Out & About Magazine Autumn 2020

Out&About leisure

STAR GAZING

Autumn highlights in the night sky

13 Mars at Opposition. The red planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view and photograph Mars. A medium-sized telescope will allow you to see some of the dark details on the planet’s orange surface. 20-December 10 The Northern Taurids is a long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per hour, but also a higher than normal percentage of bright fireballs. The Northern Taurids is produced by dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10. It peaks this year on October 11 and 12. 29-30 Southern Taurids Meteor Shower peak. See September 10 31 Full Moon. Since this is the second full moon in the same month, it is sometimes referred to as a blue moon. 31 Uranus at Opposition. The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view Uranus, but because of its distance, it will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

September

10-November 20 Southern Taurids Meteor Shower. A long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per hour, but produces a higher than normal percentage of bright fireballs. The Southern Taurids is produced by debris left behind by Comet 2P Encke. It will peaks this year on October 29 and 30.

11 Neptune – the blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face fully lit by the Sun. It will be visible all night long, but will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

November

6-30 Leonids Meteor Shower. This shower is unique in that it has a cyclonic peak about every 33 years where hundreds of meteors per hour can be seen – this last occurred in 2001. The Leonids is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1865. It peaks this year November 16-17.

22 September Equinox. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world.

10 Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky.

October

1 Full Moon. Known by early Native American tribes as the Hunters Moon because at this time of year the leaves are falling and the game is fat and ready to hunt. Also known as the Harvest Moon. 1 Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. Best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. 2-November 7 Orionids Meteor Shower. An average shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak, which is on October 21-22. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Halley. 6-10 Draconids Meteor Shower. A minor meteor shower produced by dust grains left behind by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, which was first discovered in 1900. The shower peaks on October 7. Best viewing will be early evening.

11-12 Northern Taurids Meteor Shower peak. See October 20.

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O&A AUTUMN 2020