moon phase
 

 

2008 Sky Summary

Mercury makes weak evening showing in January
and follows with another weak morning appearance
The evening apparition in May, however, is quite a
different story, with the elusive planet well placed
for observation for a couple of weeks. A slender
crescent moon serves as a guide to the planet on May
6th; look for Aldebaran in Taurus nearby. Mercury
joins Jupiter at year's end for another nice evening
pairing.

Venus concludes its morning apparition and, after
A nice pairing with Jupiter in February, has a linger-
ing decline, slowly sliding along the horizon until it
disappears from view in mid-May. Its reemergence
into the evening sky is similarly inauspicious. Its early
December appearance with Jupiter will be low in the
Southwest after sunset.

Mars is the lone classical planet in the evening sky
As the year opens and undergoes another of its post-
Opposition flights from the sun. It can be found in the
South and southwest nearly all year as the zodiac parades
Westward behind it. In early July the Red Planet pays
A call on the bright star Regulus and the planet Saturn
In the early evening sky.

Jupiter has moved on to the summer constellation
Sagittarius and so lies near the sun at the beginning
of the year. It reaches opposition in early July and gets
the same double-take from Venus that Saturn enjoyed
last year. Its more southerly location makes the pairings
somewhat less noticeable.

Saturn joins Mars in the evening sky several hours after
Sunset as the year opens. It reaches opposition in late
February and traverses the constellation Leo, serving as
Our second evening planet for the first half of the year.

Meteor Showers: The two best meteor showers of the year-
The August Perseids and the Geminids of December-are
Washed out by moonlight. The January Quadrantids are
affected by a waning crescent moon.

Eclipses: February's total lunar eclipse is well placed for
North Americans, nearly all of whom can enjoy the entire
Total phase of the eclipse. A total solar eclipse in August
Brings a brief glimpse of a partially eclipsed sunrise
To the eastern half of Maine and northeastern Canada.

 January

2
 Earth closest to the sun
4
 Quadrantid meteor shower peaks, 8h UT. Moon interferes.
8
 New Moon, 11:38 UT
15
 First Quarter moon, 19:46 UT.
22
 Full moon, 13:35 UT.
Mercury (-0.6) at greatest eastern
Elongation (18 degrees 39').

30
 Last quarter moon, 5:03 UT.

February 

1
 Venus (-4.0) and Jupiter (-1.9) meet in Sagittarius this morning.
Look Southeast in the hour before dawn.
4
 The waning crescent moon joins Venus (-4.0) and Jupiter (-1.9).
Look southeast in the hour beforeDawn.
6
 Mercury at inferior conjunction (not visible).
7
 New Moon, 3:45 UT.
14
 First quarter moon, 3:33 UT.

21
 Total lunar eclipse favoring the Americas,Africa and Europe. All of North America. But western Alaska sees the entire total Phase of the eclipse. Greatest eclipse occurs At 3:26 UT.
24 Saturn (+0.2) at opposition and nearest to Earth, 8.29141 AU. It rises in the east at Sunset and is visible all night long.
29 Last quarter moon, 2:19 UT.

March

3
 Mercury (+0.2) at greatest western elongation
(27 degrees 09').
7
 New moon, 17:14 UT.
14
 First quarter moon, 10:46 UT.
20
 Vernal equinox, 5:49 UT.
21
 Full Moon, 18:40 UT.
29
 Last quarter moon, 21:48 UT.

April

6
 New Moon, 3:56 UT.
12
 First quarter moon, 18:32 UT.
16
 Mercury at superior conjunction (notVisible).
20
 Full moon, 10:26 UT.
21
 Lyrid meteor shower peaks. Moon Interferes..
28
 Last quarter moon, 14:12 UT.

May

2
 Can you spot the Pleiades below Mercury (-0.8) after sunset tonight?
4
 Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks.
5
 New Moon, 12:19 UT.
6
 Moon near Mercury (-0.4) and Aldebaran (+0.8), brightest star of Taurus, tonight.
10
 Moon near Mars (+1.3) high in the west tonight.
12
 First quarter moon, 3:47 UT.
Moon near Saturn (+0.6) and Regulus (+1.3), brightest star of the constellation Leo, tonight.
13 Mars farthest from the sun,1.66594 AU
14 Mercury (+0.4) at greatest eastern Elongation (21degrees 48').
20 Full moon 2:12 UT.
28 Last quarter moon, 2:57 UT.

June

3
 New moon, 19:23 UT
7
 Mercury at inferior conjunction.
9
 Venus at superior conjunction (not visible).
10
 First Quarter moon 15:04 UT
18
 Full moon 17:31 UT.
21
 Summer solstice, 0:01 UT.
26 Last quarter moon, 12:11 UT

July 

1
 Mercury (+0.6) at greatest western Elongation (21 degrees 47').
3
 New moon, 2:19 UT.
4
 Earth farthest from the sun, 1.016754 AU.
9
 Jupiter (-2.7) at opposition. It rises in the east at sunset and is visible all Night long.
10
 First quarter moon, 4:35 UT
11
 Watch Saturn (+0.8) and Mars (+1.7) In the western sky in the hour after sunset. The pair are closest to each other this Evening..
18 Full moon, 8:00 UT.
25 Last quarter moon, 18:43 UT.
27 Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower peaks.
29 Mercury at superior conjunction (not visible).

August

1
 New moon, 10:13 UT.

Total solar eclipse. The path of totality runs from extreme northern Canada to Northern Greenland, across Russia to central China; partial phases are visible on the rising Sun in eastern Canada and even central Maine. Greatest eclipse is at 10:21 UT.
8
 First quarter moon, 20:21 UT.
12
 Perseid meteor shower peaks. Moon interferes
16
 Partial lunar eclipse favoring Africa, Europe and central Asia. Greatest eclipse occurs at 21:10 UT.
23
 Last quarter moon, 23:51 UT.
30
 New Moon, 19:59 UT.

September

4

Saturn in conjunction with the sun (not visible)
7
 First quarter moon, 14:05 UT.
11
 Mercury (+0.2) at greatest eastern elongation. Mars (+1.7) in conjunction with and very close to Venus (-3.9), low in the western Sky after sunset. Binoculars help, and you should start looking for Venus twenty minutes after sunset. Mercury, also difficult to spot, lies below and left of the pair. Jupiter (-2.4) gleams high in the south. The waxing Moon, approaching full, rises in the southeast.
15
 Full moon, 9:14 UT
22
 Last quarter moon, 5:05 UT
29
 New moon, 8:13 UT.

October

6

Mercury at inferior conjunction (not visible).
7
 First quarter moon 9:05 UT.
14
 Full moon, 20:03 UT
21
 Last quarter moon, 11:56 UT. Orionid meteor shower peaks. Moon interferes
22
 Mercury (-0.5) at greatest western
Elongation (18 degrees 19').
25
 Moon near Saturn (+1.0) this morning.
Look east in the hour before dawn.
27 Moon near Mercury (-0.7) this morning.
Look east in the hour before dawn.
28 New moon, 23:15 UT

November

5

Southern Taurid meteor shower peaks.
6
 First quarter moon, 4:04 UT.
13
 Full moon, 6:19 UT
17
 Leonid meteor shower peaks, 10h UT.
Moon interferes.
19
 Last quarter moon, 21:32 UT.
25
 Mercury at superior conjunction
(not visible).
27 New moon, 16:56 UT.
30 Venus (-4.1) and Jupiter (-2.0) closest Tonight. Look southwest early in the hour after sunset. The moon is below the pair.

December

1

The moon is above Venus (-4.1) and Jupiter
(-2.0). The two planets meet again as they did in February, but this time in the evening sky. Look southwest in the hour after sunset.
5
 First quarter moon, 21:26 UT
Mars in conjunction with the sun (not visible).
12
 Full moon, 16:38 UT
13
 Geminid meteor shower peaks, 18h UT.
Moon interferes.
19
 Last quarter moon, 10:31 UT..
21
 Winter solstice, 12:05 UT.
27 New moon, 12:23 UT.
29 Rising Mercury (-0.7) closes out the year with an evening apparition that includes a close pass to Jupiter (-1.9). Tonight the crescent moon lies above the pair while dazzling Venus (-4.1) looks on. Look in the evening sky in the hour after sunset. Mercury remains well placed for observing until January 10,2009.
31 Moon near Venus (-4.1) tonight.

Celestial information from 'Celestial Delights' by Francis Reddy and Greg Waltz-Chojnacki