2010 – What’s Up

Week of 27th December.

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.08 UT at the start of the week and 18.12 UT at the end.
• The Moon is waning and will be Last Quarter on 28th.
• The Sun is currently still blank, though a sunspot is emerging.
• The ISS returns on Monday at 18.13.50 SSW to S reaching 20 degrees altitude. Tuesday at 17.6.56 SSE to SE reaching 11 degrees and 18.39.36 SW to SW to 24 degrees. Wednesday 17.31.18 SSW to ESE to 24 degrees and 19.05.52 WSW to WSW to 16 degrees. Thursday 16.23.59 SSE to ESE to 12 degrees and 17.57.07 SW to SE to 48 degrees. Friday 16.48.43 SSW to E to 26 degrees and 18.23.21 WSW to WSW to 58 degrees. Saturday 17.14.32 WSW to E to 51 degrees and 18.49.45 W to W to 26 degrees and Sunday 17.40.46 WSW to E to 84 degrees and 19.16.06 W to W to 13 degrees.
• There are 3 bright evening Iridium flares on Tuesday at 18.03.03, 12 degrees altitude in WNW. Thursday at 17.33.12, 18 degrees altitude in WNW and Friday 17.18.10, 20 degrees altitude in WNW

 

Week of 20th December

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.04 UT at the start of the week and 18.07 UT at the end. The Winter Solstice occurs on Tuesday, when the Sun rises and sets at its southernmost extremes and traces the shortest arc across the sky. There is then little perceptable change in sunrise/set position till the northwood journey starts on 25th
• The Moon is waxing and is Full (Solsicial Moon) on 21st when it is totally eclipsed (it is rare for the eclipse to coincide with the Solstice in fact it was last seen in 1638 AD and will next occur in 2094 AD. The umbral phase starts at 07.40UT and maximum eclipse is at 08.17UT. From here the Moon will be setting low in the West as the Sun rises. This will provide an unusual double act for Solstice observers
• The Sun is currently blank
• The ISS returns at the start of next week and there are no bright evening Iridium flares

 

Week of 13th December

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.02 UT at the start of the week and 18.04 UT at the end. There is very little change as we approach the Winter Solstice
• The Moon is waxing and will be Full at the start of next week
• The Geminid meteor shower peaks next Tuesday at 08.00 UT. However, rates are already building to 10 per hour and are expected to peak at 120 per hour. It is worth watching out over the next few nights, especially on 13th after the Moon has set (00.00UT). The Geminids are unusual in that they are asteroidal (3200 Phaethon) in origin, perhaps due to thermal heating causing shattering of the surface. The shower can produce fireballs. Ideally observe in groups and look especailly NE and SE. The radiant is just above Castor (the uppermost ‘twin’)
• The Sun has quietened with 2 mature sunspots producing little activity
• There are no ISS passes or bright evening Iridium flares

 

Week of 6th December

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.02 UT at the start of the week and 18.02 UT at the end. There is very little change as we approach the Winter Solstice
• The Moon is waxing and will be First Quarter on 13th
• The Sun has a growing sunspot 1131 and another emerging
• There are no ISS passes but there are 5 bright evening Iridium flares: on Monday at 16.55.41, 16 degrees altitude in SSW. Wednesday 17.42.40, 14 degrees in WNW. Thursday 17.27.43, 17 degrees in WNW and Friday 17.12.43 at 20 degrees in WNW

 

Week of 29th November

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.38 UT at the start of the week and 18.27 UT at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be New on Sunday
• For early risers, especially in these cold clear dawns, Venus is a spectacular sight
• The Sun has a fading sunspot region, but active regions on the far side
• There are no ISS passes but there is one bright evening Iridium flare on Monday at 17.09.55, 27 degrees altitude in SSW

 

Week of 22nd November

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.08 UT at the start of the week and 18.04 UT at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be Last Quarter on Sunday
• Orion is now a good evening sight with red Betelgeuse at the top left ‘shoulder’
• The Sun has a couple of sunspot regions
• There are no ISS passes or bright evening Iridium flares

 

Week of 15th November

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.15 UT at the start of the week and 18.09 UT at the end
• The Moon is waxing and will be Full (Frosty Moon) on Sunday
• The Leonid meteor shower peaks on Wednesday night at midnight next week but is not expeted to produce more than 20 per hour
• The Winter Sky is now a mid-evening sight, with the Pleiades at mid altitude and superb in Binoculars and Gemini, Canis Minor and Orion all appearing in the East by 9pm The Sun has several active regions. Watch the Storm warnings on the right hand panel
• The ISS makes 1 more pass: Monday 17.00.55, W to SSE reaching 19 degrees
• There is one super bright Iridium flare on Tuesday at 16.58.11,68 degrees altitude in NE

 

Week of 8th November

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.23 UT at the start of the week and 18.16 UT at the end
• The Moon is waxing and will be First Quarter on Saturday
• The Leonid meteor shower peaks next week, but early meteors may be seen from next week-end
• The Sun has an new active region 1121
• The ISS makes good passes as follows: Monday 17.08.59, W to E reaching 84 degrees and 18.44.20 W to WSW to 39 degrees. Tuesday 17.35.10 W to ESE to 77 degrees and 19.10.42 W to WSW to 17 degrees. Wednesday 18.01.19 W to SE to 44 degrees. Thursday 16.52.01 W to ESE to 74 degrees and 18.27.36 W to S to 22 degrees. Friday 17.18.04 W to SE to 42 degrees. Saturday 17.44.20 W to SSE to 20 degrees and Sunday 16.34.39 W to SE to 39 degrees
• There are no bright evening Iridium flares

 

Week of 1st November

 

• We are now back on Universal Time (UT/GMT). Astronomical twilight ends at 18.33 UT at the start of the week and 18.25 UT at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be New on Saturday
• The Taurid meteor shower peaks on Thursday, but this normally only produces a few slow meteors and hour
• The Sun has one old active region 1117 and a new region emerging over the eastern limb
• The ISS makes good asses as follows: Monday 17.15.46, SSW to E reaching 26 degrees and 18.50.27 WSW to WSW to 46 degrees. Tuesday 17.41.46 WSW to E to 52 degrees and 19.16.59 W to W to 21 degrees. Wednesday 18.08.08 WSW to E to 85 degrees and 19.43.30 W to W to 10 degrees. Thursday 16.59.21 WSW to E to 56 degrees and 18.34.36 W to WSW to 72 degrees. Friday 17.25.40 W to E to 87 degrees and 19.01.01 W to W to 29 degrees. Saturday 17.52.04 W to E to 83 degrees and 19.27.25 W to W to 14 degrees. Sunday 16.43.03 W to E to 89 degrees and 18.18.24 W to SE to 80 degrees
• There is one super bright evening Iridium flare on Tuesday at 18.57.22, 43 degrees altitude in SE

 

Week of 25th October

 

• British Sunmmer Time ends next Saturday night so from Sunday 31st we return to Universal Time (UT) so, Astronomical twilight ends at 19.45 BST at the start of the week and 18.37 UT at the end
• The Sun has 3 active regions and solar storms are expected, watch the right hand panel
• The ISS returns with passes as follows: Thursday at 19.39.47 SSW to S reaching 18 degrees altitude. Friday 18.32.50 SSE to ESE to 11 degrees and 20.05.35 SW to SW to 21 degrees. Saturday 18.57.16 SSW to ESE to 24 degrees and 20.31.49 WSW to WSW to 14 degrees and Sunday 18.23.04 SW to SE to 48 degrees
• There is one super bright evening Iridium flare on Saturday at 19.33.23, 44 degrees altitude in NNE

 

Week of 18th October

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 19.59 BST at the start of the week and 19.47 BST at the end
• The Moon is waxing and will be Full on Saturday (Hunter’s Moon)
• Comet 103P/Hartley 2 is currently just north of Capella and is just visible to the naked eye, but clear in binos, making its closest approach to Earth (11 million km) on Wednesday when it will be brightest and within a couple of degrees of the bright star
• The Sun has 3 active regions and a strong M3 class solar flare errupted on 16th
• There are no ISS passes this week but there is one super bright evening Iridium flare on Thursday at 18.23.22, 67 degrees altitude in NNE

 

Week of 11th October

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 20.13 BST at the start of the week and 20.01 BST at the end
• The Moon is waxing and will be First Quarter on Thursday
• Comet 103P/Hartley 2 is currently just west of gamma Persei, having passed the double cluster and will be just east of Capella at closest approach next week. It is relatively easy in Binos at magnitude 7, where it looks greenish, however the very crowded Milky Way field makes it hard to spot. It may reach naked eye visibility at closest approach
• The Sun is currently blank
• There are no ISS passes or bright evening Iridium flares this week

 

Week of 4th October

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 20.29 BST at the start of the week and 20.13 BST at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be New on Thursday and a thin crescent at the week-end
• Comet 103P/Hartley 2 is entering the inner Solar System and on 20th October will pass just 11 million miles from Earth. It is currently moving East just South of the right hand v of Cassiopeia and is magnitude 7 (easy in Binos, where it looks greenish). It may reach naked eye visibility at closest approach
• The Sun has 3 sunspot groups
• There are no ISS passes or bright evening Iridium flares this week

 

Week of 27th September

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 21.48 BST at the start of the week and 21.32 BST at the end
• The Harvest Moon is waning and will be Last Quarter on Friday
• The Sun has 2 sunspot groups
• Jupiter remains the dominent object in the evening skies and is showing good detail in small telescopes
• There are no ISS passes or bright evening Iridium flares this week

 

Week of 20th September

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 21.58 BST at the start of the week and 21.51 BST at the end
• Thursday is the Autumnal Equinox with the Sun rising due East and setting due West
• The Moon will be Full (Harvest Moon) on Thursday
• The Sun has an active sunspot group 1108
• Jupiter reaches Opposition on Thursday with Uranus also at Opposition less than 2 degrees away and its colour evenb effected by Jupiter’s glow
• There are no ISS passes or bright evening Iridium flares this week

 

Week of 13th September

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 21.23 BST at the start of the week and 21.07 BST at the end. Daylight length is now changing at its fastest as the Autumn Equinox approaches on 23rd September
• The Moon is waxing and will be First Quarter on Wednesday
• The Sun has one spot group
• Jupiter is now rising bright yellow in the East by 9pm and is in conjunction with Uranus. Uranus can be found a degrees away at’1 o’clock’ from Jupiter. It is just visible by eye from a very dark location, but its pale blue disc should be possible in good binoculars or small telescopes
• There are no ISS passes or bright evening Iridium flares this week

 

Week of 6th September

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 21.46 BST at the start of the week and 21.23 BST at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be New on Wednesday and visible as a thin crescent with bright Venus in the West at the end of the week
• The Sun has several spot groups and has been active with CME’s over the week-end
• Jupiter is now rising bright yellow in the East late evening. Orange Arcturus is now setting into the western twighlight, a sure sign of Autumn. Red Antares and Scorpio dominates the Southern horizon as do the dense clouds of the Milky Way in Sagittarius (from a dark site)
• The ISS makes its final evening passes of this session as follows: Monday at 21.04.16 W to SE reaching 59 degrees. Tuesday 19.56.03 W to ESE to 86 degrees and 21.31.32 W to SSW to 30 degrees. Wednesday 2.23.11 W to ESE to 54 degrees and 21.59.20 WSW to SW to 13 degrees. Thursday 20.50.27 W to SSE to 27 degrees. Friday 19.42.01 W to SE to 49 degrees and 21.18.24 WSW to SSW to 13 degrees. Saturday 20.09.17 W to SSE to 25 degrees and Sunday 20.37.31 WSW to SSW reaching 11 degrees
• There are no especially bright evening Iridium flares this week

 

Week of 23rd August

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 22.25 BST at the start of the week and 22.07 BST at the end
• The Moon is waxing and will be Full on Tuesday (Sturgeon Moon)
• The Sun is blank but a sunspot is appearing over the limb
• The ISS is back making evening passes as follows: Wednesday at 21.58.56 SW to SSW reaching 18 degrees. Thursday 20.52.02 S to ESE to 15 degrees and 22.25.54 WSW to SW to 24 degrees. Friday 21.18.16 SW to ESE to 33 degrees and 22.53.13 W to W to 18 degrees. Saturday 21.45.16 WSW to E to 63 degrees and 23.20.37 W to W to 10 degrees. Sunday 20.37.33 SW to E to 36 degrees and the brightest 22.12.35 W to W to 77 degrees
• There is one bright Iridium flare on Sunday at 21.54.25 at 13 degrees altitude in N

 

Week of 16th August

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 23.48 BST at the start of the week and 22.29 BST at the end
• The Moon is waxing and will be First Quarter on Monday and Full at the start of next week
• The Sun has 3 sunspot regions
• There are no ISS evening passes this week
• There are two bright evening Iridium flares: on Wednesday at 23.37.20, 19 degrees altitude in W and Friday at 23.38.08, 16 degrees altitude in W

 

Week of 9th August

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 23.13 BST at the start of the week and 22.52 BST at the end
• The Moon will be New on Tuesday and visible as a slender crescent by the end of the week. The Moon will have set before the first Perseids on Thursday, making even the faintest visible
• The Perseid meteor shower peaks on Thursday night. Current predictions are for a later peak sometime around midnight. Conditions and timings are perfect this year. All we need is a clear sky. Perseid numbers are already rising with bright fireballs being seen (it is worth watching any night from now on) and indicates a good debris stream from Comet Temple-Tuttle which last came close in 1992
• The planetary conjunction continues after sunset with first Venus, then Saturn and then Mars forming a triangle within a 10 degree circle
• The Sun now has four sunspot regions, two are potentially active
• There are no ISS evening passes this week
• There is one bright evening Iridium flare on Friday at 23.43.52, 27 degrees altitude in WSW

 

Week of 2nd August

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 23.39 BST at the start of the week and 23.13 BST at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be Last Quarter on Tuesday and New at the start of next week.
• After sunset in the West first Venus, then Saturn and then Mars appear forming a triangle. Thde internal angles will change from night to night over the week.
• The Sun has a highly active sunspot region 1092 which has giving strong CMEs. Aurorae are being recorded over North America and Northern Europe. See the Storm warnings on the right-hand panel
• There are no ISS evening passes this week
• There are 2 bright evening Iridium flares: Wednesday at 22.58.22, 16 degrees altitude in W and Thursday at 00.11.01, 38 degrees altitude in SW

 

Week of 26th July

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 00.11 BST at the start of the week and 23.39 BST at the end
• The Moon is Full (Thunder Moon) on Monday and will then wane to Last Quarter at the start of next week
• After sunset in the West first Venus, then Saturn and then Mars appear (with Mercury near to Regulus but close to the horizon). Saturn and Mars are within 2 degrees next Friday and Saturday
• The Sun has 2 sunspot regions 1089 and 1090, though large, these are not active at present
• There are no evening ISS passes this week
• There are two really bright late evening Iridium flares on Wednesday at 23.17.56 BST, 26 degrees altitude in W and Friday 23.15.06, 23 degrees in W

 

Week of 19th July

 

• From Wednesday Astronomical twilight starts at 00.47 BST lasting for just less than an hour. By the end of the week it starts at 00.17 BST
• The Moon is waxing and will be Full at the start of next week
• The Sun has still has an active sunspot region 1087 which continues to generate flares. Watch the magnetic storm warning bar on the website front page
• There are no evening ISS passes this week
• There is one bright late evening Iridium flare on Thursday at 21.29.51 BST, 24 degrees altitude in NNW

 

Week of 12th July

 

• Sunset is at 21.20 BST at the start of the week and 21.14 BST at the end
• The Moon is waxing, visible as a slender crescent by mid-week and and will be First Quarter on Sunday
• Venus and Regulus (alpha Leo) are nicely paired in the West after sunset at the start of the week
• The Sun has active sunspot region 1087 which is already generating flares. Watch the magnetic storm warning bar on the website front page
• The best Noctilucent Cloud display of the year was seen at the end of last week. Watch out during these clear evenings an hour or so after sunset
• There are no evening ISS passes this week
• There is one bright late evening Iridium flare on Tuesday at 22.55.19 BST, 20 degrees altitude in WNW

 

Week of 5th July

 

• Sunset is at 21.26 BST at the start of the week and 21.21 BST at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be New at the start of next week
• The Sun has active sunspot region 1084 and 1086 which may generate flares. Watch the magnetic storm warning bar on the website front page
• The ISS makes further evening passes as follows: On Monday at 22.12.07 W to ESE reaching 77 degrees and 23.47.40 W to SSW to 23 degrees. Tuesday 22.38.34 W to SE to 44 degrees. Wednesday 23.05.13 W to S to 22 degrees. Thursday 21.56.01 W to SE to 40 degrees. Friday 21.22.40 W to SSE to 20 degrees and Sunday 21.40.03 W to SSE to 18 degrees
• There is one bright late evening Iridium flare on Friday at 23.00.52 BST, 27 degrees altitude in W

 

Week of 28th June

 

• Sunset is at 21.28 BST at the start of the week and 21.25 BST at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be Last Quarter on Sunday
• The Sun has a new active sunspot region which may generate flares. Watch the magnetic storm warning bar on the website front page
• The ISS makes superb overhead evening passes every night for the best week this year as its orbit coincides with the Earth’s Terminator (the ISS remains in sunlight each orbit. Passes are as follows: On Monday at 22.17.15 WSW to E reaching 51 degrees and 23.52.27 W to E to 83 degrees. Tuesday 22.43.46 WSW to E to 84 degrees. Wednesday 23.10.25 W to E to 83 degrees. Thursday 22.01.42 W to E to 87 degreess and 23.37.03 W to ESE to 83 degrees. Friday 22.28.20 W to E to 83 degrees. Saturday 22.54.56 W to ESE to 80 degrees and Sunday 21.46.12 W to E to 84 degrees and 23.21.33 W to SE to 47 degrees
• There is one bright late evening Iridium flare on Saturday at 22.418.36 BST, 34 degrees altitude in W

 

Week of Summer Solstice

 

• Sunset is at 21.29 BST at the start of the week and 21.29 BST at the end. The Sun rises and sets at its northernmost limits (stationary points) on Monday and is highest in the 2010 sky at Noon, 62.5 degrees altitude
• When the Sun is less active and as we are near the Solstice, keep an eye out for electric blue Noctilucent clouds. best viewed when the Sun is 12 degrees below the horizon (around 00.30 BST)
• The Moon is waxing and will be Full (Thunder Moon) on Saturday
• The Sun has a couple of sunspots
• The ISS is back making late evening passes as follows: On Thursday at 22.08.28 SSE to Se reaching 11 degrees and 23.41.07 SW to E to 44 degrees. Friday 22.33.00 SSW to E to 23 degrees. Saturday 22.59.01 SW to E to 48 degrees and Sunday 21.50.49 SSW to E to 26 degrees and 23.25.28 WSW to E to 81 degrees
• There are three bright late evening Iridium flares; on Monday at 22.46.51 BST, 22 degrees altitude in WNW. Tuesday at 23.57.35 BST at 45 degrees in WSW and Friday at 22.50.47 BST, 15 degrees altitude n WNW

 

Week of 14th June

 

• Sunset is at 21.25 BST at the start of the week and 21.28 BST at the end. The Sun is changing rising/setting position on the horizons less each day as the Solstice approaches on 21st
• The Moon is waxing and will be First Quarter on Saturday, when it is 7 degrees south of Saturn
• The Sun has an active region 1081. Flares at the end of the week have caused magnetic storms, watch the alert on the website for details
• A newly discovered comet, Comet McNaught C/2009 R1(period 130 years), is now in the inner Solar System and easily visble in binoculars. It may become visible (magnitude 4.7)to the unaided eye by next week. Close approach is 100 million miles on Wednesday. It is currently heading East through Perseus and will be close to the bright star Capella by the start of next week
• There are no evening ISS passes this week
• There is one bright late evening Iridium flare on Wednesday at 22.58.26 BST, 29 degrees altitude in West

 

Week of 7th June

 

• Sunset is at 21.20 BST at the start of the week and 21.25 BST at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be New on Saturday
• The Sun has a small number of sunspots. The Earth is still experiencing magnetic storms, watch the alert on the website for details
• There are no ISS passes this week
• There is one bright late evening Iridium flare on Thursday at 23.16.10 BST, 36 degrees altitude in West

 

Week of 31st May

 

• Sunset is at 21.13 BST at the start of the week and 21.19 BST at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be Last Quarter on Friday
• The Sun has several groups of small sunspots. The Earth is experiencing strong magnetic storms and aurorae over the bank holiday week-end, watch the alert on the website for details
• There are no ISS passes this week
• There are no bright evening Iridium flares

 

Week of 22nd May

 

• Sunset is at 21.04 BST at the start of the week and 21.13 BST at the end
• The Moon is waxing and will be Full (Grass Moon) on Thursday
• The Sun has an active sunspot grpup 1072 which may give flares this week
• Saturn and Mars dominate the late evening southern sky with Scorpio and red supergiant Antares appearing over the southern horizon around midnight
• There are no ISS passes this week
• There are no bright evening Iridium flares

 

Week of 17th May

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at oo.06 BST at the start of the week and 00.50 BST on Saturday. From 23rd May till 21st July the Sun is never more than 18 degrees below the horizon and conditions for Astronomical Twilight are never reached
• The Moon is waning and will be First Quarter on Thursday
• The Sun remains blank
• There are no ISS passes this week
• There are no bright evening Iridium flares

 

Week of 10th May

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 23.32 BST at the start of the week and 00.00 BST at the end. Astronomical twilight will soon last all night
• The Moon is waning and will be New on Friday and visible as a crescent at the start of next weekbr>
• The Sun is blank but has been showing considerable C-class flare activity. Watch the X-ray status boxes on the website (click on them for more details and images)
• The ISS makes its last passes for a while; on Monday at 21.30.25 W to ESE reaching 59 degrees and 23.06.16 WSW to SW to 15 degrees; Tuesday 21.55.22 W to SSE reaching 31 degrees; Wednesday 21.20.45 WSW to S reaching 15 degrees; Thursday 21.09.45 W to SE reaching 30 degrees and Friday 21.35.05 WSW to S reaching 14 degrees
• There are no bright evening Iridium flares

 

Week of 3rd May

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 23.06 BST at the start of the week and 23.28 BST at the end, rising and setting times are now changing at their fastest from one day to the next
• The Moon is waning and will be Last Quarter on Thursday
• The Sun is blank but has had some large prominences and there is the possibility of a new group of spots growing during the week
• The ISS makes a couple of passes every day this week, with the best on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (all times are BST): Monday at 21.45.55 WSW to E reaching 77 degrees and 23.21.11 W to W to 63 degrees; Tuesday 22.11.05 W to E reaching 84 degrees and 23.46.22 W to W to 27 degrees; Wednesday 21.01.00 WSW to E reaching 79 degrees and 22.36.16 W to E to 89 degrees; Thursday 21.26.07 W to E reaching 83 degrees and 23.01.24 W to S reaching 62 degrees; Friday 21.51/14 W to E reaching 88 degrees and 23.26.35 W to WSW to 26 degrees: Saturday 22.16.20 W to SE to 60 degrees and 23.52.08 WSW to WSW to 10 degrees and Sunday 21.06.08 W to E reaching 88 degrees and 22.41.29 WSW to S to 32 degrees
• There are two bright evening Iridium flare on Monday at 22.58.41 BST at 24 degrees altitude in NE and on Thursday at 22.50.08 at 30 degrees in NE

 

Week of 26th April

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 22.43 BST at the start of the week and 23.03 BST at the end
• The Moon is waxing and will be Full (Seed Moon) on Wednesday
• Venus remains dominent in the Western sky after sunset and is close to the Pleiades at the start of the week
• Saturn, Moon and Mars form a nice arc in the Southern evening sky
• The Sun is blank again but has been showing magnetic disturbances and good aurorae have been recorded in Scadinavia and Alaska
• The ISS returns this week with multiple passes as follows (all times are BST): Wednesday at 21.30.40 S to ESE reaching 18 degrees and 23.04.37 WSW to WSW to 15 degrees; Thursday 21.53.10 SW to E reaching 35 degrees and 23.27.57 W to W to 20 degrees; Friday has 3 passes 20.42.15 S to E reaching 18 degrees and 22.16.12 WSW to E to 65 degrees and 23.51.18 W to W reaching 17 degrees; Saturday 21.04.41 SW to E reaching 35 degrees and the best 22.39.27 W to E reaching 88 degrees and Sunday 21.27.39 WSW to E reaching 65 degrees and 23.02.44 W to ENE to 84 degrees
• There are two super-bright evening Iridium flare on Monday at 21.57.32 BST at 48 degrees altitude in ESE and 23.11.33 at 10 degrees in NNE

 

Week of 19th April

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 22.23 BST at the start of the week and 22.43 BST at the end
• The Moon is waxing and will be First Quarter on Wednesday
• Venus is dominent in the Western sky after sunset
• With the fine particles of ash from the volcano and a lack of clouds (no seeding by contrails of planes) sunsets should be worth attention this week
• The Sun is blank again temporarily
• There are no ISS passes this week
• There is one bright evening Iridium flare on Friday at 20.31.05 BST at 73 degrees altitude in ESE

 

Week of 12th April

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 22.05 BST at the start of the week and 22.20 BST at the end
• The Moon is New on Tuesday and will be visible as a slender crescent by Thursday at 15 degrees altitude
• Venus is dominent in the Western sky after sunset as Mercury drops down towards the horizon, though it should be visible for the most of the week in the twilight. The Venus at 20 degrees altitude, Mercury at 17 degrees and the crescent Moon at 15 degrees will make a nice line on Thursday and then Moon, Venus, Mercury in descending order on Friday. Look WNW at 20.30 BST The Sun is blank again temporarily
• There are no ISS passes this week
• There is one bright evening Iridium flare on Thursday at 22.36.02 BST at 30 degrees altitude in NE

 

Week of 5th April

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 21.48 BST at the start of the week and 22.02 BST at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be Last Quarter on Tuesday
• Venus is now prominent after sunset in the West and for the rest of the week is joined by Mercury (same altitude, slightly closer to the Sun) It should be visible around 20.30 BST given a clear sky. Mercury reaches its Greatest Eastern Elongation of 19 degrees from the Sun on Saturday
• The Sun has two areas 1057 and 1059, neither iof which is currently active
• There are no ISS passes this week and no bright evening Iridium flares

 

Week of 29th March

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 21.32BST at the start of the week and 21.45BST at the end
• The Moon is Full (Pascal Moon) on Tuesday
• The Sun has an active area 1057 which is producing C-class flares, another sunspot gropup 1059 is emerging over the limb
• There are no ISS passes this week
• There is one super bright evening Iridium flare on Wednesday at 22.04.19BST, 39 degrees altitude in ENE

 

Week of 22nd March

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 20.17UT at the start of the week and 20.30UT at the end
• Day length is now changing fast and British Summer Time (BST) behins next week-end. Clocks go forward an hour on Saturday night
• The Moon is waxing and will be First Quarter on Tuesday
• The Sun has a growing active area 1056, which may harbour potential for flares
• There are no ISS passes this week
• There is one bright evening Iridium flare on Friday at 19.50.08, 59 degrees altitude in ESE

 

Week of 15th March

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 20.04UT at the start of the week and 20.14UT at the end
• Day length is now changing at its fastest as we approach the Vernal Equinox on Saturday 20th. The Sun will rise due East and set due West and day and night will be equal in length
• The Moon is New on Monday and will be visible as a crescent by mid week
• The Sun has a growing active area 1054, which harbours potential for flares
• The ISS makes more passes this week: On Monday at 19.09.59 W to ESE reaching 67 degrees and 20.45.36 W to WSW to 14 degrees. Tuesday 19.34.47 W to SSE to 36 degrees. Wednesday 19.59.51 W to SSW to 18 degrees. Thursday at 18.48.56 W to SE to 35 degrees. Friday 19.13.59 W to S to 17 degrees. Saturday at 18.27.57 WSW to S to 17 degrees
• There is one super bright evening Iridium flares on Tuesday at 18.56.41 61 degrees altitude in SSE

 

Week of 8th March

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 19.51UT at the start of the week and 20.02UT at the end
• The Moon is waning and will New at the start of next week
• The Sun is blank again on the Earth side
• The ISS makes good passes this week: On Monday at 19.26.14 WSW to E reaching 69 degrees and 21.01.27 W to W to 10 degrees. Tuesday 18.16.14 SW to E to 39 degrees and 19.51.10 W to N to 86 degrees. Wednesday 18.40.55 WSW to E to 71 degrees and 20.16.08 W to W to 40 degrees. Thursday at 19.05.48 W to E to 85 degrees and 20.41.03 W to W to 21 degrees. Friday 19.30.42 W to E to 86 degrees and 21.05.59 W to W to 11 degrees. Saturday at 18.20.18 W to E to 84 degrees and 19.55.33 W to S to 69 degrees and Sunday 18.45.09 W to E to 85 degrees and 20.20.25 W to WSW to 31 degrees
• There are no bright evening Iridium flares this week

 

Week of 1st March

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 19.38UT at the start of the week and 19.49UT at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be Last Quarter next Sunday
• The Sun has 2 small spot groups 1050 and 1051 but these are not particularly active
• The ISS returns with low passes next week leading to a good ISS week from next Monday: On Thursday at 19.22.29 S to SSE reaching 16 degrees. Friday 19.46.40 SW to SSW to 27 degrees. Saturday 18.37.19 SSW to E to 19 degrees and 20.11.26 WSW to WSW to 26 degrees and Sunday 19.01.30 SW to E to 37 degrees and 20.36.25 W to W to 17 degrees
• There are 2 bright evening Iridium flares on Tuesday at 18.18.24 52 degrees altitude in S and 19.54.07 at 48 degrees in ESE

 

Week of 22nd February

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 19.26UT at the start of the week and 19.36UT at the end
• The Moon will be First Quarter on 22nd and then waxes to Full (Sap Moon) on Sunday
• The Sun has quietened a little but still has a small sunspot group 1049
• There are no evening ISS passes this week
• There is one bright Iridium flare on Thursday at 18.39.35 at 51 degrees altitude in SSE

 

Week of 15th February

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 19.14UT at the start of the week and 19.26UT at the end
• The Moon is waxing and will be First Quarter on 22nd
• The Sun is showing continued X-ray flare activity with C and M class flares. It has 2 active sunspot groups 1046 and 1047
• There are no evening ISS passes this week
• There is one bright Iridium flare on Tuesday at 18.33.23 at 54 degrees altitude in NNE

 

Week of 8th February

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 19.03UT at the start of the week and 19.12UT at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be New next Sunday and visible as a slender cresecent mid-next week
• The Sun is increasing rapidly in activity and already we have seen an M2 class X-ray flare. A large sunspot group 1044 appeared this week-end and promises more flare actvity. Watch the front of the website and for data click on the Solar status box. There is no doubt that Cycle 24 is well underway
• There are no evening ISS passes this week
• There is one superbright Iridium flare on Monday at 19.13.28 at 40 degrees altitude in NNE

 

Week of 1st February

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.51UT at the start of the week and 19.01UT at the end
• The Moon is waning and Last Quarter on Friday. The Full Moon this week-end was particularly bright as the Moon was at Perigee (closest to Earth in its orbit)
• The Sun has a growing Cycle 24 spot 1043
• There are no evening ISS passes this week, but for the dog-walkers and early risers there is a bright pass next Sunday at 07.09.07UT WSW to E reaching 55 degrees
• There is one superbright Iridium flare on Wednesday at 17.38.48 at 67 degrees altitude in NE

 

Week of 25th January

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.41UT at the start of the week and 18.50UT at the end
• The Moon is waxing and will be Full (Snow Moon) on Saturday
• The Sun has had an active Cycle 24 spot 1041, which is now calming down but has given several M-class X-ray flares.
• Mars reaches -1.28 magnitude at its closest approach (0.66 AU) on Wednesday in Cancer with an apparent disc of 14 seconds of arc. It is at Opposition on Friday, but being at Aphelion (furthest from the Sun) in its orbit, will not be as spectacular as recent Oppositions
• There are no ISS passes or bright evening Iridium flares this week

 

Week of 18th January

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.32UT at the start of the week and 18.40UT at the end
• The Moon is waxing and will be First Quarter on Saturday
• The Sun has had an active group of spots over the week (1040) and some good auroral activity has been seen
• Mars is now brighter than -1 magnitude in Cancer and approaching its closest to Earth (and Opposition) at the end of the month
• The ISS is still on view this week: The best pass is on Monday at 17.00.16 W to E reaching 84 degrees and 18.35.19 W to S to 45 degrees. Tuesday 17.21.32 W to ESE to 79 degrees and 18.56.46 W to SW to 24 degrees. Wednesday 17.42.46 W to SE to 48 degrees and 19.18.55 WSW to SW to 12 degrees. Thursday at 18.04.07 W to SSE to 25 degrees. Friday 16.50.06 W to ESE to 51 degrees and 18.26.04 WSW to SSW to 13 degrees. Saturday at 17.11.20 W to SSE reaching 27 degrees and the last on Sunday at 17.33.04 WSW to S reaching 14 degrees
• There are no bright evening Iridium flares

 

Week of 11th January

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.23UT at the start of the week and 18.32UT at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be New on Thursday, visible as a slender crescent after sunset next week-end
• The Sun has a returning new cycle spot 1040 (was 1035)
• The ISS is on view this week and with clear, cold skies should be worth watching: On Monday at 17.40.42 SW to E reaching 42 degrees and 19.15.29 W to W to 16 degrees. Tuesday 18.02.01 WSW to E to 72 degrees. Wednesday 16.48.45 SW to E to 40 degrees and 18.23.30 W to NNW to 85 degrees. Thursday at 17.10.00 WSW to E to 70 degrees and 18.45.00 W to W to 42 degrees. Friday 17.31.25 W to E to 87 degrees and 19.06.28 W to W to 23 degrees. Saturday sees the best at 17.52.53 W to E reaching 84 degrees but a brilliant -3.5 magnitude, also at 19.27.56 W to W to 14 degrees and Sunday 18.14.17 W to ESE to 76 degrees
• There is one bright evening Iridium flare on Monday at 17.36.30, 61 degrees altitude in NE

 

Week of 4th January 2010

 

• Astronomical twilight ends at 18.15UT at the start of the week and 18.23UT at the end
• The Moon is waning and will be Last Quarter on Thursday
• The Sun has an active new cycle region 1039
• The ISS returns this week from Thursday at 17.51.43, SSE to SE reaching 11 degrees. Friday 18.11.37 SSW to SSE reaching 23 degrees. Saturday 17.00.18 SSE to SE to 11 degrees and 18.32.39 SW to SSW to 35 degrees and Sunday 17.19.53 SSW to E to 22 degrees and 18.54.04 WSW to WSW to 27 degrees
• There are no bright evening Iridium flares this week