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
DATE TIME EVENT (FQ = First Quarter, Moon)
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EVENING STAR MORNING STAR
MERCURY: Jan,May,Sep'08 Mar,Jul,Oct'08
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VENUS: EVENING STAR MORNING STAR
Sep'07-Jun'08
9Jun08 sup.conjunction
Jun'08-Dec'08
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MARS: EVENING STAR MORNING STAR
Dec'07 - Dec'08
05Dec08 conjunction
Dec'08---
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JUPITER: EVENING STAR MORNING STAR
Dec'07-Jul'08
09Jul'08 opposition
Jul'08-Dec'08
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SATURN: EVENING STAR MORNING STAR
Feb'08-Sep'08
04Sep'08 conjunction
Sep'08---
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URANUS - Aquarius; NEPTUNE - Capricorn; PLUTO - Sagittarius
*************************2008********************
2008
MAR'08
20 Vernal equinox, 6h GMT, spring begins
21 Full moon
23 Easter, the first Sunday after full moon after vernal equinox
29 Earth Hour, lights out 8-9pm to demonstrate energy savings
APR'08
06 New moon
12 Open house at Chamberlin Obs http://www.du.edu/~rstencel/Chamberlin
19 EARTH NIGHT at Chamberlin Obs 8-10pm.
20 Full moon
MAY'08 - NASA's Phoenix lander arrives Mars
05 New moon
10 Open house at Chamberlin Obs http://www.du.edu/~rstencel/Chamberlin
14 Mercury, greatest elongation east, 22 deg (evening star)
20 Full moon
JUN'08
03 New moon
07 Open house at Chamberlin Obs http://www.du.edu/~rstencel/Chamberlin
09 Venus at superior conjunction -> becoming evening star
18 Full moon
21 Summer solstice, 0h GMT
JUL'08 - ESA's Herschel Space Observatory scheduled for launch
01 Mercury, greatest elongation west, 27 deg (morning star)
03 New moon
04 Earth at aphelion
09 Jupiter at opposition, becoming evening star
12 Open house at Chamberlin Obs http://www.du.edu/~rstencel/Chamberlin
18 Full moon
AUG'08
01 New moon - total eclipse, Siberia
09 Open house at Chamberlin Obs http://www.du.edu/~rstencel/Chamberlin
15 Mercury-Venus-Saturn within 3 degrees of each other
16 FULL MOON & nearly total lunar eclipse [Eurasia, 3-6 PM Denver time]
30 New moon
SEP'08
04 Saturn at conjunction, becoming morning star
06 Open house at Chamberlin Obs http://www.du.edu/~rstencel/Chamberlin
07 Merc-Venus-Mars within 4 degrees of each other
11 Mercury, greatest elongation east, 27 deg (evening star)
12 Merc-Venus-Mars again within 4 degrees of each other
15 Full moon
22 Autumnal equinox, 16h GMT, fall begins
29 New moon
OCT'08
04 Open house at Chamberlin Obs http://www.du.edu/~rstencel/Chamberlin
07 FQ
14 Full moon
22 Mercury, greatest elongation west, 18 deg (morning star)
28 New moon
NOV'08
08 Open house at Chamberlin Obs http://www.du.edu/~rstencel/Chamberlin
13 Full moon
27 New moon
DEC'08
05 Mars at conjunction, becoming morning star
06 Open house at Chamberlin Obs http://www.du.edu/~rstencel/Chamberlin
12 Full moon
21 Winter solstice, 12h GMT, winter begins
27 New moon
ADDITIONAL COMING EVENTS:
(*tentative)
2009 Feb. 9 penumbral lunar eclipse
2009 Feb.24 Merc-Mars-Jupiter within 4 degrees of each other
2009 APR 22 Dramatic crescent Venus-Moon occultation, 6am Denver
2009 Jul. 7 penumbral lunar eclipse
2009 AUG 6 Eclipse of epsilon Aurigae begins, duration 647 days!
2010 Jul.11 Annular eclipse of the Sun over the south Atlantic
2010 AUG Mid-eclipse, epsilon Aurigae
2010 Aug.08 Venus-Mars-Saturn within 5 degrees of each other
2011 APR Eclipse of epsilon Aurigae end, next one ~2038
2011 Dawn mission if launched in 7/07 reaches Vesta
2011 May.11 Merc-Venus-Jupiter within 2 degrees of each other
2012 MAY 20 Annual eclipse of the Sun at sunset Denver
2012 JUN 5 VENUS TRANSITS THE SUN, mid event is 8pm Denver time
2012 DEC 21 End of the Mayan 5,200 year "long count" cycle
2013 nothing much happens?
2014 Mars Sample Return mission scheduled
2014 OCT 23 Partial solar eclipse, Denver [23h GMT]
2015* Pluto Express/New Horizons arrival [if L=2006]
2015* Rosetta mission reaches comet C/G
2015* Dawn mission if launched in 7/07 reaches Ceres
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
2038 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
More about epsilon Aurigae
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