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Celestial
Events Calendar
Saturday, October 1, 2005:
5 AM CDT – Mars ceases its normal apparent eastward drift
through the stars and begins a westward “retrograde” drift through the stars.
NHAC
“Sputnik” BBQ and Star Party at the Neal Site: BBQ 4 – 6 PM
Monday,
October 3, 2005:
5:27 AM CDT – New
Moon, the beginning of lunation cycle #1024
Annular solar eclipse – visible in Spain and northern Africa
11 AM CDT – Mercury is at its descending node.
12 PM CDT – The Moon is at its descending node, it is
crossing the plane of the Earth’s orbit (ecliptic) and heading south.
5 PM CDT – Mars is 9 degrees S.S.W. of the Pleiades.
Tuesday,
October 4, 2005:
The Moon, Mercury and Jupiter are within a 2 degree circle
just after sunset.
2 PM CDT – Venus is at aphelion, the point in its orbit
where it is furthest from the Sun ~ 67.7 million miles.
On this date in 1957 the first artificial satellite was
launched, the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik
I.
Wednesday,
October 5, 2005:
On this date in 1923 Edwin Hubble identified Cepheid
variables in the Andromeda Galaxy indicating that it was not part of the Milky
Way galaxy and indicating that the universe was not one galaxy but thousands of
galaxies.
Friday,
October 7, 2005:
12 AM CDT – The Moon is 1.4 degrees from Venus in the
evening sky after sunset.
On this date in 1959, the first photographs of the far side
of the Moon were taken by Luna III, a Soviet spacecraft.
Saturday,
October 8, 2005:
Draconid meteor shower – active October 6 – 10, ZHR is
variable from zero to storm.
“Rain
Date” for the NHAC “Sputnik” BBQ and Star Party
Sunday,
October 9, 2005:
6 AM CDT – Jupiter and Mars are at heliocentric opposition,
that is, the Sun is between Jupiter and Mars.
Monday,
October 10, 2005:
2:01 PM CDT – First
Quarter Moon
Thursday,
October 13, 2005:
8 PM CDT – Mercury is at aphelion ~ 43.4 million miles
Friday,
October 14, 2005:
9 AM CDT – The Moon is at perigee, the point in its orbit
where it is closest to the Earth ~ 229,000 miles.
Sunday,
October 16, 2005:
1 PM CDT – The Moon is at its ascending node.
Sunday,
October 16, 2005:
9 PM CDT – Venus is 1.6 degrees north of Antares in the
evening sky after sunset.
Monday,
October 17, 2005:
7:13 AM CDT – Full
Moon, Hunter’s Moon
7:03 AM CDT – Partial
eclipse of the Moon.
Tuesday,
October 18, 2005:
Epsilon
Geminid meteor shower – active October 14 – 27
ZHR ~ 2 meteors/hour.
Friday,
October 21, 2005:
Orionid meteor
shower – active October 2 – November 7 ZHR ~ 23
meteors/hour
8:00 PM CDT – 5th
Annual Houston/Beaumont Regional Astronomy Meeting
Houston Community College, 3100 Main Street (downtown)
Registration starts at 7:30 PM, meeting ends at 10:30 PM
Speaker: Dr. Thomas Greathouse, Lunar and Planetary
Institute
See: www.astronomyday.org for more information.
Saturday,
October 22, 2005:
8 AM CDT – Jupiter is in conjunction with the Sun, that is,
Earth and Jupiter are on opposite sides of the Sun.
3 – 11 PM CDT – Astronomy
Day 2005, The George Observatory, Brazos Bend State Park – see: www.astronomyday.org
for more information
Sunday,
October 23, 2005:
3 AM CDT – The astrological signs change from Libra to
Scorpius.
Monday,
October 24, 2005:
8:17 PM CDT – Last
Quarter Moon
Wednesday,
October 26, 2005:
5 AM CDT – The Moon is at apogee, the point in its orbit
where it is furthest from the Earth ~ 254,000 miles.
1 PM CDT – Neptune ceases its westward “retrograde” drift through the stars and begins its normal eastward “prograde” drift.
Friday,
October 28, 2005:
78th
Meeting of the North Houston Astronomy Club at
Kingwood College
6:30 PM CDT – Novice and Advanced sessions begin
7:30 PM – General Membership Meeting begins
Saturday,
October 29, 2005:
10 PM CDT – Closest
approach of Mars ~ 43 million miles
Sunday,
October 30, 2005:
2:00 AM CDT – The time changes from Central Daylight Time to
Central Standard Time. It is now 1:00 AM CST.
5 PM CST – The Sun leaves the astronomical constellation of
Virgo and enters Libra.
Monday,
October 31, 2005:
7 PM CST – The Moon is at its descending node.