2013 astro events

Got this via Facebook. Dunno where it’s from, but I like it, and I certainly agree with the sentiment.

 

May 2011 Astro Calendar

Zoiks, a little late this month! Don’t miss the meteors, I saw quite a few already last weekend (April 30).

MOON PHASES

• May 2 (Mon) 11:50 PM PDT / 6:50 UT (Tues) – New moon
• May 10 (Tues) 1:32 PM PDT / 20:32 UT – First quarter moon
• May 17 (Tues) 4:07 AM PDT / 11:07 UT – Full moon
• May 24 (Tues) 11:51 AM PDT / 18:51 UT – Last quarter moon

MOON CONJUNCTIONS

• May 13-14 (Fri-Sat), waxing gibbous moon passes Saturn (13^th) and Spica (14^th), but not particularly closely.

PLANET POSITIONS

• Mercury waxing crescent to waxing gibbous in the morning sky, greatest western elongation May 7.
• Venus waxing gibbous in the morning sky, following greatest western elongation on Jan 8.
• Mars rises before dawn, but stays close to the horizon.
• Jupiter rises before dawn, following conjunction with sun on April 6.
• Saturn rises shortly after sunset, following opposition on April 3.
• Uranus rises before dawn, in Pisces.
• Neptune rises before dawn, in Aquarius.

PLANET CONJUNCTIONS

• May 7-15, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter within 5° of each other.
• May 15-25, Mercury, Venus, and Mars within 5° of each other.

METEOR SHOWERS

• May 6 (Fri) Eta Aquarid meteors. Active April 19-May 28. Predicted to be a very favorable year.

April 2011 Astro Calendar

MOON PHASES

• April 3 (Sun) 7:32 AM PDT / 14:32 UT – New moon
• April 11 (Mon) 5:05 AM PDT / 12:05 UT – First quarter moon
• April 17 (Sun) 7:43 PM PDT / 2:43 UT (April 18) – Full moon
• April 24 (Sun) 7:46 PM PDT / 2:46 UT (April 25) – Last quarter moon

MOON CONJUNCTIONS

• April 6 and 7 (Wed & Thurs), waxing crescent moon passes Pleiades (6th) and Hyades (7th) in the western sky
• April 16 (Sat), nearly full moon passes Saturn in the eastern sky
• April 29-May 1 (Fri-Sun), waning crescent moon passes four bright planets–Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter–in the eastern sky, 30 minutes before sunrise

PLANET POSITIONS

• Mercury waxing crescent in the morning sky, inferior conjunction with sun April 9, greatest western elongation May 7.
• Venus waxing gibbous in the morning sky, following greatest western elongation on Jan 8.
• Mars rises before dawn, but stays close to the horizon.
• Jupiter rises before dawn, following conjunction with sun on April 6.
• Saturn rises shortly after sunset, following opposition on April 3.
• Uranus rises before dawn, in Pisces.
• Neptune rises before dawn, in Aquarius.

PLANET CONJUNCTIONS

• April 19 (Tues), Mercury and Mars less than 1° apart, 15 minutes before sunrise.
• April 23 (Sat), Uranus 1° above Venus before sunrise.
• April 29-May 1 (Fri-Sun), Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter close to each other and to the waning crescent moon, 30 minutes before sunrise.

METEOR SHOWERS

• April 22 (Fri) Lyrid meteors. Active April 16-25. Predicted to be an unfavorable year.