CentaurZ

Periodic Comet 62P (Tsuchinshan) is currently at magnitude +13.9. It has an orbital period of 6.18 years and will reach perihelion of 1.2649 AU on 2023 DEC 25. Based on JPL parameters, it is expected to peak at magnitude +13.6 on 2024 JAN 03.

The comet will pass 0.5935 AU from Earth on 2024 JAN 30. It was discovered in 1965 by a team of Chinese astronomers.

Photos and descriptions of the comet would be welcome additions to this thread.

Asteroids 4 Vesta and 9 Metis will appear within Gemini in ecliptical opposition to the Sun on 2023 DEC 21 & 22 respectively at magnitudes +6.4 and +8.4.

Photos and descriptions of these asteroids would be welcome additions to this thread.

Periodic Comet 12P (Pons-Brooks) is currently at magnitude +13.2 based on JPL parameters. It has an orbital period of 71 years and will reach perihelion of 0.781 AU on 2024 APR 21. It is expected to peak at magnitude +4.4 on the day of perihelion. The comet will pass 1.546 AU from Earth on 2024 JUN 02. It was discovered in 1812 by Jean-Louis Pons and rediscovered in 1883 by William Brooks.

Below are my 3 related charts:

On 14/11/2023 at 18:04, Ags said:

I will try track this one down if I get a clear night. It'll be a bit fainter now but should still be easy with my 90mm refractor. If I get a run of clear nights I will try to make an animation. 

I have generated some finder charts for asteroids 1-100, I'll dig out the one for Melpomene and attach it here. I am curious where the chart above comes from?

I am planning on getting more into asteroids next year, looks like a nice challenge hunting them down 😀

I programmed that chart based on my own PowerBASIC subroutines derived from the book Astronomical Algorithms by my Belgian friend Jean Meeus.  Also, from Melpomene osculating elements provided by Solex numerical integration software written by my Italian friend Dr. Aldo Vitagliano.

And here is my Melpomene ephemeris, also based on Solex osculating elements. The data are decimalized to ease interpolation.

Uranus will appear in opposition to the Sun on 2023 NOV 13. At magnitude +5.6 it may be visible to sharp naked eyes under dark skies.

It has always amazed me that Uranus was not discovered until William Herschel pointed a telescope at it in 1781. I would imagine that countless people observed it by naked eye before then, but assumed it was a fixed star and never noticed that over a period of time it changed position relative to the actual fixed stars. I first observed it by naked eye fifty years ago, but of course I knew that it existed and exactly where to look.

Photos and descriptions of Uranus would be welcome additions to this thread. The data are decimalized to ease interpolation.

Despite all the recent hoopla regarding the edge-on event on 2025 MAR 23, Saturn will be in the predawn eastern sky only 10˚ west of the Sun., making it difficult to observe.

My 2039 APR 02 image below is for the central edge-on event during that apparition. Due to apparent retrograde motion, 2038 OCT 15 and 2039 JUL 09 will also be edge-on dates. 

23 hours ago, Zermelo said:

It may never happen :

Saturn's rings will DISAPPEAR in 2025, NASA confirms https://mol.im/a/12714869

I fail to see why NASA had to confirm. Astronomers have been able to predict this for centuries. The NASA/JPL executive who oversees public relations for their Saturn projects has on her office wall a copy of my 30 depictions of Saturn's rings as seen in my post above. She asked for my permission about a dozen years ago.

Here's my November-December chart for Lemmon:

And here is my chart depicting the changing tilt of Saturn's rings:

Here's my chart depicting the changing position of Saturn on the celestial sphere:

And here is my timetable for tonight's predawn simultaneous transits of Jupiter by Io and its shadow. Photos and descriptions of the transits would be welcome additions to this thread.

During the night of 2023 NOV 02-03, Jupiter will oppose the Sun. As viewed from North America during the predawn hours, Galilean satellite #1 Io will be seen partially occulting its own shadow as they both transit Jupiter. Below is my rendering of the event.

Asteroid 18 Melpomene will appear within Cetus in ecliptical opposition to the Sun on 2023 NOV 05 at magnitude +8.2.

It is composed of silicates and metals. Melpomene has a mean diameter of 141 km, and was discovered in 1852.

Photos and descriptions of Melpomene would be welcome additions to this thread.

Below is my overhead chart. The Earth's orbital plane coincides with the plane of the chart, but the comet's orbital plane is inclined by 74˚.

Moderator, please delete. My submission was taken years ago.

21 minutes ago, Captain Scarlet said:

Curt @CentaurZ is your graze map a map of the locus-edge of where one can expect “just a touch” or a momentary full immersion?

Magnus

The graze line shows locations where the center of Venus will be momentarily on the lunar limb. Below is my data for your location regarding the center of Venus relative to the Moon. It appears as though the Moon will just barely cover all of Venus for you. Your observational report would be appreciated.

A waning crescent Moon will occult (cover) magnitude -4.3 Venus during the morning of 2023 NOV 09. This will be a nighttime event for observers in Greenland, and a daytime event for Europeans. This can be viewed by telescope, binoculars or even sharp naked eyes during the daytime, but take care to avoid looking at the Sun.

The immersion will occur on the lunar bright limb, with emersion from the dark limb. Lucky observers on the graze path can witness the planet passing through lunar hills and valleys. Those north of the only graze path will see a full occultation.

I’ve created a graze map and a preview graphic with data for observers in London, England They can be seen below. 

Photos and descriptions of the occultation would be welcome additions to this thread. If you would like specific occultation or graze predictions for your location, please reply to this post with your longitude, latitude, elevation and time zone.

A waning crescent Moon will occult (cover) magnitude -4.3 Venus during the morning of 2023 NOV 09. This will be a nighttime event for observers in Greenland, and a daytime event for Europeans. This can be viewed by telescope, binoculars or even sharp naked eyes during the daytime, but take care to avoid looking at the Sun.

The immersion will occur on the lunar bright limb, with emersion from the dark limb. Lucky observers on the graze path can witness the planet passing through lunar hills and valleys. Those north of the only graze path will see a full occultation.

I’ve created a graze map and a preview graphic with data for observers in London, England They can be seen below. 

Photos and descriptions of the occultation would be welcome additions to this thread. If you would like specific occultation or graze predictions for your location, please reply to this post with your longitude, latitude, elevation and time zone.

Here are my graze map of the occultation and predictions for London:

A Partial Lunar Eclipse will occur during the night of 2023 OCT 28-29 for observers throughout Eurasia and Africa, including the British Isles.

Below is my preview graphic for the upcoming eclipse as seen against an imaginary blue wall to make the shadow fully apparent. The predicted event timings are in BST (UT+1), but will occur at essentially the same real time for all observers experiencing nighttime if adjusted for time zones. The depicted orientation and Moon altitudes are for an observer in London, England.

Photos and descriptions of the eclipse would be welcome additions to this thread.

Here's my crude attempt at a pinhole camera image of the partial eclipse at maximum from my location.

An annular solar eclipse will be visible throughout a swath of North America on 2023 OCT 14. Observers in a much wider portion of the continent will be able to witness a partial solar eclipse.

Take extra-special precautions to protect your eyes, or preferably watch simulcasts online.

Below are my renderings of the eclipse for Albuquerque, San Antonio, and Chicago.

Here's my ephemeris for Nishimura. The data are decimalized to ease interpolation. The magnitude predictions have been calculated from current JPL parameters. They are often conservative, and better estimates may be supplied by observers.

And here's my Nishimura equatorial chart.