DVAA

October 2004 Astronomical Data

October 2004 Astronomical Calendar

Dave Mitsky

Note: All times in UTC (EST - 5)

10/1 Mars is at heliocentric conjunction with Jupiter at 09:00
10/2 Minimum lunar libration of 4.8 degrees occurs at 11:00; the Moon is 1.6 degrees south-southeast of the open cluster M45 (the Pleiades) at 20:00
10/3 Venus (-4.1 magnitude) is 9' due south of the first magnitude star Regulus (magnitude 1.4) at 16:10
10/5 Titan (magnitude 8.3) lies due south of Saturn tonight; Mercury is in superior conjunction with the Sun at 19:00; the Moon is at apogee, subtending 29'33" from a distance of 404,326 kilometers, at 22:00
10/6 Last Quarter Moon occurs at 10:12; prior to passing into the southern hemisphere sky, Jupiter crosses the celestial equator (0 degrees declination) at 19:16
10/7 The Moon is 1.5 degrees south-southwest of the first magnitude star Pollux at 06:00; Saturn is 5 degrees south of the Moon at 10:00
10/8 The Moon is 3.7 degrees north-northeast of the open cluster M44 (Praesepe or the Beehive Cluster) at 10:00
10/9 Maximum lunar libration of 7.6 degrees occurs at 13:00
10/10 Asteroid 4 Vesta (magnitude 6.6) is 1.0 degree due south of the fifth magnitude star 97 Aquarii tonight; the Moon is 4.2 degrees north-northeast of Regulus at 06:00; Venus is 4 degrees south of the Moon at 19:00 10/12 Titan lies due north of Saturn tonight; Mercury is 2.6 degrees north-northeast of the first magnitude star Spica at 08:00; Jupiter is 1.6 degrees south of the Moon at 19:00 10/13 Mars is 1.1 degrees south-southwest of the Moon at 09:00; a very thin old crescent Moon rises about 40 minutes before dawn this morning
10/13 Asteroid 40 Harmonia (magnitude 9.4) is at opposition at 17:00 10/14 New Moon (lunation 1012) occurs at 02:48 - a partial solar eclipse will take place in Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, and northeastern Asia; the Moon is 2.8 degrees north-northeast of Spica at 08:00; Mercury is 0.28 degree west of the Moon at 15:00; the Moon is at the descending node (longitude 212.1 degrees) at 21:48
10/15 A double Galilean satellite transit (Europa and Ganymede) begins at 03:43 10/16 Mercury is at the descending node at 19:00; minimum lunar libration of 3.4 degrees occurs at 00:00 10/17 The Moon is 1.3 degrees north-northeast of the first magnitude star Antares at 14:00
10/18 The Moon is at perigee, subtending 32'30" from a distance of 367,758 km, at 00:00 10/20 Saturn is at western quadrature at 01:00; First Quarter Moon occurs at 21:59 10/21 Titan lies due south of Saturn tonight; the peak of the Orionid meteor shower (~20/hour) is predicted to occur at 03:00 - the Orionids are debris from Comet Halley and are among the fastest meteors at 67km/sec; Neptune is 5 degrees north of the Moon at 21:00 10/22 Maximum lunar libration of 7.7 degrees occurs at 10:00 10/23 Uranus is 4 degrees north of the Moon at 08:00; the Great Red Spot transits Jupiter's central meridian at 10:29 10/24 Neptune is stationary in right ascension at 05:00 - prograde or direct (eastward) motion commences; the Galilean satellites Io, Europa, and Callisto from a compact group in the pre-dawn sky - they form a straight line at 11:46 10/25 The Sun occupies the same longitude as the descending node of the Moon (longitude 211.9 degrees), thus marking the theoretical middle of the eclipse season, at 00:00; Ti tan and Iapetus are separated by less than 1' this morning
10/27 The periodic comet 78/P Gehrels 2 is at perihelion at 02:00; Mercury is at aphelion at 04:00; the Moon is at the ascending node (longitude 32.2 degrees) at 21:41 10/28 Titan lies due north of Saturn tonight; the 82 minute long umbral phase of a total lunar eclipse that's visible in North and South America, Europe, and part of Africa begins at 02:23; Full Moon, this year's Hunter's Moon, occurs at 03:07 10/29 Minimum lunar libration of 4.6 degrees occurs at 11:00 10/30 The Moon is 1.6 degrees south-southeast of M45 at 03:00; the Sun enters Libra (ecliptic longitude 217.59) at 16:00 10/31 Halloween, one of the cross-quarter days; Daylight Saving Time ends at 06:00; Mars is 3 degrees north of Spica at 08:00; asteroid 4 Vesta is stationary in right ascension at 11:00
 

The last total lunar eclipse until the year 2007 takes place on the evening of October 27. The Moon enters the Earth's penumbra at 00:06 and leaves it at 06:03. The partial phase of the eclipse lasts from 01:14 to 04:54. Totality begins at 02:23 and ends at 03:45.

Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur in October are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm

Mercury is not visible to northern observers this month.

Venus and Regulus are visible simultaneously through a telescope at high power at dawn on October 3. The planet descends towards Jupiter during the course of October. By the end of the month, Venus rises less than 3 hours before the Sun and has decreased in apparent size to 13.5" but has increased in illumination to 80%.

Mars (1.7 magnitude) rises with the constellation of Virgo less than an hour before sunrise by month's end.

This month Jupiter occupies Virgo. It shines at -1.7 magnitude and presents a 31" disk. On October 16 and 17, sixth magnitude 13 Virginis masquerades as a fifth Galilean satellite. Jupiter is 17' from the fourth magnitude star Eta Virginis on October 18.

Saturn, in Gemini, rises in the northeast around midnight on October 1. When the 0.2 magnitude Ringed Planet reaches western quadrature (i.e., when it is 90 degrees west of the Sun) on October 20, its shadow is cast farthest to one side, which enhances the perception of depth. The Cassini space probe makes it first flyby of Titan on October 26.

Uranus (magnitude 5.8) lies about 2 degrees west of Sigma Aquarii (magnitude 4.8) and 10 degrees south of the Water Jar asterism in Aquarius.

Situated 1.3 degrees from fourth magnitude Theta Capricorni, Neptune shines dimly at 7.9 magnitude.

Pluto sets too early to be readily observable this month.

This may be a favorable year for the Epsilon Geminids, a minor meteor shower that peaks on October 18.

Comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) is a circumpolar tenth magnitude glow to the south of Gamma Ursae Majoris. Also circumpolar, Comet C/2003 T4 (LINEAR) shines at twelfth magnitude as it travels through Draco. Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 has a period of 7.2 years. It should reach eleventh magnitude when it reaches perihelion beyond the orbit of Mars.

Asteroid 4 Vesta (magnitude 6.7) passes westward to the south of 97 Aquarii while asteroid 9 Metis (magnitude 9.7) charts a similar course about 2 degrees to the north.

Binary and Multiple Stars for October

Struve 2973, Struve 2985, Struve 2992, Struve 3004, Struve 3028, Otto Struve 501, Struve 3034, Otto Struve 513, Struve 3050 (Andromeda); 29 Aquarii, 41 Aquarii, 51 Aquarii, 53 Aquarii, Zeta Aquarii, Struve 2913, Struve 2935, Tau-1 Aquarii, Struve 2944, Struve 2988, Psi-1 Aquarii, 94 Aquarii, 96 Aquarii, h3184, Omega-2 Aquarii, 107 Aquarii (Aquarius); Otto Struve 485, Struve 3037, 6 Cassiopeiae, Otto Struve 512, Sigma Cassiopeiae (Cassiopeia); Xi Cepheii, Struve 2883, Struve 2893, Struve 2903, Krueger 60, Delta Cephei, Struve 2923, Otto Struve 482, Struve 2947, Struve 2948, Struve 2950, Struve 2984, Omicron Cephei, Otto Struve 502 (Cepheus); Otto Struve 459, h1735, Struve 2876, Otto Struve 465, Struve 2886, Struve 2894, h1756, Struve 2902, Struve 2906, 8 Lacertae, Otto Struve 475, 13 Lacertae, h1828, 16 Lacertae (Lacerta); Struve 2857, Struve 2877, 34 Pegasi, Struve 2908, Xi Pegasi, Struve 2958, Struve 2978, 57 Pegasi, Struve 2991, h1859, Struve 3007, Struve 3021, Otto Struve 504, Struve 3044 (Pegasus); Struve 3009, Struve 3019, Struve 3033 (Pisces); Eta Piscis Austrini, Beta Piscis Austrini, Dunlop 241, h5356, Gamma Piscis Austrini, Delta Piscis Austrini, h5371 (Piscis Austrinus); h5417, Delta Sculptoris, h5429 (Sculptor)

Challenge binary star for October: 78 Pegasi

Deep-sky objects for October:
Andromeda:  
  NGC 7640 [info] NGC 7662 [info] NGC 7686 [info]
Aquarius:  
  NGC 7180 [info] NGC 7183 [info] NGC 7184 [info]
  NGC 7293 [info] NGC 7392 [info] NGC 7585 [info]
  NGC 7606 [info] NGC 7721 [info] NGC 7723 [info]
  NGC 7727 [info]        
Cassiopeia:  
  Cz 43 [info] K 12 [info] M 52 [info]
  NGC 7635 [info] NGC 7788 [info] NGC 7789 [info]
  NGC 7790 [info] St 12 [info]    
Cepheus:  
  B 171 [info] B 173-4 [info] IC 1454 [info]
  IC 1470 [info] K 10 [info] Mrk 50 [info]
  NGC 7235 [info] NGC 7261 [info] NGC 7354 [info]
  NGC 7380 [info] NGC 7419 [info] NGC 7510 [info]
Lacerta:  
  IC 1434 [info] IC 5217 [info] NGC 7209 [info]
  NGC 7223 [info] NGC 7243 [info] NGC 7245 [info]
Pegasus:  
  NGC 7177 [info] NGC 7217 [info] NGC 7320 [info]
  NGC 7331 [info] NGC 7332 [info] NGC 7339 [info]
  NGC 7448 [info] NGC 7454 [info] NGC 7479 [info]
  NGC 7619 [info] NGC 7626 [info] NGC 7678 [info]
  NGC 7742 [info] NGC 7769 [info]    
Pisces:  
  NGC 7541 [info] NGC 7562 [info] NGC 7611 [info]
PiscisAustrinus:  
  IC 5156 [info] IC 5269 [info] IC 5271 [info]
  NGC 7172 [info] NGC 7173 [info] NGC 7174 [info]
  NGC 7176 [info] NGC 7201 [info] NGC 7203 [info]
  NGC 7214 [info] NGC 7221 [info] NGC 7229 [info]
  NGC 7314 [info] NGC 7361 [info]    
Sculptor:  
  NGC 7507 [info] NGC 7513 [info] NGC 7713 [info]
  NGC 7755 [info] NGC 7793 [info]    

Challenge deep-sky object for October: Jones 1 (PK104-29.1)

Click here for a printable deep sky summary.
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Copyright (C) 2004 the Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomers. All rights reserved.