ASTRO NERDS- OCT 2014 ASTRONOMY EZINE by David Bood

EXTANT LIFE ONSOCIETY MARS? THE MARS GARDEN OBSERVATORY

MASSIVE SOLAR FILAMENT AND READERS PHOTOS

COMET 67P CHURYUMOV-GERASIMENKO

ICY SCIENCE PUBLICATION: WWW.ICYSCIENCE.COM: WINTER 2013/14

CONTENTS

features

4. OBSERVATORY BUILDING 12. A massive solar filament that erupted on 2 September 2014 »» p.4

20. READER PICS 24.Comet 67P ChuryumovGerasimenko and Rosetta 34. ASTRONOMY COMMUNITY 38. Look Up In Wonder: A guide to Octobers night sky A special thank you to Mary Spicer, Andrew Devey and John Haper for articles and content. Thank you to the people who provided images., Mary Spicer, Holly Carter, Alastair Leith, Pete Williamson and Andrew Devey.

S »» p.20

»» p.38

Editor: David Bood Twitter: @DavesAstronomy Web: www.icyscience.com ASTRO NERDS | OCTOBER 2014

FRONT COVER M31 BY MARY SPICER

IN THE NEWS

Mars- Wed 24th Sept 2014, NASAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s curiosity rover has drilled its first sample from the Martian Mt. Sharp. It drilled 670mm into the basal layer outcrop and then collected a powdered rock sample. Data and images were beamed back to mission control early on Thursday, 25th to JPL, Pasadena, California, USA. The sample powder will be held within the sample image Credit: JPL, NASA

handling mechanism on the rovers arm. Initially the sample was taken from the mountains base however more samples will be taken higher to expose younger rock layers. More at: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/

SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked with the International Space Station 23/9/14 at 11.52 GMT. By 14.21 GMT the dragon spacecraft is fully berthed to the ISS. The mission was to resupply the ISS and bring up scientific equipment. SpaceX is one of the companies that have recently won contracts with NASA to provide launch vehicles. Currently NASA has to heavily rely on

Russia to provide rockets capable of delivering astronauts into space. SpaceX recently revealed their new Dragon Spacecraft which has the capability to take passengers as well as cargo to the ISS. -

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Observatory Building Ever since I was a child, I had a dream that one day I would have my own observatory. I can remember driving past the Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory in Preston, Lancashire on a regular basis, and every time I saw it I wished that we could buy it! When I got my first telescope at 11 years old, I had a master plan that involved sliding doors in the roof and a full loft conversion to house my future telescope collection. Fast forward to 2011. That is when I met my now fiancé, Mark. He has also had a lifelong passion for all things astronomy and he too had a dream of one day having his own observatory. We were both captivated by the astronomy domes that were on display at Astrofest in London, but being a practical person, Mark was also interested in the observatory sheds which have a roll-off roof. We had talked about it as a bit of a pipe dream, hoping that one day we might be able to build something of our own. In 2013 we moved into our new house in rural Oxfordshire. We are still completely in awe of how amazing the skies are from our back garden. We have nothing but fields behind us and very little light pollution in most directions apart from the South. When we moved into the house, we found an old shed in pieces at the bottom of the garden. Mark looked it over and began to form a plan to convert this discarded shed into an observatory. He spent a lot of time researching via the internet, reading other people’s blogs and looking at online instructions. It didn’t take him long to come up with a workable solution. Plans were drawn up, sketches made and photos printed out. He then sourced all the bits that we needed to upcycle the shed, along with all the building supplies we needed. At this point it hadn’t really sunk in that we were finally going to have an observatory of our own. Then the bits began to arrive in the post; first was an alarm system. We were both very adamant that the shed needed to be secure because we know of a number of people who have had astronomy equipment stolen from their gardens. Next came a metal mounting plate, then the wheels for the roof. Slowly all the individual components began to build up, and ASTRO NERDS | OCTOBER 2014

so my excitement mounted! Work began in March 2014. We had a spot at the end of our garden which was perfect for our observatory shed. One of the most important parts was the pier. It needed to be very stable so that any of our existing telescopes could be mounted onto it, and also any new, larger telescopes that we may buy in the future. He began by clearing the area. Then he marked out the footprint of the shed, and put the corner posts in place. He dug trenches around the sides and part-filled them with concrete. This gave him a solid base on which he put a

few rows of bricks. Each of the 4 walls of the shed would sit on top of the bricks. Once we had the footprint marked out, we could decide on the location of the pier. Once weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d agreed that, Mark dug a hole where the pier would be positioned. He drove a metal stake several feet into the ground, and then placed a long piece of drain pipe over

the top of it. The pipe was then concreted into place and the rest of the floor space within the brick boundaries was also concreted, to give us a solid base. Concrete was also poured down into the bottom of the drain pipe to secure the pier stake in place. Once weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d checked the height we needed the mounting plate to be, we cut off the top of the pipe, then filled it to the top with more concrete. While it was still wet, 4 large bolts were set into the ASTRO NERDS | OCTOBER 2014

concrete, which would later allow the angle of the mounting plate to be adjusted to get everything at the correct l

job was complete! Once the concrete had set, Mark set about building a frame work for the wooden floor. It was i

to the telescopes, so he left a gap of around 2cm all around the pier pipe. Once the floor was down, the sides of the

sured very carefully, the upright posts were concreted into place, and the cross beams fitted along the ends. He then

were large enough for the wheels to fit into. He drilled small drainage holes in the channels to allow rainwater to e

It was really important that the roof be lightweight and easy to roll back, so Mark used a design which he had seen

sheets which overhang the edges to keep the rain out. It didn’t take him long to make the roof once he got going

Retaining clips were fitted to the inside so that the roof could be locked into place from the inside when it was close pleted. The whole thing was given a few coats of wood preserver.

Inside, Mark lined the walls with hardboard panels and I painted them. I had barely given the walls time to dry before I started putting our favourite posters up on the walls! He fitted some self-adhesive floor tiles to finish off the floor. We decided that now was a good time to invest in a new telescope mount to upgrade our existing mounts. A friend had kindly let us borrow his EQ5 Pro to see how it suited us. We both loved it, so we ordered one of our own. Mark spent a long time getting the mounting plate level and polar aligning the mount. He also spent time drift aligning it to make sure everything was perfect. So then we were ready to put our most often use telescopes into the observatory shed. Because of the design of Mark’s 10” Dobsonian telescope, it would not be practical to use it inside the observatory shed because the walls were too high. It was too heavy to carry in and out, so he put casters onto its base, and built a concrete ramp up to the door of the shed. This would allow us to just roll the telescope in and out of the shed each time we wanted to use it. The other 3 telescopes we can swap and change onto the pier depending on which one we want to use. Power was another important consideration. Running mains power to the shed wasn’t an option at this time. However, if we were planning to do any long imaging sessions, or if we wanted to use more than telescope at once, we would need something that could last longer than our little astronomy power-pack. Time ASTRO NERDS | OCTOBER 2014

level. Drilling holes in the mounting plate took ages and Mark worked his way through several drill bits before that

important that the floor didn’t touch the pier, so that walking around inside the shed wouldn’t cause any vibration

e shed were put into place. Next came the uprights which would hold the runners for the roll-off roof. Having mea-

n took the long pieces of wood which would act as runners, and using a router he cut channels into the wood which

escape. Then he began construction of the roof.

n somebody else use online. It consisted of a wooden framework with a pitched roof made from corrugated plastic

g. The wheels were fitted onto each corner of the roof, and it was put in place. It worked perfectly the first time!

ed. Once the roof was done, he finished off the gable ends with wooden panels and the main construction was com-

for some more upcycling! I had a spare set of mobility scooter batteries, so Mark wired them up in parallel and bought a solar panel which would trickle charge them during the day. We also have a proper battery charger for them to top them up if they’ve had heavy use. So far this system is working really well, and the batteries have a much higher capacity than the power-pack. Having this observatory has had a huge impact on my life. Being disabled means that I can’t carry telescopes in and out of the house, so my observing time was severely restricted before. Now, anytime there is a clear night, I can just open the roof of the observatory, chose which telescope I want to use, and off I go without any lifting or carrying. It doesn’t matter what time of night it is; even if Mark ASTRO NERDS | OCTOBER 2014

is asleep I can go out and get things set up by myself. There isn’t enough room in there for my wheelchair, but I have a folding walking stick seat which is absolutely perfect for perching on while I’m observing or imaging. The new mount is a dream to work with. Prior to having this, I had a very basic mount on my 102mm refractor which didn’t track. So from an imaging point of view I was restricted to 1 second exposures. The new mount has opened up so many possibilities. People are always saying that the mount is the most important piece of astronomy equipment you’ll buy, and now I can see why! The first thing I did was to photograph the Sun and the Moon. Having the mount tracking the object at the correct speed makes it so much easier to get the object in focus. Before, the object would have moved out of my field of view before I’d even got the focus right, let alone taken the photo. It improved the quality of my images straight away. Then as the nights began to get darker again, I started to try imaging some more deep sky objects with my Helios 102mm refractor. This is a budget telescope, but putting it onto that mount has transformed it into something that you can actually get some decent images from. I like this telescope because when my DSLR is mounted at prime focus, you get a really wide field of view. I am really looking forward to giving the telescope and mount a really good workout now that the nights are getting darker again. Top of my list of targets is M45 - The Pleiades. It’s one of my favourite binocular objects, and last year I spent hours trying to stack hundreds of single 1 second shots and trying to bring out some nebulosity. It was a real uphill struggle. Now that I have access to this mount, I can’t wait to get started on this object! In addition to the new mount, Mark recently bought a CMOS imaging camera. We had both been looking at these for some time, but decided on the ASI120MM. Now that we have a mount that tracks so well, it was worth investing in this camera. So far I’ve only used it on the Sun and Moon, but I am already in love with it, and had a lot of fun producing my first Moon mosaic. We have had a filter wheel for a couple of years but still haven’t used it. I’m so looking forward to doing some narrowband imaging of M42 - The Orion Nebula. Another target that I’ve been trying to image for years, is the Horsehead Nebula. Perhaps this year I will manage to pull out this elusive target. Now my biggest problem is that I keep filling my hard drive with astronomy imaging data and I’m certainly giving my processing skills a serious work out! ASTRO NERDS | OCTOBER 2014

If you are thinking about building an observatory of your own, then don’t think anymore; just do it. I can’t claim any of the credit for the building of ours; it was all Mark’s hard work doing the planning and execution. But I can’t put into words how it makes me feel when I’m standing in there, the sky above me, wind in my hair, while my camera clicks away imaging my next target. After all those years of dreaming, we actually have our own observatory shed, and I will never be able to thank Mark enough for making our dream come true. If you want to find out more information about building your own observatory shed, here are some links that you may find useful.

How to build a telescope pier: http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/feature/ how-guide/how-tobuild-back-garden-telescope-pier

How to build an observatory shed: http://www.astrosoft.co.uk

M31 BY MARY SPICER WORDS & IMAGES MARY SPICER

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THE FINISHED PRODUCT

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Image Credit: Andy Devey ASTRO NERDS | OCTOBER 2014

A massive solar filament that erupted on 2 September 2014 For any one that may have been out imaging the Sun at the end of August and the beginning of September 2014 in hydrogen-alpha you could not fail to notice a huge snake like structure on the solar disc. This solar filament may have been in the same position for two separate solar rotations? Filaments are the same features as prominences they are suspended plasma structures and can last for months. They are formed in magnetic field lines that protrude into the very hot coronal region and cool plasma that flows back to the chromosphere. As they are cooler they appear as dark structures compared to the rest of the solar disc. They become unstable when the magnetic field beneath them is modified by a shock wave or the emergence of new stronger magnetic field structures. As they lift off they can trigger ribbon flares with huge dimensiones.

Left: photo from the GONG h-alpha network on 5 August 2014 same direction but it was a shorter feature at that time. Image credit NSO/GONG.

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Here is a mosaic photo that I made on the first of September 2014. The filament can clearly be seen but how can we obtain an estimate of its length?

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By applying the Solar Ruler to the image [a beautiful feature developed by French astronomer Guy Buhry] it is relatively easy to scale the filaments length at over 600,000 a distance equal to travelling to the Moon and half way back to Earth! There is a tutorial on my site on how to use this solar ruler http://thesolarexplorer.net/index.php?option=com_ content&view=article&id=37&Itemid=42 It is also possible to visit Guys site https://sites.google.com/site/astroblue1/ astronomie/brico-utiles Here is a close up on 2 September 2014 at 08:44UT I made a 3 hour animated GIF to demonstrate the dynamics of this structure from 08:36 to 11:44UT.

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Filament during mid lift off at 15:40UT the seeing had deteriorated at that time. By 16:12UT it was no longer possible to s Have fun with our Sun Andy Devey ASTRO NERDS | OCTOBER 2014

see it in h-alpha light. I made a time-lapse from 14:12 to 16:12UT of this event.

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IMAGE: HOLLY CARTER Image of Apennius Mons taken with DMK21.AU04.AS The Imaging Source Astronomy Cameras attached to a celestron 8â&#x20AC;? SCT and mounted on a celestron Advanced GT mount.

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Top: The Ring nebula Bottom: Dumbell nebula Images Alastair Leith

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Top; Northern Lights over North Oxfordshire (2014) Below: M31 Images: Mary Spicer

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Comet 67P ChuryumovGerasimenko and Rosetta On September 20th 1969 klim Ivancvych Churyumov of the Kiev astronomical observatory was examining photographic plates of a periodic comet called 32P/Comas Sola taken by Svetlona Gerasimenko. When Churyumov returned to Kiev he studied the plates in more detail. He noted while studying the photographic plate that new object was 1.8 degrees off the expected position of Comas Sola, this analysis was the proof of a new object had been discovered. It is thought that Comet 67P may have been nudged by Jupiterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s immense gravity, before

TOP IMAGE : klim Ivancvych Churyumov BOTTOM IMAGE: Svetlona Gerasimenko

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1959 it is though the comets perihelion was about 2.7 AU. The pull of Jupiter drew the comet in giving a new perihelion of1.3 AU, where it orbits today.

Perihelion is the point at which a celestial body that orbits our sun is at its closest. The opposite to this or the furthest point is called Aphelion.

Perihelion

Aphelion

The Rosetta Mission To understand comets more we need to get up close and personal, we need to be able to study the comet, take samples and look at its composition. The Rosetta mission will do just that. Not only will it orbit around the comet a lander will be delivered to the comets surface. The Rosetta mission is a cooperation between NASA and The European Space Agency, ESA. Although the mission is mainly run by the ESA, NASA has some interesting instrument on board. NASA have provided three instruments, ALICE, MIRO AND IES, as well as significant electronics for another instrument called ROSINA.

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ALICE OVERVIEW As Rosetta’s miniature UV Imaging Spectrograph, ALICE will help us determine where comet C-G came from, what it is made of, and how its nucleus, coma, and tails interact. (Unlike the names of other U.S. instruments, “ ALICE” is not an acronym; it is simply a name that the instrument’s principal investigator, Alan Stern, likes).

ALICE is a key tool for discovering a comet’s thermal history how hot it has gotten in the past. That thermal history can tell us something about where the comet was formed and traveled in its orbits. If we know that a comet never got above a certain temperature, we can infer that it never got closer than a certain distance from the sun (or, for that matter, any other star).

The information above is a brief overview of the instrument provided by NASA. Words and Images NASA. FOr more information on NASA and the Rosetta Project please visit https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/ ALICE LINK https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/us-instruments/alice-overview

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MIRO OVERVIEW MIRO is the first microwave instrument sent into space to study a solar system body. As a combined spectrometer and radiometer, MIRO can sense temperature and identify chemicals. Rosetta scientists will use it to determine how different materials in the comet change from ice to gas, and to observe how much comet C-G changes in temperature as it approaches the sun.

When Rosetta reaches comet C-G, MIRO will study four of the ten most abundant molecules usually present in a comet’s nucleus— water, carbon monoxide, methanol, and ammonia. Water and carbon monoxide are key parent gases for molecules that wind up in the comet’s coma and tail. Methanol is a key hydrocarbon. Ammonia is one of the most abundant gases in the outer solar system. The information above is a brief overview of the instrument provided by NASA. Words and Images NASA. FOr more information on NASA and the Rosetta Project please visit https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/ MIRO LINK: https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/us-instruments/miro-overview

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IES OVERVIEW The Ion and Electron Sensor (IES) is one of five instruments that make up the Rosetta Plasma Consortium (RPC) suite. The suite weighs only 7 kg, and consumes less than a quarter of the power of a light bulb. Scientists will use the RPC to characterize the electromagnetic forces that drive the high energy and complex environment of the cometâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coma, which develops when the comet approaches the sun. In the past, we have been able to sample the comas of comets during only a few brief flybys. This time, however, the RPC will have several months to investigate the development of the coma as comet C-G approaches the sun.

The information above is a brief overview of the instrument provided by NASA. Words and Images NASA. FOr more information on NASA and the Rosetta Project please visit https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/ IES LINK https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/ us-instruments/ies-overview

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Currently Rosetta is in orbit around the comet, and will accompany the comet during its perihelion in August 2015, during this time it will map the comet and collect data on the comets composition, water content as well as other scientific research. Rosetta has also been carrying the lander, Philae. Image Source NASA

Philae Lander The missions objects are to determine the physical properties of the comets surface, subsurface and to determine its chemical composition, mineralogical and Isotopic composition. A landing site has been identified for the lander and is set to land on the comet on November 12th 2014. The Philae lander is a partial hexagon shape which is 1000mm across and 800mm high, it has a mass of 21Kg. ASTRO NERDS | OCTOBER 2014

IMAGE SOURCE: Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/S

Date: 06 August 2014: Satellite: Rosetta: Depicts: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Geras ASTRO NERDS | OCTOBER 2014

SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

simenko ASTRO NERDS | OCTOBER 2014

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IMAGE BY Pete Williamson- Whittington Observatory Shropshire UK

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ASTRONOMY COMMUNITY

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http://www.awesomeastronomy.com/

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For more information please contact us via our The solar explorer website for price list and availability http://thesolarexplorer.net/

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Look Up In Wonder: A guide to the night sky in OCTOBER by John Harper FRAS 38

During all of the month except the last day, the Sun is passing through the constellation of Virgo. This constellation is the second largest in the entire sky – the largest being Hydra (the swamp snake). On October 31st around 12h, it passes into the constellation of Libra.

THE MOON The Moon is at apogee, its furthest from the earth, on the 18th at 05h, and at perigee, its nearest to the earth at 09h on the 6th.

The First Quarter Moon occurs on the 1st at 19h33 in Sagittarius. This is one of the low FQ moons, despite the moon being 4° north of the ecliptic. There is another FQ moon on 31st at 02h49 in western Capricornus.

The Full Moon at 10h51 on the 8th is often called the

Hunter’s Moon, named after Herne the Hunter, who leads the Yell Hounds across the early winter sky, and whose yelpings can be heard in the skeins of wild geese migrating at this time. Alternative ideas have been put forward for the origin of the name given to this Full Moon; one idea is that as the moon is now higher in the sky when full, and so gives more light for poachers to stalk their prey at night. A SisT that RO N E R D the S | moon O C T O is B Ehigh R 2 in 0 1the 4 south at midAnother, when night, the constellation of Orion the Hunter is completely

clear of the SE horizon for the first time since last winter. Look for the Hunter’s Moon this year in Pisces. Over the Pacific Ocean a total eclipse of the moon takes place, all 39 of which can be seen from western USA, Alaska, western Canada, New Zealand, NE, eastern Australia, much of Japan and NE Asia. None of this eclipse is visible from the UK.

Last Quarter Moon is on the 15th at 19h13 in south-eastern Gemini

beneath Castor and Polliux. October’s New Moon takes place on the 23rd at 21h57 in eastern Virgo. When the moon sets, it is just 3° to the west of the sun. At the time of new moon, a partial solar eclipse takes place, which would be visible from the UK; but unfortunately for us, the sun is below the horizon. However, all of the USA and most of Canada except for the extreme NE, get to see a reasonable partial eclipse. The greatest eclipse is visible from Prince of Wales Island in the Franklin district of the Canadian NW Territories. You may observe the morning cone of the zodiacal light during the first to the seventh and again from the 23rd to the 31st. of the month. Look for its ethereal glow in the morning sky. Earthshine may be seen illuminating the night hemisphere of the waxing crescent moon from the 24th to the 30th, and the waning crescent from the 17th to the 23rd and is a most beautiful sight.

THE PLANETS During the first half of the month, Mercury remains invisible in the evening sky. However on the 16th the planet lies between the earth and the sun and inferior conjunction takes place; thereafter it emerges rapidly into the morning sky for its greatest elongation west of the sun on November 1st. Look for Mercury during the last ten days of the month, when at around 06h00 it may be seen shining as a bright star-like object above the ESE horizon, more than five degrees above it, as morning twilight begins. On the 22nd at 06h00 the very thin waning crescent moon may be spotted at an elevation of 8° in the ESE sky, and if you pan down to the lower left of the moon, some 7°, you might glimpse Mercury just 3° above the horizon. This late October morning apparition of the Sun’s innermost planet is the best of the year. ASTRO NERDS | OCTOBER 2014

The direct motion of Mars takes the planet tude is almost +1. This means that it is slightl located within 10째 of the SW horizon when ev after the sun but because Mars gains greater crescent moon is in conjunction with Mars on

Jupiter, on the Cancer / Leo border, rises at

horizon, it shines steadily and brightly, domin moon and Jupiter produce a delightful specta the sky to their left is Regulus, brightest star i focused.

Saturn becomes increasingly more difficult

ringed planet, look low down in the SW sky a and the two day old waxing crescent moon al just taken place. For those wishing to observe disappears behind the dark limb of the moon Saturn are at an altitude of 10.5째 above the h the horizon from the north point, through ea

On the 7th at 20h00, Uranus is opposite th at midnight. The planet is theoretically visible ered by William Herschel on the 13th March star epsilon Piscium, which lies to the east.

Neptune is best seen during the late even some 4째 to the south east of the fourth magn Neptune will be found one moon width to its this remote world as a tiny bluish grey disc.

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eastwards through Ophiuchus into Sagittarius during this month, and by the end of October, its41 magnily dimmer than the star Altair (alpha Aquillae), which is higher in the sky in the south. Mars itself may be vening twilight fades at around 18h00. During October, as the month begins, the planet sets two hours altitude as the month progresses, it sets almost three hours after the sun by Hallowe’en. The waxing n the 28th, when at 18h00 it lies 6° above the red planet, which in turn is 6° above the SW horizon.

t 01h00 at the start of the month, and just after 23h00 on the 31st. During the period it is above the nating the eastern quadrant of the sky during the early hours of the morning. The broad waning crescent acle on the 18th, when at 02h00 as they are rising in the eastern sky, they lie 5° apart. The star lower in in Leo. The Galilean satellites look splendid, even through binoculars, which must be firmly fixed and well

to locate in evening twilight, and by the middle of the month sets at around 18h00. To glimpse the and if you use binoculars on the 25th, scanning the horizon in that direction at 17h00, you may see Saturn lmost touching as the ringed planet emerges from behind the moon, an occultation of the planet having e the occultation of Saturn, it is necessary to use a telescope because it happens in a daylight sky. Saturn n at almost 16h00 UT as seen from Scarborough and much of the north of England, when the moon and horizon in the SW. The actual azimuth position of Saturn is 221° (Azimuth is measured in degrees along ast, south, west and back to north again.

he sun in the sky (opposition). At this time it is at its nearest to the earth and crosses the south meridian e to the naked eye, but only as a very faint ‘star’, only readily seen in a very dark sky. This planet, discov1781, lies 3° to the south of delta Piscium at a distance a little less than delta is from its neighbouring

ning when at 21h30 it is at an altitude of 27° in the south. The below naked eye visibility planet is located nitude star Ancha (theta Aquarii). First locate the fifth magnitude star sigma Aquarii, and from that star, s upper right back in the direction of Ancha. A telescope with adequate magnification is necessary to see

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Some more remnants of Halley’s comet may be seen in the early hours from the 21st to 24th, when the ea moving and often leave persistent trains. The biggest number of Orionids will be visible just before dawn, some 10° above Betelgeuse, the star which marks the right shoulder of the Giant Hunter. Unfortunately, t

Earlier in the month on the morning of the 8th, a slight increase in the number of shooting stars overnight shower, with its radiant in the constellation of Draco the Dragon. Recently the earth passed through som although not impossible, that there is a repeat this year. The moon is a waxing crescent in the evening sk slow moving but faint.

The dwarf planet Ceres (1), lies just 30 minutes of arc (one moon width) to the north of Saturn on the mo

On the 19th comet C/2013 A1, Sidings Spring, passes just 7 minutes (quarter of a moon width) from the p required during the early evening as twilight ends.

Constellations visible in the south around midnight, mid-month, are as follows: Cetus, Pisces, Aries, Trian sky from east to west. All times are GMT

1° is one finger width at arm’s length.

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arth encounters the Orionid stream. Up to 25 shooting stars an hour are expected. These meteors are fast when the constellation of Orion is high in the south. The radiant, or point of origin of the shooting stars is this year is unfavourable due to the bright gibbous waning in in the vicinity of the radiant.

t marks the peak of the Draconid or Giacobinid (whose parent body is the comet Giacobini-Zinner) meteor me concentrated filaments of particles, producing a high rate of about 500 meteors an hour. It is not likely, ky so should not interfere with the number of Draconids seen. The meteors have the reputation of being

orning of the 4th, but at magnitude 8 will require telescopic assistance to locate.

planet Mars. The globular cluster NGC 6401 also lies nearby. In order to see the comet, a good telescope is

ngulum and Andromeda. Cassiopeia and the Milky Way lie at the zenith, with the Milky Way spanning the

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