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[My primary data sources, both of which I highly recommend, are: (1) Guy Ottewell's Astronomical Calendar (annual edition), available through Sky Publishing Corp., and (2) TheSky (computer program) by Software Bisque.]


Monthly Night Sky Calendar

[ ** denotes "don't miss" events ]


October 2008

Events

[Held at arm's length, the width of your fist is 10º, the width of your index finger is 1º. The width of a full Moon is 1/2º.]

October Planets

[The Sun, Moon and planets rise in the east and set in the west due to Earth's west-to-east rotation on its axis.]

The Planets on October 1

Mag Rises Transits Sets
Sun -27 7:22 a.m. 1:18 p.m. 7:12 p.m.
Mercury 2.8 8:17 a.m. 1:51 p.m. 7:26 p.m.
Venus -3.9 9:46 a.m. 3:12 p.m. 8:37 p.m.
Mars 1.6 8:55 a.m. 2:30 p.m. 8:06 p.m.
Jupiter -2.4 2:41 p.m 7:42 p.m. 12:44 a.m.
Saturn 1.0 5:34 a.m. 11:54 a.m. 6:14 p.m.
Uranus 5.7 6:17 p.m. 12:07 a.m. 6:01 a.m.
Neptune 7.9 4:55 p.m. 10:20 p.m. 3:49 a.m.
Pluto 14.0 1:20 p.m. 6:38 p.m. 11:55 p.m.

[Times are exact for Waco/Central Texas and may vary +/-30 minutes for other areas. / Mag = magnitude, a measure of brightness where the lower the number, the brighter the object. / Transit occurs when an object is on the meridian (the north-south line across the sky) and is at its highest point in the sky.

Morning planets one hour before sunrise (E to W):
Planet Altitude Azimuth
Saturn 10º 87º E

Evening planets one hour after sunset (W to E):
Planet Altitude Azimuth
Venus 249º WSW
Pluto 36º 208º SSW
Jupiter 35º 188º S
Neptune 34º 141º SE
Uranus 23º 112º ESE

[Altitude = degrees above the horizon where 0º is at the horizon and 90º is straight overhead. / Azimuth = degrees around the horizon clockwise with N = 0º, E = 90º, S = 180º, and W = 270º.

October Moon

[Except when doing lunar viewing, stargazers regard the Moon a "natural" light pollution which interferes with viewing the night sky, just as human-created light pollution does. This is why most evening star parties are held around 3rd quarter and new Moon.]



September 2008

Events

[Held at arm's length, the width of your fist is 10º, the width of your index finger is 1º. The width of a full Moon is 1/2º.]

September Planets

[The Sun, Moon and planets rise in the east and set in the west due to Earth's west-to-east rotation on its axis.]

The Planets on September 1

Mag Rises Transits Sets
Sun -27 7:04 a.m. 1:28 p.m. 7:51 p.m.
Mercury 0.1 9:03 a.m. 2:59 p.m. 8:54 p.m.
Venus -3.9 8:52 a.m. 2:54 p.m. 8:57 p.m.
Mars 1.7 9:20 a.m. 3:15 p.m. 9:10 p.m.
Jupiter -2.5 4:35 p.m 9:36 p.m. 2:42 a.m.
Saturn 0.8 7:14 a.m. 1:38 p.m. 8:01 p.m.
Uranus 5.7 8:18 p.m. 2:09 a.m. 8:05 a.m.
Neptune 7.8 6:55 p.m. 12:21 a.m. 5:50 a.m.
Pluto 14.0 3:17 p.m. 8:35 p.m. 1:57 a.m.

[Times are exact for Waco/Central Texas and may vary +/-30 minutes for other areas. / Mag = magnitude, a measure of brightness where the lower the number, the brighter the object. / Transit occurs when an object is on the meridian (the north-south line across the sky) and is at its highest point in the sky.

Morning planets one hour before sunrise (E to W):
Planet Altitude Azimuth
Uranus 25º 248º WSW

Evening planets one hour after sunset (W to E):
Planet Altitude Azimuth
Mars 264º W
Pluto 41º 185º S
Jupiter 34º 167º SSE
Neptune 22º 124º SE
Uranus 99º E

[Altitude = degrees above the horizon where 0º is at the horizon and 90º is straight overhead. / Azimuth = degrees around the horizon clockwise with N = 0º, E = 90º, S = 180º, and W = 270º.

September Moon

[Except when doing lunar viewing, stargazers regard the Moon a "natural" light pollution which interferes with viewing the night sky, just as human-created light pollution does. This is why most evening star parties are held around 3rd quarter and new Moon.]



August 2008

Events

[Held at arm's length, the width of your fist is 10º, the width of your index finger is 1º. The width of a full Moon is 1/2º.]

August Planets

[The Sun, Moon and planets rise in the east and set in the west due to Earth's west-to-east rotation on its axis.]

The Planets on August 1

Mag Rises Transits Sets
Sun -27 6:45 a.m. 1:34 p.m. 8:24 p.m.
Mercury -1.7 6:58 a.m. 1:50 p.m. 8:41 p.m.
Venus -3.9 7:54 a.m. 2:35 p.m. 9:15 p.m.
Mars 1.7 9:50 a.m. 4:05 p.m. 10:20 p.m.
Jupiter -2.7 6:45 p.m 11:47 p.m. 4:53 a.m.
Saturn 0.8 8:59 a.m. 3:25 p.m. 9:52 p.m.
Uranus 5.8 10:23 p.m. 4:15 a.m. 10:11 p.m.
Neptune 7.8 8:59 p.m. 2:26 a.m. 7:56 a.m.
Pluto 13.9 5:20 p.m. 10:38 p.m. 4:00 a.m.

[Times are exact for Waco/Central Texas and may vary +/-30 minutes for other areas. / Mag = magnitude, a measure of brightness where the lower the number, the brighter the object. / Transit occurs when an object is on the meridian (the north-south line across the sky) and is at its highest point in the sky.

Morning planets one hour before sunrise (E to W):
Planet Altitude Azimuth
Uranus 49º 214º SSW
Neptune 25º 234º SW

Evening planets one hour after sunset (W to E):
Planet Altitude Azimuth
Saturn 279º W
Mars 11º 269º W
Pluto 38º 157º SSE
Jupiter 26º 143º SE
Neptune 110º ESE

[Altitude = degrees above the horizon where 0º is at the horizon and 90º is straight overhead. / Azimuth = degrees around the horizon clockwise with N = 0º, E = 90º, S = 180º, and W = 270º.

August Moon

[Except when doing lunar viewing, stargazers regard the Moon a "natural" light pollution which interferes with viewing the night sky, just as human-created light pollution does. This is why most evening star parties are held around 3rd quarter and new Moon.]



July 2008

Events

[Held at arm's length, the width of your fist is 10º, the width of your index finger is 1º. The width of a full Moon is 1/2º.]

July Planets

[The Sun, Moon and planets rise in the east and set in the west due to Earth's west-to-east rotation on its axis.]

The Planets on July 1

Mag Rises Transits Sets
Sun -27 6:27 a.m. 1:32 p.m. 8:37 p.m.
Mercury 0.5 5:06 a.m. 11:59 a.m. 6:54 p.m.
Venus -3.9 6:54 a.m. 1:59 p.m. 9:04 p.m.
Mars 1.7 10:24 a.m. 4:57 p.m. 11:31 p.m.
Jupiter -2.7 9:01 p.m 2:05 a.m. 7:13 a.m.
Saturn 0.7 10:45 a.m. 5:15 p.m. 11:45 p.m.
Uranus 5.8 12:26 a.m. 6:19 a.m. 12:15 p.m.
Neptune 7.9 11:03 p.m. 4:30 a.m. 10:01 a.m.
Pluto 13.9 7:25 p.m. 12:43 a.m. 6:06 a.m.

[Times are exact for Waco/Central Texas and may vary +/-30 minutes for other areas. / Mag = magnitude, a measure of brightness where the lower the number, the brighter the object. / Transit occurs when an object is on the meridian (the north-south line across the sky) and is at its highest point in the sky.

Morning planets one hour before sunrise (E to W):
Planet Altitude Azimuth
Mercury 69º ENE
Uranus 52º 157º SSE
Neptune 43º 197º SSW
Jupiter 18º 228º SW
Pluto 245º WSW

Evening planets one hour after sunset (W to E):
Planet Altitude Azimuth
Mars 24º 270º W
Saturn 26º 267º W
Jupiter 121º ESE

[Altitude = degrees above the horizon where 0º is at the horizon and 90º is straight overhead. / Azimuth = degrees around the horizon clockwise with N = 0º, E = 90º, S = 180º, and W = 270º.

July Moon

[Except when doing lunar viewing, stargazers regard the Moon a "natural" light pollution which interferes with viewing the night sky, just as human-created light pollution does. This is why most evening star parties are held around 3rd quarter and new Moon.]



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