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Moon near Uranus on November 22
Tonight – on November 22, 2015 – as the moon travels in front of the constellations of the Zodiac, it’ll appear in the general direction of the planet Uranus. Tonight is a good night to locate the constellation Pisces, which is behind the moon and Uranus now. Then you can search for the stars of Pisces again – and maybe find Uranus, too – in a dark country sky toward the end of this month, after the moon has dropped out of the evening sky.
What will you see of Pisces on this moonlit night? You might at least pick out the Circlet, which is a noticeable asterism within Pisces. (See the sky chart of the constellation Pisces below.)
Most stargazers need binoculars, a moon-free night and a detailed sky chart, like the one here, to see Uranus. This world is bigger than Earth, but it’s also 20 times farther from the sun than Earth is from the sun.
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http://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-near-uranus
What will you see of Pisces on this moonlit night? You might at least pick out the Circlet, which is a noticeable asterism within Pisces. (See the sky chart of the constellation Pisces below.)
Most stargazers need binoculars, a moon-free night and a detailed sky chart, like the one here, to see Uranus. This world is bigger than Earth, but it’s also 20 times farther from the sun than Earth is from the sun.
***
http://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-near-uranus
Uranus? You betcha!
Not many people pay attention to the 7th planet. Sure, sure we have lots of fun with its name, but have you have stepped out at night to see it with your own eyes? Several nights ago under a dark sky, I could faintly see Uranus just by looking up at the right spot in Pisces the Fish, its haunt for the past few years. No binoculars, no telescope. How many thousands of eyes over the centuries must have run across this point of light? Not a one knew it stood apart until English astronomer William Herschel “put it on the map” in 1781.
Dark skies were the norm hundreds of years ago. Now they’re the exception. That’s why I don’t expect you to just walk out and find Uranus. But the good news is a pair of binoculars will do the job, and the planet is ideally placed for viewing during the early evening hours.
Start with the giant Square of Pegasus, a big, connect-the-dots square of stars high in the southeastern sky around mid-month. Next, shoot a diagonal line through the Square downward into the dim constellation Pisces to the two faint stars Epsilon and Delta Piscium. Uranus lies a short distance directly below Epsilon.
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While binoculars will only show the planet as a “star”, a small telescope magnifying around 100x reveals a tiny disk, exposing its true identity. Owners of telescopes in the 10-inch and larger range may want to seek out the planet’s two brightest moons, Titania and Oberon. Although nearly buried in Uranian glare, a night of steady air coupled with magnifications of 200x or higher will coax each into view. To find out where they are at any time on any night, launch Sky and Telescope’s Uranus Moon Finder.
***
more: http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2015/11/17/uranus-you-betcha/
Not many people pay attention to the 7th planet. Sure, sure we have lots of fun with its name, but have you have stepped out at night to see it with your own eyes? Several nights ago under a dark sky, I could faintly see Uranus just by looking up at the right spot in Pisces the Fish, its haunt for the past few years. No binoculars, no telescope. How many thousands of eyes over the centuries must have run across this point of light? Not a one knew it stood apart until English astronomer William Herschel “put it on the map” in 1781.
Dark skies were the norm hundreds of years ago. Now they’re the exception. That’s why I don’t expect you to just walk out and find Uranus. But the good news is a pair of binoculars will do the job, and the planet is ideally placed for viewing during the early evening hours.
Start with the giant Square of Pegasus, a big, connect-the-dots square of stars high in the southeastern sky around mid-month. Next, shoot a diagonal line through the Square downward into the dim constellation Pisces to the two faint stars Epsilon and Delta Piscium. Uranus lies a short distance directly below Epsilon.
***
While binoculars will only show the planet as a “star”, a small telescope magnifying around 100x reveals a tiny disk, exposing its true identity. Owners of telescopes in the 10-inch and larger range may want to seek out the planet’s two brightest moons, Titania and Oberon. Although nearly buried in Uranian glare, a night of steady air coupled with magnifications of 200x or higher will coax each into view. To find out where they are at any time on any night, launch Sky and Telescope’s Uranus Moon Finder.
***
more: http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2015/11/17/uranus-you-betcha/
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