| Date |
Planetarium
Show Time |
Sky
Observing Time (if clear)* |
Celestial
Objects Visible (if clear) |
| Sat.,
Feb. 9 |
5:30
p.m. (EST) |
6:30
- 8:30 p.m. |
Jupiter,
Orion Nebula, early winter sky |
| Sat.,
Feb. 23 |
5:30
p.m. |
6:30
- 8:30 p.m. |
Jupiter,
waxing gibbous Moon, winter sky |
| Sat.,
Mar. 9 |
6:00
p.m. |
7:00
- 9:00 p.m. |
Orion
Nebula, Jupiter |
| Sat.,
Mar. 23 |
7:00
p.m. (EDT) |
8:00
- 10:00 p.m. |
Waxing
gibbous Moon, early spring sky |
| Sat.,
Apr. 6 |
7:30
p.m. |
8:30
- 10:30 p.m. |
Jupiter,
spring sky |
| Sat.,
Apr. 20 |
7:30
p.m. |
8:30
- 10:30 p.m. |
Jupiter,
waxing gibbous Moon, Saturn (late) |
| Sat.,
May 4 |
8:00
p.m. |
9:00
- 11:00 p.m. |
Spring
sky, Saturn, Mizar and Alcor |
| Sat.,
May 18 |
8:00
p.m. |
9:00
- 11:00 p.m. |
First
Quarter Moon, Saturn |
| 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, below, 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
(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.
Link to map of WCSU
Westside CampusLink to National Weather Service -- Danbury Weather Forecast |
* or
! Interesting to very interesting events
!! EXCEPTIONALLY
interesting events (must-see!)
E Important
geometrical or
calendar events
| Jan. 26 |
FULL Wolf MOON |
|
| Feb. 1 |
* |
The
waning gibbous Moon passes near the bright spring star Spica. |
| 3 |
Last Quarter Moon |
|
| 4 |
* |
The planets Mercury and Mars are
near each other, low in the WSW sky after sunset. At magnitude -1.1,
Mercury (the left object iof the close pair) is more than eight times
brighter than Mars (magnitude +1.2). |
| Feb.
9 |
* | FREE Public Night at
the WCSU Planetarium and Observatory. The planetarium show starts
promptly at 5:30 p.m. and
lasts about one hour. The telescope dome will be open for sky observing
(if skies are clear) from 6:30 to
8:30 p.m. To be observed: Jupiter, the Orion Nebula and
other objects in the early winter sky. |
| 10 |
New Moon |
|
| 16 |
* |
Mercury
reaches greatest eastern elongation, 18 degrees east of the Sun. Look
WSW after sunset for two weeks either side of this date. This is
Mercury's best eveining apparition of the year for New England
observers. |
| 17 |
First
Quarter Moon |
|
| 17 |
* |
The
waxing gibbous Moon passes near the bright planet Jupiter. |
| 19 |
The
Moon reaches apogee at 404,472 km [251,327 miles] from Earth's center. |
|
| 23 |
* | FREE Public Night at
the WCSU Planetarium and Observatory. The planetarium show starts
promptly at 5:30 p.m. and
lasts about one hour. The telescope dome will be open for sky observing
(if skies are clear) from 6:30 to
8:30 p.m. To be observed: Jupiter, the waxing gibbous Moon,
and other objects in the winter sky. |
| 25 |
FULL Snow
MOON |
|
| 28 |
The waning
gibbous Moon passes near the bright spring star Spica. |
|
| Mar. 4 |
Last Quarter
Moon |
|
| 5 |
The waning
crescent Moon reaches perigee at 369,957 km [229,880 miles] from
Earth's center. |
|
| 9 |
FREE Public Night at the WCSU Planetarium and Observatory. The planetarium show starts promptly at 6:00 p.m. and lasts about one hour. The telescope dome will be open for sky observing (if skies are clear) from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. To be observed: Jupiter and the Orion Nebula. | |
| 10 |
E |
Eastern
Daylight Time begins at 2 a.m. Set your clocks ahead one hour! |
| 11 |
New Moon |
|
| 17 |
! |
The waxing
crescent Moon passes very near the bright planet Jupiter. |
| 18 |
The waxing
crescent Moon reaches apogee at 404,261 km [251,196 miles] from
Earth's center. |
|
| 19 |
First
Quarter Moon |
|
| 20 |
E |
The
vernal equinox (Sun crossing the equator moving northward) occurs at
7:02 a.m. EDT. |
| 23 |
FREE Public Night at the WCSU Planetarium and Observatory. The planetarium show starts promptly at 7:00 p.m. and lasts about one hour. The telescope dome will be open for sky observing (if skies are clear) from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. To be observed: the waxing gibbous Moon and other objects in the early spring sky. | |
| 27 |
FULL Worm
MOON |
|
| 27/28 |
* |
The Full
Moon passes near the spring star Spica (closest toward moonset, around
dawn on the 28th). |
| 31 |
* |
Mercury
reaches greatest western elongation (28 degrees) and is visible low in
the ESE before sunrise. |
| 31 |
The waning
gibbous Moon reaches perigee at 367,504 km [228,356 miles] from Earth's
center. |
|
| Apr. 3 |
Last Quarter
Moon |
|
| 6 |
* |
FREE Public Night at the WCSU Planetarium and Observatory. The planetarium show starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. and lasts about one hour. The telescope dome will be open for sky observing (if skies are clear) from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. To be observed: Jupiter, and other objects in the spring sky. |
| 10 |
New Moon |
|
| 14 |
* |
The waxing
crescent Moon passes near the bright planet Jupiter. |
| 15 |
The waxing
cresecnt moon reaches apogee at 404,862 km [251,569 miles] from
Earth's center. |
|
| 18 |
First
Quarter Moon |
|
| 20 |
FREE Public Night at the WCSU Planetarium and Observatory. The planetarium show starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. and lasts about one hour. The telescope dome will be open for sky observing (if skies are clear) from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. To be observed: Jupiter, the waxing gibbous Moon, and Saturn (late). | |
| 24 |
! |
The
nearly-Full Moon passes extremely close to the bright spring star
Spica; Central and South America will experience its occultation
(hiding by the Moon) around 8 p.m. EDT (0 hours Universal Time on the
25th). |
| 25 |
FULL Pink
MOON. A partial eclipse of this Moon will be visible from Asia and
eastern Europe, but not at all from North America. |
|
| 27 |
* |
The planet
Saturn, in western Libra, reaches opposition
to the Sun, rising around sunset and visible all night. The northern
side of Saturn's rings now faces us; the rings are opened about 18
degrees from their edge-on condition of a few years ago. |
| May 2 |
Last Quarter
Moon |
|
| 4 |
FREE Public Night at the WCSU Planetarium and Observatory. The planetarium show starts promptly at 8:00 p.m. and lasts about one hour. The telescope dome will be open for sky observing (if skies are clear) from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. To be observed: Saturn, Mizar and Alcor, and other objects in the spring sky. | |
| 4-5 |
* |
The light of the waning crescent
Moon will somewhat hamper viewing of meteors from the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. Look
east and southeast after midnight; peak activity should occur around 2
a.m. On a night with no Moon visible and the observer in an otherwise
dark location (such as a country sky), several dozen fast meteors might
be seen. |
| 9 |
New Moon. An
annular solar eclipses is visible from Australia and the central
Pacific but not from here |
|
| 13 |
The waxing
crescent Moon reaches apogee at 405,825 km [252,168 miles] from Earth's
center. |
|
| 18 |
First
Quarter Moon |
|
| 18 |
FREE Public Night at the WCSU Planetarium and Observatory. The planetarium show starts promptly at 8:00 p.m. and lasts about one hour. The telescope dome will be open for sky observing (if skies are clear) from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. To be observed: the First Quarter Moon and Saturn. | |
| 22 |
* |
The waxing
gibbous Moon passes very near the spring star Spica; nearest near
moonset. |
| 25 |
FULL Flower
MOON. The Moon reaches perigee 22 hours later, at 358,377 km [222,685
miles] from Earth's center. |
|
| 25-27 |
!! |
The planets Mercury, Venus and
Jupiter all lie within 3 degrees of each other during this time period;
look low in the WNW after sunset. This
is the best binocular planetary conjunction of the year. |
| 28 |
! |
Look low in
the WNW after sunset to see a close pairing of Venus (magnitude -3.8)
and Jupiter (magnitude -1.9). |
| 31 |
Last Quarter Moon |
|
MERCURY
|
— |
reappears
in the evening sky during the last week of January, with its best
after-sunset appearance of 2013 during February (greatest eastern
elongation on Feb. 16). It then passes back into the Sun's glare and
reappears before sunrise around mid-March, reaching greatest western
elongation on Mar. 31. It is still visible before sunrise during April,
then again vanishes into the Sun's glare and reappears after sunset in
late May. It's a speedy little planet! |
|
VENUS |
— |
is
visible low in
the ESE pre-dawn sky during January and February, thereafter lost in
the Sun's glare until May, when it can be glimpsed low in the west
after sunset. |
|
MARS |
— |
is
low in the WSW twilight sky during January and most of February.
Thereafter, it vanishes into the Sun's glare and is not visible again
(low in the ENE pre-dawn sky) until June. |
|
JUPITER |
— |
in Taurus, is well
placed for viewing all spring. It gradually moves from the eastern
evening sky into the western evening sky. By May, it is low in the WNW
twilight sky, gradually vanishing into the Sun's glare. |
|
SATURN |
— |
in Libra, rises in
the SE around midnight during February, but ever earlier as spring
progresses. The planet reaches opposition on April 27, rising around
sunset and visible most of the night. |
STAR
WATCH is brought
to you by the Earth & Planetary Sciences program at WCSU. Thanks for
connecting!
For more
information,
please call Dr. Dennis Dawson at
(203) 837 - 8671.