STAR WATCH for May & June, 2012


                            WCSU Observatory & Planetarium
                       PUBLIC NIGHT SCHEDULE -- Spring, 2012
DATE
 Planetarium           
Show Time
 Sky Observing
(if clear)
 Celestial Objects Visible
Sat., May 12
 8:00 - 9:00 p.m.*
 9:00 - 11:00 p.m.*
 Mizar & Alcor, Algieba, Saturn
   * = Eastern Daylight Time
       The Transit of Venus across the Sun's disk occurs between 6:03:46 p.m. and sunset (8:29 p.m.) on
Tuesday, June 5. Telescopes will be set up for safe viewing of the transit on the roof of the
Science Building on the WCSU Midtown Campus, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.  Please note that this event
is NOT held at the Westside facility, as there are too many surrounding trees for a good view of the
setting Sun.
       Transits of Venus occur in pairs separated by about eight years; the last Venus transit was on the
morning of June 8, 2004. But the time between the last transit of a pair and the first transit of the next
pair alternates between 105-1/2 and 121-1/2 years. If you miss this transit, the next one occurs in
December, 2117!
       Do NOT look at the Sun directly without proper filtering; we will have safe, solar-filtered
telescopes on the roof of the Science Building on the Midtown Campus. Please contact WCSU Police
for information about parking.
 
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 (on the right), turn left and proceed a short distance to the observatory road, which will be on your left and facing the Pinney Hall dormitory.
       Parking around the WCSU Observatory and Planetarium is very limited (typically, 4 to 6 vehicles), but there is additional parking on nearby University Boulevard.
       Link to map of WCSU Westside Campus
       Link to National Weather Service -- Danbury Weather Forecast
  

NIGHTLY CALENDAR for May & June, 2012

          * or !     Interesting to very interesting events
           !!     EXCEPTIONALLY interesting events (must-see!)
           E     Important geometrical or calendar events

May 12
FREE Public Night at the WCSU Planetarium & Observatory (see above for directions). Planetarium show about the night sky runs from 8 to 9 p.m. If skies are clear, this will be followed by sky viewing using the 20-inch telescope, from 9 to 11 p.m.
12
Last Quarter Moon
19
The Moon reaches apogee at 406,448 km [252,555 miles] from Earth's center.
20
New Moon; a solar eclipse occurs for much of North America and the northern Pacific (partial for most observers, annular from Texas through northern California), but it is unfortunately not visible from New England.
28
First Quarter Moon
June 5
 !!!!
 Venus transits the Sun's disk starting around 6:03 p.m. This rare event will not be seen again from Earth until December of 2117! Safe solar telescopes will be set up to observe the transit on the Science Building roof, WCSU Midtown Campus, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5.


PLANETARY INFORMATION

MERCURY

—

is in the eastern pre-dawn sky during May, rapidly closing with the Sun and vanishing into its glare before month's end.

VENUS

—

 is visible in the W to NW evening sky. It gradually, then more rapidly, closes with the Sun, becoming a larger but narrower crescent in the first weeks of May. An historic transit of the Sun by Venus occurs on June 5: the last one until 2117! See the announcement above.

MARS

—

is visible in early evening, in Leo. It is fading (magnitude -0.7 at the start of April, to +0.5 at the end of May) and shrinking in apparent size (13" at the start of April, to 8" at the end of May) as its distance from Earth increases again following a March 3 opposition.

JUPITER

—

is lost in the Sun's glare during May.

SATURN

—

is visible most of the night, in Virgo near the bright star Spica.


STAR WATCH is brought to you by WCSU Astronomy. Thanks for connecting! For more information,
please call the Observatory line at (203) 837 - 8672 or Dr. Dennis Dawson at (203) 837 - 8671.