2009 Monthly Sky Guides

In January we still have a pair of lights from 2008. Merury and Jupiter are cruising together while Venus remains the sight to see. Meanwhile, point you telescope towards Leo to try to catch the dwarf planet, Ceres.

February finds us looking for a comet. Comet Lulin, C/2007 N3 should make quite a sight. Venus is still beautiful as Jupiter and Mercury cruise the mornings. Be sure to watch for Saturn later in the month.

That beauty, Venus continues to entertain, but by the end of the month, she'll be diminishing. Meanwhile, the ringed wonder, Saturn, takes the stage. Jupiter still shines in the morning, but if you look carefully, you'll catch a faint Mercury and Mars low in the sky. Don't forget Ceres, who is still showing itself.

Mercury is an elusive figure, as befits its place as the god of thieves. It isn't visible very often and when it is, it's usually during twilight hours and vanishes quickly, only showing for a couple of weeks at a time. This year, the best time to see Mercury will be late April and early May. You can start looking for it around mid-month with the best viewing during the final week. Meanwhile Saturn remains steady in the sky. Venus will start moving into the morning while Jupiter and Mars remain morning stars.

As April ended, Mercury had taken center stage. The first week of May, it will continue to be visible, though becoming harder to spot. Saturn continues to be one to watch for while Jupiter and Neptune will cruise together for a while in the mornings. Another couple cruising the morning skies together will be Venus and Mars. Especially wtach for them on the 21st as the crescent moon will add the third point on a celestial traingle. Fickle Uranus can't decide who it likes more. Early in the month it can be spotted hanging around Venus and Mars but as the month progresses it will travel closer to Jupiter and Neptune.

The parade of planets continues this month, though by mid-month Saturn is getting harder to spot. Jupiter is rising earlier but is still a good morning view. Meanwhile, Venus and Mars are getting easier to spot and Mercury makes another appearance. For a treat, look for Ceres around mid-month.

In July, we check out some eclipses.

Also, as spring changes to summer, Saturn bows out, dropping much lower in the sky. Jupiter again takes center stage. Check it out with your scope on the 23rd and possibly catch a glimpse of Io and Europa. You'll also want to watch for Neptune nearby. Meanwhile Venus and Mars are still stars of the morning sky.

Jupiter stepped onto the celestial stage last month and it continues to rule the night sky. The 14th may be an especially good night for its viewing as it reaches opposition. Saturn is still hanging around, though much lower in the sky, setting just 90 minutes after the sun. Mercury also makes a brief appearance during the first few days of the month, though it, too, is low in the sky at sunset. Three days after Jupiter, Neptune also reaches opposition, continuing to hang near Jupiter. Also, don't forget to watch for Venus and Mars.

We learn of "The Sky's Oddest Star," Epsilon Eridanae, one of a class called "eclipsing stars".

Closer to home, Jupiter continues to dominate while Saturn and Mercury are awash in twilight and hard to spot. Venus and Mars are still morning stars. If you try, Neptune can still be spotted while Uranus reaches opposition on the 17th.

October will be a good month for you early risers out there. (That's not me.) You'll only find Jupiter in the night skies before midnight this month, but it will still be spectacular. Several other planets will be visible int the morning skies.

November brings the Leonids Meteor Shower. The Leonids are expected to peak on the 17th.

Jupiter is still well placed for viewing with your telescope. Mars is now rising before midnight and visible through most of the night. Saturn climbs higher in the morning sky while Venus sinks lower. Another treat this month could be the asteroid Vesta in the early morning hours of the 24th.

The real star of December will be the Moon. Not only are there two full moons, December 2 and 31 (yes, that means a Blue Moon on the 31st), we'll also see a partial Lunar eclipse on December 31. The last eclipse of 2009 occurs on New Year's Eve when a minor partial lunar eclipse takes place in Gemini, and is visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere.