Welcome to this issue of Qué tal. Here you will find useful observing information
about the visible planets, our Moon and other
moons, the Sun, as well as various 'things' celestial.
Among
these web pages you will find monthly star maps for either the northern
or southern hemisphere that are suitable for printout. Animated
images are utilized to illustrate celestial motions such as orbital
motions of the planets, and other solar orbiting objects or apparent
and real motions along the ecliptic and the local horizon. Regular
features include plotting the monthly positions of the visible planets
using heliocentric coordinates; following moon phases; conjunctions; the sun's
apparent motion and the Earth's real motion along the ecliptic.
This month we change seasons, adjust our clocks forward an hour changing from Standard to Saving time, and have a great opportunity for some
fun planet and deep-sky object viewing. Mercury and Jupiter close in on each other around the middle of the month, and Venus pairs off with the
considerably dimmer Neptune at the end of the month. The Moon glides past several planets as it usually does each month, and also passes by
several deep-sky objects, as it crosses the Milky Way toward the end of the month.
Tell someone about Qué tal?
in the Current Skies. Click here.
