STAR WATCH FOR JANUARY, FEBRUARY & MARCH, 2014

Spring, 2014 Schedule of Public Nights at the WCSU Planetarium & Observatory (Westside Campus)

Date                       (Saturdays)

Sunset Time

Planetarium Show

Sky Viewing               (if clear)

Objects Visible

Feb. 8

5:18 p.m. EST

5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Moon, Pleiades, Orion, Jupiter, winter sky

Feb. 22

5:36 p.m.

5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Orion, Jupiter, M44, winter sky

Mar. 8

5:50 p.m.

5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Moon, Orion, Jupiter, winter sky

Mar. 29

7:14 p.m. EDT

7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

8:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Jupiter, Algieba, Mizar & Alcor, M44, early spring sky

Apr. 12

7:29 p.m.

7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

8:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Moon, Mizar & Alcor, Algieba, early spring sky, Mars

Apr. 26

7:43 p.m.

7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

8:30 – 10:30 p.m.

Mizar & Alcor, spring sky, M13, Mars, Saturn

May 10

7:59 p.m.

8:00 – 9:00 p.m.

9:00 – 11:00 p.m.

Moon, Mizar & Alcor, spring sky, M13, Mars, Saturn

The facility is located atop the hill between the Westside Campus Center and the Pinney Hall dormitory. Limited parking is available around the facility, with additional parking on University Boulevard.

Public Nights may be cancelled due to severe weather or hazardous road conditions. Call 837 – 8672 on the day of an event, for updates. Sky viewing cannot be held in cloudy or precipitating weather, but planetarium shows are usually held.

Planetarium shows are appropriate for adults and older children, but generally not for infants or toddlers.

Link to general information about the planetarium and observatory

Link to driving directions to the WCSU observatory and planetarium

Link to map of WCSU Westside Campus

Link to National Weather Service -- Danbury Weather Forecast

NIGHTLY SKY CALENDAR

*or ! – interesting to very interesting celestial event
!! – 'must-see' event
E – calendar or geometry- related event (such as a solstice)

Jan. 4

E

Earth reaches perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) at 147,104,781 km or 91,406,673 miles.

5

*

Jupiter, in Gemini, reaches opposition to the Sun. It rises in the ENE at sunset and is visible most of the night.

7

 

First Quarter Moon

15

*

FULL Wolf MOON, near apogee (406,532 km or 252,607 miles from Earth), is the smallest full moon of 2014. It also passes near Jupiter tonight.

23

*

The waning gibbous Moon passes near Mars (around 1 a.m.), then near the spring star Spica (near dawn).

24

 

Last Quarter Moon

30

 

The Moon reaches perigee (357,080 km or 221,879 miles) less than 12 hours before New phase. Expect large ocean tides.

31

*

Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation at 18 degrees from the Sun. Look low in the WSW after sunset.

Feb. 1

!

The thin crescent Moon passes near Mercury, low in the WSW after sunset.

6

 

First Quarter Moon

8

*

Free PUBLIC NIGHT at the WCSU Planetarium & Observatory facility. Planetarium show, 5 to 6 p.m. Sky viewing (if clear), 6 to 8 p.m. To be viewed (if skies are clear): the Moon, the Pleiades, Orion, Jupiter and other winter sky objects.

11

*

Waxing gibbous Moon passes near Jupiter

12

 

Moon at apogee (406,231 km or 252,420 miles)

14

 

FULL Snow MOON

15

!

Venus reaches its greatest brightness. Look low in the SE before dawn.

19

*

The waning gibbous Moon passes near Mars; look out before midnight.

22

*

Free PUBLIC NIGHT at the WCSU Planetarium & Observatory facility. Planetarium show, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sky viewing (if clear), 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. To be viewed (if skies are clear): Orion, Jupiter, M44 and other winter sky objects.

22

 

Last Quarter Moon

26

*

The waning crescent Moon passes near brilliant Venus before dawn.

27

 

Moon at perigee (360,440 km or 223,967 miles)

Mar.1

 

New Moon

8

*

First Quarter Moon. Free PUBLIC NIGHT at the WCSU Planetarium & Observatory facility. Planetarium show, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sky viewing (if clear), 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. To be viewed (if skies are clear): Moon, Orion, Jupiter, and other winter sky objects.

9

E

Eastern Daylight Time begins at 2 a.m. Move your clocks ahead one hour. (2 a.m. EST = 3 a.m. EDT)

11

 

Moon at apogee (405,364 km or 251,882 miles)

14

 

Mercury reaches greatest western elongation, 28 degrees from the Sun. It is visible before sunrise, but this is not a favorable elongation for Northern Hemisphere observers.

16

 

FULL Worm MOON

19

*

The waning gibbous Moon passes near Mars.

20

E

The vernal equinox (Sun crossing Earth's equator moving northward) occurs at 12:57 p.m. EDT.

22

*

The waning gibbous Moon passes near Saturn. Look SE after midnight.

22

!

Venus reaches greatest western elongation, 47 degrees from the Sun. Look low in the SE during predawn twilight.

23

 

Last Quarter Moon

27

 

Moon at perigee (365,703 km or 227,237 miles)

29

*

Free PUBLIC NIGHT at the WCSU Planetarium & Observatory facility. Planetarium show, 7 to 8 p.m. Sky viewing (if clear), 8 to 10 p.m. To be viewed (if skies are clear): Jupiter, Algieba, Mizar & Alcor, M44 and other early spring sky objects.

30

 

New Moon

 

PLANET INFORMATION

MERCURY rapidly swings around the Sun, first appearing as an evening planet (look WSW after sunset) in late January, then closing with the Sun in February and reappearing in the ESE predawn sky around mid-March.

VENUS, so bright in the southwest early evening sky last fall, closes rapidly with the Sun as January begins. It reappears low in the SE predawn sky by the end of January, increasing its distance from the Sun during February and March, reaching greatest western elongation (47 degrees) from it on March 22.

MARS, in Virgo, rises around midnight in January but by mid-evening in March. The Red Planet is also brightening and will look larger in telescopes as it approaches opposition in mid-April. The table below shows the apparent magnitude and angular size in seconds of arc (“) of both Mars and Jupiter during this time period; Jupiter (see the below entry) is usually the planet that appears largest in telescopes, though Venus when a thin crescent phase can surpass it.

Date

MARS Magnitude

MARS     Angular Size (“)

JUPITER Magnitude

JUPITER Angular Size (“)

Dec. 31

+ 0.8

6.9

- 2.7

46.8

Jan. 10

+ 0.7

7.4

- 2.7

46.7

Jan. 20

+ 0.5

8.0

- 2.7

46.3

Jan. 31

+ 0.2

8.9

- 2.6

45.6

Feb. 10

0.0

9.7

- 2.6

44.6

Feb. 20

- 0.3

10.7

- 2.5

43.4

Feb. 28

- 0.5

11.6

- 2.4

42.4

Mar. 10

- 0.8

12.7

- 2.4

41.1

Mar. 20

- 1.0

13.8

- 2.3

39.8

Mar. 31

- 1.3

14.7

- 2.2

38.5

 

JUPITER, in Gemini, reaches opposition to the Sun on January 5, rising near sunset and visible all night. The giant planet remains well placed, high in the eastern sky during the evening, through March.

SATURN, in Libra, rises well after midnight (Jan.) to around midnight by mid-March. The north (top) side of its rings is visible, tilted about 22 degrees to us.

GENERAL INFORMATION about the planetarium and observatory:

  • Public Nights are free, but we do accept donations in the planetarium and in the hyperbolic funnel ("black hole") in the lobby.
  • Planetarium shows will be held as scheduled, rain or shine, unless severe storms or hazardous driving conditions are predicted. The telescope cannot be used if skies are cloudy or precipitating. (Use the National Weather Service link, above, to see the forecast for any scheduled Public Night date.)
  • Parking is very limited (4 to 6 vehicles) atop the hill where the facility stands, but more is available on University Boulevard (the main Westside Campus road).
  • The planetarium has a seating capacity of 40. The telescope chamber can accommodate 6 to 8 at one time, with additional standing space on the stairs.
  • Planetarium shows usually last about one hour and are geared to adults and families with preadolescent and older children; i.e., older than baby or toddler. Younger children may be disturbed by the dimming of lights in the planetarium and other special effects.
  • It is requested that people attending planetarium shows turn off mobile phones, digital cameras and other electronic devices, as their use during the show is disturbing to others. The same request holds for flashlights, lighted sport shoes and other sources of illumination.
  • The observatory houses a 20-inch f/8.1 Ritchey-Chretien reflecting telescope that is used for public observing and astronomy research by WCSU students and faculty. It has a German-type equatorial mounting (the telescope has counterweights) and a computer controlled pointing and tracking system.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS to the WCSU Observatory and Planetarium: 

        The facility is located on the WCSU Westside Campus, which is off Exit 4 (Lake Avenue) of Interstate 84. After exiting the Interstate, travel about 0.7 mile west on Route 6 to the main campus entrance, then another 0.7 mile up the main campus road, University Boulevard. You will pass Centennial Hall (new dormitory) on your left; continue straight. At the new Campus Center, turn left and proceed a short distance to the observatory road, which will be on your left and facing the Pinney Hall dormitory. SLOWLY turn onto the road--preferably coming in from an angle--as the entrance apron is steep; we don't want you to bottom out!

        Parking is very limited (4 to 6 vehicles) atop the hill where the facility stands, but more is available on University Boulevard (the main Westside Campus road).


      

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