What’s Up December 2023

A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth

Compiled by Steve Sawyer

Hi, welcome to the last Whats up of 2023, and early seasons greeting from me!
It’s nearly time to dust of the Christmas decorations and start dropping present hints for the latest astronomy gadgetry. There’s a few ideas below. The book links are to Amazon and will generate a small commission which I’ll pass onto the society.

This month we can look forward to Dave’s Christmas lecture on the 8th December (don’t miss it). I’ve added a few links to some James Web online resources.
In the night sky this month we can look forward to the annual Gemminid meteor shower, the winter solstice, followed by the Ursid meteor shower. Not forgetting the sight of Santa and his reindeer in the night sky on the 24!


Christmas Gift Guide

Books & Guides

Follow the progress of constellations throughout the seasons with this beautiful companion to the night sky from Astronomy experts Collins.

https://amzn.to/3GjWOtA

From the UK’s Number One Astronomy publisher, this is the bestselling stargazing handbook to the planets, stars and constellations visible from the northern hemisphere. With 6 pages for each month covering January–December 2024.

https://amzn.to/3T0i8fk

From the number one Astronomy publisher, this book showcases the most spectacular space photography, taken from locations across the globe. Marvel at the wonders of the universe captured by the most talented astrophotographers.

Be captivated by 140 winning and shortlisted images from the 2023 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, hosted by the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. These awe-inspiring images are submitted in several categories: Skyscapes, Our Sun, Galaxies, Our Moon, Aurorae, Planets, Comets and Asteroids, People and Space, Stars and Nebulae. Plus Best Newcomer, Image Innovation and Young Competitor categories. Each image is accompanied by caption, photographer, location and technical details.

https://amzn.to/3RhggNS

Only 628 people in human history have left Earth. This is their story.

Astronaut Tim Peake traces the lives of the remarkable men and women who have forged the way for humanity beyond Earth, from Yuri Gagarin to Neil Armstrong, from Valentina Tereshkova to Peggy Whitson.

‘This book is brilliant – once in a blue moon. A book for the whole family.’ Chris Evans, Virgin Radio

‘An extraordinary book. For anyone – even if you’re not interested in Space. If you’re interested in human stories and the human character – this is delightful.’ BBC Breakfast

https://amzn.to/3Gk9Mre

Space Collectables

A US based auction house has a number of mission flown collectable items up for grabs these aren’t cheap but they are unique!

Heritage Auctions Search, 2023 December 14 – 15 Space Exploration Signature® Auction 6277 [3196 793 794 792 2088 4294936548 6770] (ha.com)

Other Ideas

Get yourself a full working NASA spacesuit

https://www.thespacecollective.com/apollo-space-suit-replica

And for those who truly have everything, for around 250K put something into orbit via SpaceX


James Webb Resources

As a compliment to Dave’s Christmas talk, you can download the RAW data from the James Webb telescope by going here :

STScI | Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) Portal

Click on advanced search

In the mission box pick JWST (or the mission that you’re interested in) and then in the filter pick the name of the object you want to download

Click search in the top left corner and you’ll see a list of image files you can download.

Note Each FITS image is over 5GB in size, and may crash your image editor!

You can then (hopefully) open the RAW file in your photo editor and produce your own images using data from an $8 billion dollar telescope.


So what’s on this month?

Sky Diary

DateTimeDescription
1st
2ndPossible Andromedids meteor shower (see below for details)
3rdPossible Andromedids meteor shower(am) Moon near Regulus
4thMercury Elongation
5thLast Quarter Moon
8thMoon near Spica
9thMoon near Venus (am)
10thMoon below Venus (am)
12thNew Moon
13thGeminids meteor shower
14thGeminids (am)
17thMoon near Saturn
19thFirst Quarter Moon
22ndWinter Solstice and Moon near Jupiter
24thMoon between Aldebaran and Pleiades. Plus Santa and reindeer
27thFull Moon
30thMoon near Regulus

Sky Maps

Looking South on the 15th at 22:00

Looking North on the 15th at 22:00

The two charts above show all DSOs of magnitude 6.0 or brighter. They are both taken from
SkyViewCafe.com and correct for the 15th of the month. For a clickable list of Messier objects with images, use the Wikipedia link.

Decembers Objects

The Sun

Again this month the sun is very active with the sunspot count currently around 150. Multiple CME’s are forecast for the end of November/ beginning of December. These could cause G2 class geomagnetic storms and give us another chance of seeing low latitude auroras.

Resources

For more info on the sun and solar weather look here : –

Space Weather Enthusiasts Dashboard | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

Auroa Forecasts

A bit US centred but still useful

Aurora Dashboard (Experimental) | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

And our own Met-office have an excellent space weather forecast page here Space Weather – Met Office

The Moon

Decembers moon calendar from Sky View Café (skyviewcafe.com)

Decembers full Moon has many names from different cultures

I rather like the frost exploding trees moon (North American Cree native peoples) , but wouldn’t want to live where that event occurs!

Tycho

This month Lunar feature looks at Tycho it’s a easy crater to find and makes for a good Christmas first scope/family viewing target.

Tycho is located in the southern hemisphere of the Moon’s near side and measures about 85 kilometres in diameter. The rays are best viewed during a full moon when they can be seen stretching out across the lunar surface. However, if you want to see more detail of the crater itself, including its central peak and terraced walls, it’s best to view it during the first quarter of the moon, when shadows can enhance the contrast and reveal more detail due to the angle of sunlight.

You won’t get this view via a scope, this is from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LROC)
Go here https://quickmap.lroc.asu.edu/ for a full zoomable moon

See the sky diary for this months lunar events as there are some nice viewing opportunities .

A full yearly lunar calendar can be found here :-

https://www.mooninfo.org/moon-phases/2023.html


Planets

Mercury

Mercury can be found very low in the south-west just after sunset, shining at mag -0.4 and setting around 5pm. Fades into the twilight mid month but can be found again at the end of the month.

Venus

Morning object, rising around 4am and very easy to spot at mag -4.1. Venus is paired with the Moon on the 9th.

Mars

Not visible this month

Jupiter

Shining brightly at mag -2.7 and can be easily seen all evening Jupiter is still very well placed for viewing this month.

Saturn

Saturn can be found high in the southwest and sets around 10pm so is more of an evening target this month. The Moon will pass nearby on the 17th.

Uranus

Well placed for viewing this month being just past opposition and hight in the sky. Shining at mag +5.6 and is located in Aries

Neptune

An evening planet and can be found in Pisces at mag +7.9


Meteor Showers

The Geminids

The Geminids can be one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year and are known for producing up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour at their peak.

The shower runs annually from December 4th to December 17th, and in 2023, it is expected to peak on the night of December 13th and the morning of December 14th.

However, the best time to watch the shower is usually around 2 AM, when its radiant point — the constellation Gemini, from which the meteors appear to emanate — is highest in the sky.

The Geminids are unique because the meteors are not sourced from a comet, as with most other meteor showers, but from an asteroid: the 3200 Phaethon. The particles from 3200 Phaethon that cause the meteor shower are about 1,000 years old. Unlike other meteor showers that tend to have shorter streaks, the Geminids often present longer streaks in the sky, providing a brilliant and prolonged show.

The Andromedids

I’d never heard of this meteor shower before, but there might be a rare chance to spot some of these meteors on the nights of the 2nd/3rd of December.
The Andromedids meteor shower is associated with Biela’s Comet. The showers occur as Earth passes through old streams left by the comet’s tail . The comet was observed to have broken up by 1846. The breakup led to particularly spectacular showers in subsequent cycles, particularly in 1872 and 1885.

Since the 19th century, the Andromedids have faded so substantially that they are no longer generally visible to the naked eye, though some activity is still observable each year. This year the Earth passes through debris that the comet shed in 1649!


Comets

These are the other viewable comets this month, the ones listed below start at mag 7 and go to mag 13.

NameMag
103P/Hartley 27
62P/Tsuchinshan 17
144P/Kushida8
C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS)12
C/2022 E2 (ATLAS)13
29P/Schwassmann- Wachmann 113

Deep Sky (DSO’s)

This month its the turn of Gemini

Gemini represents the mythical twins Castor and Pollux in Greek mythology. These twins had the same mother, Leda, but different fathers, making Castor mortal and Pollux immortal. They were said to be very close and shared many adventures in various myths.

Stars

The two brightest stars in Gemini are Castor and Pollux, named after the mythological twins. Pollux is an orange-hued giant star, while Castor is actually a complex star system made of six stars grouped in three pairs.

Mekbuda (Zeta Geminorum)

A variable star that pulsates, changing its brightness over a period of about 10 days. Mekbuda is a yellow giant star, and its variability makes it an interesting target for observation.

Wasat (Delta Geminorum):

This is a double star, with the primary being a subgiant star and the secondary a dwarf star. It’s interesting for amateur astronomers because the two stars are relatively close to each other, providing a good challenge for observation with a small telescope.

Tejat (Mu Geminorum)

Tejat is a red giant star, and it’s notable for its deep red color, which is visible in small telescopes. It’s a cool and luminous star, located near the foot of the twin Castor.

M35 (NGC 2168)

M35 is a rich, compact open star cluster containing several hundred stars. It’s relatively young in astronomical terms, around 100 million to 150 million years old, and spans about 24 light-years across. M35 can be found near the foot of the twin Castor, it’s located in the northwestern part of Gemini. Visible with the naked eye under good conditions, M35 is a fantastic sight through binoculars or a small telescope. It appears as a bright, dense starry patch.

NGC 2158

This cluster is older and more distant than M35, with which it is often confused due to their proximity in the sky. Estimated to be around 2 billion years old, NGC 2158 is much denser and more compact than M35. It’s best viewed through a medium-sized telescope, as it appears as a faint, tight group of stars.

### Eskimo Nebula (NGC 2392)

Also known as the Clownface Nebula, it resembles a human face surrounded by a furry hood when viewed through a telescope. The nebula is formed from the outer layers of a dying star that were ejected into space. The Eskimo Nebula can be seen with a small telescope, but larger telescopes reveal more detail.

### Jellyfish Nebula (IC 443)

-This is an expanding shell of gas and dust formed from a supernova explosion and is believed to be around 3,000 to 30,000 years old. It’s challenging to observe visually but can be captured in long-exposure astrophotographs, where it reveals a complex structure.


ISS and other orbiting bits

Use the this NASA website for exact timings for York overpasses. York, England, United Kingdom | Sighting Opportunity | Spot The Station | NASA

The following ISS sightings are possible from Monday Nov 27, 2023 through Tuesday Dec 12, 2023

DateVisibleMax Height*AppearsDisappearsShare Event
Mon Nov 27, 5:15 PM6 min58°10° above WSW16° above E   
Mon Nov 27, 6:51 PM2 min29°10° above W29° above WSW   
Tue Nov 28, 6:03 PM4 min49°10° above W40° above SSE   
Wed Nov 29, 5:15 PM6 min55°10° above W14° above ESE   
Wed Nov 29, 6:52 PM2 min23°10° above W23° above SW   
Thu Nov 30, 6:03 PM4 min34°10° above W25° above SSE   
Fri Dec 1, 5:15 PM6 min42°10° above W10° above SE   
Fri Dec 1, 6:52 PM2 min15°10° above WSW15° above SW   
Sat Dec 2, 6:03 PM5 min21°10° above W12° above SSE   
Sun Dec 3, 5:15 PM6 min28°10° above W10° above SE   
Mon Dec 4, 6:04 PM2 min11°10° above WSW10° above SSW   
Tue Dec 5, 5:15 PM4 min16°10° above WSW10° above S   
Wed Dec 6, 4:26 PM5 min22°10° above W10° above SSE   
Fri Dec 8, 4:27 PM3 min12°10° above WSW10° above SSW   

Useful Resources

https://www.spacedaily.com/

http://www.n3kl.org/sun/noaa.html

http://skymaps.com/downloads.html

http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2023.html

https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/what-are-names-full-moons-throughout-yearhttp://www.deepskywatch.com/deepsky-guide.html

https://www.constellation-guide.com/

Top 10 Winter Sky Targets for Skywatchers | Space

and of course the sky at night magazine!

What’s Up November 2023

A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth

Compiled by Steve Sawyer

Hi, Welcome to Novembers What’s up! We’re now coming to the time of the year when the nights are getting longer with the darkest nights still to come. This month we can look forward to Jupiter being the star of the show as it reaches opposition on the 3rd, and the Leonid meteor shower reaches it’s peak on the 17th. We also have the occultation of Venus taking place on the 9th November, so there’s plenty to see this month.

So what’s on this month?

Sky Diary

DateTimeDescription
1stJupiter closest to Earth
3rdJupiter Opposition. Moon near Castor and Pollux
5thLast quarter Moon
7thMoon near Regulus
9thMoon very near Venus (am) a day time occultation
11thMoon near Spica
13thNew Moon. Uranus opposition
17thLeonid Meteor shower
18thLeonid Meteor shower (am)
20thFirst Quarter Moon. Moon near Saturn
25thMoon near Jupiter
26thMoon near Pleiades
27thFull Moon
29thVenus near Spica (am)
30thVenus near Spica (am) Moon near Castor and Pollux

Sky Maps

looking South on the 15th at 22:00

Looking North on the 15th at 22:00

he two charts above show all DSOs of magnitude 6.0 or brighter. They are both taken from
SkyViewCafe.com and correct for the 15th of the month. For a clickable list of Messier objects with images, use the Wikipedia link.

Novembers Objects

The Sun

At the time of writing there are potential geomagnetic storms forecast for the end of the month/beginning of November. The reason for this is a large coronal hole has opened in the Suns magnetic field which allows the solar wind to escape. This solar wind is heading towards Earth at around 500 km/s.

At the end of October there was a Mercury – Mars connection this was happening too close to the sun to be visible but the ESA/NASA SOHO observatory took some great images.

LASCO Coronagraph | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

Resources

For more info on the sun and solar weather look here : –

Space Weather Enthusiasts Dashboard | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

Auroa Forcasts

A bit US centred but still useful

Aurora Dashboard (Experimental) | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

And our own Met-office have an excellent space weather forecast page here Space Weather – Met Office

The Moon

Novembers full moon has several different names each associated with various cultural, traditional or natural observations.

Beaver Moon: This is a common name used in North America, originating from Native American and Colonial times. It’s said that this name comes from the period when beavers are actively preparing for winter, and it was also the time to set beaver traps to ensure a supply of warm furs before the swamps froze.

Frost Moon: This name reflects the onset of cold weather and the first frosts, which are common in many regions during November.

Hunter’s Moon: While the Hunter’s Moon is often associated with October, in some years it may fall in early November. This name comes from the time when people went hunting to stock up on food for the winter months.

Oak Moon: In some pagan traditions, the November full moon is called the Oak Moon, symbolizing the strength and endurance of the mighty oak tree.

Hadley Rille

I thought I’d start including a Lunar feature each month, Novembers feature of choice is Haley Rille. Which is a valley on the Moon, typical of the lunar features known as sinuous rilles.

These rilles are believed to be ancient lava flow channels.. It’s situated in the Hadley–Apennine region on the near side of the Moon, specifically on the eastern edge of Mare Imbrium on a lava plain known as Palus Putredinis.

The rille is a V-shaped gorge that parallels the Apennines along the eastern edge of Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains). It meanders down from an elongated depression in the mountains and across the Palus Putredinis (Swamp of Decay), merging with a second rille about 62 miles (100 kilometers) to the north.

Hadley Rille was a primary site of exploration for the Apollo 15 lunar-landing mission. This mission marked the fourth crewed landing on the Moon and the first of the “J-missions” in July 1971

In the image below (taken via Google Earth Pro, free download here https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/earth/about/versions/). You can see the Apollo 15 landing site and the EVA’s undertaken

See the sky diary for this months lunar events as there are some nice viewing opportunities .

A full lunar calendar can be found here :-

https://www.mooninfo.org/moon-phases/2023.html

Planets

Mercury

Mercury not visible this month

Venus

Venus is a morning object and continues to be visible in the early morning skies. The occultation of the planet takes place on the 9th of November from sunrise to around 11am. The Moon will move in front of Venus between around 9:45 – 10:45 am

Mars

Not visible this month

Jupiter

Jupiter is the pick of the planets to view this month being both the closest to Earth and at it’s brightest (mag -2.9). With both binoculars and telescopes you’ll be able to easily spot the 4 biggest moons shifting in position night by night.

Bands

Jupiter has two types of bands: light-colored bands known as zones, and dark-colored bands called belts. The zones are regions where the gas in Jupiter’s atmosphere is rising upwards, while the belts are regions where the gas is sinking downwards​

The bands are created by strong east-west winds in the planet’s upper atmosphere. The colors in the bands are caused by slight differences in temperature and composition, which dictate what chemicals are present. Bands that are adjacent to each other have winds which move in opposite direction

Saturn

Saturn can be found in Aquarius and is visible all evening setting at around 11:30pm

Uranus

Located in Aries and reaching opposition on the 13th, at mag +5.66 may just be visible to the naked eye. But you’ll need a telescope to pick out it’s disk and larger moons.

Neptune

An evening planet which can be found on the boarder of Aquarius and Pisces and sets at around 2am.

Meteor Showers

There’s one main meteor shower this month which are the..

Leonids

Active between the 6th to the 30th of November, the Leonids are associated with the comet Tempel-Tuttle. As the comet orbits the Sun, it leaves a trail of debris along its path. When Earth passes through this debris trail, the particles enter our atmosphere and burn up, creating the meteor shower.

Peaking on the night of the 17th/18th. As you may have guessed the Leonid radiant is located in the constellation Leo. The radiant rises on the 17th at around 22:20 and peaks in altitude at around 5:40am.

The intensity of the Leonid meteor shower can vary greatly from year to year. In some years, the shower produces a meteor storm, where thousands of meteors per hour can be observed. These meteor storms tend to occur in cycles of roughly 33 years, which is the orbital period of comet Tempel-Tuttle. Around 15 meteors per hour are forecast this year.

The Leonids are known for their bright meteors and can also produce occasional fireballs – exceptionally bright meteors that can light up the sky.
Here’s hoping for a clear night!

Comets

The comet C/2023 H2 (Lemmon) is expected to be visible and will brighten up to a magnitude of 7.5. It will approach Earth to a distance of 0.2 astronomical units (a.u.) during this month, although it’s expected to fade out rapidly after brightening​

These are the other viewable comets this month, the ones listed below start at mag 7 and go to mag 13.

NameMag
103P/Hartley 27
C/2020 V2 (ZTF)9
62P/Tsuchinshan 112
C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS)12
12P/Pons- Brooks13
C/2023 E1 (ATLAS)13
29P/Schwassmann- Wachmann 113

Deep Sky (DSO’s)

This month its the turn of Perseus

Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884):

Two open clusters close together

Messier 34 (M34)

An open cluster that’s easily visible in binoculars. M34 was likely discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654 and was later cataloged by Charles Messier in 1764. Messier described it as a cluster of small stars located slightly below the parallel of γ (Andromedae)
This open cluster is large and relatively nearby, situated at an approximate distance of 1,500 light-years from Earth. It has an apparent magnitude of 5.5, making it a bright object in the night sky

NGC 1499

The California Nebula, also designated as NGC 1499 or SH2-220, is an emission nebula situated about 1,000 light-years away from Earth and has earned its name due to its resemblance to the outline of the US State of California in long exposure photographs. It spans almost 2.5° long on the sky but has a very low surface brightness, which can make it challenging to observe visually​.

NGC 1499 was discovered by Edward Barnard in 1885. The nebula resides in the Orion Arm of our Galaxy, and its glow is primarily due to the radiation from the intensely hot, class O star, Xi Persei, which is the brightest star in this nebula​

M76

The Little Dumbbell Nebula, also known as Messier 76 (M76), NGC 650/651, the Barbell Nebula, or the Cork Nebula.
M76 is located at a distance of about 2,500 light-years from Earth. It’s one of only four planetary nebulas listed in Charles Messier’s catalog. The nebula is classified as a bipolar planetary nebula (BPNe), showcasing two distinct lobes of material being ejected from the central star(s).

ISS and other orbiting bits

DateVisibleMax Height*AppearsDisappears
Sat Oct 28, 4:41 AM1 min15°15° above E10° above E
Sat Oct 28, 6:14 AM4 min57°37° above SW10° above E
Sun Oct 29, 5:28 AM3 min41°41° above SE10° above E
Sun Oct 29, 7:01 AM6 min51°13° above W10° above ESE
Mon Oct 30, 3:42 AM< 1 min13°13° above E10° above E
Mon Oct 30, 5:14 AM4 min56°36° above WSW10° above ESE
Tue Oct 31, 4:28 AM2 min38°38° above ESE10° above E
Tue Oct 31, 6:01 AM6 min36°13° above W10° above SE
Wed Nov 1, 3:42 AM< 1 min12°12° above E10° above E
Wed Nov 1, 5:15 AM4 min44°37° above SW10° above ESE
Thu Nov 2, 4:29 AM2 min31°31° above SE10° above ESE
Thu Nov 2, 6:02 AM5 min23°13° above WSW10° above SSE
Fri Nov 3, 3:42 AM< 1 min10°10° above ESE10° above ESE
Fri Nov 3, 5:15 AM3 min29°29° above SSW10° above SE
Sat Nov 4, 4:29 AM1 min21°21° above SE10° above SE
Sat Nov 4, 6:02 AM3 min13°11° above WSW10° above S
Sun Nov 5, 5:16 AM2 min17°17° above SSW10° above S
Mon Nov 6, 4:30 AM< 1 min10°10° above SSE10° above SSE

Use the this NASA website for exact timings for York overpasses. York, England, United Kingdom | Sighting Opportunity | Spot The Station | NASA

Useful Resources

https://www.spacedaily.com/

http://www.n3kl.org/sun/noaa.html

http://skymaps.com/downloads.html

http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2023.html

https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/what-are-names-full-moons-throughout-yearhttp://www.deepskywatch.com/deepsky-guide.html

https://www.constellation-guide.com/

Top 10 Winter Sky Targets for Skywatchers | Space

and of course the sky at night magazine!

What’s Up October 2023

A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth

Compiled by Steve Sawyer

Hi welcome to Octobers What’s up. We’re now moving into darker and longer nights with the end of BST on the 29th. Last month saw the society celebrate it’s 50th Anniversary with a special all day event which was well attended and great fun.
This month we have the Orionids and a partial lunar eclipse to look forward to.

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What’s Up September 2023

A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth

Compiled by Steve Sawyer

Hi welcome to September What’s Up.. I hope everyone has booked their tickets for York Astro’s 50th Anniversary on the 2nd, as the program of speakers is excellent!
So onto what’s happening this month, well dark skies return with the arrival of Autumn and the time around the equinox has proven to be an excellent time for Aurora spotting. There’s also a comet to look out for too.

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What’s Up July 2023

A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth

Compiled by Steve Sawyer

Hi welcome to Julys what’s up. This month we have the 1st supermoon of the year (expect the usual media hype), Venus is at it’s brightest and the Earth is reaches it’s furthest point from the Sun (known as aphelion). Don’t forget July is also an excellent month for spotting noctilucent clouds.

So what’s on this month?

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What’s Up June 2023

A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth

Compiled by Steve Sawyer

Hi welcome to Junes whatsup. We’re now approaching the summer solstice and although we have no true darkness this month, take the time to enjoy the summer constellations and (hopefully) warmer nights!

So what’s on this month?

As mentioned last month June and July are peak noctilucent cloud months. We also have the summer constellations of Hercules, Scorpius, Lyra, Cygnus and Aquila. Also Venus and Mars encounter the Beehive cluster (M44).

Please feel free to send any images you may like including in next months whatsup to noreply@aew.uk or you can post them to the societies Facebook group for posting any images you wish to share Facebook group link : https://www.facebook.com/groups/yorkastro

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What’s Up May 2023

A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth 

Compiled by Steve Sawyer

Hi welcome to Mays whatsup. We have plenty to look at this month :- some more Meteors, an ocultation, conjunctions and the spring constellations.

So what’s on this month?

One of the highlights is the Aquarid meteor shower: The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is an annual event that will peak in early May. It is caused by debris from Halley’s Comet. We also have an oculatation of Jupiter by the moon which will make for a good photographic opportunity

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What’s Up April 2023

A monthly look at astronomical events in the sky and on Earth 

Compiled by Steve Sawyer

Hi welcome to Aprils what’s up. We have plenty to look at this month :- Meteors, conjunctions and the spring constellations.

So what’s on this month?

The Lyrid meteor shower returns and peaks around the April 22nd. This meteor shower is caused by debris from Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher burning up in Earth’s atmosphere. The best viewing will be in the early morning hours, and the lack of moonlight will make for excellent viewing conditions.

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