Look Up!

Planetary Treats
Venus Is Our Brilliant Christmas Star!
Where Is Mars?
Winds of Jupiter ~ Winds of Change?
Multi-Spectral Mercury
Saturn's Rings Are Disappearing!
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
Printable Date Tables
Moon Dances 11/27-12/27
Moon Dances 12/27/08-1/25/09
The Night Sky ~ Home Page

Planetary Treats

Venus Is Our Brilliant Christmas Star!

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Note: Blazing Venus never appears to venture far from the sun and can always be seen shortly before sunrise or shortly after sunset, hence it is often called the Morning Star or the Evening Star.

The surface of Venus is perpetually covered by a veil of thick clouds and remains hidden from even the powerful telescopic eyes of earth-bound astronomers. But in the early 1990s, using imaging radar, the Venus orbiting Magellan spacecraft was able to lift the veil from the face of Venus and produced spectacular high resolution images of the planet's surface. Colors used in this computer generated picture of Magellan radar data are based on color images from the surface of Venus transmitted by the Soviet Venera 13 and 14 landers. The bright area running roughly across the middle represents the largest highland region of Venus known as Aphrodite Terra. APOD: 2002 March 30 ~ Current Astronomy Picture of the Day

Venus, now a good distance above the southwestern horizon, is brilliant as the season's Christmas Star. Blazing at magnitude -4.4, it pierces the twilit sky far outshining any other planets or stars.

Have you seen the planet's gleam in a light sky before sunset? Once you find Venus before it gets dark, use landmarks to point it out to your friends. How early can you spot Venus? Look Up! This stunning goddess of love dazzles us for several hours each night, setting around 8:30pm in the beginning of Capricorn and 9:30pm by its end.

Venus transits telescopic Neptune December 25, 26, 27. The two planets are in exact conjunction December 27 at 4:29am PST; 12:29 UT, only 7 minutes after the New Moon is exact. With this planetary pairing a new spiritual impulse is stimulating the Christ consciousness within humanity, a birth of love-wisdom within the heart, a virgin birth. Stay tuned for a Moon Dances link with a map and more reflections.

Mark your calendar! A thin Crescent Moon graces Venus December 30-31, while Jupiter and Mercury perch low on the horizon. 5pm 12/31 Map What a heavenly treat for the end the year! Click Moon Dances for a map and reflections.

The planet reaches its maximum greatest elongation of 47º on January 14 and achieves greatest brilliancy a month later on February 19. Gorgeous Venus is moving toward Earth. Its closest approach and inferior conjunction occurs March 27. Watch Venus grow bigger and brighter as the weeks unfold.

BTW: Venus transits two constellations, Capricornus and Aquarius, during the sign of Capricorn.

Reflections ~ Venus at Greatest Elongation

Mars is far from Earth now, across the solar system. It is in close proximity to the Sun, lost in its glaring light during Capricorn. Mars reappears in February's morning sky.

Current Missions to Mars ~ All Missions to Mars

Winds of Jupiter ~ Winds of Change?

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Winds Of Jupiter

This computer simulation of Jupiter appeared in the November 10, 2005 Journal of Nature. The following is a summary of the journal’s report.

An international team of researchers has developed a new computer model that simulated Jupiter's incredible weather systems. Jupiter's weather is much different from the Earth's, as the strong winds continuously circle the planet, changing very little over time. The massive East-West winds in Jupiter's equatorial region can reach speeds of 550 kph (340 mph). The simulation predicts that the planet's hot interior powers these winds, and explains why they can stay so stable for centuries. Full Story

Winds of Change?

The physical winds of Jupiter may change very little over time, yet the planet’s apparent movement through the zodiac brings annual cycles of change to the spirit of humanity.

Jupiter, having just spent about one year in the constellation Sagittarius, has been encouraging spiritual aspiration and stimulating intuitive vision within humanity. Now with the planet's entry into sidereal Capricorn, the focus of its emanations is changing.

The function of Jupiter in Capricorn on the Soul level is to create those structures in thought and on the physical plane for the expansion of the Will-to-Love. Jupiter in Esoteric Astrology

Sunset Jupiter brings with it the spiritual winds of change that can externalize humanity’s essential divinity.

Jupiter is sinking on the southwestern horizon and gradually diminishing in size and brightness. This is mostly due to the Earth's faster orbital motion, which is distancing our planet from Jupiter. Over time the movement places the two planets on opposite sides of the Sun. From our perspective this process makes Jupiter appear to approach the Sun until it is hidden by its light and in conjunction with it. After January 1 Jupiter descends lower and is more difficult to see. It is in exact conjunction with the Sun January 23. The planet at magnitude -1.9 sets around 6:30pm in the beginning of Capricorn and at 5:45pm by its end.

BTW: Telescopic views of Jupiter are compromised by atmospheric turbulence near the horizon.

Mercury can be seen nestling near Jupiter when one year ends and another begins. The gaseous giant is around 3x brighter than Mercury our smallest and terrestrial planet. Venus about 6x brighter than Jupiter blazes high above the horizon’s planetary pair. Map

December 29, Monday, a 2-day Crescent Moon can be seen above the sunset duo. Map ~ 5pm 12/29 Sky Chart The view begins to disappear by 6:15pm with the setting of Mercury. The Moon rises higher above the planetary pair December 30 and still higher the following night, December 31, when it lies next to Venus. Click Moon Dances for a map and reflections.

Hmmm ...

Galileo made his first major telescopic observations in 1609. To recognize the 400th anniversary of these legendary observations, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have deemed this [2009] the International Year of Astronomy. The IAU, the governing board of professional astronomy, plans to help world citizens “rediscover their place in the Universe through the day-and night-time sky, and thereby engage a personal sense of wonder and discovery.” Astronomy Magazine 01/09

Happy New Year!

Multi-Spectral Mercury

Larger Images

This multi-spectral, false-color image of Mercury was acquired January 14, 2008 during MESSENGER's f irst fly-by of the planet. Most of the color differences shown here are believed to indicate variations in the mineral composition and physical state of the rocks at different places on Mercury.

Low-iron volcanic plains filling Mercury’s Caloris impact basin make a large pale-orange patch in the upper right of this image. Around the edge of Caloris and elsewhere lie small volcanic centers (bright orange-gold smaller splotches). Explosive eruptions are thought to have formed these. Widespread dark blue areas are older rocks that may be rich in the mineral ilmenite. Culled from: SPACE.com / JPL PhotoJournal

Mercury’s second fly-by, October 6, 2008, has made it clear that Mercury’s battered surface, unlike the Moon and Mars, is more homogeneously ancient and heavily cratered. Post-impact volcanic activity is shown by large extents of younger volcanic plains lying within and between giant impact basins. Volcanic activity has played a more extensive role in shaping the surface of Mercury than previously thought.

NASA Sends a MESSENGER to Mercury!
This is NASA’s first trip to the planet in 30 years.
Successful Launch ~ August 2/3, 2004
Orbital Arrival ~ March 2011
News Center

Mercury paired with Jupiter, can be viewed low in the southwest during the beginning of Capricorn. Catch a sunset and you'll have a good chance to see fleeting Mercury, which sets between 6:00pm and 6:30pm. Here's to clear skies and unobstructed horizons!

December 29, Monday, about 30 minutes after sunset a 2-day Crescent Moon lies above Mercury and Jupiter; Venus shines its light upon the elegant trio. 12/29 Map This view is brief with Mercury setting just after 6:15pm. During the next 3 nights, as the Moon rises higher and we celebrate the New Year, Mercury nestles closer to Jupiter. 1/1 Map Click Moon Dances for a map and reflections.

The planet rises above the horizon until January 4, when shining at magnitude -0.7, it reaches greatest elongation (19º) and a pretty good altitude above the darkening horizon. The following days it descends back toward the Sun and dims. 1/10 6pm Sky Chart By January 15 it is hard to spot in the bright twilight. Mercury reaches inferior conjunction January 20.

Saturn's Rings Are Disappearing!
See Saturn ~ 11:00pm - Sunrise

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Saturn's rings currently appear almost edge-on, when viewed through a telescope. Keep reading to learn more.

Saturn rises in the east around 11:00pm. It is prominent, halfway to the zenith, by 2:00am, high in the south at 5:00am and in the southwest at sunrise.

Saturn’s holiday glow in the mosaic above was made with data obtained February 2006 from Cassini’s visual and infrared mapping spectrometer (VIMS), which can image the planet at 352 different wavelengths. Note: Saturn’s rings appear edge-on across the middle of the image, while ring shadows appear at the top of the image.

The most striking contrast in the image is along the terminator or boundary between night and day. To the right (day side) blue-green hues are visible sunlight reflected from Saturn's cloud tops. But on the left (night side) in the absence of sunlight, the lantern-like glow of infrared radiation from the planet's warm interior silhouettes features at Saturn's deeper cloud levels. The thermal infrared glow is also apparent in the broad bands of ring shadows draped across the northern hemisphere of Saturn. APOD: 2006 October 12

NASA’s Cassini-Huygens Mission
(Newly Dubbed Cassini Equinox Mission)
Successful Launch ~ October 15, 1997
Orbital Arrival ~ June 30, 2004
Mission Extension ~ To June 30, 2010

Saturn with its pale yellow orb rises in the beginning of Capricorn at 11:00pm and by its end at 9:30pm. The planet can be seen high in the southwest around sunrise. Saturn remains near Leo the Lion's tail star, Denebola. Star Map It currently shines at magnitude 0.9 a little brighter than Regulus, the Lion's heart star, which shines at magnitude 1.35. Look Up!

Note: Saturn is in retrograde motion December 31, 2008 - May 15, 2009.

BTW: After 1:00am look for the triangle formed by Saturn, Spica and Arcturus. The two stars lie to the southeast and northeast of the planet respectively.

Wednesday, January 14, night owls can view Saturn rising with the waning Gibbous Moon at 10:00pm; early birds see the pair before sunrise the following morning. 10pm 1/14 Sky Chart ~ 6am 1/15 Sky Chart Click Moon Dances for another map and meditative reflections.

Saturn is moving closer to Earth, however its brightness is negatively affected because its reflective rings are closing toward their edge-on view and full disappearance by September 4, 2009. The maximum ring tilt of 27º occurred in 2003; January 2009 Saturn's rings tilt only 1º. The reduced ring tilt allows those with a telescope to better view Saturn's disk, as well as it's moons, which are now more prominent as they cross in front of and emerge from behind the planet. Moon shadows can also be seen on the planet's disk!

Normally on Saturn, the rings partially shadow one hemisphere; but not now — both hemispheres receive full sunlight. Watch for any changes in the appearance of the planet's atmosphere. Subtle bands wrap around the disk, and storms occasionally appear. The storms show as bright spots on the disk. Saturn spins on its axis in a little more than 10 hours, so storm movements become obvious within 15 minutes. Astronomy Magazine 12/08

Our edge-on view of the rings means that the orbits of Saturn's major moons also lie nearly in our line of sight. These moons thus appear close to the planet's disk whenever their motions carry them near Saturn. When the rings tilt sharply to our view, as they do in most years, the moons pass well above or below the planet. Astronomy Magazine 1/09

Why are Saturn’s rings disappearing?
A once-in-14-year astronomical opportunity is occurring.

Seeking Saturn’s Moons
Sky & Telescope’s JavaScript utility helps
locate Saturn’s five brightest satellites anytime
between January 1900-December 2100.

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. Learn what a plutoid is.

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Celestial Delights

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

* Printable Image *:

Shown around 9:30pm on December 15 for mid-northern latitudes.
Look for these constellations at 7pm any night during Capricorn.

... 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 ;-)

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Note: This image was created in 2002. Saturn is not within the Winter Hexagon now, nor is any other planet.

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 seventeenth 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 and check it out! Look Up!

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The New Year's Star!

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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 Details

The Sun ~ Far and Near
Earth 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 when the Earth is at aphelion the Sun is at apogee, far away from our planet, at its most distant point in Earth's orbit; in early January when the Earth is at perihelion the Sun is at perigee, near our planet, 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 4, 2009 at 7:00am PST; 15:00 UT. 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 4 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 3, 2009 at 7:00pm PDT; 02:00 UT July 4. 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 ... with the following disclaimer!!

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: Earth at Perihelion 1/4/04

... 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 11/27/08-12/27/08
Lunar cycle 12/27/08-1/25/09

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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