Tonight – October 24, 2015 – don’t expect to see the planets Uranus and Neptune in the glare of the waxing gibbous moon. But you can use the moon on the night of October 24 to get a ballpark idea of where these distant planets reside in front of the backdrop stars. As seen from around the world on October 24, the moon shines fairly close to the border of the constellations Aquarius and Pisces. Uranus lies to the east of the tonight’s moon, in front of the constellation Pisces, and Neptune is to the west of the moon, in front of the constellation Aquarius.
Which background stars can you expect to see in the light of the bright moon? Possibly Fomalhaut, and the four stars in the Great Square of Pegasus.
Fomalhaut resides to the south of tonight’s moon, while the Square of Pegasus lies to the north. From northerly latitudes, that means the Great Square of Pegasus appears high overhead or high in the southern sky on these October evenings, while Fomalhaut shines low in the south. From temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, Fomalhaut shines high overhead, whereas the Great Square of Pegasus appears in the northern sky.
The green line depicts the ecliptic – the Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the Zodiac.
Neither Uranus nor Neptune is particularly easy to locate or to see.
Uranus, the seventh planet outward from the sun, barely makes the grade as a naked-eye object on a dark, moonless night.
Neptune – now considered the most distant major planet from the sun by the International Astronomical Union – requires an optical aid to be seen.
View larger. | Path of Uranus in front of star background in 2014 and 2015. Via skyandtelescope.com
If you want to find these two distant worlds, you really need to familiarize yourself with the constellations Aquarius and Pisces. With a good sky chart, and lots of patience, you can star-hop to Uranus and Neptune.
Wait for a dark, moonless evening to seek out the solar system’s two most distant planets, Uranus and Neptune. Or if you live in New Zealand, you can try to watch the lunar occultation of Uranus on the evening of October 26, 2015. Click here for more information.
Bottom line: Tonight’s moon – October 24, 2015 – guides you to the great Square of Pegasus, the star Fomalhaut and the general location of Uranus and Neptune in the sky. If you can familiarize yourself with this part of the sky, you’ll have better luck spotting Uranus and Neptune in a moonless sky.
EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Supplies limited.
Donate: Your support means the world to us
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1Mgwtx5
Tonight – October 24, 2015 – don’t expect to see the planets Uranus and Neptune in the glare of the waxing gibbous moon. But you can use the moon on the night of October 24 to get a ballpark idea of where these distant planets reside in front of the backdrop stars. As seen from around the world on October 24, the moon shines fairly close to the border of the constellations Aquarius and Pisces. Uranus lies to the east of the tonight’s moon, in front of the constellation Pisces, and Neptune is to the west of the moon, in front of the constellation Aquarius.
Which background stars can you expect to see in the light of the bright moon? Possibly Fomalhaut, and the four stars in the Great Square of Pegasus.
Fomalhaut resides to the south of tonight’s moon, while the Square of Pegasus lies to the north. From northerly latitudes, that means the Great Square of Pegasus appears high overhead or high in the southern sky on these October evenings, while Fomalhaut shines low in the south. From temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, Fomalhaut shines high overhead, whereas the Great Square of Pegasus appears in the northern sky.
The green line depicts the ecliptic – the Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the Zodiac.
Neither Uranus nor Neptune is particularly easy to locate or to see.
Uranus, the seventh planet outward from the sun, barely makes the grade as a naked-eye object on a dark, moonless night.
Neptune – now considered the most distant major planet from the sun by the International Astronomical Union – requires an optical aid to be seen.
View larger. | Path of Uranus in front of star background in 2014 and 2015. Via skyandtelescope.com
If you want to find these two distant worlds, you really need to familiarize yourself with the constellations Aquarius and Pisces. With a good sky chart, and lots of patience, you can star-hop to Uranus and Neptune.
Wait for a dark, moonless evening to seek out the solar system’s two most distant planets, Uranus and Neptune. Or if you live in New Zealand, you can try to watch the lunar occultation of Uranus on the evening of October 26, 2015. Click here for more information.
Bottom line: Tonight’s moon – October 24, 2015 – guides you to the great Square of Pegasus, the star Fomalhaut and the general location of Uranus and Neptune in the sky. If you can familiarize yourself with this part of the sky, you’ll have better luck spotting Uranus and Neptune in a moonless sky.
EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Supplies limited.
Donate: Your support means the world to us
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1Mgwtx5
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