CentaurZ

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

44 minutes ago, Stu said:

Thank you! A bit more depressing though!! Could I trouble you for one for the following evening apparition from London when it is much higher?

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

9 hours ago, Nik271 said:

PS, Just realized that @CentaurZ plot above is for 42 degrees latitude, in the UK it will be even worse  - Venus will not even reach 10 degrees  

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.

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 this thread.

Asteroid 324 Bamberga will appear within Lupus in opposition to the Sun on 2021 MAY 18 at magnitude +11.6, and near the bright Scorpius star Antares in October. It was discovered in 1892, and has a mean diameter of 232 km.

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

The Lunar X may be seen by telescopic observers on either side of the Atlantic Ocean during the evening of Tuesday 2021 MAY 18 for an approximately four-hour period centered on 20:08 CDT (MAY 19 at 01:08 UT). This would be a nighttime event for most observers, but an afternoon one for those in western North America. For Europeans the Moon may set while the Lunar X remains visible.

The X should appear as the Sun rises on the clustered rims of the craters Blanchinus, La Caille and Purbach, while a waxing nearly Half Moon graces the sky.

This is something to check-off from your astronomical “to-do” list. Photos and descriptions of the Lunar X would be welcome additions to this thread.

The 23% illuminated waxing crescent Moon will occult (cover) the magnitude +3.6 star Kappa Geminorum for observers in North America during Sunday 2021 MAY 16. This will be an evening event for observers in the east and afternoon in the west.

The immersion will occur on the lunar dark limb, with emersion from the bright limb. Lucky observers on the southern graze path, which includes Albuquerque and Texas, 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.

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 Wednesday, May 12^th.

Photos and descriptions of the young crescent Moon this month would be welcome additions to this thread.

The annual Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower is already underway. It is expected to peak during the night of 2021 MAY 05-06, but for as many as three nights on either side the rate should be near the peak. Its radiant is in the constellation Aquarius. That is the direction toward which the meteor tails point, but the meteors are equally likely to appear anywhere in your sky. The Eta Aquariids are debris from the famous Comet Halley.

The Eta Aquariids usually produce about fifty meteors per hour for sharp eyed observers in the southern hemisphere. Expectations are somewhat lessened for northern hemisphere observers due to Aquarius being a southern constellation. The show begins after midnight when Aquarius rises. It will continue through morning twilight. The waning crescent Moon during the peak this year should present only modest interference.

Descriptions of the shower or perhaps even lucky photos would be welcome additions to this thread. 

Elusive Mercury has commenced its apparition in the western sky after sunset following its superior conjunction behind the Sun on 2021 APR 18. This will be its most favorable apparition of the year for observers north of the tropics.

Photos and descriptions of Mercury during this apparition would be welcome additions to this thread.

The 74% illuminated waning gibbous Moon will occult (cover) the magnitude +2.1 star Nunki (Sigma Sagittarii) for observers in the vicinity of the North Pacific Ocean during the morning of Saturday 2021 MAY 01. This will occur predawn in Hawaii and southwest Alaska. It will be a daylight event for folks in much of the rest of western North America.

The immersion will occur on the lunar bright limb, with emersion from the dark limb. Lucky observers in Alaska on the northern 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.

Brilliant Venus has commenced its apparition in the western sky after sunset following its superior conjunction behind the Sun on 2021 MAR 26.

For observers north of the tropics, this is the poorest of the five evening Venus apparitions in the eight-year cycle, i.e. relatively low evening altitudes and short periods before setting. It will be getting higher each evening during the spring, before cruising leftward (southward) throughout the summer. Then it will move a bit higher during the autumn before peaking in altitude and brilliance in early December. Then a quick dive into early January.

Photos and descriptions of Venus during this apparition would be welcome additions to this thread.

The annual Lyrid Meteor Shower should already be underway. It is expected to peak during the night of 2021 APR 21-22. Its radiant is in the constellation Lyra near the bright star Vega. That is the direction toward which the meteor tails point, but the meteors are equally likely to appear anywhere in your sky.

The Lyrids are debris from the long period Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. They have been observed for the past 2700 years, longer than any other meteor shower.

The Lyrids typically present about 20 meteors per hour for sharp eyed observers, although this has varied considerably with 700 per hour seen in 1803. The show begins after Lyra rises, which is in the early evening for mid-latitude northern hemisphere observers, but much later in the southern hemisphere. It will continue through morning twilight.

During the shower’s peak, the waxing gibbous Moon may present some interference until it sets in the predawn hours.

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 may attempt to spot the one-day-old Moon after sunset on Monday, April 12^th.

Photos and descriptions of the young crescent Moon this month would be welcome additions to this thread.

The average difference between the rising times of the Moon from one day to the next is 50.47 minutes.  Same for the setting times. However, these can vary widely, especially for locations far from the tropics. Below are the results of my calculations for the extremes as seen from London over more than two centuries.

The average difference between the rising times of the Moon from one day to the next is 50.47 minutes.  Same for the setting times. However, these can vary widely, especially for locations far from the tropics. Below are the results of my calculations for the extremes as seen from London over more than two centuries.

Reminder:

This rare event will occur predawn Friday for eastern North Americans. Some Europeans may be able to witness the occultation despite daylight.  😀

Reminder:

This rare event will occur predawn Friday for eastern North Americans. Some Europeans may be able to witness the occultation despite daylight. 😀

Asteroid 9 Metis currently rises in the early evening at magnitude +9.6. It will appear within Virgo in opposition to the Sun on 2021 APR 04 at magnitude +9.5, and near the bright star Spica in August. Metis is possibly the core of a larger destroyed asteroid. It was discovered in 1848, and has a mean diameter of 190 km.

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

On 01/01/2021 at 17:27, CentaurZ said:

During periods of about six months separated by about six years, mutual events occur involving the Galilean satellites occulting and transiting each other, with similar effects from their shadows. The next such period will commence on 2021 JAN 03 and end on 2021 JUN 26. 

Photos and descriptions of these events would be welcome additions to this thread. The timing predictions posted below should not vary by much more than one second among locations.

Today Jupiter's axial tilt relative to Earth is 0˚, placing its four Galilean satellite planes in the sweet spot for mutual occulting and transiting events.

On 01/01/2021 at 17:29, CentaurZ said:

During periods of about six months separated by about six years, mutual events occur involving the Galilean satellites occulting and transiting each other, with similar effects from their shadows. The next such period will commence on 2021 JAN 03 and end on 2021 JUN 26. 

Photos and descriptions of these events would be welcome additions to my similar thread in the forum for Observing-Planetary. The timing predictions posted below should not vary by much more than one second among locations.

Today Jupiter's axial tilt relative to Earth is 0˚, placing its four Galilean satellite planes in the sweet spot for mutual occulting and transiting events.