It's a new week, which means a new, featured cosmic sight. In the spotlight this week are three heavenly bodies that all inhabit our solar system that will be putting on a great, just after dark show in the latter half of the week.
This week brings New Moon which, for people like myself who love to look at thin crescents, means some just after sunset fun in itself. However, thanks to some convenient timing, the thin crescent Moon that will be visible starting mid week will be passing two planets: brilliant Venus and trivial Uranus, too.
Today, the Moon will be very near Venus. The good thing about this close pass is that it will be truly impossible to miss as Venus is the third brightest object in the sky, only out-shown by the Sun and Full Moon. So, go out tonight and take a gander to the West as the Moon will be above and right of the planet named after the Roman goddess of love.
On Saturday, there will be a real treat, but one that will require binoculars: the Moon and planet Uranus will make a close pass. While not overly close at 4 degrees separation, the Moon/Uranus conjunction will be close enough to allow one to squeeze it into a pair of 10x power binoculars, which will be required to see the distant, 7th planet from the Sun. While the blur-green color of Uranus will give away its identity, at magnitude +6, it still will not be an easy thing to spot. Fortunately, if one draws an imaginary line through the tips of the upturned crescent and continuing down and left, one will come to the planet itself.
Yes, seeing Uranus can be a challenge but, with a little patience, one can see a rewarding sight and, at the same time, join a rather exclusive club of people who can say that they saw the first planet discovered with a telescope with their own eyes.
As the last part of the puzzle, be sure to keep an eye on the Cleveland weather forecast and, for hour-by-hour cloud predictions, the Cleveland Clear Sky Clock. The bad news: at least in the Cleveland area, things are always iffy when it comes to clear skies this time of year. Hopefully, though, at least one of these night will be clear.. Live somewhere else? Find a clock and see if it will be clear near you.
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