Click here to read or
download scanned copies of
Peon, one of the original Scifi FanZines.
Volume 18 -- Issue 1
January 2012
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 there are several planets visible, with Venus, Mars, and Jupiter spread across the sky from Venus in the west past Jupiter in the south, to Mars in the east. Mars
begins retrograde motion at the end of the month, and is also becoming brighter as it approaches opposition. Compare its brightness with the star Regulus, to the right, or west.
In the morning Mercury is visible for about the first half of the month. Saturn rises after midnight local time, and is visible forming a pair with the close-by
bluish-white star Spica - just to the right from Saturn. A bit further west is Mars shining brightly.
Starting this month I will be adding copies of Peon and LEER, science fiction Fanzines my father
published from around 1948 through 1957.
All of his work was done using a mimeograph machine, manual typewriter, and a drawer full of cool stencils for letters and clip art, and some really strange looking pens for
working with mimeograph masters.
Click here to read or download scanned copies of some issues.
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in the Current Skies. Click here.
