Page 40 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - October 2015
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40 SKY WATCH 2016
January - The first month of 2016 low in the west at nightfall, plunge into twilight of Neptune on the 15th. Mars, still bright at
at midmonth and disappear until fall. Jupiter, in magnitude -0.2, is increasing its eastward speed
Mercury is easy to spot on the first few Leo, sits to the upper left of the Moon on the passing through Ophiuchus. The 22nd brings
nights of 2016, embedded in twilight. Mars, in 14th. The Moon forms a triangle with brilliant the equal box an automatic 10:21 AM. Look for
Virgo, rises around 1:30 AM and angles below Mars and first - magnitude Saturn on the 21st. Mercury’s best morning star appearance from
the Moon and on the 3rd. At dawn on the 7th, Mars reaches opposition on the 22nd. This is the 24th to the 30th. On the 29th, Mercury
the waning crescent hovers over the left of the the planet’s biggest and brightest appearance in hovers above the crescent Moon.
Venus and Saturn. These two planets are closest over a decade, although seeing details on the
together the following two mornings and best Martian disc can still be challenging with small October - The tenth month of 2016
seen 40 minutes before sunrise. The crescent telescopes. The Moon hovers to the left of
Moon the stands and just about Mercury on the Saturn on the 22nd. At dawn, the eastern sky is Moon passes above Venus on the 3rd, to
10th. In the evening of the 19th, the Moon now empty, with Venus long vanished into the the right of Saturn on the 5th, and above Mars on
dramatically occults (blocks) the bright orange solar glare. the 7th and 8th. Mars hits magnitude zero and
star Aldebaran. Jupiter rises before midnight on races into Sagittarius. Mercury remains visible
the Leo/Virgo border and hovers above the June - The sixth month of 2016 low in the predawn sky for the first two weeks of
Moon up on the 27th. October. It forms a tight conjunction with
A fabulous planet month! Saturn, in returning Jupiter on the 11th. The pair of
February - The second month of 2016 Ophiuchus, attains opposition on the 3rd. Its icy Mercury of magnitude -1 and Jupiter at -1.7 is
reflective rings, tilted wide open, are stunning gorgeous, although very low 40 minutes before
Not a single naked-eye planet appears in through telescopes and give Saturn its brightest sunrise. Uranus reaches opposition in Pisces on
the evening sky in the beginning of the month. appearance in more than a decade. On the 6th, the 15th; seeing the Green Planet usually
Night’s opening hours are dominated by Orion Venus reaches its invisible superior conjunction. requires binoculars. After midnight early on the
and the Dog Star, Sirius. On the 6th at dawn, 40 Its alignment with the Sun and Earth is so 19th, bright Aldebaran is occulted by the Moon,
minutes before sunrise, the waning crescent perfect that it is actually occulted by the Sun. an event visible in the southern and Eastern
Moon meets Mercury and Venus low in the Mars, still brilliant, retrogrades into Libra; like United States.
southeast in Sagittarius. By midmonth, Saturn, it remains out all night long. Jupiter
brilliant, creamy Jupiter, retrograding into Leo, beats them both and brightness and doesn’t set November - The eleventh month of
starts rising at 7:30 PM and is nicely up by until after midnight. The Moon hovers to the 2016
10:00 PM, ruling the rest of the night as the left of Jupiter on the 11th and sits above Saturn
brightest “star” in the sky. February opens and on the 18th. Summer begins with the solstice on The Moon floats above Saturn and Venus
a 3-month window for optimally observing the 20th, at 6:34 PM. on the 2nd, 45 minutes after sunset. Returning
Jupiter and its moons through backyard and Venus moves higher this month and will be
telescopes. The Moon passes it very closely July - The seventh month of 2016 widely noticed; it is no longer a challenge. The
below Jupiter on the 23rd. Mars, brightening Moon is stands high above Mars on the 6th, due
noticeably in a Libra, rises by a 1:00 AM and is Earth reaches aphelion, its usual point south at nightfall. An extraordinary “Super
halfway up the southern sky at dawn. On Leap farthest from the Sun, on the 4th. Pluto comes Moon” occurs on the 14th as the Moon comes its
Day (the 29th), it dangles below the Moon. nearest on the 5th, with an opposition on the nearest to Earth since January 26, 1948. For
7th. However, each total opposition is most people, this is the largest and brightest full
March - The third month of 2016 noticeably farther away than the previous Moon of their lives. The effect on the tides,
year’s, thanks to its highly elliptical orbit. After especially on the 15th, will be dramatic. A
Saturn, in Ophiuchus all year, hovers to its 1989 closest approach, Pluto is decisively bright waning gibbous Moon will spoil the
the right of the Moon early on the second. moving away, and exit that will continue until medium-strength Leonid meteor shower on the
Venus floats to the Moon’s right on the 7th at the 22nd century. Jupiter is now getting lower 18th. On the 25th, the Moon dangles below
dawn but is challengingly low. On the eighth in the west at nightfall; its annual observation returning Jupiter in its new home of Virgo.
Jupiter reaches opposition and is at its brightest window is nearing its end. The waxing Moon Jupiter rises at around 4:00 AM.
and brightest of 2016; the Giant Planet is visible passes above Mars on the 14th and above Saturn
all night long. Spring arrives with the equal on the 15th; all are nearly due south at nightfall. December - The twelfth month of 2016
talks on the 20th, a half-hour after midnight. Saturn is still amazing through backyard
Jupiter floats to the upper left of the Moon on telescopes, while Mars is now rapidly shrinking. Venus finally makes its run to
the 21st. The full Moon undergoes a penumbral prominence, getting even higher and brighter as
eat clips before dawn on the 23rd for Western The eighth month of 2016 it meets with the Moon on the 2nd and 3rd.
United States and Canadian insomniacs. Mars Mercury lurks far lower as it starts a mediocre
forms a triangle with the Moon and Demers Venus is now technically an evening three - week evening star apparition. Mars, just
Saturn on the 29th, a few hours before dawn. star. With an unobstructed horizon, it can first one 10th as bright as it was in June, moves
be glimpsed in the western ply light on the through Capricornus and into Aquarius, steadily
April - The fourth month of 2016 fourth, 35 minutes after sunset. Look for the sinking towards Venus. The solstice files on the
thin crescent Moon just to the left of Mercury, 21st at 5:44 AM, inaugurating winter. On the
Mercury’s best 2016 evening star up with Venus far too is lower right and Jupiter predawn stage, the Moon floats above a brilliant
hearings unfolds in the first week of April, 40 higher and to the left of them all. The Moon is Jupiter early on the 22nd, with the ghost famous
minutes after sunset in the west. Orange stands above fading Mars on the 11th. It sets blue star Spica just beneath them both after 3:00
Aldebaran is occulted by the Moon soon after before dawn. This should be one of the better AM. Much more challenging is the am
nightfall on the 10th and is best seen from the years for this most popular display a shooting returning Saturn meeting hair thin Moon very
Eastern United States and Canada. Myers, stars. From the 19th to the 24th, Jupiter, Venus, low in the morning twilight on the 27th.
retrograding, brightens dramatically to and Mercury form a triangle very low in the
magnitude -1.3 and rises before midnight at western sky after sunset. Venus and Jupiter are THE ‘X’ ZONE TV SHOW
midmonth. Dangling just below Mars all month extremely close together on the 27th. with ROB McCONNELL
is the orange super giant Antares, whose very INTERVIEWS JOSE ESCAMILLA
name means “The Rival of Mars.” Brilliant September - The ninth month of 2016
Jupiter hovers just above the Moon on the 17th.
On the 25th, the gibbous Moon a form’s a Neptune comes closest to earth on the
dramatic triangle with Mars its its lower right 1st, with the opposition on the 2nd in Aquarius.
and Saturn to its lower left. All it can have it in A small telescope reveals its blue desk and it’s
the constellation of Ophiuchus, the Serpent strange, backward orbiting satellite, Triton. The
Bearer. Moon is to the upper left of Venus on the 3rd,
above Saturn and on the 8th, and to the upper
May - The fifth month of 2016 left of Mars on the 9th, before passing to the left
The brilliant winter constellations, now
