CentaurZ

The Harvest Moon will be on display during the night of 2021 SEP 20-21. This is the term for the Full Moon occurring nearest to the Autumnal Equinox. A Full Moon rises near the time of Sunset. For northern hemisphere observers this week, the moonrises occur separated by much less than the average of one day plus 50 minutes. Hence farmers can take advantage of several days of extended light for harvesting.

It’s nearly time for my monthly New Moon spotting challenge. I use the term New Moon in its classical sense of one’s first sighting of the Moon after its monthly solar conjunction (Dark Moon). Sharp-eyed observers might attempt to spot the one-day-old Moon after sunset on Tuesday, September 7th. Most others should have better luck the following evening. Photos and descriptions of the young crescent Moon this month would be welcome additions to this thread.

Asteroid 2 Pallas will appear within Pisces in opposition to the Sun on 2021 SEP 11 at magnitude +8.6. It has high orbital eccentricity and inclination from the ecliptic. Pallas was discovered in 1802, and has a mean diameter of 512 km. Photos and descriptions of Pallas would be welcome additions to this thread.

Tonight (Tue-Wed) is the night.

A waning crescent Moon will occult (cover) the magnitude +9.7 asteroid 7 Iris at nighttime for telescopic observers in much of North America on 2021 SEP 01. For observers in western Eurasia (including the British Isles) this will be a rather difficult if not impossible daytime event. The immersion will occur on the lunar bright limb, with emersion from the dark limb. Lucky observers on a graze path can witness the star passing through lunar hills and valleys. Those between of the two graze paths will see a full occultation. 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.

Bright giant planet Jupiter will appear in opposition from the Sun during the night of August 19-20. Photos and descriptions of Jupiter along with its four great Galilean satellites during its current apparition would be welcome additions to this thread.

A waxing gibbous Moon will occult (cover) the magnitude +2.1 star Nunki (Sigma Sagittarii) for observers in the far southern USA, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America during the night of 2021 AUG 18-19. Nunki is the 6th brightest star than can be occulted by the Moon The immersion will occur on the lunar dark limb, with emersion from the bright limb. Lucky observers on a graze path can witness the star passing through lunar hills and valleys. Those between of the two graze paths will see a full occultation. 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.

The annual Perseid Meteor Shower is already underway. The Perseids are usually the finest shower of the year. Normally at the peak more than sixty meteors per hour may be seen by some sharp-eyed folks. The Perseids are debris from the periodic comet 109P Swift-Tuttle. The shower is expected to peak during the night of 2021 AUG 12-13. Its radiant is in the constellation Perseus. That is the direction toward which the meteor tails point, but the meteors are equally likely to appear anywhere in your sky. For observers north of the tropics, the meteors appear virtually all night, although most prolifically during the hours before dawn. This year the waxing crescent Moon near the shower’s peak should not provide much interference. Descriptions of the shower or perhaps even lucky photos would be welcome additions to this thread.

It’s nearly time for my monthly New Moon spotting challenge. I use the term New Moon in its classical sense of one’s first sighting of the Moon after its monthly solar conjunction (Dark Moon). Sharp-eyed observers might attempt to spot the half-day-old Moon after sunset on Sunday, August 8th. Most others should have much better luck the following evening. Photos and descriptions of the young crescent Moon this month would be welcome additions to this thread.

Ringed Saturn currently rises during the early evening as it approaches its opposition from the Sun on 2021 AUG 02, when it will be out all night at stellar magnitude +0.2. Its rings will appear tilted at +18.2°. Photos and descriptions of Saturn and its rings would be welcome additions to this thread.

Asteroid 6 Hebe will appear within Sagittarius in opposition to the Sun on 2021 JUL 18 at magnitude +8.5. Hebe was discovered in 1847, and has a mean diameter of 186 km. Photos and descriptions of Hebe would be welcome additions to this thread.

It’s nearly time for my monthly New Moon spotting challenge. I use the term New Moon in its classical sense of one’s first sighting of the Moon after its monthly solar conjunction (Dark Moon). Sharp-eyed observers may attempt to spot the one-day-old Moon after sunset on Saturday, July 10th. Photos and descriptions of the young crescent Moon this month would be welcome additions to this thread.

Nunki is currently the brightest fixed star with an ongoing series of monthly occultations.

A Full Moon (barely waning gibbous) will occult (cover) the magnitude +2.1 star Nunki (Sigma Sagittarii) for observers in western North America and the North Pacific Ocean during the night of 2021 JUN 24-25. Nunki is the 6th brightest star than can be occulted by the Moon The immersion will occur on the lunar bright limb, with emersion from the dark limb. Lucky observers on a graze path can witness the star passing through lunar hills and valleys. Those between of the two graze paths will see a full occultation. 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.

Elusive Mercury has commenced its apparition in the predawn eastern sky following its inferior conjunction between Earth and Sun on 2021 JUN 10. This is a moderately favorable apparition for observers north of the tropics – better elsewhere. Photos and descriptions of Mercury during this apparition would be welcome additions to this thread.

Here's my Eros ephemeris for this month. 😎

Asteroid 433 Eros will appear within Scorpius in opposition to the Sun on 2021 JUN 19 at magnitude +11.1. It’s a NEO (Near Earth Object), although this will not be one of its especially near approaches. Eros was discovered in 1898, and has a mean diameter of 17 km. Photos and descriptions of Eros would be welcome additions to this thread.

It’s nearly time for my monthly New Moon spotting challenge. I use the term New Moon in its classical sense of one’s first sighting of the Moon after its monthly solar conjunction (Dark Moon). Sharp-eyed observers may attempt to spot the less than one-day-old Moon after sunset on Thursday, June 10th. Although efforts are far more likely to be rewarded on Friday. Photos and descriptions of the young crescent Moon this month would be welcome additions to this thread.

The above chart is for Chicagoland. Below is my version for London.

You're welcome, Stu. Sure, here it is for London 2027-28, which will be similar to 2019-20. 😃

Here's my version for London. 😀

Asteroid 3 Juno will appear within Ophiuchus in opposition to the Sun on 2021 JUN 06 at magnitude +10.1. It’s the second most massive stony asteroid. Juno was discovered in 1804, and has a mean diameter of 233 km. Photos and descriptions of Juno would be welcome additions to this thread.

Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) is currently at magnitude +17.3. It might reach naked-eye visibility in December, but that is currently uncertain. The comet will pass only 0.23 AU from Earth on 2021 DEC 12. It was discovered this year in early January by G. J. Leonard at the Mount Lemmon Observatory. Photos and descriptions of the comet would be welcome additions to my similar thread in the forum for Observing-Widefield, Special Events & Comets.

Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) is currently at magnitude +17.3. It might reach naked-eye visibility in December, but that is currently uncertain. The comet will pass only 0.23 AU from Earth on 2021 DEC 12. It was discovered this year in early January by G. J. Leonard at the Mount Lemmon Observatory. Photos and descriptions of the comet would be welcome additions to this thread.

A Total Lunar Eclipse will be presented to many observers with clear skies in regions surrounding the Pacific Ocean during 2021 MAY 26. Predawn from the western hemisphere, and evening from the eastern hemisphere. For Chicagoland observers, the Moon will set while still in partial eclipse. 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 PDT (UT-7), but will occur at essentially the same real time for all observers experiencing nighttime. The depicted orientation and Moon altitudes are for an observer in San Francisco. I’ve determined that during the initial penumbral and partial phases of the eclipse, for observers in southern South America, the magnitude +2.5 multiple star Acrab (Beta Scorpii) will be occulted by the Moon. The same will be true for observers in Central America regarding the occultation of the magnitude +4.0 star Omega Scorpii Photos and descriptions of the eclipse would be welcome additions to my similar thread in the forum for Observing-Lunar.