 |
|
This month, we show the western at 9:00 PM, April 17, 2004.
Three planets are well placed in the western sky in the early evening about 9:00 PM. Saturn is about 60 deg above the horizon, shining at 0.1 mag. Mars is dimmer at 1.4 mag about 40 deg above the horizon. Venus is about 35 deg above the horizon and shines at -4.5 mag, brightest of these planets. For esoteric historical reasons, negative magnitudes are brighter than positive ones, as we have noted in the past. M1 is about 7 deg above Mars. The first of the Messier Objects, M1 is the remnant of a supernova that flared up in 1054. Early in its life, M1 was bright enough to be visible with the naked eye in the daytime. Good thing, since there were of course no telescopes in those days. The Pleiades, M45, is – or perhaps are – another object of interest in this area, about 15 deg below Venus. Sometimes called the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades are a major open cluster about 400 light years away. There is considerable nebulosity between the stars, visible only with large scopes, or in long time exposures. Good hunting! |
You can print a copy of this star chart so you can take it outside.
|
|
|
|