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Look Up!

Planetary Treats
Earth’s Best View of Mars Until 2016!
Saturn’s “Flying Saucer” Moons!
Where are Mercury and Jupiter?
Prepare for Venus and Jupiter's Dazzling Encounter
Celestial Delights
Three Seasons of Stars Twinkle
Is the Winter Sky Brighter? Twinkles ~ How Many, Why?
Find the New Year's Star!
Earth and Sun Are at Their Closest
Plus ...
Sky Lights
Printabale Date Tables
Moon Dances 12/9/07-1/8/08
The Night Sky ~ Home Page

Planetary Treats

Earth’s Best View of Mars Until 2016!

Image: Keele Astrophysics Group

Note: Earth is about 8,000 miles in diameter and Mars about 3,000 miles. See Interactive Planetary Size Comparison for exact diameters measured in miles and kilometers.

Comparing and Contrasting Earth and Mars
Interesting facts about two different worlds

Mars is at its best during Capricorn, its biggest and brightest until 2016 and its highest until 2040! Approximately once every 26 months observers on Earth experience the opposition of Mars and the Sun in the sky. Image 1, 2 During this Martian biennial peak the Red Planet is at its closest and brightest. In 2007 Mars is technically at its closest December 18 and brightest December 24. Know that the Red Planet looks just as good several weeks before and after those dates.

This Mars approach is neither the closest (perihelic) nor the furthest (aphelic). It lies between these extremes at a distance of 55 million miles from Earth with an apparent disk size of 15.9" (arc seconds). The next two oppositions are worse.

Compare Opposition Disk Sizes of Mars

Image the Phase and Disk Size of Mars
For any date from 1700 through 2030

Mars changes size!
This link's image is from
The 2007-2008 Apparition of Mars

Locating Mars

Look for Mars rising in the northeast at sunset, overhead at midnight and setting in the northwest at sunrise. Best viewing occurs around midnight, when the planet is at its highest. Note: By the end of Capricorn Mars sets about 2 hours before sunrise.

The Red Planet lies to the right (south) of Gemini's Twin stars, Castor and Pollux at almost the same altitude as Orion's bright red shoulder star, Betelgeuse. Find red Aldebaran west of Betelgeuse and you'll see all members of the shape shifting Red Triad. Use this map during December to locate rising Mars and the evening stars between 7pm-8pm (dated spheres represent the Moon on the given date).

In 2007, the December 23 highest riding Full Moon until 2023, conjoins / occults Mars in the Sacred Hoop. Christmas Eve Mars keeps our celestial Santa company! Some say Mars will outshine Rudolph's nose! Click Moon Dances for a map and reflections and to learn more about the Sacred Hoop, Full Moon, Mars and Santa.

Note: For most of December through January 3, Mars at magnitude -1.6 is brighter than Sirius our brightest star at magnitude -1.4. Look Up! Compare the two. Navigating with Orion will help you find Sirius. This Moon Dance map will help you locate both Mars and Sirius (grey dot below Mars is the intersection of the ecliptic and the Milky Way). 1/12/08 9pm Sky Chart

Mars Is Moving Backward

Mars appears to be moving in a westward (backward) retrograde motion toward the horns of Taurus the Bull until 1/30/08, afterwards it moves eastward (forward) again. Mars Path 10/1/07-4/23/08 This apparent zig zag motion occurs, as orbiting Earth catches up to, aligns with and passes orbiting Mars. During this retrograde period (11/15/07-1/30/08), the Red Planet in close proximity to Earth appears bigger, brighter and redder than usual.

Orbital Motions of Earth and Mars

Reflections ~ Mars Retrograde

Telescoping Mars

Tips and links are found in
the previous edition of the Night Sky.
Click here to go there!

Reflections ~ Mars Approach

Choose your battles well during this approach. The spiritual warrior knows that apparent outer enemies are really a reflection of inner demons. Slay the demons within by raising them into the light and asking your higher self for guidance. Resist lashing out at others. Find the common ground and the unity within the diversity. Create right relationship.

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Saturn’s “Flying Saucer” Moons!

Image: NASA / JPL / Space Science Institute

The highest resolution images of Pan and Atlas reveal distinctive "flying saucer" shapes created by prominent equatorial ridges not seen on the other small moons of Saturn. On Atlas, the ridge extends 20 to 30 degrees in latitude on either side of the equator; on Pan, its latitudinal extent is 15 to 20 degrees. The ridges represent about 27 percent of Atlas' volume and 10 percent of Pan's volume. Full Cassini Image Description 12/6/07

Atlas ~ A Computer-Generated “Flying Saucer” Moon
A Must See CEA/ANIMEA Image!

Atlas and Pan ~ Background and Speculations

These two moons were first discovered in the early 1980’s by the Voyager spacecraft. Between 2005 and 2007 the powerful cameras aboard Cassini have given an unexpected and surprising saucer-shape view of these two moons!

Note: 33-km-wide (21-mi-wide) Pan orbits within the Encke Division, which is a gap found in Saturn’s A ring. 39-km-wide (24-mi-wide) Atlas orbits just outside the A ring. Ring Image

Saturn's moons Pan and Atlas may have formed in two stages - their cores may be remnants of the breakup of a large icy body early in the solar system's history and their ridges may have formed later, as the cores swept up material from Saturn's rings. The scenario might explain why the ridges appear smooth and the polar regions rough. Full Article / NewScientist.com 12/6/07

… Pan and Atlas appear to be mostly light, porous, icy bodies, just like the particles making up the rings. Computer simulations suggest one-half to two-thirds of these bizarre moons are made of ring material … Understanding how the icy particles piled up to make these shapes could shed light on how matter in the protoplanetary disk that accreted around our newborn sun could have clumped together to make planets ... Full Article / SPACE.com 12/6/07

How Pan and Atlas Were Formed
CEA/ANIMEA Computer-Generated Video
You gotta see it! 

Saturn retrograde (12/19/07-5/1/08) can be seen in the belly of Leo the Lion, east of blue-white Regulus the heart star of the Lion. The planet is now moving westward back toward Regulus. Look Up! Can you see the right angle formed by Saturn, Regulus and Algieba, Leo's neck star? Locate it here.

Night owls and early birds can easily view the planet's golden orb and the blue-white star late in the evening and before sunrise. Saturn rises in the beginning of Capricorn at 10:00pm and by its end at 8:30pm.

December 27-30 the waning Gibbous lights up Leo the Lion, Regulus the Lawgiver and Saturn the Lord of the Rings and Lord of Karma. Click Moon Dances for a star map and reflections.

In the predawn sky the ringed planet can be seen between Mars our evening planet and Venus our morning planet. 1/5 5am Star Map

Saturn's orbit is bringing it closer to Earth now. Watch it's golden orb grow brighter and bigger until it reaches opposition 2/24/08. This is also great time to see Saturn's globe shadow on its rings!

Seeking Saturn’s Ring Shadow

Sunlight on the globe of Saturn is creating a shadow that is cast on its rings. The shadow can be viewed increasing on the right side of the rings October, November, December then decreasing on the same side January, February, March just after opposition. At opposition February 24, 2008 Saturn, Earth and Sun are in a straight line. This alignment causes Saturn’s shadow to be directly behind its globe and invisible to earthlings. After opposition the shadow can be seen on the rings, increasing on the opposite side of the globe. You can view Saturn's ring shadow online; see link/directions below. Note: Earthly atmospheric conditions and the size of one's telescope affect the shadow's visibility.

See Saturn’s Ring Shadow!
Using the Solar System Simulator choose:
Saturn seen from Earth—12:00 UTC—day 1
Oct., Nov., Dec. 2007—Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr. 2008
body 30%—no options chosen—run simulator.
Compare size of shadow to lower right and lower left.

Compare annual ring tilt by viewing years 2003-2009.
Saturn's rings are closing toward their 2009 edge-on view.

Telescoping Saturn

With any telescope look for the dark Cassini Division, which separates the outer A ring from the brighter B ring. Because the rings are closing to edge-on ...

More of the planet itself is now on view. The boundary between Saturn's equatorial cloud belt and more temperate zones is the most prominent atmospheric feature.

Saturn's three "active" satellites Enceladus, Tethys, and Dione align January 17, the same night the Moon occults the Pleiades. Can you spot these saturnian moons? Astronomy Magazine 1/08

Observing Guide to Saturn

Seeking Saturn's Moons

SOHO Sees Sun-Hidden Planets ~ So Can You!

Images: SOHO / Adobe Photoshop

Note: Those horizontal lines through Mercury and Jupiter are a result of the "bleeding" of the corresponding overexposed pixel(s).

SOHO Sees Sun-Hidden Planets ~ So Can You!

Mercury and Jupiter hidden by the Sun’s glaring light are seen from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The SOHO spacecraft's coronagraph blocks out the Sun's glare to reveal Sun-hidden objects.

Mercury having reached superior conjunction December 17 can be seen moving away from the Sun, passing steadily from right to left in the above coronagraph images. Jupiter, moving in the opposite direction, left to right, is first seen moving toward the Sun then away from it. Jupiter was in solar conjunction December 22.

When any planet is lost in the bright glow of our Sun, try viewing it on the SOHO site. First click THE SUN NOW and then click the LASCO C3 (or C2) image. Clicking More LASCO C3 will give you a series of images taken about every half hour or so. Expected Transits gives information about planets and other objects moving through the coronagraph's field of view.

The approximate dates to view Mercury's transit across SOHO's coronagraphs are December 2-31. The approximate transit dates for Jupiter are December 12-January 2.

What is a Coronagraph?

The Large Angle and Spectrometric COronagraph, LASCO, is a device that creates an artificial eclipse, basically blotting out the brightest part of the Sun so researchers can study the corona, or atmosphere. Learn more about SOHO's two coronagraphs.

BTW: SOHO expected to last only 2 years celebrated its 12^th anniversary 12/2/07. Exceeding all expectations SOHO’s operations have been extended by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) through 2009. (Also see SOHO celebrates 10 years in space)

SOHO Pick of the Week

Mercury and Jupiter emerge from the Sun's glowing embrace on opposite horizons. Look for elusive Mercury, the star-like planet, after the first week in January, just after sunset, low in the southwest. If you're lucky, you'll see the youngest Crescent Moon above the planet January 9. By January 15 Mercury sets 80 minutes after the Sun, January 21 90 minutes after the Sun.

Note: Fomalhaut, the Southern Royal Star, is the bright star to the left of and higher than Mercury. By 1/20 Mercury rises to the level of Fomalhaut.

Look for Jupiter mid-January low in the southeast, just before sunrise. By January 21 Jupiter rising around 6:00am can easily be seen below Venus. Their distance decreases until they are at their closest February 1, a brilliant predawn planetary treat.

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Prepare for a Brilliant Predawn Observation!
Monday, January 7 - 30 Minutes Before Sunrise

Friday, February 1 – 1 Hour Before Sunrise
Venus and Jupiter Have a Dazzling Morning Encounter!

Images: Star Gazer Graphics made with Starry Night Software

Begin looking southeast January 7. You can't miss blazing Venus, but you'll need a really flat unobstructed horizon to see Jupiter. If Jupiter is hidden, check out the view each morning and eventually you'll be able to see both planets. Jupiter should be spotted by mid-January and easliy seen by January 21.

On February 1, Venus and Jupiter will be so close together that you'll be able to see them both through binoculars at the same time!

Star Gazer's Podcast
Learn more about these 2 brilliant planets and
their predawn encounter in this 5 minute podcast.

Venus rises above the southeastern horizon in the beginning of Capricorn at 4:15am and by its end at 5:00am. The planet is exquisite with a waning Crescent Moon the mornings of January 3-5 and it is seen near Antares January 6-8. Click Moon Dances for a map and reflections.

This gorgeous eye-catching planet is slowly descending toward the sunrise horizon and dimming as its orbit moves it further from Earth. Venus achieved its greatest brilliancy September 23, 2007 at magnitude -4.8, by December 15 the planet's magnitude dropped to -4.2 and by January 15,2008 it drops to -3.9. Though Venus is dimming its presence remains breathtaking.

Late sunrises enable more people to observe the decreasing distance between descending blazing Venus and ascending brilliant Jupiter. What a great way to start the day!

Reflections ~ Venus Visits Ophiuchus

Venus transits our thirteenth constellation, Ophiuchus January 6-21. Ophiuchus is the medicine man who has the wisdom of the serpent fire. He represents the ascended one who lives the radiant life. He is the initiate who has turned knowledge into wisdom.

Ophiuchus welcomes Venus the goddess of love who understands, harmonizes and fosters universal mind. Together they help humanity remember and manifest the intuitive true love of the Spiritual Presence, Buddhi. They prepare us for self mastery and the great fusion with Spirit.

The union of Venus and Ophiuchus is auspicious for the heart of humanity. Their evocative gift is the greater truth of the heart. Look to blazing Venus each new day and align with the medicine of the fiery sacred heart. Know it is shining down upon us during the predawn and daylight hours January 6-21. Look Up!

Note: This Venus transit influences the new lunar cycle, which begins January 8.

The Planets
Is it a planet? ... What planet? When you look up at the night sky, how do you know you are looking at a planet? Click here.

When gauging distance in degrees, please note:
*2 degrees is hardly more than a finger's breadth at arm's length.
**10 degrees is one width of your fist at arm's length.

 

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Celestial Delights

Three Seasons of Stars Twinkle!
The Northern Cross Stands Upright in the Christmas Season!

Image: Star Gazer graphic made with TheSky Astronomy Software

* Printable Image *:

Shown around 9:30pm on December 15 for mid-northern latitudes.
You can begin looking for these constellations at 7pm any night in mid-December.

... the constellations of any season are always those which are most prominent, that is the highest, before midnight ... Face north and above the North Star and the Little Dipper you'll see autumn's famous constellation which looks like a squashed out letter M, Cassiopeia. In the northwest the three stars which make up the Summer Triangle [Image] with its constellations Aquila the Eagle, Lyra the Harp, and Cygnus the Swan are also visible ... Cygnus got its other name, the Northern Cross because every December in early evening this cross can be seen standing upright on the northwest horizon which early Christians saw as a fitting symbol in the month of Christmas ... And if you look east you'll see that Orion the Hunter has just risen announcing that winter's just around the corner and that he will soon take center stage. So if you miss summer and autumn you can still see them in the heavens ... Star Gazer

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Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star Why do the stars appear brighter in winter than in any other season? How many stars can you see with the unaided eye? Why do stars twinkle and planets don't? These are all great questions and you may find that the answers surprise you. Here goes ...

Is the winter sky brighter?

Yes, for two reasons. The first is because there are actually more bright stars in our winter sky than in other seasons. About half of the 25 brightest stars in our sky are visible in the winter, a higher proportion of these bright stars than in any other season. The Winter Triangle and The Great Winter Hexagon are made up of some of the brightest stars in the heavens.

The second reason has to do with cold air.

During winter, especially in the northern parts of the U.S., cold air masses do a good job of sweeping our atmosphere clean of water vapor. And without all that moisture in the air the sky has that extra crisp look. Westchester Astronomers posted 2/8/04

As autumn fades into winter and temperatures plummet, temperate latitudes receive frequent rushes of cold air that sweep our atmosphere clean. In place of the haze and smog we have become accustomed to gazing through, dark skies set ablaze by bright stars. Astronomy.com subscriber article

APOD: November 6, 2002 - The Winter Hexagon
Where is it? Roll your cursor over the image ;-)

Image: Jerry Lodriguss

Note: This image was created in 2002. Saturn is not within the Winter Hexagon now. In 2007 Mars can be seen near where Saturn was in 2002!

Some of the brightest stars form a large and easily found pattern in the winter sky of Earth's Northern Hemisphere. Dubbed the Winter Hexagon, the stars involved can usually be identified even in the bright night skies of a big city. Sirius is the brightest star in the heavens, Capella is the sixth brightest, and Rigel and Procyon are the seventh and eighth brightest stars. Aldebaran is the fourteenth, Pollux is the seventeeth and Castor is the twenty-third. And right in the middle of this geometric gem is the red-giant Betelgeuse (the shoulder or armpit of Orion), the ninth brightest star. Imagine the Winter Triangle: See a line drawn from Betelgeuse to Sirius to Procyon and back to Betelgeuse and you have an equilateral triangle! Note: Look closely below Betelgeuse and above Rigel to see Orion's three-starred belt and the sword which hangs from it. To the right of Aldebaran you'll find the blue-white Pleiades star cluster.

How many stars can we see with the naked eye?

Since we can only view one half of the sky at a time, the maximum number of stars we can actually see with the unaided eye under ideal conditions is only between 2,500 and 3,000 (6,000 for the entire sky). In fact, it is said that one could count them all in a matter of a few hours! Taking into consideration the light pollution of our cities the number drastically drops. When we casually Look Up on any night, we do not see "thousands and thousands" or even "billions and billions" of stars in the sky. We are lucky, if we can see hundreds at any given time. Using geometry and a toilet paper tube it's possible to estimate the total number of stars visible to the unaided eye at any one time!

Why do stars twinkle?

One of the ways you can tell a bright star from a planet is that planets generally don't twinkle, yet stars seem to twinkle, or change their brightness, all the time. In fact, most of the stars and all the planets are shining with a steady light. So why the twinkle and no twinkle? It has to do with turbulence and apparent surface size.

Turbulence, the movement of air in the Earth's atmosphere, causes the point-like image of starlight to shift around and fluctuate in brightness and color. This means that some of the light reaches us directly and some gets bent slightly away as it travels from the distant star through the atmosphere down to us on the ground. To our eyes, this makes the star seem to twinkle. Because planets appear as small disks, not points, the shift amount is only a small percentage of their size. As a result, "twinkleness" is absent.

You will notice that stars closer to the horizon will appear to twinkle more than other stars. This is because there is a lot more atmosphere between you and a star near the horizon than between you and a star higher in the sky. Mercury, which stays close to the eastern and western horizons and is point-like, is the only planet that twinkles, flashing a bright yellow color. Go out some night soon. Look Up and check it out!

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The New Year's Star!

Image: NASA, ESA, H. Bond (STScI), and M. Barstow (University of Leicester)

The above image is a photograph of Sirius A, the brightest star in our nighttime sky, along with its faint, tiny stellar companion, Sirius B. Sirius A is twice as massive as the Sun with a surface temperature of 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit (10,000 degrees C)

Sirius B is 98% as massive as the Sun with a surface temperature of 45,000 degrees Fahrenheit (25,000 degrees C)! This measurement, announced 12/13/05, was done by an international team of astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope. The white dwarf’s mass was calculated by noting how its intense gravitational field alters the wavelengths of light emitted by the main star. Read More

Image: Sirius Compared to Our Sun
Our Sun is a million-mile-wide cool yellow star.
Sirius is almost twice as wide and a very hot white star.

The New Year's Star is Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Every New Year’s Eve at midnight, Sirius reaches its highest point in the sky directly on the meridian, known as its zenith point. It's as close as it gets to your crown chakra (the top of your head). No matter where you live, just look due south and up to see this dazzling star heralding in the New Year. Star maps If you miss it at New Year’s, you can still see Sirius in this location through the first week of January. Find Sirius anytime of the evening by Navigating with Orion.

BTW: When we look at Sirius we see the light that left it 8 1/2 years ago!

The Ageless Wisdom teaches us that the energies and powers of this star are instrumental in our creation and in the establishment of the guiding forces of our planet and the mysteries of Initiation. It has been referred to as the Christ Star. It is also said that a sacred planet is responsive to the life of Sirius. What the Soul is to our personality is what Sirius is to our Solar System. For this reason Sirius is known as the God Star. It is also known as the Dog Star, for it is the brightest star in Canis Major.

The Sirius system is directly "upstream" of our solar system within the galactic arm of our Milky Way Galaxy. Because of this, we now know that the polarized energies of Sirius do indeed wash over us. Modern science is yet to discover if this vast current of highly charged particles affects solar activity or life on Earth.

By coming directly towards us, Sirius creates an axis of rotation with Earth relative to the stellar background. Because of this, of all the stars in the sky, only the annual heliacal rising of Sirius exactly matches the length of our solar year, 365.25 days.

Even today, unbeknownst to most of the people of the world, our New Years Eve celebration is a continuation of a most ancient ritual honoring the return of Sirius to the midheaven position at midnight. Occurring down through the ages around January 1, this midnight alignment marks the moment when the energies of Sirius, directly overhead, most closely touch our lives with her most singular purity. For countless thousands of years and all around the world, without knowing the hidden reason, we have marked this midnight moment by jumping for joy as the rush of this vital connection surges through us. Freya Owlsdottir

These Sirian forces can aid in the service of those who are spiritually attuned. If you are one of these people, just open your crown chakra and allow the evolutionary energies to flow in and take hold. May only the Greatest Good come forth for all of us this New Year!

Think of it ... the brightest star visible from our planet reaches its highest point above the horizon at midnight every year on New Year's Eve. How wonderful, how poetic, almost like a cosmic reminder that this most brilliant of stellar lights is welcoming in and shining on the new year, giving us all hope for a bright new beginning. Star Gazer

World Healing Day and Meditation
New Year's Eve
4:00am PST; 12:00 UT

World Spirituality Day
New Year's Eve

Happy New Year!

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The Sun ~ Far and Near

Image: Anthony Ayiomamitis ~ Image Details

Sun at Aphelion and Perihelion

The Earth's orbit is not a perfect, sun-centered circle therefore our distance from the Sun varies throughout the year. In early July at aphelion the Sun is at its most distant point in Earth's orbit; in early January at perihelion it is at its closest point. The above image by Anthony Ayiomamitis of Athens, Greece shows how the apparent size of the Sun varies at these two times of the year.

Earth and Sun are at their closest on January 2, 2008 at 4:00pm PST; 00:00 UT 1/3. In fact, every January the Earth is at perihelion, the closest to the Sun for the year, and in July it is at apehelion, the farthest away from the Sun for the year. On January 2 we will be only 91.4 million miles away from the Sun, which is 3 million miles closer than when our Earth is at aphelion on July 4, 2008 at 1:00am PDT; 08:00 UT. We are so close to the Sun in January that it can appear 7% brighter than it does in July! So why is it colder in January and hotter in July for the Northern Hemisphere? What's the weather like in the Southern Hemisphere right now? The tilt of the Earth plays a big role in answering these questions. Here's a fun and simple explanation!

Does one hemisphere have a hotter summer
and colder winter than the other?

You might expect northern summer to be cooler because it occurs when Earth is farther from the Sun. Not so, explains Roy Spencer of the Global Hydrology and Climate Center. "The oceans and land on Earth are not evenly distributed around the globe. The Northern Hemisphere has more land; the Southern Hemisphere has more water. This tends to moderate the impact of differences in sunlight between perihelion and aphelion."

At aphelion the land-crowded northern half of our planet is tilted toward the Sun. For a given amount of sunlight, land warms up more than water (in other words, land has a lower heat capacity). Sunlight is therefore more effective at raising the temperature of the Northern Hemisphere. This results in the surprising fact that northern summer is a little warmer than southern summer even though Earth is farther from the Sun in July. NASA's Apehelion Day 2000

Solar Distance Affects the Length of Seasons

... the shape of our orbit does affect the length of the seasons. Right now, when we're closest to the Sun, Earth is moving faster than at other times of the year. Six months from now, when we're farthest from the Sun, Earth will be moving slower than average. As a result, winter in the northern hemisphere passes quickly, while summer lingers a bit longer — about five-and-a-half days longer. Southern-hemisphere seasons are reversed, so summer is the shortest season, winter the longest. StarDate Online

... according to Kepler's second law of planetary motion whenever an object is closest to the Sun it travels at its fastest. And when it's at its farthest from the Sun it travels at its slowest with constantly varying speeds between closest and farthest. ... January ... our Earth is highballing at a speed of 68,000 miles per hour but by July ... it will have slowed down by about half a mile a second and will be moving only 65,499 miles per hour. ... Fasten your seat belts and keep looking up! Star Gazer 2006 Script 1/2–1/8

Here are a few more Earth/Sun facts as well as a review of perihelion and aphelion. Here's a year to year chart of Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion.

BTW: If you have trouble remembering the difference between perihelion and aphelion, an old astronomer's trick is to recall that the words "away" and "aphelion" both begin with the letter "A".

Have a heavenly Christmas!
May the birth of the Christ consciousness
within us be our greatest gift to each other.
Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All.

Printable Date Tables

Lunar cycle 12/9/07-1/8/08

Lunar cycle 1/8/08- 2/6/07

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I'd like to know your thoughts about The Night Sky and
if you'd like reminders to Look Up! ...
send me an email.
May your Night Sky traveling always be filled
with Celestial Delights and Treats!
Susan Sun

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