Knowle Astronomical Society Almanac 2008

Knowle Astronomical Society is pleased to present its annual review of significant astronomical
events for the year ahead. We hope that beginners and experts alike will find it informative and useful.
Every effort has been made to ensure accurate timings for these events from the vicinity of Knowle
and Dorridge. It is recommended however that observers check exact local timings a few days
beforehand (as well as the weather forecast!). Please note that when observing before sunset or after
sunrise every precaution should be taken to avoid looking directly at the Sun using any form of optical
instrument, including cameras and even the unaided human eye.

British Summer Time

All times in this almanac are quoted in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). British Summer Time (BST) will
be in force between March 30th and October 26th. To convert from GMT to BST add one hour to the
quoted times.

Sun and Moon

Sunrise Sunset Phases of the Moon

15th of month New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter
January 8:06 16:21 8th 15th 22nd 30th
February 7:20 17:17 7th 14 th
21st 29th
March 6:18 18:09 7th 14 th
21st 29th
April 5:07 19:02 6th 12th 20th 28th
May 4:10 19:52 5th 12 th
20th 28th
June 3:43 20:26 3rd 10 th
18th 26th
July 4:02 20:17 3rd 10 th
18th 25th
August 4:48 19:27 1st, 30th 8th 16th 23rd
September 5:39 18:18 29th 7th
15th 22nd
October 6:29 17:09 28th 7th
14th 21st
November 7:24 16:12 27th 6th 13th 19th
December 8:06 15:53 27th 5th
12th 19th

Equinoxes and Solstices

Vernal Equinox March 20th Summer Solstice June 21st

Autumnal Equinox September 22nd Winter Solstice December 21st

Eclipses

On February 7th a Solar Eclipse is visible from Antarctica and New Zealand. This eclipse is Annular
from parts of Antarctica

A Total Lunar Eclipse in the early hours of February 21st is visible from the UK with the umbral phase
lasting between 1:44 and 5:10.

On August 1st a Solar Eclipse is visible from the Arctic, Northern Europe and Central Asia. This
eclipse is Total from parts of the Arctic and Central Asia. From the UK the partial phase takes place
between 8:33 and 10:07.

A Partial Lunar Eclipse on August 16th starts shortly after moonrise, with the umbral phase lasting
between 19:36 and 22:45.

The Planets

The best opportunities to see Mercury in 2008 occur in the evening sky for a couple of weeks around
greatest elongation east on May 14th and in the morning sky for a couple of weeks around greatest
elongation west on October 22nd.
Knowle Astronomical Society Sky Notes 2007
Venus continues its current morning apparition into 2008, but sinks gradually lower in the pre-dawn
sky until it is eventually lost in twilight by the end of February. For most of the rest of the year it
remains fairly close to the Sun in the sky and therefore difficult to observe. During November however
it starts to climb into the evening sky above the north-western horizon and by the year end will be a
brilliant and conspicuous object for several hours after sunset.

Having reached opposition in late 2007 Mars continues to be a prominent evening object in Gemini
throughout the first few months of 2008, although gradually fading in brightness and getting lower in
the western sky. By the end of June it is lost in twilight and remains too close to the Sun to be well
seen for the rest of the year. Mars does not come to opposition again until 2009.

At the start of 2008 Jupiter is unfavourably placed, close to the Sun, but during January it starts to
emerge into morning twilight. By the end of May it is rising before midnight and it reaches opposition
on July 9th. Jupiter then remains an evening object for the rest of the year. This year’s apparition is in
the southernmost zodiacal constellation of Sagittarius and so the planet will not be well seen from our
latitude.

The occultations, transits and shadow transits of Jupiter’s Galilean satellites are easy to observe in
small telescopes. It is very common to see one or even two transits or shadow transits in progress,
but triple and other multiple events are much rarer. The only multiple events observable from the
British Isles during 2007 are:-

March 22nd 03:58 – 04:42 Io transit & shadow transit, Ganymede transit
June 16th 00:56 – 01:10 Europa transit & shadow transit, Ganymede transit & shadow transit
rd
June 23 02:40 – 03:44 Europa transit & shadow transit, Ganymede transit
September 9th 18:41 – 19:45 Io transit & shadow transit, Ganymede transit.

Callisto, the outermost satellite starts participating in these events again in 2008 after a few years of
absence due to the unfavourable orientation of the orbital plane. However it is not involved in any
multiple events this year.

Saturn is a conspicuous evening object at the start of 2008 and reaches opposition on February 24th
in Leo. It remains an evening object until July when it is lost in twilight and will emerge into the
morning sky again during September. By December it will be rising before midnight. Saturn’s rings
continue to close during the year and will be edge on during 2009. Most of Saturn’s family of satellites
orbit in roughly the same plane as the rings and during 2008 it will be possible to observe transits and
occultations of all of the major ones except the largest, Titan.

Uranus which, at magnitude 5.7, is only just visible to the naked eye under good conditions is at
opposition in Aquarius on September 13th and Neptune which, at magnitude 7.8, requires at least
good binoculars to see, is at opposition in Capricornus on August 15th.

Conjunctions and Occultations

The Moon encounters each planet during its monthly journey through the Zodiac. These conjunctions
are often attractive sights, particularly those that occur at dawn or dusk when the Moon displays its
crescent phase. Conjunctions between the planets are also reasonably frequent events. Sometimes
the Moon will even pass directly in front of (i.e. occult) a planet or first magnitude star. Lunar
occultations of fainter naked eye stars are fairly regular events. The following is a synopsis of the
most notable conjunctions and occultations during 2007.

On January 5th the waning crescent Moon may be seen a few degrees below Venus before dawn.
Towards the end of January Jupiter joins Venus in the pre-dawn sky. The distance between the two
closes until on the morning of February 1st they are less than a degree apart and then on February 3rd
and 4th the waning crescent Moon is close to both of them. During February the separation between
the two planets then increases again with Jupiter climbing higher whilst Venus sinks into twilight. The
Moon is again close to Jupiter on the mornings of March 3rd, March 30th – 31st, April 27th and May 24th
and then in the evening sky on June 20th, July 18th, August 14th, September 9th, October 7th,
November 3rd and December 1st.

Knowle Astronomical Society Sky Notes 2007

Jupiter and Venus converge together again during November – this time in the evening sky. On
December 1st there will be an extremely interesting and attractive event when the four day old Moon
occults Venus, with the planet disappearing behind the dark limb at 15:46, about ten minutes before
sunset and re-emerging from behind the bright limb at 17:17. At the same time Jupiter is less than 2
degrees above the Moon. On December 31st Venus is again close to the four day old crescent Moon.

Following their very close encounter on Christmas Eve 2007 the Moon and Mars are again less than a
degree apart on the night of January 19th – 20th. These two are also in conjunction on February 15th –
16th, March 14th – 15th, April 11th, May 10th and June 7th.

On the morning of February 27th Venus is just over a degree from Mercury, but this will be a very
difficult event to observe with both planets low down on the south-east horizon just before sunrise.
There is a similar and equally difficult conjunction of these two planets in the evening sky on August
20th.

On May 6th the one day old Moon may be seen less than two degrees from Mercury in the evening
sky and on October 27th the Moon is to the lower right of Mercury in the morning sky.

The paths of the Moon and Neptune are very close to each other during 2008 and the two lie within a
degree of each other on no less than thirteen occasions. Not all of these will be conveniently
observed from the UK however. The best two events occur in the early hours of May 27th (when the
Moon is 6 arcminutes from Neptune at its closest approach at 3:01) and on November 6th when the
separation at 18:54 will be about one arcminute from our location – very close to being a grazing
occultation. On December 27th Venus is just over a degree from Neptune.

Throughout the first half of the year Saturn and Mars move gradually closer together in the evening
sky. By July 6th they are about two degrees apart and on that evening form an attractive conjunction
with the three day old Moon which may be seen just below them. The closest separation of the two
planets (less than a degree) occurs a few nights later on July 10th. The Moon is also in conjunction
with Saturn on the evenings of January 24th – 25th, February 20th, March 19th, April 15th, May 12th and
June 8th and then in the morning sky on September 27th, October 25th, November 21st and December
19th.

On the evening of August 13th Venus and Saturn will be less than a quarter of a degree apart, but this
will be another difficult event to observe, low on the western horizon at dusk. Venus then closes in on
Mars and these two will be about a third of a degree apart in evening twilight on September 11th.

The Moon skirmished with the Pleiades twice in 2007 and there are two further encounters in 2008.
The first of these occurs in the early hours of September 20th when Celaeno (magnitude 5.4), Taygeta
(4.3) and Maia (3.9) are all occulted. This event lasts between 1:53 and 3:17. On the evening of
November 13th in an event lasting between 18:29 and 20:49, the Moon occults Electra (3.7), Merope
(4.2), Alcyone (2.9), Atlas (3.6) and Pleione (5.2).

Minor Planets

Many dozens of minor planets (asteroids) are within range of amateur instruments. The following are
at opposition with magnitude 9 or brighter during 2008:-

Asteroid Opposition Date Magnitude Range of Dates Brighter than 9.5

15 Eunomia Jan 10th 8.2 Nov 1st (2007) – Feb 28th

6 Hebe Feb 7th 8.8 Jan 7th – Feb 29th
11 Parthenope Aug 6th 8.8 Jul 13th – Aug 31st
4 Vesta Oct 30th 6.5 At all times
9 Metis Nov 4th 8.5 Sep 27th – Dec 18th
2 Pallas Dec 4th 8.0 Jul 19th – Nov 2009

1 Ceres, the largest asteroid and first to be discovered does not come to opposition during 2008 but is
brighter than magnitude 9.5 at all times.

Knowle Astronomical Society Sky Notes 2007

Meteor Showers

The following table shows the most important annual meteor showers with the dates of their expected
duration during 2008, the date of maximum intensity, estimated zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) at
maximum and the phase of the Moon at maximum. Those showers with the highest percentage for
the lunar phase will experience the most interference from moonlight, consequently reducing the
numbers of meteors observed.

Shower Duration Maximum ZHR Lunar Phase

at Max

Quadrantids Jan 1st – Jan 5th Jan 4th 120 18%

Lyrids Apr 16th – Apr 25th Apr 22nd 18 98%
Eta Aquarids Apr 19th – May 28th May 5th 70 1%
Southern Delta Aquarids Jul 12th – Aug 19th Jul 27th 20 36%
Perseids Jul 17th – Aug 24th Aug 12th 100 78%
Orionids Oct 2nd – Nov 7th Oct 21st 30 56%
Leonids Nov 10th – Nov 23rd Nov 17th 20 81%
Geminids Dec 7th – Dec 17th Dec 13th 120 99%

Amongst the major showers, the Quadrantids in early January will suffer only a little interference from
the last quarter Moon towards dawn, whilst the Perseids in August will be best observed at maximum
after midnight, once the waning gibbous Moon has set. The Geminids in December will unfortunately
be severely affected by the Full Moon.

Sources

The following are gratefully acknowledged:-

Almanako.com, Burnham’s Celestial Handbook, Castle Point Astronomy Club, Graystel Astronomy
Software, Heavens Above website, HM Nautical Almanac Office, International Meteor Organization,
National Maritime Museum / Royal Observatory Greenwich, Royal Astronomical Society of New
Zealand, US Naval Observatory.

Knowle Astronomical Society Sky Notes 2007

Appendices

Appendix 1: Summary of Key Events in 2008

Appendix 2: The Messier Catalogue

Appendix 1: Summary of Key Events in 2008

Jan 4th Quadrantids at maximum

Jan 20th Mars < 1o from Moon
Feb 1st Jupiter < 1o from Venus
Feb 4th Moon, Venus & Jupiter in conjunction
Feb 21st Total Lunar Eclipse (1:44 – 5:10)
Feb 24th Saturn at opposition
Feb 27th Mercury about 1o from Venus
May 6th Moon & Mercury in conjunction
May 14th Mercury at Greatest Elongation East (most favourable in 2008)
May 27th Neptune 6’ from Moon
Jun 16th Transit & shadow transit of both Europa & Ganymede (0.56 – 1.10)
Jul 6th Moon, Mars & Saturn in conjunction
Jul 9th Jupiter at opposition
Jul 10th Mars < 1o from Saturn
Aug 1st Solar Eclipse (Partial from UK 8:33 – 10:07)
Aug 12th Perseids at maximum
Aug 13th Saturn < 1o from Venus
Aug 16th Partial Lunar Eclipse (19:36 – 22:45)
Aug 20th Mercury about 1o from Venus
Sep 11th Mars < 1o from Venus
Sep 20th Pleiades occulted by Moon (1:53 – 3:17)
Oct 22nd Mercury at Greatest Elongation West (most favourable in 2008)
Oct 27th Moon & Mercury in conjunction
Oct 30th Vesta at opposition
Nov 6th Neptune 1’ from Moon
Nov 13th Pleiades occulted by Moon (18:29 – 20:49)
Dec 1st Moon, Venus & Jupiter in conjunction
Dec 1st Venus occulted by Moon (15:46 – 17:17)
Dec 13th Geminids at maximum
Dec 27th Neptune about 1o from Venus

Knowle Astronomical Society Sky Notes 2007

 Appendix 2: The Messier Catalogue
Note: Right Ascension (R. A.) and Declination co-ordinates are J2000 epoch.

Popular Name Constellation Type R. A. Declination Mag

Hrs Mins Degs Mins
M 1 Crab nebula Taurus Supernova Remnant 5 35 22 1 8.4
M 2 Aquarius Globular Cluster 21 34 0 49 6.5
M 3 Canes Venatici Globular Cluster 13 42 28 23 6.4
M 4 Scorpius Globular Cluster 16 24 -26 32 5.9
M 5 Serpens Globular Cluster 15 19 2 5 5.8
M 6 Butterfly cluster Scorpius Open Cluster 17 40 -32 13 4.2
M 7 Scorpius Open Cluster 17 54 -34 49 3.3
M 8 Lagoon nebula Sagittarius Nebula 18 4 -24 23 5.8
M 9 Ophiuchus Globular Cluster 17 19 -18 31 7.9
M 10 Ophiuchus Globular Cluster 16 57 -4 6 6.6
M 11 Wild Duck cluster Scutum Open Cluster 18 51 -6 16 5.8
M 12 Ophiuchus Globular Cluster 16 47 -1 57 6.6
M 13 Great Cluster in Hercules Hercules Globular Cluster 16 42 36 28 5.9
M 14 Ophiuchus Globular Cluster 17 38 -3 15 7.6
M 15 Pegasus Globular Cluster 21 30 12 10 6.4
M 16 Eagle nebula Serpens Cluster + Nebula 18 19 -13 47 6.0
M 17 Omega nebula Sagittarius Cluster + Nebula 18 21 -16 11 6.0
M 18 Sagittarius Open Cluster 18 20 -17 8 6.9
M 19 Ophiuchus Globular Cluster 17 3 -26 16 7.2
M 20 Trifid nebula Sagittarius Cluster + Nebula 18 2 -23 2 6.3
M 21 Sagittarius Open Cluster 18 5 -22 30 5.9
M 22 Sagittarius Globular Cluster 18 36 -23 54 5.1
M 23 Sagittarius Open Cluster 17 57 -19 1 5.5
M 24 Small Sagittarius Star Cloud Sagittarius Open Cluster 18 18 -18 25 N/A
M 25 Sagittarius Open Cluster 18 32 -19 15 4.6
M 26 Scutum Open Cluster 18 45 -9 24 8.0
M 27 Dumbbell nebula Vulpecula Planetary Nebula 19 60 22 43 8.1
M 28 Sagittarius Globular Cluster 18 25 -24 52 6.9
M 29 Cygnus Open Cluster 20 24 38 32 6.6
M 30 Capricornus Globular Cluster 21 40 -23 11 7.5
M 31 Great Nebula in Andromeda Andromeda Galaxy 0 43 41 16 3.5
M 32 Andromeda Galaxy 0 43 40 52 8.2
M 33 Triangulum galaxy Triangulum Galaxy 1 34 30 39 5.7
M 34 Perseus Open Cluster 2 42 42 47 5.2
M 35 Gemini Open Cluster 6 9 24 20 5.1
M 36 Auriga Open Cluster 5 36 34 8 6.0
M 37 Auriga Open Cluster 5 52 32 33 5.6
M 38 Auriga Open Cluster 5 29 35 50 6.4
M 39 Cygnus Open Cluster 21 32 48 26 4.6
M 40 spurious observation of double star in Ursa Major
M 41 Canis Major Open Cluster 6 47 -20 44 4.5
M 42 Great Nebula in Orion Orion Nebula 5 35 -5 27 4.0
M 43 Orion Nebula 5 36 -5 16 9.0
M 44 Beehive cluster / Praesepe Cancer Open Cluster 8 40 19 59 3.1
M 45 Pleiades / Seven Sisters Taurus Open Cluster 3 47 24 7 1.2
M 46 Puppis Open Cluster 7 42 -14 49 6.1
M 47 Puppis Open Cluster 7 37 -14 30 4.4
M 48 Hydra Open Cluster 8 14 -5 48 5.8
M 49 Virgo Galaxy 12 30 8 0 8.4
M 50 Monoceros Open Cluster 7 3 -8 20 5.9
M 51 Whirlpool galaxy Canes Venatici Galaxy 13 30 47 12 8.4
M 52 Cassiopeia Open Cluster 23 24 61 35 6.9
M 53 Coma Berenices Globular Cluster 13 13 18 10 7.7
M 54 Sagittarius Globular Cluster 18 55 -30 29 7.7

Knowle Astronomical Society Sky Notes 2007

 Popular Name Constellation Type R. A. Declination Mag
Hrs Mins Degs Mins
M 55 Sagittarius Globular Cluster 19 40 -30 58 7.0
M 56 Lyra Globular Cluster 19 17 30 11 8.3
M 57 Ring nebula in Lyra Lyra Planetary Nebula 18 54 33 2 9.0
M 58 Virgo Galaxy 12 38 11 49 9.8
M 59 Virgo Galaxy 12 42 11 39 9.8
M 60 Virgo Galaxy 12 44 11 33 8.8
M 61 Virgo Galaxy 12 22 4 28 9.7
M 62 Ophiuchus Globular Cluster 17 1 -30 7 6.6
M 63 Sunflower galaxy Canes Venatici Galaxy 13 16 42 2 8.6
M 64 Black-eye galaxy Coma Berenices Galaxy 12 57 21 41 8.5
M 65 Leo Galaxy 11 19 13 5 9.3
M 66 Leo Galaxy 11 20 12 59 9.0
M 67 Cancer Open Cluster 8 50 11 49 6.9
M 68 Hydra Globular Cluster 12 40 -26 45 8.2
M 69 Sagittarius Globular Cluster 18 31 -32 21 7.7
M 70 Sagittarius Globular Cluster 18 43 -32 18 8.1
M 71 Sagitta Globular Cluster 19 54 18 47 8.3
M 72 Aquarius Globular Cluster 20 54 -12 32 9.4
M 73 Aquarius Open Cluster 20 59 -12 38 9.0
M 74 Pisces Galaxy 1 37 15 47 9.2
M 75 Sagittarius Globular Cluster 20 6 -21 55 8.6
M 76 Little Dumbbell Perseus Planetary Nebula 1 42 51 34 12.0
M 77 Cetus Galaxy 2 43 0 1 8.8
M 78 Orion Nebula 5 47 0 3 8.0
M 79 Lepus Globular Cluster 5 25 -24 33 8.0
M 80 Scorpius Globular Cluster 16 17 -22 59 7.2
M 81 Bode's nebulae (with M82) Ursa Major Galaxy 9 56 69 4 6.9
M 82 Bode's nebulae (with M81) Ursa Major Galaxy 9 56 69 41 8.4
M 83 Hydra Galaxy 13 37 -29 52 7.6
M 84 Virgo Galaxy 12 25 12 53 9.3
M 85 Coma Berenices Galaxy 12 25 18 11 9.2
M 86 Virgo Galaxy 12 26 12 57 9.2
M 87 Virgo Galaxy 12 31 12 24 8.6
M 88 Coma Berenices Galaxy 12 32 14 25 9.5
M 89 Virgo Galaxy 12 36 12 33 9.8
M 90 Virgo Galaxy 12 37 13 10 9.5
M 91 Coma Berenices Galaxy 12 35 14 30 10.2
M 92 Hercules Globular Cluster 17 17 43 8 6.5
M 93 Puppis Open Cluster 7 45 -23 52 6.2
M 94 Canes Venatici Galaxy 12 51 41 7 8.2
M 95 Leo Galaxy 10 44 11 42 9.7
M 96 Leo Galaxy 10 47 11 49 9.2
M 97 Owl nebula Ursa Major Planetary Nebula 11 15 55 1 11.2
M 98 Coma Berenices Galaxy 12 14 14 54 10.1
M 99 Pin-wheel nebula Coma Berenices Galaxy 12 19 14 25 9.8
M 100 Coma Berenices Galaxy 12 23 15 49 9.4
M 101 Ursa Major Galaxy 14 3 54 21 7.7
M 102 probable duplicate observation of M 101
M 103 Cassiopeia Open Cluster 1 33 60 42 7.4
M 104 Sombrero galaxy Virgo Galaxy 12 40 -11 37 8.3
M 105 Leo Galaxy 10 48 12 35 9.3
M 106 Canes Venatici Galaxy 12 19 47 18 8.3
M 107 Ophiuchus Globular Cluster 16 33 -13 3 8.1
M 108 Ursa Major Galaxy 11 12 55 40 10.1
M 109 Ursa Major Galaxy 11 58 53 23 9.8
M 110 Andromeda Galaxy 0 40 41 41 8.0

Knowle Astronomical Society Sky Notes 2007