appears at 3.31 am in the East South East at an altitude of 34°. ISS disappears already at 3.35 am in the Eastern horizon.
An Iridium flare appears at 4.06 am in the South West at an altitude of 36° in the constellation Virgo.
ISS passed another orbit around the Earth and appears again at 5.03 am in the West at 16° high. Culmination is at 5.06 am in the South South West at an altitude of 57°. ISS disappears at 5.11 am in the East South East.
Saturday 19 March
Today in 1958 Britain's first planetarium, the “London Planetarium”, opened in the West wing of Madame Tussaud's. It was one of the world's largest. The planetarium is no more operational.
ISS appears at 2.40 am in the East at an altitude of 10° and disappears already at 2.42 am in the Eastern horizon. ISS appears again at 4.13 am in the West South West at an altitude of 54°. Culmination is at 4.13 am in the South at 66° high. At 4.15 am ISS passes close the bright star Altair. ISS disappears at 4.19 am in the East South East.
At 4.17 am the Great Red Spot will transit the giant planet Jupiter.
It is March Equinox at 4.30 am. Also called the March Northward equinox or the Vernal Equinox.
An Iridium flare appears at 5.35 am in the South at an altitude of 52° in the constellation Hercules.
Sunday 20 March
Sir Isaac Newton died today in 1727 at the age of 84. He was born on 25 December 1642. Newton was an English physicist and mathematician who made many discoveries in several areas of science, and was the leading scientist of his era.
The planet Venus is in conjunction with the planet Neptune at daytime at 1.46 pm. They are only 32' separated. Watch in the early mornings, low on the horizon. Venus is at aphelion at 4.30 pm. Suggest you use a binocular to find Venus. The distance to the Sun is 0.7282 AU. One Astronomical Unit (AU) is the average distance of the Earth to the Sun.
At 0.08 am the Great Red Spot is in transit over the disc of the giant planet Jupiter.
ISS appears at 3.22 am in the East South East at an altitude of 29°. ISS passes close to the bright star Altair. After 4 minutes ISS disappears in the Eastern horizon.
At 3.53 am a rather bright Iridium flare appears in the West South West at an altitude of 50° in the constellation Coma Berenices.
ISS appears once more at 4.55 am in the West at an altitude of 18°. Culmination is at 4.57 am in the South South West at 41° high. ISS disappears at 5.02 am in the East South East.
An Iridium flare appears at 5.29 am in the South at an altitude of 53° in the constellation Hercules.
Monday 21 March
The Great Red Spot will transit the giant planet Jupiter at 8 pm.
ISS appears shortly at 2.31 am in the East at an altitude of only 8° and disappears after 2 minutes at the horizon.
Having moved through the constellation Leo the Lion, the waxing gibbous Moon now appears close to Jupiter in the evening sky. It will pass the planet and continue on to the constellation Virgo, where it will turn full on the 23rd. Look at 2.40 am when they are about 5 lunar diameters separated. The altitude is 29° and the Moon phase is 98%.
At 3.43 am the Jupiter Moon Europa begins its transit. At 3.56 am the Jupiter Moon Io begins it transit.
Watch ISS passing at 4.04 am from the South South West at 53° and disappearing in the East South East horizon at 4.09 am.
Back to Jupiter. At 4.15 am the Jupiter Moon Io begins its shadow. We have now 2 Moons (Io, Europa) and 1 shadow (from Io) in front of Jupiter. At 4.22 am the Jupiter Moon Europa begins its shadow transit. Now we have 2 Moons (Io, Europa) and 2 shadows (from Io, Europa) in front of Jupiter. Take a small telescope or a steady held binocular to watch.
Tuesday 22 March
The Moon is close to the star called Zavijah at 11.20 pm. They are less than 2 lunar diameters separated.
At 1.08 am the Jupiter Moon Io disappears for an occultation and at 1.46 am the Great Red spot is in transit on the planet.
ISS appears at 3.13 am in the East South East at an altitude of 21°. But disappears already at 3.17 am in the horizon.
The Jupiter Moon Io ends its eclipse at 3.45 am.
ISS appears once more at 4.46 am in the West South West at an altitude of 19°. Culmination is at 4.47 am in the South South West at 27° high. ISS disappears at 4.52 am in the South East horizon.
Wednesday 23 March
Today in 1840 John William Draper took the first successful photo of the Moon. He made a daguerreotype, a precursor of the modern photograph.
At noon it is Full Moon. This is the 2nd smallest Full Moon of the year. The former smaller Full Moon was on 5 March 2015. The next smaller Full Moon will be on 22 April 2016.
The smaller planet Mercury is in conjunction and only 1.3° separated from the Sun at 8.20 pm. The distance to the Earth is 1.347 AU. Mercury is too close to the Sun and not visible.
Have a look at the giant planet Jupiter if you have binoculars. You will see up to four tiny “stars” in a line besides the planet. These are the Galilean satellites or Jovian Moons, Jupiter’s 4 largest Moons. A small telescope with medium to high magnification will also reveal dark bands in the planet’s atmosphere, crossing the disk of the planet. Some interesting events occur tonight on and around Jupiter. At 9.38 pm the Great Red Spot is in transit on the disc. At 10.17 pm the Jupiter Moon Europa disappears for an occultation. The Jupiter Moon Ganymede begins its transit at 10.19 pm and at 10.22 pm the Jupiter Moon Io begins its transit. We have now 2 Moons (Io, Ganymede) in front of Jupiter. Only 1 Moon visible around Jupiter; 1 occulted or eclipsed, 2 in transit. At 10.43 pm the Jupiter Moon Io begins it shadow transit. And at 11.47 pm the Jupiter Moon Ganymede begins its shadow transit. We have now 2 Moons (Io, Ganymede) and 2 shadows (from Io, Ganymede) in front of Jupiter. The Jupiter Moon Io ends its transit at 0.36 am and ends its shadow at 0.59 am. The Jupiter Moon Ganymede ends its transit at 1.30 am and the Jupiter Moon Europa ends its eclipse at 1.46 am.
Moon is close to the bright stars Porrima and g29 Virginis at 2 am. They are both about 3 lunar diameters apart.
At 3.03 am the Jupiter Moon Ganymede ends its shadow.
The International Space Station, known as ISS, appears at 3.55 am in the South at an altitude of 33°. ISS disappears already in the South Eastern horizon at 4 am. ISS appears as a bright "star" in the sky, moving slowly and easily visible with the naked eye. One rotation around the Earth takes about 90 minutes. ISS appears again at 5.28 am in the West South West. If the orbit does remain the same and we do not have boost correction, ISS will cross the surface of the Moon at 5.29 am. Culmination or highest point in the sky will be at 5.30 am in the South West at only 11° altitude. ISS disappears at 5.35 am in the South South East.
Get in touch with me via www.patrickpoitevin.weebly.com if you need more information.