Thanks to an unexpected flare, Comet ISON became visible to the naked eye. The most important astronomical events of the outgoing year from astronomer Sergei Popov The mystery of the ninth planet
The year 2016 will forever remain in the history of science as the year when the (and also the third) registration of gravitational wave bursts was announced. As we remember, these were mergers of stellar-mass black holes. Apparently, this is the main scientific news for the entire year in all sciences.
The era of gravitational wave astronomy has begun.
The Archive of Electronic Preprints (arXiv.org) has published several articles devoted to the discovery itself, many works that contain details of the experiment, a description of the setup, as well as details about data processing. And, of course, a huge number of publications by theorists have appeared in which the properties and origin of black holes are discussed, limitations on gravity models and many other interesting issues are considered. And it all started with work with the modest title “Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger.” Much has been written about the detection of gravitational waves, so let's move on to other topics.
Names for the stars
The year will go down in history not only because of gravitational waves. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) began mass naming stars for the first time. The first step was taken, however, back in 2015, when names were first assigned to exoplanets. Along with them, the stars around which they revolve also received official names. However, official names for bright stars appear for the first time. Previously this was a matter of tradition. Moreover, some well-known objects had several commonly used names.So far we started with a little over 200 well-known stars, such as Pollux, Castor, Altair, Capella... But it’s a bad start! There are a lot of stars!
There are many stars, but for astronomers it is not the names that are important, but the data. Released in 2016 first release of Gaia satellite data, based on 14 months of observations. Data on more than a billion stars is presented (I wonder if they will all be given names in the future?).
The satellite has been in orbit for three years. The first release showed that everything is going as expected, and we expect important results and discoveries from Gaia.
The most important thing is that a three-dimensional map of half of the Galaxy will be built.
This will allow us to determine all its basic properties with unprecedented accuracy. And besides this, a huge array of data on stars will be obtained, tens of thousands of exoplanets will be discovered. It may be possible to determine the masses of hundreds of isolated black holes and neutron stars thanks to gravitational lensing.
Many of the top results of the year are associated with satellites. Space research is so important that even a successfully tested prototype can make it to the top list. We are talking about the prototype of the LISA space laser interferometer. This is a project of the European Space Agency. Having been launched at the end of 2015, the device carried out the entire main program in 2016 and greatly pleased its creators (and all of us). To create a space analogue of LIGO, new technologies are required, which have been tested. , much better than expected.
This paves the way for the creation of a full-scale space project, which is likely to start operating even earlier than originally planned.
The fact is that NASA is returning to the project, which several years ago withdrew from it, which led to a simplification of the detector and a reduction in its basic parameters. In many ways, NASA's decision could be due to the difficulties and increased costs of creating the next space telescope - JWST.
NASA
In 2016, an important psychological milestone was apparently crossed: it became clear that the James Webb Space Telescope project had reached the finish line. A number of tests were carried out, which the device passed successfully. Now NASA can spend energy and money on other large installations. And we are waiting for the launch of JWST in 2018. This instrument will provide many important results, including on exoplanets.
It may even be possible to measure the composition of the atmospheres of Earth-like exoplanets in their habitable zones.
We need all sorts of planets
And in 2016, with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, it was possible for the first time study the atmosphere of the light planet GJ 1132b. The planet has a mass of 1.6 Earth's and a radius of about 1.4 Earth's. This transiting planet orbits a red dwarf star. True, not in the habitable zone, but a little closer to the star. This is currently a record. All other planets for which we managed to learn at least something about the atmosphere are much heavier, at least several times.
Planets are not only heavy, but also dense. According to data from the Kepler satellite, which continues to work, “dangling” across the sky, it was possible to measure the radius of the planet BD+20594b. Based on ground-based observations using the HARPS instrument, its mass was measured. As a result, we have a planet with a mass corresponding to the “Neptunes”: 13-23 Earth’s. But its density suggests that it could be entirely made of stone. Refining mass measurements could yield interesting results about the possible composition of the planet.
It's a pity that we don't have live images for BD+20594b. But for HD 131399Ab there is such data! It was the direct imaging that made it possible to discover this planet. Using the VLT telescope, scientists observed triple young system HD 131399!
Its age is about 16 million years. Why were young stars observed? Because the planets there only recently formed. If these are gas giants, then they still continue to compress, and because of this they are quite hot and emit a lot in the infrared range, which makes it possible to obtain their images. This is the case with HD 131399Ab. True, this is one of the lightest (3-5 Jupiter masses) and coldest (800-900 degrees) planets for which there are direct images.
For a long time, the main supplier of planets was the Kepler satellite. In general, this is how it remains today. In 2016, processing of data from the first four years of operation continued. The final one is out (as the authors promise) data release - DR25. It presents data on approximately 34 thousand candidates for transiting planets in more than 17 thousand stars. This is one and a half times more than in the previous release (DR24). Of course, the information about some candidates will not be confirmed. But many will turn out to be planets!
Even the so-called gold candidates in the new release are about 3.4 thousand.
Some of these planets are described in the article. The authors present two dozen very good candidates for small (less than 2 Earth radii) planets in habitable zones. Besides this, there are many more large planets, also in habitable zones. Let us remember that they may have habitable satellites.
But the most notable exoplanetary result of the year was the discovery of an Earth-like (more than 1.3 Earth mass) planet in the habitable zone of a nearby star. The planet is not transiting, it was discovered by measuring changes in the radial velocity of Proxima.
To be habitable while orbiting a red dwarf, a planet must come close to the star. And red dwarfs are very active. It is unclear whether life could appear on such a planet. The discovery of Proxima b has spurred research into this issue.
As for Proxima herself, it seems that it has been conclusively proven that she still gravitationally bound with a pair of sun-like stars forming the bright Alpha Centauri (by the way, its official name is now Rigil Kentaurus!). Proxima's orbital period is approximately 550 thousand years, and it is now at the apoaster of its orbit.
Closer to home
From exoplanets and their systems, let's turn to ours - the Solar one - and its inhabitants. In 2016, the main scientific results of the New Horizons project on Pluto and its system were published. In 2015, we were able to enjoy the photographs, and in 2016, scientists were able to enjoy the articles. Thanks to the images, which in some cases had a resolution of more than 100 m per pixel, details on the surface were revealed, allowing us to study Pluto's geology for the first time. It turned out that there are quite young formations on its surface.
For example, Sputnik Planum has virtually no craters. This suggests that the surface there is no older than 10 million years.
There were also a number of interesting works on the bodies of the Solar System. In 2016 there was satellite discovered near the dwarf planet Makemake. All four post-Neptunian dwarf planets now have moons.
Personally, I will most remember the result according to European observations. Back in 2014, observations with the Hubble telescope made it possible to suspect the presence of water emissions on Europa. Fresh data also obtained from it provide new arguments in favor of the presence of such “fountains”. The images were taken during Europa's passage across the disk of Jupiter.
This seems important since ejections had previously only been reliably observed on Enceladus.
And in 2016 it finally appeared, more or less well-developed project missions to this satellite. But Europe is a much more accessible target. And the probability of the existence of life in the subglacial ocean there is, perhaps, higher. Therefore, it’s nice that you don’t have to send a drilling rig to Europa, you just need to choose a place where water comes out of the depths and plant a biochemical laboratory there. In the 2030s this will be quite possible.
The Mystery of the Ninth Planet
However, the most sensational topic on the solar system was (and remains) the discussion about. For several years, evidence has been accumulating that suggests there may be another massive planet in the solar system. The orbits of distant small bodies turn out to be “built” in a special way. To explain this, one can invoke the hypothesis of the existence of a planet with a mass of several Earth's, located ten times further than Pluto. In January 2016 it appeared work by Batygin and Brown, which took the discussion to a new level. Now there is an active search for this planet and calculations continue to clarify its location and parameters.
In conclusion, we note a few more striking results of 2016. For the first time I was able to see analogue of a radio pulsar, where the source is not a neutron star, but a white dwarf in a binary system. The star AR Scorpii was once classified as a Delta Scuti variable. But the authors showed that this is a much more interesting system. It is a double star with an orbital period of three and a half hours. The system includes a red dwarf and a white dwarf. The latter rotates with a period of almost two minutes. Over the years we have seen it slow down. The energy release of the system is consistent with the fact that its source is the rotation of the white dwarf. The system is variable and emits from radio to x-ray.
Optical brightness can increase several times in tens of seconds. Most of the radiation comes from the red dwarf, but the cause is its interaction with the magnetosphere and relativistic particles of the white dwarf.
Mysterious fast radio bursts (FRBs) may be associated with neutron stars. They have been studied since 2007, but the nature of the outbreaks is not yet clear.
And they happen in our sky several thousand times a day.
In 2016, several important results were obtained on these bursts. The first declared result, unfortunately, was not confirmed, which shows the difficulties (and sometimes drama!) in the study of such phenomena. At first scientists said that they see a weak decaying radio transient (a source with varying brightness) on a scale of ~6 days. It was possible to identify the galaxy in which this transient originated; it turned out to be elliptical. If this slow transient is associated with an FRB, then this is a very strong argument in favor of the neutron star merger model.
Such events should often occur in galaxies of this type, in contrast to magnetar outbursts, core-collapse supernovae, and other phenomena associated with massive stars or young compact objects. It seemed that the answer to the riddle about the nature of FRBs had been found... However, the result was criticized in a series of works by different authors. Apparently, the slow transient is not associated with the FRB. This is simply the active galactic nucleus “working”.
The second important result on FRB was perhaps the most long-awaited. It seemed that he would bring clarity, since we are talking about detecting repeated bursts.
Were introduced results from the first detection of repeated bursts of an FRB source. The observations were carried out at the 300-meter telescope in Arecibo. First, ten events were discovered. The rate was approximately three bursts per hour. Then several more bursts from the same source were detected, both at the Arecibo telescope and at the Australian 64-meter antenna.
It would seem that such a discovery immediately rejects all models with catastrophic phenomena (mergers of neutron stars, collapse into a black hole, birth of a quark star, etc.). After all, you can’t repeat the collapse “for an encore” 15 times! But it's not that simple.
This may be a unique source, i.e. it may not be a typical representative of the FRBs population.
Finally, in November they showed us the brightest known FRB. Its flow was several times higher than the flow of the first detected event. If we compare it with average indicators, then this flash shone tens of times brighter.
It is significant that the surge was seen in real time, and not detected from archival data. This made it possible to immediately “target” this point using different instruments. As with the previous real-time burst, no accompanying activity was detected. It was quiet after that: no repeated bursts, no afterglow.
Since the burst is bright, we managed to localize the flash location in the sky quite well. Only six galaxies fall into the region of uncertainty, and all are distant. So the distance to the source is at least 500 Mpc (i.e. more than 1.5 billion light years). The brightness of the flare made it possible to use the flare to probe the intergalactic medium. In particular, an upper limit on the magnitude of the magnetic field along the line of sight was obtained. Interestingly, the results obtained can be interpreted as indirect arguments against FRB models involving objects embedded in dense shells.
In 2016, several mysterious powerful flares were detected, but now in the X-ray range, the nature of which is unclear. IN work The authors studied in detail 70 archival observations of galaxies at the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observatories. The result was the discovery of two sources of powerful flares.
The flares have a maximum with a characteristic time scale of tens of seconds, and the total duration of the flares is tens of minutes. The luminosity at maximum is millions of times greater than that of the sun.
And the total energy corresponds to solar energy release over tens of years.
The cause of the flares is unclear, but the sources appear to be accreting compact objects (neutron stars or black holes) in close binary systems.
Among domestic results, first of all let's highlight this work. Processing data from the Fermi Space Telescope for the Andromeda Nebula (M31) and its environs has revealed the existence of a structure that is very similar to the Fermi Bubbles in our Galaxy. The appearance of such a structure may be associated with the past activity of the central black hole.
In the Andromeda Nebula it is tens of times heavier than in our galaxy.
So we can expect that a powerful energy release in the center of the M31 galaxy, which may have taken place in the past, gave rise to such structures.
The most massive black holes are known to be found in giant galaxies sitting at the centers of galaxy clusters. On the other hand, quasars are more often found not in large clusters, but in groups of galaxies. Moreover, observations show that in the past (say, a billion years after the Big Bang) there were quasars with black holes whose masses reach tens of billions of solar masses. Where are they now? It would be interesting to find such a supermassive black hole in a relatively nearby galaxy that is part of the group.
This is exactly what the authors succeeded in other work. By studying the distribution of stellar velocities in the central part of the NGC 1600 galaxy, they discovered some features that can be explained by the presence of a black hole with a mass of 17 billion solar masses. Interestingly, if these data are correct, then at a distance to NGC1600 of 64 Mpc, the black hole in it is one of the largest in the sky. At a minimum, it is one of the four largest black holes by angular size, along with Sgr A* in the center of the Milky Way, the hole in M87 and, possibly, the hole in the Andromeda Nebula.
Finally, let's talk about one of the results Russian space project "Radioastron". The nearby quasar 3C273 was studied using a space radio interferometer. In a small area less than three light months in size, it was possible to estimate the so-called. brightness temperature. It turned out to be significantly higher than previously thought and than predicted by models: >10 13 kelvin. We are waiting for Radioastron's results on other active nuclei.
What awaits us in 2017? The most important discovery is easy to predict.
The LIGO collaboration (maybe together with VIRGO) will announce the detection of gravitational wave bursts involving neutron stars.
It is unlikely that it will be possible to immediately identify it in electromagnetic waves. But if this happens, it will be an extremely important achievement. LIGO detectors have been operating at higher sensitivity since November 30th. So perhaps we won't have to wait long for a new press conference.
In addition, the final release of cosmological data from the Planck satellite will be released. It is unlikely that it will bring sensations, but for cosmology, which has long become an exact science, this is very important data.
We are still waiting for new data from teams searching for low-frequency gravitational waves from supermassive black holes using pulsar timing. Finally, the launches of the TESS and Cheops satellites to search for and study exoplanets are scheduled for 2017. If everything goes according to plan, then at the end of 2018 the results from these devices may be included in the results.
November 2016 will be full of beautiful astronomical phenomena. What's most interesting is the ability to observe them with the naked eye. The main thing is to hope that at the right time the sky will be cloudless.
Even the seemingly familiar Full Moon will be unusual this November. Astronomical anomalies tell us that changes can also occur in people's lives. Experts advise raising energy with the right attitude, otherwise there is a chance of losing luck or going astray during moments of abnormal influence of the Moon or other space objects.
ISS flights
The International Space Station, which orbits the Earth, is often visible to the naked eye. It looks like a shooting star. In November, on November 8, 9, 10 and 11, early in the morning at 6:52, 6:01, 6:45 and 6:54, respectively, the ISS will be visible in the night sky if visibility is appropriate.
This phenomenon, naturally, has no astrological implications, but it is still sometimes useful to know that this flickering light, similar to a shooting star, is a space station where people work and live.
Starfall Taurids and Leonids
Every year, the Earth flies through the belt of cosmic remnants of a comet, which causes starfalls. This is a very weak stream, but very long, because the Earth flies through it from September to December. In 2016, shooting stars per minute will peak on November 11th. Up to 15-18 meteors per minute - that’s the limit. This is small compared to other meteor showers, but it is a lot for the Taurids.
As for the Leonids, this flow is usually at its maximum from November 14 to 21. Around the 18th, on the night of November 19, there will be a flux density exceeding 115 meteorites per hour.
In astrology, they have a rather negative attitude towards star showers. Even in ancient times, astrologers said that falling stars bring alarm to people. They are harbingers of unpleasant changes and minor troubles. On November 11, it is better not to overreact to small problems, as they can snowball into something bigger. Caution and your favorite hobby will help you cheer up during such periods.
Supermoon November 14
Many people know that the Moon moves around the Earth not in a perfectly circular orbit, but in an ovoid or elliptical one. This means that the distance to Earth is constantly changing. There are apogee and perigee points. Apogee is the farthest point from Earth, approximately 406,000 kilometers. Perigee is the closest point, equal to approximately 357,000 kilometers.
There was already a supermoon in October of this year, but now we can expect an even greater effect from the approach of the Moon. The Moon will be 15% larger, and therefore will reflect much more light from the Sun.
The next supermoon will be in December, but the same record close one awaits us only in 2034. The previous largest supermoon was back in 1948.
But what do astrologers say about this? The approach of the Moon means its greatest energy force. On November 14, the Moon will be under the influence of Taurus. This means that creativity will go off scale, and therefore you can feel a lack of logic in the actions of others. Because of this, representatives of professions that involve working with numbers or great precision should expect big problems. If you are an accountant, then on November 14, recalculate everything two or three times to avoid mistakes. People will be more irritable than usual.
The energetically powerful Full Moon and Taurus are a union that makes people irritable and even capable of mischief. Don't force others to lose their temper, and then everything will be fine.
To be more prepared for any November challenges, read on. Think more about the good and do not allow feelings such as anger, envy and selfishness to seep out through your consciousness. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and
09.11.2016 07:22
The full moon kindles a fire between people, which does not always lead to pleasant consequences. Naturally, this...
20.01.2016 18:01 | Alexander Kozlovsky
Dear astronomy lovers! + - the next issue of a monthly periodical for astronomy lovers. It provides information about planets, comets, asteroids, variable stars and astronomical phenomena of the month. The phenomena in the system of the four large satellites of Jupiter are described in detail. There are maps for searching for comets and asteroids. To always have information about celestial bodies and the main phenomena of the month with you, download the archived KN file and print it on a printer, or view it on your mobile device.
Information about other astronomical phenomena of the year in
Web version of the Astronomical Calendar for 2016 at http://saros70.narod.ru/index.htm and on the website of Sergei Guryanov
Information about other astronomical phenomena for a longer period in and
Additional information is in the topic Astronomical calendar on the Astroforum http://www.astronomy.ru/forum/index.php/topic,19722.1260.html More detailed coverage of nearby phenomena in the Astronomical Week on
MONTH REVIEW
Selected astronomical events of the month (Moscow time):
February 1 - Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter form a parade of all the bright planets of the Solar System in the morning sky with the Moon joining them, February 1 - comet Catalina (C/2013 US10) near the North Star, February 1 - Mars passes in degrees north of the star alpha Libra, February 1 - the asteroid Astraea near the star Regulus (alpha Leo), February 5 - the asteroid Vesta passes 5 degrees south of Uranus, February 6 - Venus passes a degree south of the star pi Sagittarius, February 7 - Mercury reaches morning elongation 25 .5 degrees, February 8 - maximum action of the Alpha Centaurid meteor shower (6 meteors per hour up to 6m at the zenith), February 10 - long-period variable star X Monoceros near maximum brightness (6.4m), February 13 - Mercury approaches Venus to 4 degrees, February 13 - occultation by the Moon (Ф = 0.33) of the star xi1 Ceti (4.4m), February 13 - convergence of Jupiter's satellites to the minimum angular distance (about 2 arc minutes), February 14 - long-period variable star RR Scorpii near maximum brightness (5.0m), February 15 - long-period variable star R Gemini near maximum brightness (6.2m), February 16 - lunar occultation (Ф = 0.62) of the star Aldebaran (+0.9m) with visibility in Primorye and in Kamchatka, February 16 - the long-period variable star R Cassiopeiae near maximum brightness (6.0m), February 16 - the end of the visibility of Mercury, February 20 - the end of the visibility of Neptune, February 21 - the asteroid Eunomia passes 7 arc minutes north of the star beta Aries, 26 February - the divergence of Jupiter's satellites Ganymede and Callisto to the maximum angular distance (more than 15 arc minutes - the visible radius of the Moon), February 26 - the end of the visibility of Venus, February 28 - Neptune in conjunction with the Sun, February 28 - the long-period variable star RS Scorpii near maximum brightness (6.0 m).
Sightseeing trip through the starry sky of February in the magazine Firmament for February 2009 ().
Sun moves through the constellation Capricorn until February 16, and then moves into the constellation Aquarius. The declination of the central luminary gradually increases, and the length of the day increases rapidly, reaching 10 hours 38 minutes by the end of the month. latitude of Moscow. The midday altitude of the Sun will increase from 17 to 26 degrees in a month at this latitude. Observations of spots and other formations on the surface of a daylight star can be carried out using almost any telescope or binoculars, and even with the naked eye (if the spots are large enough). February is not the best month for observing the Sun, however, you can observe the central luminary all day long, but you must remember that visually studying the Sun through a telescope or other optical instruments must (!!) be carried out using a solar filter (recommendations for observing the Sun available in the magazine Nebosvod).
The moon will begin to move in the February sky at phase 0.52 near Mars and the star alpha Libra. Continuing along this constellation, the lunar half-disk will gradually turn into a sickle. On February 2, the night star will move into the constellation Scorpio, but in a few hours - on February 3 - it will enter the domain of the constellation Ophiuchus with a phase of about 0.3, approaching Saturn here. Continuing to decrease its phase, the lunar crescent will move into the constellation Sagittarius on February 4, where it will remain until February 7, turning into a thin crescent visible in the mornings low above the southeastern horizon. During this time, the Moon will have time to approach Mercury and Venus at a phase of about 0.05. On February 8, there will be a new moon in the constellation Capricorn (the next new moon will be a total solar eclipse, visible in Indonesia). Then the Moon will move into the evening sky and on February 9 will appear against the background of dawn, having already entered the constellation Aquarius. Gradually increasing its phase and quickly gaining altitude above the horizon, the crescent moon will reach the border of the constellation Pisces on February 11, where it will spend three days. Here, at phase 0.2, the young month will approach Uranus. The series of lunar occultations of this planet has ended, and now we will have to wait until 2022. On February 14, the Moon will visit the constellation Aries, and the next day will enter the domain of the constellation Taurus, where it will enter the first quarter phase on February 15. On February 16, there will be another lunar occultation (Ф = 0.62) of the star Aldebaran (+0.9m) with visibility in Primorye and Kamchatka. The best visibility conditions will be on the peninsula. On February 17, having traditionally entered the constellation Orion, the lunar oval will increase its phase to 0.8 and move into the constellation Gemini, being observed most of the night and rising to the maximum possible height above the horizon for February. By the end of the day on February 19, the bright Moon will reach the constellation Cancer, where it will increase its phase from 0.9 to almost 1.0 when it moves into the constellation Leo on February 21. Here the full moon will come near the star Regulus, and then the Moon will traditionally visit the constellation Sextant. Having passed the second half of the constellation Leo on February 23, the almost full Moon will move into the constellation Virgo on February 24, having previously approached Jupiter. On the evening of February 26, the lunar oval will pass north of Spica at a phase of 0.85, and on February 28 it will reach the constellation Libra, reducing the phase to 0.76. In this constellation (observed low above the horizon in the morning), the Moon will spend the rest of the month, approaching Mars at a phase of 0.62 at the end of the described period.
Bmajor planets of the solar system. Mercury moves in the same direction with the Sun through the constellation Sagittarius until February 13, then moving into the constellation Capricorn. The planet moves close to Venus all month (at an angular distance of about five degrees), so it is quite easy to find. Mercury's morning visibility will last until mid-February, and then it will disappear into the rays of the rising Sun. You can find it against the background of dawn near the southeastern horizon in the form of a fairly bright star of zero magnitude. Through the telescope, a half-disk is visible, turning into an oval, the apparent dimensions of which decrease from 7 to 5, and the phase and brightness increase.
Venus moves in the same direction with the Sun through the constellation Sagittarius until February 17, then moving into the constellation Capricorn. The planet is observed (as the brightest star) in the eastern sky in the morning for an hour. The angular distance to the west from the Sun will decrease from 32 to 25 degrees over the month. The apparent diameter of Venus decreases from 12.3 to 11.2, and the phase increases from 0.85 to 0.91 at a magnitude of about -3.9m. Such brilliance allows Venus to be seen with the naked eye even during the day. Through a telescope you can observe a white disk without details. Formations on the surface of Venus (in the cloud cover) can be captured using various light filters.
Mars moves in the same direction with the Sun through the constellation Libra, approaching the star alpha Libra at the beginning of the month. The planet is observed for about 6 hours in the night and morning sky above the southeastern and southern horizon. The planet's brightness increases from +0.8m to +0.2m, and its apparent diameter increases from 6.8 to 8.2. Through a telescope, a disk is visible, the details on which can be visually detected using an instrument with a lens diameter of 60 mm, and, in addition, photographically with subsequent processing on a computer. The most favorable period for the visibility of Mars begins in February.
Jupiter moves backwards through the constellation Leo (near the star Sigma Leo with a magnitude of 4m, approaching it by the end of the month to half a degree). The gas giant is observed in the night and morning skies (in the eastern and southern parts of the sky), and its visibility increases from 11 to 12 hours per month. Another favorable period for Jupiter's visibility is underway. The angular diameter of the largest planet in the solar system gradually increases from 42.4 to 44.3 with a magnitude of about -2.2m. The planet's disk is visible even with binoculars, and with a small telescope, stripes and other details are clearly visible on the surface. Four large satellites are already visible through binoculars, and through a telescope you can observe the shadows of the satellites on the planet’s disk. Information about satellite configurations is in this CN.
Saturn moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellation Ophiuchus. The ringed planet can be observed in the morning sky near the southeastern horizon with a visibility duration of about three hours. The planet's brightness remains at +0.5m with an apparent diameter increasing from 15.8 to 16.5. With a small telescope you can observe the ring and the Titan satellite, as well as some of the other brighter satellites. The apparent dimensions of the planet's ring are on average 40x16 with an inclination of 26 degrees to the observer.
Uranus(6.0m, 3.4.) moves in one direction across the constellation Pisces (near the star epsilon Psc with a magnitude of 4.2m). The planet is observed in the evenings, reducing the duration of visibility from 6 to 3 hours (in mid-latitudes). Uranus, rotating on its side, is easily detected with the help of binoculars and search maps, and a telescope of 80 mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 80 times and a transparent sky will help you to see the disk of Uranus. The planet can be seen with the naked eye during new moon periods in a dark, clear sky, and this opportunity will present itself in the first half of the month. The satellites of Uranus have a brightness less than 13m.
Neptune(8.0m, 2.3) moves in the same direction as the Sun along the constellation Aquarius between the stars lambda Aqr (3.7m) and sigma Aqr (4.8m). The planet can be observed in the evenings (about an hour in mid-latitudes) in the southwestern part of the sky, not high above the horizon, and by the middle of the month it ceases to be visible. At the end of February, Neptune will enter into conjunction with the Sun. During the period of visibility, to search for it you will need binoculars and star maps in or, and the disk is visible in a telescope of 100 mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 100 times (with a clear sky). Neptune can be captured photographically with the simplest camera (even a stationary one) with a shutter speed of 10 seconds or more. Neptune's moons have a brightness of less than 13m.
From comets, visible in February from the territory of our country, at least three comets will have a calculated brightness of about 11m and brighter. The brightest comet of the month, Catalina (C/2013 US10), descends to the south in the constellation Giraffe with a maximum brightness of 6m (visible to the naked eye). Another celestial wanderer PANSTARRS (C/2013 X1) moves south along the constellation Pegasus and Pisces, and its brightness is about 8m. A comet is observed in the evening sky. Comet PANSTARRS (C/2014 S2) moves through the constellation Draco and Ursa Minor, and its magnitude is about 9m. The comet is visible all night. Details of other comets of the month (with maps and brightness forecasts) ) available on
Comet ISON attracted the attention of astronomers literally from the day of its discovery at the end of September 2012. This cosmic body, moving in a very elongated, close to parabolic orbit, at the end of November 2013 should approach the Sun at a distance of less than 1.5 million km - so close that at some stage it will literally dive into the heat of the outer layers of our atmosphere stars. Comets like ISON are called circumsolar(English) sungrazer comets); as a rule, they fly too close to our daylight star and are destroyed. But if they climb out of the monstrous inferno, they present in our sky a spectacle of amazing beauty.
Expectations were high for Comet ISON. The size of its nucleus is larger than that of most circumsolar comets, and the minimum distance at which the comet will pass from the Sun allowed experts to give at least 50% to its survival. It seemed obvious that the comet, heated by the heat of the star, would flare up properly after perihelion and grow a luxurious tail. Comet ISON was called as many names as possible in the first months after its discovery: “comet of the century”, “great comet”, “one of the greatest comets in the history of mankind”...
However, by the summer of 2013, it unexpectedly became clear that ISON’s brightness was growing more slowly than usual: the comet was 2-3 magnitudes behind. This could be due to the fact that comet ISON contains few gases and water ice: it is they that, evaporating and ionizing under the influence of sunlight, begin to glow and thereby make the most significant contribution to the brightness of the comet. Otherwise, the comet and its dust tail shine only from the reflected light of the Sun and appear much dimmer.
Comet ISON November 13, 2013 - less than a day before the outburst. A compact head, a narrow and dull tail - this is or something like this what Comet ISON looked like during October and early November. Photo: John Vermette
Something similar has been observed in recent months with comet ISON. The celestial visitor remained telescopic until early November - a month longer than initial forecasts. Finally, by the end of the first week of November it became possible to observe it with binoculars. The comet's brightness settled at 8.0 m. Compact head, narrow and dull tail - until very recently it seemed that comet ISON would not justify the advances generously given to it, as has happened more than once in the case of capricious and unpredictable comets... The only change in its behavior noted by astronomers in the last days before the outbreak , - the appearance of a second tail, the same, however, dull and narrow...
And suddenly - a flash! One of the first images of the flaming comet was received on the morning of November 14 by astronomy amateur Mike Hankey. Compare this photo with the one above. Doesn't it seem like we are looking at two different comets?
The changes affected the entire appearance of Comet ISON. First of all, let's note how much larger and brighter her coma became. The tail has also changed: it has become more elongated and complex in structure. Now fibrous inhomogeneities are clearly visible in it; Small tail-feathers extend to the sides of the tail, making it look like cirrus clouds. Let us also pay attention to the color of the tail: at the head (or coma) of the comet it is greenish due to the glow of carbon ions and its compounds, and on the left side of the photo it already takes on a reddish tint: dust begins to dominate here.
Of course, the brightness of the comet also increased abruptly - from 7.5 m to 6.3 m. On the morning of November 15, ISON became brighter than 6 m, and today (November 18) its brightness increased to 4.7 m!
Perhaps the best way to observe the dramatic changes in the comet's brightness and appearance is in a series of photographs taken by Juanjo Gonzalez. At the top left we see the comet on November 3, at the top right - on November 9, at the bottom left the comet has a second tail. This photo was taken on November 12th. Finally, the last photo was taken on November 14, after the flash.
Evolution of Comet ISON. The first three frames (from left to right) give us a glimpse of the comet before its outburst on November 14th. The images were received on November 3, 9 and 12. The final image (taken on November 14) shows radical changes in the comet's structure. Photo: Juanjo Gonzalez
Today and tomorrow Comet ISON, flying through the constellation Virgo, is located next to its brightest star, Spica. A great opportunity to find it with binoculars! About 1.5 hours before sunrise, at the first signs of dawn, the comet is visible at an altitude of about 10° above the horizon (at the latitude of Moscow and St. Petersburg). There is already evidence that the comet is visible to the naked eye, but for city residents it is still very problematic to see the comet without the use of optical instruments: in addition to the bright Moon, observations are also hampered by city illumination and the dusty, turbulent atmosphere at the horizon.
In the coming days, C/2012 S1 (ISON) will travel past Spica towards Mercury, which is now visible 13° east of the main star Virgo. The comet's brightness continues to grow, and perhaps within the next 2-3 days we will be able to see it with the naked eye, even in urban conditions. On November 27, the comet will get so close to the Sun that it will cease to be visible. And then... we'll continue to wait for the comet to return - now to the evening sky!
What astronomical phenomena will the coming 2016 give us?Surely it will provide plenty of food for astrologers: of course - not only is it a leap year, but on February 29th there is a conjunction with the Sun of the most distant official planet of the solar system - Neputna...
And also Saturn, which all year not only moves through the “non-zodiacal” constellation Ophiuchus (creepy :-)), but also reaches the maximum opening of its ring! But seriously, at least one noticeable and rare astronomical event awaits us - the passage of Mercury across the disk of the Sun on the weekend of May 9! But first things first: Eclipses:
We're simply out of luck with eclipses in 2016. Unlike the previous year, there will be five eclipses this coming year: two solar(09 March and 01 September) and three lunar(March 23, August 18 and September 16).
It’s worth noting right away that all lunar eclipses will be only penumbral, so there are no special hopes for spectacular photographs in 2016... Just like with solar eclipses, both (except for very small phases of the first in the Far East) are inaccessible for observations from territory of Russia:
Solar eclipses:
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Fig. 1 Scheme of the eclipse on March 9, 2016. |
Fig. 2 Scheme of the eclipse on September 1, 2016. |
The second solar eclipse on September 1 will be annular, with a maximum phase of 0.974 and a duration of up to 03m06s. And its central strip will pass through the African continent (a good reason to go to Madagascar;-)... - see Figure 2.
Lunar eclipses:
First Lunar Eclipse March 23 will be penumbral and last from 09:38 to 13:56 UT. During the eclipse, the Moon will pass north of the earth's shadow - see Fig. 3.
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Fig. 3 Scheme of the eclipse on March 23, 2016. |
Fig. 4 Scheme of the eclipse on August 18, 2016. |
Fig. 5 Scheme of the eclipse on September 16, 2016. |
The Moon will next plunge into Earth's penumbra August 18, but in essence it will be practically touching - the Moon will pass through the outermost parts of the penumbra from 09:30 to 09:56 UT. So absolutely no changes in the appearance of the Moon are even expected. It is interesting that on many astrosites this eclipse is not even mentioned - Fig. 4...
And finally third lunar eclipse of the year - September 16. Again only penumbral, but this time fully accessible for observation from Russia - Fig. 5.
In these diagrams, everything is “the other way around” - the dark gray areas are where the Sun shines. And white and light gray are the visibility zones of the eclipse.
Transit of Mercury across the solar disk:
We've waited again!
The next passage of Mercury across the disk of the Sun will occur on a holiday (day off) for Russians - May 9, 2016 (10 years after the previous one, November 8, 2006).
And although the planet itself moves faster than Venus, the distance to it is greater. Therefore, the total duration of the phenomenon will reach 7.5 hours (from 11:12.5 to 18:42.7 UT)! During this time, there may be some clearing even in cloudy weather, so be sure to keep an eye out!
The phenomenon will be fully accessible to observers from the westernmost parts of Russia (the further to the east, the worse, there in some places the Sun will already have time to set below the horizon - see details in planetarium programs or on the Internet). Moving in reverse motion, Mercury will pass across the solar disk from left to right, slightly south of its center (see figure).
Let us note that Russians will have their next chance to see Mercury on the disk of the Sun only in November 2032 (not counting those who will be able to get out to the Atlantic regions in 2019)... Coatings:
Partially occultations of stars and planets by the Moon, the coming year will give earthlings several occultations of bright planets.
Two things will happen coverings of Venus: April 6 in western Africa (for Russians in the daytime sky - from the western borders to Lake Baikal) and September 3, when residents of the surrounding areas of Lake Baikal will already be in the best conditions!
The next series will begin on June 3 coverings of Mercury(03.06; 04.08; 29.09). And from July 9 - series Jupiter's coverings(09.07; 06.08; 02.09; 30.09), but all these coverings are not visible from Russia...
The only thing we can try to observe is the next episode Neptune's coverings(for the first time since 2008). So, Residents of the western European part of Russia will be able to see the coverage on June 25; July 23 (USA); August 19 - D.Vostok; September 15 - again the European part of Russia; October 13 - the most D.Vostok and Alaska; November 9 - west and north of Baikal; December 6, eastern USA and Greenland... Note that Neptune with a magnitude of about 7m is far from a gift. All the moon-covered stars in our monthly calendars are significantly brighter...
In 2016 the series of lunar occultations of the main star of the constellation Taurus - Aldebaran - will continue(and surrounding open cluster stars Hyades). However, compared to last year, from the territory of Russia in the dark sky it will be possible to see only two occultations of Aldebaran out of 13: May 8 (in the Far East) and November 15 (south of Central Asia, Siberia and Far East)...
For more experienced observers, the page may be useful, on which I have once again collected the most interesting occultation of distant stars by asteroids(estimated shadows from which will pass across the territory of our country)
And if you came here already in 2016, try to look at the coverage page of the “USNO Astronomical Almanac” - many online services open only from the beginning of the year. Main planets:
Ephemerides of the main planets of the solar system are available from a special page.
For our northern latitudes, the conditions for observing planets in 2016 can hardly be called favorable. The thing is that among the three “kings of the night sky”: Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, only Jupiter(observation conditions for which are also getting worse every year). Throughout the season, the planet moves through the constellations Leo and Virgo, passing the point of opposition on March 8 (magnitude -2.5m and angular diameter more than 44"), and the line of the celestial equator - at the end of September. We can say that from the fall of 2016 all the outer planets will be better visible from the southern hemisphere of the Earth.
But another thing awaits us Mars opposition, which will occur on May 22 in the constellation Scorpio. In another week, on May 31, the distance between Earth and Mars will become minimal and equal to 0.503 a.u. At the same time, the planet’s brightness will reach -2.1m, and its angular diameter will be the largest for the year - 18.6". The only pity is that even the maximum height of Mars above the horizon in our latitudes will never exceed 15 degrees...
The same can be said about Saturn, the opposition of which will occur on June 3 (the southern part of Ophiuchus), and the apparent diameter of the planet will be close to the “Martian” - 18.44". The situation is saved only by the famous rings of Saturn, open so wide that they completely cover the southern edge of the planet’s disk and even protrude slightly above the northern (their size will reach almost 40").
On the morning of January 9 just 5 arc minutes north of Saturn a beauty will pass Venus(elnagation 36°), for which the coming year is also not a smooth one for observations (in the sense that the maximum morning elongation of Venus was on October 26 last year, and the maximum evening elongation will only occur on January 12, 2017)...
Mercury always difficult to observe. But this year we will have a rare opportunity to see it directly against the background of the Sun (see above)! Minor planets
You can find ephemerides of the brightest minor planets (asteroids) in my monthly calendars.
In previous years, I constantly referred to my special page, on which you can clearly see the light curves (and not only) of the first hundred asteroids from 2005 to the beginning of 2016. Unfortunately, there is neither the strength nor the means to continue this work - so the only way out is to turn to the help of the network... Search using the keywords "minor planets at unusually favorable elongations 2016" - at least in recent years such list articles have been published in Minor Planet Bulletin... You can also get a lot of other useful information there, including “approaches of minor planets to deep-sky objects.” It’s worth checking out the server of the Association of Moon and Planetary Observers (ALPO)...
The only alternative may be my special selection of “non-setting asteroids” for 2016. In the sense that amateurs with CCDs (especially in cooperation) can “in just a couple of nights” obtain scientifically significant results (light curve = period of rotation of the asteroid around its own axis). Comets:
Comets will not be very good in the coming year, but not very bad either. And here's what we know in advance:
At the beginning of the year, a comet discovered back in 2013 during a sky survey at the American Catalina station (comet Catalina C/2013 US10). It can be noted that in January this comet quickly makes its way to the north pole of the world and remains below the horizon until the end of its visibility in amateur telescopes (Lizard, Perseus, Auriga)...
A comet may exceed magnitude 10 in early March P/Ikeya-Murakami (P/2010 V1) and also in the night sky not far from the “Lion's head”.
In May-June, a comet may “flare up” in the morning sky up to magnitude 6-7 PANSTARRS (C/2013 X1). True, for this comet, observers from the southern hemisphere of the Earth will find themselves in more favorable conditions.
In November - December another comet PANSTARRS (C/2015 O1) promises to approach 8m (Fox and Swan). But this comet will reach its maximum brightness (about 6.5m) only in mid-February 2017... And another old friend - the comet Honda-Mrkosa-Paidushakova (45R)- at the very end of the year it can also flare up to magnitude 6-7 low in the pre-New Year's evening dawn.
Accurately predicting the brightness of comets in advance is a very unfavorable task. So we'll wait and see! Novas and supernovae:
Outbursts of new stars in our Galaxy occur several times a year and have recently been discovered quite often by amateur astronomers. Mostly photographically, and often with very modest means (even ordinary digital cameras). There simply cannot be accurate forecasts here. But in order to keep abreast of events, I advise