Selected sky events in the coming weeks/months/years--
Here are scheduled "In the Sky" events visible in Colorado
Source: US Naval Observatory Astronomical Almanac, aa.usno.navy.mil/AA/
Local information and updates: www.du.edu/~rstencel/Chamberlin
Need more info? Great source for this: http://www.calsky.com
************************************************
HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2012
May 20 Annular eclipse of the sun, visible in Denver as partial (central near Albuquerque)
June 5 Transit of Venus across the sun, visible in Denver, afternoon
Prominent EVENING Stars:
Venus, Jan - May 2012
Jupiter, Jan - May 2012
Saturn, May-Dec 2012
Prominent MORNING Stars
Venus, July - Dec 2012
Jupiter, July - Dec 2012
Saturn, Jan - Apr 2012
MARS is a morning star until early March (opposition), becomes
evening star thereafter for the balance of the year.
Best views of Mercury:
Evening star, week of March 4th, 18 degrees from sun
Morning star, week of Apr 18th, 27 degrees from the sun
Evening star, week of Jun 30th, 26 degrees from the sun
Morning star, week of Aug 16th, 19 degrees from the sun
Evening star, week of Oct 26th, 24 degrees from the sun
Morning star, week of Dec 4th, 21 degrees west of the sun
-------------------------------------------------------------
Summer/autumn evening stars:
URANUS in Pisces; NEPTUNE - Capricorn; PLUTO - Sagittarius
-------------------------------------------------------------
MOON PHASES
Dates New FQ Full
-- Jan 1 Jan 9
Jan 23 Jan 31 Feb 7
Feb 21 Mar 1 Mar 8
Mar 22 Mar 30 Apr 6
Apr 21 Apr 29 May 6
May 20* May 28 Jun 4* eclipses
Jun 19 Jun 27 Jul 3
Jul 19 Jul 26 Aug 2
Aug 17 Aug 24 Aug 31
Sep 16 Sep 22 Sep 30
Oct 15 Oct 22 Oct 29
Nov 13 Nov 20 Nov 28
Dec 13 Dec 20 Dec 28
**********************************************
Annually:
Nov.
22 Prof. Howe's birthday anniversary.
**********************************************
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 JAN - Happy new year!
2012 Dawn mission - launched in 9/07 - departs Vesta for Ceres
2012 Mar 19, Spring Equinox, 11pm Denver time
2012 MAY 20 Annual eclipse of the Sun,
peaks towards sunset Denver
2012 JUN 5 VENUS TRANSITS THE SUN, mid event is 8pm Denver time:
--starts 413pm MDT, alt:45, az:262; --by 615pm, alt:22, az.281; --sunset 826pm, alt:0, az:299 deg.
2012 JUN 20 Summer solstice, 5pm Denver time
2012 SEP 22 Fall Equinox, 8pm Denver
time
2012 DEC 21 Winter solstice, 4am Denver time & End of the Mayan 5,200 year "long count" cycle
****************************************************
ADDITIONAL COMING EVENTS:
(*tentative)
2013 nothing much happens?
-----
2014 Mars Sample Return mission scheduled
2014 APR 15 Total lunar eclipse, Denver [mid 01:48am local time] - first of TWO
in 2014
2014 OCT 8 Total lunar eclipse, Denver [mid 04:55am local time] - second of TWO in 2014
2014 OCT 23 Partial solar eclipse, Denver [23h GMT]
-----
2015*July - Pluto Express/New Horizons arrival [ Launch = 2006]
2015 Dawn mission - launched in 9/07
- reaches Ceres
2015* Rosetta mission reaches comet C/G
-----
2016 nothing much happens?
-----
2017 AUG 21 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, ca. 18h25m
path includes Casper, Wyo; Lincoln, Neb; Charleston SC...
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023 OCT 14 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, ca. 16h GMT
path from Oregon, Utah, 4Corners, NewMex, So.Texas coast...
2024 APR 08 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, ca. 18h GMT
path near Baja, central Texas, Cairo IL, Maine...
2029 APR 13 Asteroid Apophis near miss with Earth
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
2062 next return, Halley's comet