INSIDE

Arts & Extras Monthly Columnist Mike live theater Allen describes an calendar upcoming exhibit at
Hollins University. Page 3 THE ROANOKE TIMES SUNDAY, JANUARY 6, 2013

DETROIT
Making its own luck. TRAVEL | Page 6

Loves Labours Lost at Roanoke College. Page 5

1
Comet PanSTARRS Crescent Moon

HEAVENLY
8 P.M.

EVENT

2013

2
Orion

EVENT

4/14

Jupiter Pleiades 4/13 4/12 4/11

Hyades

MAR

12

W.

Predictably unpredictable celestial visitors, part 1

You never know what youre going to get with a passing comet. Astronomers are able to predict most celestial events to a tee, but cometary apparitions are another issue entirely. 2013 features two passing comets with the first possibly being the brightest one since Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. C/2011 L4, otherwise known as Comet PanSTARRS, scoots across our early evening western skies beginning on March 6 and lasting until it fades as it swings north about March 21. Its gossamer tail extends skyward just to the left of the very thin crescent moon on March 12.

HIGHLIGHTS
By John Goss | Special to The Roanoke Times

APR

11

W.

8 P.M.

Illuminating the moons dark side

On April 11 and 12 the crescent moon climbs the western sky and, on the following evening, perches between the Pleiades and Hyades star clusters creating a magical scene. The moon all the while sports a heavenly glow, dimly lighting its dark side. As a bonus, Jupiter lingers in the area, making for a remarkable view. Morning viewers can witness a similar scene on July 2 and 3 at 4:45 a.m. when the crescent moon slides down the eastern sky, returning on July 4 to its April position between the Pleiades and Hyades. This time, the heavenly lunar glow dimly illuminates its opposite side. Jupiter will have drifted by these dates much farther to the east and will be lost in the brightening eastern twilight.

We live in a universe where our heavenly view changes constantly. Take advantage of this over the next 12 months to witness these remarkable sky offerings: celestial alignments and clusterings, unusual eclipse sightings and intriguing visitors. All these await those who make the effort to enjoy them.
Illustrations by GRANT JEDLINSKY I The Roanoke Times

3
Mercury Jupiter Venus

4
AUG

Jupiter Mars

5
Mars Beehive star cluster Binocular view

6
Very bright Not as bright

EVENT

EVENT

Mercury

EVENT

EVENT

MAY

26

W.

9 P.M.

E.

5:30 A.M.

SEP

5 A.M.

18

OCT

8 P.M.

Planetary huddle
Just about every year, people who preach doomsaying want to ascribe a deeper, often more sinister meaning to this formation when it is merely a planetary positioning dictated by well-known laws of physics. May 25, 26, and 27 find Mercury, Venus and Jupiter huddling closely together low in the western sky 45 minutes after sunset. The bright twilight may require binoculars for a clearer view.

Planetary lineup
Morning viewers see a lineup of planets in early August. The gently glowing crescent moon joins elusive Mercury, modest Mars and bright Jupiter at 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 3 and 4. Always being on the move, they change their positions slightly each morning.

Mars tangles with a swarm of bees

Mars definitely does not deliver a command performance in 2013, but it still provides an interesting encounter in the early morning of Sept. 8 and 9. The Red Planet, which appears only slightly brighter than the stars forming the Big Dipper, crawls in front of the 580-lightyear-distant Beehive star cluster in central Cancer. Binoculars easily reveal the planet adrift among a swarm of stellar bees.

A temporary darkening of the full moon

The full moon on Oct. 18 challenges skywatchers to notice something unusual about it. For an hour beginning at 8 p.m., large portions of the southern half of the moons orb, which is normally glaringly bright, exhibits a subdued glow. It is in the middle of partial penumbral eclipse, causing it to dim slightly.

7
Sun

EVENT

Meteor showers
2013 promises one major meteor shower that wont be adversely affected by bright moonlight. Falls Orionids and Leonids, and the reliable and abundant Geminids all have their visible numbers drastically reduced by a gibbous or full moon. The Perseids, on the other hand, with the first quarter moon setting as the shower begins, promises a good showing with 60 meteors per hour. Look to the northeast after 1 a.m. on Aug. 12 and again on Aug. 13. PERSEIDS Aug. 12 and 13, after 1 a.m., in the northeast, 60 meteors per hour.

EVENT

MORE CELESTIAL EVENTS

8
M8 Venus

NOV

E.

8 A.M.

ORIONIDS Oct. 21, after 11 p.m., in the east, about 20 meteors per hour, waning gibbous moon washes out the sky. LEONIDS Nov. 17, after 1 a.m., in the east, only 15 meteors per hour, full moon washes out the sky. GEMINIDS Dec. 13, after 8 p.m., more than 60 meteors per hour, waxing gibbous moon washes out the sky.

NOV

S.W. 6:30 A.M.

Take a bite out of the sun

As the sun rises on Nov. 3, it does not present a round ball, but one with a bite along its edge closest to the horizon. People using proper solar filters can see that missing piece the moon become smaller and smaller until the full solar disk returns just 15 minutes after sunrise.

A mysterious glow
The crescent moon and Venus act as bookends for a mysterious object that glows faintly between them. The 4,000-light-yeardistant star forming nebula M8 can normally be seen, albeit just barely, with the naked eye, but with the glaring moon so close, binoculars will be needed to spot this.

9
Zuben. Saturn

Roanokes best planetary views in 2013

PLANET DATES BEST SEEN TIME BEST SEEN APPEARANCE AND LOCATION

MERCURY as a morning star MERCURY as an evening star VENUS as a morning star VENUS as an evening star MARS

Nov. 10 to 25

6:30 a.m.

Very low in the southeastern twilight.

10
Comet ISON 12/1 12/8 Saturn 11/23

EVENT

Feb. 5 to 25

6:30 p.m.

Very low in the western twilight.

28

DEC

Binocular view

Jan. 1 to 15

6:30 a.m.

Very bright, low in the southeastern twilight.

EVENT

6:30 A.M.

October to December October to December

Hour after sunset Two hours before sunrise

Brilliant star in the west.

23

NOV

Below the horizon

E.-S.E. 6:15 A.M.

A strange star in Libra receives familiar company

Over the last two years, Saturn has been lurking near the bright star Spica in Virgo. Now, the ringed planet slides along the ecliptic near the strangely named star in Libra, Zubenelgenubi. This moderately bright star, dimmer than Saturn, is joined by Mercury on Nov. 26. Aim binoculars on Zubenelgenubi for a surprise. You will plainly see that it is not one star, but two. On Dec. 28, Zubenelgenubi is again joined by Saturn and this time the crescent moon.

Unremarkable, appearing in the east, likely needing a map to confirm. Brightest star in the east after sunset, high in south at midnight, and in the west before dawn. Bright in the east after sunset, in the south at midnight, and in the west before dawn.

Predictably unpredictable celestial visitors, part 2

When the comet C/2012 S2 ISON was discovered in September 2012, it lay beyond Jupiter in the depths of space, but was already quite bright for its great distance. It passes closest to the sun on Thanksgiving, then swings around it, and if it survives that close encounter it may give absolutely incredible morning views for skywatchers in Virginia. The most optimistic predictions have Comet ISON being visible in the daytime and, at night, have its enchanting tail stretch across much of the sky.

JUPITER

January, February and December April to July

Visible all night

SATURN

Visible all night