A revised version of David Bowie’s Space Oddity, recorded by Commander Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station.

With thanks to Emm Gryner, Joe Corcoran, Andrew Tidby and Evan Hadfield for all their hard work.

Find out more:

Twitter: twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AstronautChrisHadfield?

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Google+: plus.google.com/113978637743265603454/po­­sts/p/pub

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Your guide to constellations, deep-sky objects, planets and events, Tonight’s Sky 

Highlights of the May Sky

Evening Planets

As night falls, look for Jupiter shining in the west. The best views of Jupiter will come early in the month, when it is highest in the sky.

In the closing days of May, Mercury and brilliant Venus will join Jupiter low in the west. A telescope will provide better views of the planets.

Saturn graces the south-eastern sky just after sunset. The ringed planet will remain up for most of the night, moving into the western sky before sunrise.

Constellations and Deep-Sky Objects

Looking toward the south, we’ve turned away from the crowded center of our Milky Way Galaxy. Thus we see farther into the universe.

The large constellation Virgo fills the southern sky in the late evening. One of the zodiacal constellations of ancient times, Virgo honours the life-giving virtues of women.

Using a pair of binoculars, visit the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies. These tiny smudges of light are galaxies, far away from our own Milky Way, each aglow with the light of billions of stars.

The Sombrero Galaxy, M104, lies in the southern part of Virgo. Its dark dust lane makes it look like a large hat, hence its name.

Two smaller constellations lie above Virgo. Coma Berenices honours a queen who gave her long hair to the gods to ensure her husband’s safe return from war. M64, a spiral galaxy, can be found tangled in Berenice’s Hair.

Canes Venatici represents the hunting dogs of the gods. The brightest star in Canes Venatici is Cor Caroli, the Heart of Charles, named for Charles 1 of England.

M51, in Canes Venatici, is known as the Whirlpool Galaxy. It is one of the most beautiful face-on spirals in the sky.

Events

The annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower returns this month. During the peak, on the night of May 5th to 6th, expect to see up to 10 meteors per hour. Look for them shooting from the east after midnight.

On May 10th, sky watchers in northern Australia and the central Pacific Ocean will be treated to an annular solar eclipse.

On May 24th, a penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible to observers in most of North America, South America, western Europe, and western Africa.

The night sky is always a celestial showcase. Explore its wonders from your own backyard.

Credits

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Credit: NASA

On April 28 2013 the ringed planet Saturn will be at opposition, meaning Saturn is opposite the Sun from Earth. The Sun Earth and Saturn form a straight line or alignment.

What this means is, Saturn will be visible all night in our skies.

Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system to Jupiter (which can be seen low in the West) and is probably one of the most spectacular or beautiful objects visible to people on Earth. Even those beginning in astronomy or with a passing interest can see Saturn with the naked eye, through binoculars, or see its rings through a small telescope – It’s a breathtaking sight.

How to Find Saturn

It’s very easy to find Saturn at the moment and you only need a couple of signposts in the sky to get you there:

Locate the constellation of Ursa Major, also known as the Big Dipper, it’s the constellation that looks like a giant saucepan. Follow the curve of its tail, or handle of the saucepan away from the bowl and draw an imaginary line in a slight curve all the way to the next brightest star. This is Arcturus and it lives in the constellation of Bootes, but don’t worry about that.

Continue the line for a similar distance again until you get to a bright yellowish looking star next to a bright white star, the yellow or ochre coloured object is the planet Saturn.

Check out this wonder of our solar system and if you can, try to view it through a telescope over the weeks to come, it is an amazing sight and one of the sights that gets people hooked on astronomy. I’m sure there will be many fine pictures from those people to come, look out for them on @VirtualAstro or the VirtualAstro Flickr group.

Good luck

Saturn 28 April 2013

If you are interested in buying binoculars or a telescope please check the Guide to Binoculars and the Guide to buying telescopes. Both are excellent guides for beginners with reviews.

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Hubble in orbit Credit: NASA

Originally posted on Dark Sky Diary by Steve Owens @Darkskyman on twitter

The iconic Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was launched 23 years ago on 24 April 1990, and ever since has been returning breathtaking images of the cosmos as well as world-changing science. It is, without a doubt, one of the most successful scientific instruments ever built.

To celebrate its 23rd birthday here is a list of five stunning celestial objects visible over the next couple of months that you can find for yourself using a small earth-based telescope. Most of these objects will look like nothing more than diffuse grey smudges in the field of view of your eyepiece, but I’ve illustrated this post with some Hubble Space Telescope images of the same objects, to show you what they really look like. Despite the fact that your telescope can’t ever show anything as stunning as an HST image, there’s something even more wonderful about seeing these objects in real-time, for yourself, not mediated via a computer screen.

For maps and tips about how to find these objects, and hundreds more like them using binoculars or a telescope check out my book, Stargazing for Dummies.

If after reading this article you are interested in buying your first telescope, read this helpful guide here: Beginners Guide to Telescopes

UPDATE: I just realised; there are people alive today with degrees in astrophysics who weren’t yet born when the Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990!

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Partial Lunar Eclipse – December 2009 Credit: @Jochta

On the April 25th 2013 there will be a partial eclipse of the Moon, the first of three lunar eclipses in 2013. It will be seen from The UK and Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia and will look similar to the above image taken by @Jochta of @ReadingAS. The darkening will be at the top of the Moon not the bottom as seen in the image.

When to view

The eclipse will start at roughly 18:00 UT (Universal Time), reach the greatest part of eclipse at roughly 20:07 UT and end at roughly 22:10 UT (Universal Time is 1 hour behind British Summer Time) this means it will be seen in the evening twilight for the UK and Western Europe.

What to expect

The eclipse on the 25th of April is only a partial lunar eclipse and the second shortest of the century. Only a tiny sliver will be in umbral shadow. A lunar eclipse is caused by the moon entering the Earths shadow, also known as umbra, this ocurrs when the Sun, Earth and Moon are almost or exactly aligned, making a lunar eclipse only possible on a full Moon.

A lunar eclipse lasts for a few hours, whereas a solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to view without any eye protection, as they are no brighter and are dimmer than the full moon itself.

Watch the Moon on the 25th of April at the times specified above and watch it change and get darker, its quite a sight.

Credit: Sky and Telescope/ Source: F. Espenak / NASA-GSFC

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Long Exposure photo of a visible ISS pass Credit: Mark Humpage

The International Space Station (ISS) is back over UK skies with bright passes during April 2013.

The ISS is a large Space Station/ laboratory orbiting the Earth, it can be spotted with the naked eye at certain times as it orbits the planet at 17500mph at an altitude of roughly 200 miles.

Spotting the station is very easy and you don’t need any special equipment, only your eyes.

See the Beginners Guide to Seeing the ISS to see how easy it is to spot it sailing over. You can also see this great guide on how to watch and photograph the ISS.

All you need to know is; when and where the ISS will be passing over your location, luckily the United Kingdom is small enough for most of us who live there to see bright ISS passes at the same time.

Only these bright passes are included in the predictions and the fainter, less easy ones have been left out.

The table below gives approximate ISS pass times and basic information and will help you spot the station as it passes over.
Only bright passes which can be seen from the UK are listed and the information is approximate.  Timings may differ by a few tens of seconds, dependant on observer’s location. Times may change at short notice if the Station performs an orbital boost and changes its orbit. All Timings are local time.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time, get your cameras ready and enjoy the ISS as it passes over in April

Good luck and clear skies…..

ISS bright UK pass details for April 2013

Enjoy watching the ISS as it passes over

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If you have a passing interest in stargazing, are just starting out in astronomy, or are already a seasoned astronomer, then Stargazing for Dummies is the book for you.

Written by Steve Owens; a very successful UK-based freelance science communicator, astronomer and good friend of mine, Stargazing for Dummies will guide you through the basics and help your evenings looking up at the night sky be more fun, interesting and productive.

Stargazing for Dummies isn’t just a book for beginners; it is a comprehensive reference book for all aspects of amateur astronomy from summaries of main astronomical objects, subjects and events through to constellation guides for both Northern and Southern hemispheres. To make sure they are accurate, the constellations were drawn by Steve himself to make sure they represent the heavens correctly.

Not only does Stargazing for Dummies tell you about celestial objects and events, it gives no-nonsense information on when and how to find them, helping the reader familiarise themselves easily with the night sky.

The book also includes a huge variety of graphics and tips making the information very easy to absorb, even by someone new to, or with just a passing interest in Stargazing.

Many other books can overwhelm the reader with too much technical information and I think there is just enough information in this book for anyone to get to grips with, it’s plain and simple. As it says on the cover; “Making Everything Easier!”

In my opinion Stargazing for Dummies should be treated as an essential handbook by anyone interested in the night sky and kept very close to your window, binoculars or telescope. You will find it to be very handy.

Order your copy of Stargazing for Dummies from Amazon now!

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Your guide to constellations, deep-sky objects, planets and events, Tonight’s Sky,

Highlights of the April Sky

Evening Planets

As night falls, Jupiter hangs over the western horizon. The planet’s dark bands appear in the sights of a telescope.

Ringed Saturn rises in the east by late evening and will remain visible all night long in the south. On April 28th, Saturn reaches opposition, meaning it is opposite the Sun in Earth’s sky. It is at its closest to Earth, making it appear slightly bigger and brighter.

Constellations and Deep – Sky Objects

Late in the evening, high in the northern sky lies the Great Bear, Ursa Major.

The constellation of Ursa Major contains the well – known star pattern, the Big Dipper.

It resembles a large drinking cup with a handle.

The two stars that make up the front side of the cup are called “pointer stars” because they point toward the star Polaris, also known as the North Star.

The Big Dipper overflows with interesting stars and deep – sky objects.

The stars Mizar and Alcor make up a double -star system that can be seen without a telescope. In ancient times, when Mizar and Alcor were even closer together, they were used as a test of keen eyesight.

M81 and M82 are a magnificent pair of galaxies, showpieces of the northern night sky.

M82 has an irregular shape, bestowed by a collision with its larger neighbour, M81

Turning to the south, we see Leo, the Lion, heralding the coming of spring.

In Greek mythology, Leo is the great beast slain by Hercules.

The star Denebola, which in Arabic means “tail,” represents exactly that.

The bright star Regulus is the heart of the Lion.

Leo has several galaxies in his belly. M65, M66, and NGC3628 make up the “Leo Triplet,” a lovely grouping of galaxies easily seen with a telescope.

Close by is another group.M95 and M96 are large spiral galaxies.

Between the Big Dipper and the head of Leo are three pairs of bright stars known

to ancient Arab astronomers as “The Three Leaps of the Gazelle.”

Events

The Lyrid meteor shower will be best seen in the early morning hours of April 22nd. Moonlight will interfere with this year’s display, but away from city lights, you might see up to 20 meteors per hour.

On April 25th, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible throughout mostof Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

The Moon will darken slightly as it passes through the edge of Earth’s shadow.

(Ending)

The night sky is always a celestial showcase. Explore its wonders from your own backyard.

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Comet panSTARRS and the Moon March 12th 2013 (comet shape for illustration only) Credit: Meteorwatch

From the 7^th of March 2013 and for the rest of the month, comet panSTARRS will be in the early evening skies of Northern hemisphere.

The comet has been visible to the naked eye in the Southern hemisphere and was bright enough to be seen in twilight skies from places such as New Zealand.

Hopefully Northern hemisphere countries such as the USA, Europe and Asia will get a chance to see one of this year’s bright comets.

For more information on what a comet is and how to distinguish it from a meteorite or a shooting star please read Space Rocks – Comets, Asteroids, Meteorites and More

There is plenty of information on the internet about where and how and what comet panSTARRS is etc; this guide is intended purely for those with none or little experience of the night sky to help you find the comet without the history and science bit.

How to see comet panSTARRS

Traditionally bright comets look like big fuzzy shooting stars in pictures, which can confuse people new to the night sky – A shooting star (meteor) has movement and is very fast, a comet will appear stationary when observing it. Read more about this

You will need a clear view of the Western horizon – on top of a hill is good, a clear sky and a pair of binoculars if you have them. The comet should be visible just after sunset (if it is bright) and will be very low on the horizon.

Whatever you do, do not look at the sun with your eyes, binoculars or telescope – This will damage your eyes and may permanently blind you!

At the time of writing this guide, it is unknown if the comet will be bright or have a long tail, or even be visible. The comet was very bright in the Southern hemisphere so we will assume it will be in the North.

The comet should be easy enough to spot after March 10th but you may be able to spot it sooner if it is particularly bright.

Shortly after the Sun has set look slightly to the left of it and scan that area with binoculars or just your eyes. As the sky gets darker you may see the comet. If not keep looking as it should become more visible as the sky gets darker. Be aware though, the comet will set shortly too.

The comet is expected to be at its best on the evenings of March 12^th and 13^th, but may be visible throughout the whole of March. It will be near the thin crescent Moon on March 12^th and this should help you find it.

For more information and help please follow @VirtualAstro on twitter

Comet panSTARRS and the Moon March 12th 2013 (comet shape for illustration only) Credit: Meteorwatch

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Your guide to constellations, deep – sky objects, planets and events, Tonight’s Sky,

Highlights of the March Night Sky

Evening Planets

Jupiter lies high above the western horizon after sunset. A telescope will reveal the gas planet’s dark – colored bands.

Constellations and Deep – Sky Objects

As the brilliant stars of winter progress toward the west, the constellations of spring make their appearance.

Two March constellations derived from Greek mythology, Gemini and Cancer, lie in the zodiac. The zodiac is the name for the band of sky through which the Sun, Moon, and planets appear to travel.

The Gemini twins lie high overhead. They were among Jason’s Argonauts, who sailed the seas searching for the Golden Fleece. The two bright stars are the heads of the brothers, Castor and Pollux. A fuzzy patch lies near the “feet” of the Gemini twins. Called M35, it is a pretty cluster of several hundred stars.

Cancer is often identified as a crab but has also been seen as a lobster or crayfish. In Greek mythology, Cancer was placed in the heavens by Hera, wife of Zeus, to immortalize its tenacious but futile battle with Hercules.

It is a much dimmer constellation than Gemini, and hard to see in light – polluted skies.

Within Cancer lies the lovely Beehive Cluster. Ancient stargazers called it “the cloudy star.” This large cluster contains hundreds of stars and lies about 577 light – years away from us.

Morning Planets

Saturn rises by midnight and will be up for the rest of the night, climbing high into the southern sky before dawn. Use a telescope to see its rings.

(Ending)

The night sky is always a celestial showcase. Explore its wonders from your own backyard.

Credits:

Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, Office of Public Outreach

Starfield images created with Stellarium

Mythological constellation forms from Firmamentum Sobiescianum sive Uranographia by Johannes Hevelius, courtesy of the United States Naval Observatory

Jupiter image courtesy of Todd Gross

M35 image courtesy of N.A. Sharp/NOAO/AURA/NSF

Beehive Cluster image courtesy of the MicroObservatory Robotic Telescope Network

Saturn image courtesy of John Endreson

Narrated by Nancy Calo

Music written by Jonn Serrie

Production: Lucy Albert, Greg Bacon, John Bintz, John Godfrey, Vanessa Thomas

www.hubblesite.org

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