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Astronomy

Jupiter, Mercury do a little do-si-do

By DARYL L. SCHRADER
Published September 30, 2006

Jupiter shines brightly in the southwest as darkness descends. Notice Jupiter is at the upper left of Mercury as the two draw closer together. On Oct. 18 Jupiter is directly above Mercury. After Oct. 18 Jupiter will be to the upper right of Mercury. All this action is low to the horizon, so it will be hard to see Mercury.

Look for Saturn high in the east-southeast before dawn. It is joined by the crescent moon on Oct. 16. Our ringed planet will rise around mid morning at the start of the month and about midnight at the end of the month. The rings will show up nicely with a telescope under a clear morning sky.

The Orionid meteor shower will be at its best in the predawn sky the morning of Oct. 21. Look to the east-southeast to see them radiating from the constellation Orion. Since there will be no moon, you may see up to 20 meteors per hour under dark skies, less the closer you are to the city. Some of the brighter meteors may leave smoke trails. This meteor show occurs when Earth moves into the river of fine debris left by Halley's Comet.

At the planetariums

Science Center of Pinellas County, 7701 22nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg: The center is offering planetarium shows on Fridays at 3 p.m. through May. Seating is limited to 30.

Science Spooktacular is from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 28. Free to members, $5 for nonmembers.

Learn how to build a telescope at ongoing classes Saturdays from noon to 4:00 p.m. in the optical laboratory in the annex building (behind the main building). The St. Petersburg Astronomy Club meets at the Science Center the fourth Friday of every month at 8 p.m. Visit their Web site at www.tampabayastronomy.com.

For more information call (727) 384-0027 or visit www.sciencecenterofpinellas.com.

St. Petersburg College, Fifth Avenue and 69th Street N, St. Petersburg: The planetarium will offer free planetarium shows on Fridays at 7 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

When the skies are clear, telescopes will be set up for viewing after the second show.

Call (727) 341-4320 for more details.

Gulfport: Telescopes will be set up Friday and Oct. 21 at dusk at Beach Boulevard and Delett Avenue S at Stargazer Quilting for astronomical viewing, but only if the skies are clear.

South Florida Museum and Bishop Planetarium, 210 10th St. W, Bradenton: The planetarium will present the five-part natural history series Miracle Planet in a high-definition video format. The planetarium continues with Passport to the Universe, Search for Life: Are We Alone?, and The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket.

Telescopes will be set up by the Local Group of Deep Sky Observers on Oct. 28 at sunset, if the skies are clear.

For more details call (941) 746-4131 or visit www.southfloridamuseum.org.

Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 E Fowler Ave, Tampa: The planetarium is showing More Than Meets the Eye and MOSI's Tonight Show, on the current night sky. The astronomy club (M.A.R.S.) meets at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13. Free.

Call (813) 987-6100 or visit www.mosi.org for more events and current IMAX schedule and times.

Sky calendar

ToNIGHT: Family Astronomy Night from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Science Center of Pinellas County. There will be planetarium shows, and the observatory will be open. SkyWatch viewing at MOSI in Tampa from 7 to 10 p.m. Excellent time to see the moon with a telescope at either event.

SUNDAY-OCT. 25: Look to the southwest after dusk to find brilliant Jupiter in the southwest. It will be a little closer to the horizon each day.

FRIDAY: This full moon is called the harvest moon. The moon is nearest the Earth (perigee) at 222,084 miles.

OCT. 9: Moon near the Pleiades star cluster this evening.

OCT. 10: Moon near the Pleiades star cluster this morning.

OCT. 13: M.A.R.S. astronomy club meets at 7:30 p.m. at MOSI. Free.

OCT. 14: Look high in the east-southeast to find Pollux and Castor above the moon before sunrise. Pollux is the brighter one.

OCT. 16: Saturn will be just below the crescent moon before sunrise in the east-southeast.

OCT. 17: The star Regulus is to the upper right of the crescent moon before dawn in the east-southeast.

OCT. 21: Orionid meteor shower will be best before dawn with no moon to interfere.

OCT. 22: New moon.

OCT. 24: Look low to the southwest at dusk to find Jupiter and Mercury to the right of a thin crescent moon. Jupiter is brighter than Mercury.

OCT. 27: Venus in superior conjunction - on the other side of the sun.

OCT. 28: Science Spooktacular, 6 to 9 p.m. at the Science Center of Pinellas County. Telescopes set up for SideWalk astronomy at the Bishop Planetarium in the north parking lot if the skies are clear.

OCT. 29: First quarter moon.

Daryl L. Schrader is an astronomy and mathematics professor at St. Petersburg College and teaches astronomy at the University of South Florida.

[Last modified September 29, 2006, 10:54:48]