Babe Among The Stars: Comet on the Way
Created | Updated Oct 28, 2012
Mortal as I am, I know that I am born for a day. But when I follow at my pleasure the serried multitude of the stars in their circular course, my feet no longer touch the earth - Ptolemy
Comet on the way
If you need something to look forward to in 2013 then I have good news. There's a comet, C/2012 S1 (ISON), on the way which promises to be as grand as, if not better than Hale-Bopp, the Great Comet of 1997! I am almost beside myself with excitement and I'll be keeping a running journal with daily alerts along with updates here in the BATS.
November 2012 Diary Dates
This month we have a total solar eclipse but unless you happen to be in Australia, the Kermadec Islands or New Zealand, I'm afraid you're out of luck. The city of Cairns in Queensland will experience 100% totality on 14 November although it will only last two minutes. To witness the greatest length of totality you'd need to be on a boat in the South Pacific Ocean where you'd get twice the time for your efforts. The next total eclipse will occur on 20 March 2015... there will be a great view of it from the North Pole.
- 01: Jupiter and the Moon are within 1°
- 03: South Taurid meteor shower peak
- 05: Bonfire Night in the UK – did you know there is a Fireworks Galaxy?
- 11: Venus is 5° north of the Moon
- 12: Saturn is 4° north of the Moon
- 13: New Moon
- 13/14: Total solar eclipse
- 15: Venus and Spica (alpha Virginis) within 4°
- 16: Mars is 4° south of the Moon
- 17: Leonid meteor shower peak
- 20: Neptune is 6° south of the Moon
- 23: The Moon passes 5° north of Uranus
- 26: Venus and Saturn just 0.6° apart
- 28: Full Moon
- 28: Penumbral lunar eclipse
- 28: Jupiter is 0.6° north of the Moon
Chat about your celestial observances at the H2G2 Astronomy Society. Comment on anything in this edition of Babe Among the Stars by starting a new conversation below.
