Upcoming Astronomical Events
If you do have any reports or images taken of these events then do please email them to me at wag_chair@aol.co.uk
27th February 2019
Mercury at Maximum Elongation from sun
Best seen as the sun sets (take care to either block the sun behind a building or other unmoving object, or wait for the sun to set so you don't risk viewing it through binoculars or a scope). Mercury will be at its further east of the Sun on 27th February, so will be easiest to see after around 17.35 when the sun sets. Many people have never seen this planet because it is often so low or close to the Sun, a good opportunity to add it to your list of observed targets.
Observing report here
Observing report here
12th february 2019
Mars and Uranus conjunction
At around 7pm, Mars will be at around 40 degrees altitude, and Uranus will be approximately 1 degree away from it. Whilst this won't be a dramatic event, it is a good opportunity to easily see one of the more distant planets and it will continue through the evening as the planets get lower in the sky, setting at 11.20pm so catch them as early as you can. Mars is currently quite small at 5.8 arc seconds across and 243.6 million km distance. Uranus, despite its huge physical size is only 3.5 arc seconds across but that is because it is 3029 million km away, so far that light takes 168 minutes to reach us from the planet. A scope at lowish power should show both planets in the same field of view.
An image of this event is here. Uranus will still be close on 13th, with Mars moving away slowly, still at around 3 degrees by Sunday night so you can catch them together in binoculars for a few days more.
An image of this event is here. Uranus will still be close on 13th, with Mars moving away slowly, still at around 3 degrees by Sunday night so you can catch them together in binoculars for a few days more.
Comet C/2018 Y1 (Iwamoto)
This comet should be visible from reasonably dark skies as it moves past Leo, through Cancer and over the top end of Gemini over the next few weeks. It is quite diffuse and at mag 10 is not that bright, but should be visible. Location map from Skysafari here, likely best in the early hours when Leo transits currently.
31st January 2019
Venus, crescent Moon and Jupiter conjunction
Images from this event are now here
