Highlights ---
2019 Jan.20, 8-10pm, total lunar eclipse
2019 Nov.11, sunrise to ~noon, transit of Mercury across the Sun
* * * * *
Among the best are the PERSEIDS that peak Aug.11-13, and the LEONIDS that peak Nov 16-18.
Both have HOURLY RATES of under 100, with very occasional peaks. Best seen AFTER MIDNIGHT after the moon has set.
Have you seen a FIREBALL? Report it at: http://www.cloudbait.com/science/fireballs.html (and a good place to see reports about recent meteor showers too).
Good observing sites near Denver? Start with light pollution maps at: http://www.cleardarksky.com/lp/DenverCOlp.html?Mn=telescope%20accessory
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| Planet | Conjunction, becomes Morning star | Greatest elongations |
| Mercury
P(syn)= 116d |
numerous, see webpage -> | http://www.jgiesen.de/skymap/MercuryVenus/mercury.html |
| Venus
P(syn)= 584d |
2018 Oct.26 (inf.) 2019 Aug.14 (sup.) 2020 Jun.03 (inf.) |
West
of Sun (morning): 2019 Jan-Jun
East of Sun (evening): 2020 Jul-Dec |
| Conjunction, becomes Morning star | Opposition, becomes Evening star | |
| Mars
P(syn)= 780d |
2017 Aug. 1 |
2018 July 10 2020 Oct.13 2022 Dec.07 |
| Jupiter
P(syn)= 399d |
2018 Nov 26 2019 Nov.11 |
2019 Jun.10 2020 Jul.14 2021 Aug.19 |
| Saturn
P(syn)= 378d |
2019
Jan. 02
2020 Jan.13 |
2019
Jul.09 2020 Jul.20 2021 Aug.02 |
sources included https://in-the-sky.org/data/planets.php
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URANUS in Pisces;
NEPTUNE - Capricorn; PLUTO - Sagittarius
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Annually:
Nov.
22 Prof. Howe's birth anniversary.
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2009 was IYA, International Year of Astronomy: www.astronomy2009.org - celebrating 400 years of the telescope.
2010 featured the rare total eclipse of the remote binary star, epsilon Aurigae, next one starts 2036.
2011 saw extensive mechanical restoration of the Saegmuller mount of "Denver's Great Telescope"
2012 featured a rare transit of Venus, visible in Denver; Dawn mission departed Vesta, en route to Ceres
2012 DEC 21 Winter solstice, 4am Denver time & End of the Mayan 5,200 year "long count" cycle
2015*April - NASA Dawn mission - launched in 9/07
- reached Ceres.
2015*July - NASA Pluto Express/New Horizons arrival [ Launch = 2006]
2015 Sept 27 - total lunar eclipse soon after sunset Denver time, look East.
2016 May 9 (Monday) - sunrise til ~11am, Mercury transits the Sun
2016 May 30 - close approach, Mars, 18.6 arcsec disk
2017 AUG 21 (Monday) TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, ca. 12h25m local time
To SE, path from Oregon, across Casper, Wyo; toward Lincoln, Neb;
& on toward Charleston SC...
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UPCOMING ADDITIONAL EVENTS: (*tentative)
2018 Total lunar eclipses: Jan.31 6am (low in the west); July 27 2pm (below horizon)
2018 Mars close approach, Jul-Aug, 24 arcsec disk
2019 Jan.01 - New Horizons flyby of Kuiper Belt Object, Ultima Thule (2014MU69), http://pluto.jhuapl.edu
2019 Jan.20, Total lunar eclipse, 8--10pm
2019 Nov.11 - sunrise til ~ noon, Mercury transit the Sun (next one in 2032)
2020 JWST launched??? annular solar eclipse June 20
2021 May 26 - total lunar eclipse
2022 May 15 - total lunar eclpse
2023 OCT 14 ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE, ca. 16h GMT
To SW, path from Oregon, Utah, **4Corners, NewMex**, So.Texas coast...
2024 APR 08 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, ca. 18h GMT
To NE, path from near Baja, **central Texas**, Cairo IL, Maine...
2029 APR 13 Asteroid Apophis near-miss with Earth
2032 Transit of Mercury
2036 Asteroid Apophis tries again to hit Earth
2036 next eclipse, epsilon Aurigae
2040 Sep.08 Planetary quintet, Merc-Ven-Mars-Jup-Sat within 9 deg of
each other
2045 AUG 12 - TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE across Colorado!
2061 July-Aug, next close approach, Halley's comet
2117 Dec 10, Transit of Venus, after sunset Denver time
2125 Dec 8, Transit of Venus, morning hours Denver time
final update 5 Dec 2018