This is not intended to be comprehensive - it is a quick guide to help you find a few things in the night sky without any equipment - just your eyes.
All of these are very bright and easy to find when walking around the village.
This month the Moon is putting on two displays for us as we have two partial eclipses-
- One Lunar – this is where the Moon goes into the Earth’s shadow. This will happen on the 14th after 05:00hrs but we can only see this for a short while while it sets.
- Also the is a Solar eclipse between on the 29th starting around 10:00, its maximum will be around 11am and will end around 12:00hrs
Please don't look at the Sun – there is some advice in the chart on how to see it safely.
The planets – again lots to see this month!
If you are not sure how to see them then a good tip is to go out at dusk, when the sky goes dark blue, and the first stars you see will be the planets. Look west and Venus is obvious, shining very brightly. Then the next brightest star is Jupiter. Then follow the line and you and then you will see Mars – not as big as the other two but bright orange and obvious. If you look between Venus and the horizon you may be able to see Mercury. By mid month both Venus and Mercury will be too close to the sun to see. I have made a chart for this.
Mercury is very low in the West at sunset it is very low and hard to see as it is close to the Sun, by the middle of the month it will be too low
Venus - The brightest object in the sky, (after the Sun and the Moon) - in beginning of the month at Sunset in the West and setting in the W about 6:30pm. Then by the middle of the month it will be too close to the Sun to see.
Saturn is too low to see.
Mars glowing red most of the night! It is high in the SE at sunset at the beginning of the month. It is seen setting in the west at 5am and 3am at the end of the month.
Jupiter is very bright. At sunset it is high in the South - sets in the west around 1:30am at the beginning of the month. By the end of the month is high in the SW at sunset and sets in the West at midnight.
Moon - the full Moon rises in the East on the 14th at sunset. Do not forget the two partial eclipses.
ISS - here are a few very bright and International Space Station passes (ISS) this month. I have made a chart for the brightest one – starting at 6:28pm on the 19th.
I have made or found the following charts to help you find: -
- The visible planets
- 5th Moon, Jupiter and Orion
- 6th Moon and Jupiter
- 8th Moon, Mars and Gemini
- 10th Venus and Mercury
- 11th Moon and Leo
- 14th Partial Lunar Eclipse
- 19th ISS pass
- 29th Partial Solar Eclipse
- Phases of the Moon