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May 8, 2025

Chestertown Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown

9 Brevities

May 2025 sky-watch by Dennis Herrmann

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Planet highlights are somewhat reduced this month although Mars makes a nice addition to the dim Zodiac constellation, Cancer the Crab.  On May 1st use binoculars to find Mars quite close to M44, the “Beehive Cluster;” an open cluster of stars found in Cancer.  Cancer lies in the western sky between the Gemini twins and Leo the lion which are brighter zodiac “bookends” to Cancer.  Mars is the brightest object in this area of the sky.
Leo has a 1st magnitude star (Regulus) at the bottom of the “backwards question mark” shape formed by the front of Leo.  Another 1st magnitude star (Spica) may be seen in the middle of the next Zodiac constellation to the left of Leo.  Both are blue-white stars and bright; but dimmer than Mars.
Jupiter is way over in the western sky appearing to draw closer to the Sun.  By 9:30 pm it will have set.  For the first half of May Jupiter will be seen close to the horizon and mostly in twilight.  However, it is still bright enough to be seen, especially through telescopes.  By June it will be lost in the glare of the Sun, but will return to view later in the summer in the eastern morning sky before dawn.
In the eastern morning sky now, Venus is very bright before sunrise.  On May 23rd look for it when the waning crescent Moon will be found just above and to the right of it.  Saturn will be found just to the right of the Moon.
Neptune lies in this same spot in the sky and on May 23rd it might be seen above and left of Saturn, but only with binoculars as a dim green dot.
Saturn will continue to gain altitude this month and into the summer eastern sky, and Venus’ orbit will appear to take in farther away from the Sun.  Both planets will be even easier to see into June and beyond this summer.
The Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks on May 5th.  Looking east from 2:30 to 4:30 pm, above where Venus and Saturn lie close to the horizon, may reveal several dozen very fast-moving meteors per hour caused by remnant dust particles from Halley’s Comet.
May’s Full Moon shines on May 12th.
Dennis Herrmann developed a life-long interest in astronomy at an early age and got his first telescope at the age of 12. Through his 43 years of teaching at Kent County High School he taught Astronomy and Earth/Space Science and coached track and field and cross country. He led and participated in numerous workshops on astronomy at the Air and Space Museum (DC), the Maryland Science Center, and the Mid-Atlantic Planetarium Society. He loves sharing and explaining the night sky to increase understanding and enjoyment of it to folks of all ages.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Lyrids and morning planets April 2025 sky-watch by Dennis Herrmann

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The annual Lyrid meteor shower, which peaks the night of April 22nd, is one of the main April highlights for sky-watchers.  This meteor shower, caused by debris left behind from a Comet with a 416 year orbit, will be best seen from 2 to 4 am looking East.  With 20 to 25 meteors per hour be likely, it is worth going out early to see them.
Brilliant Venus also graces the early morning eastern sky all month, and will guide the way to seeing dimmer Mercury and Saturn, standing side by side just below it.  Look for the this “planet triangle” on the morning of April 12th, 30 minutes before sunrise.
Jupiter is still a bright planet in the southwest, but the observing window for it closes dramatically.  Jupiter sets around 1 am on April 1st; but before 11 pm on April 30th.  A thin crescent Moon will be seen just above Jupiter on April 2nd; and again on April 30th.
 On April 1st the crescent Moon will be just to the left of M 45; the well-known Pleiades star cluster.  With binoculars, this will be a truly beautiful sight.
Saturn is a very dim object in the eastern sky; and very low to the horizon.  But on April 24th with a waning crescent Moon hanging just above the ringed planet, it may be easier to spot.
Mars is the only planet that will be well up above the horizon for any length of time this month.  It is now to the left and slightly above Castor and Pollux, the two first magnitude “head” stars of the Gemini twins constellation.  Mars won’t set until 3:00 am this month.  But before that we can see it gradually move into Cancer the crab and approach M 44, the “Beehive” Cluster of stars.  By April 30th Mars will appear just above and right of the cluster, and will make another beautiful sight through binoculars or a low power telescope.
Full Moon for April is on the 12th.

Dennis Herrmann developed a life-long interest in astronomy at an early age and got his first telescope at the age of 12. Through his 43 years of teaching at Kent County High School he taught Astronomy and Earth/Space Science and coached track and field and cross country. He led and participated in numerous workshops on astronomy at the Air and Space Museum (DC), the Maryland Science Center, and the Mid-Atlantic Planetarium Society. He loves sharing and explaining the night sky to increase understanding and enjoyment of it to folks of all ages.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

March 2025 sky-watch: A lunar eclipse and springtime by Dennis Herrmann

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The biggest deal in the night sky this month is a total eclipse of the Moon on the night of March 13/14.  A total lunar eclipse happens when the Full Moon passes directly into the shadow cast by the Earth.  This doesn’t happen every month because of the Moon’s 5-degree orbital tilt around the Earth.
The Moon will enter the lighter penumbral portion of Earth’s shadow at 11:56 pm EDT on March 13th. (we will have changed to daylight saving time on March 9th); and the Moon will enter the umbra (Earth’s darker main shadow) ay 1:09 am EDT on March 14th.  Crater by crater, plain by plain, the Moon’s surface will darken and take on a deep reddish-orange glow.  Sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere will scatter blue light and let red light continue onto the Moon’s surface.
Totality begins at 2:26 am EDT – – – – maximum eclipse at 2:59 am – – – – with totality lasting a full 66 minutes; ending at 3:32 am.  The final partial phase of the eclipse ends at 4:48 am.
Lunar eclipses last much longer than Solar Eclipses because the earth’s shadow is so much larger than the Moon’s shadow.  So we do not need to be poised to see a totality of a Solar Eclipse that will last for only 1 to 7 minutes at most.  The entire lunar eclipse from partial through totality to end of partial lasts over 3 1/2 hours.  This allows plenty of time to see it anywhere along the way through the late night/early morning of March 13/14!
This is a special treat for sky-watchers even though it is late during the overnight.  It is worth getting up to see; but as always, we always have to hope for clear skies!
Venus’ orbit begins to take it lower in our skies and down toward the western horizon all month, but it will remain the most obvious planet to see this month because it is so bright.  Indeed on March 1st, the slim crescent Moon will be found just below and left of Venus; and will also be joined by Mercury just below this Moon, 40 to 60 minutes after sunset.
Venus will appear to descend to the horizon fairly quickly.  By March 22nd it will be pretty much lost in the Sun’s glare, but it will quickly re-appear in the eastern morning sky by April 1st.
Before that Mercury will gain some altitude after March 1st, so that it will be side by side with Venus on the 13th.
Jupiter continues to shine brightly among the stars of Taurus the Bull all month, high in the southwestern sky.  It will set by 1 am by March 31st, but telescopic view of the giant planet will yield many good sights of its moons and colored cloud bands (atmosphere).  Jupiter will also get just slightly dimmer all month’
Saturn is invisible this month but will re-appear later in April in the eastern morning sky before sun-up.
Mars is visible all month starting high up in the eastern sky at sunset.  On March 8th look close to Mars where a gibbous Moon will be seen; both among the stars of Gemini, the twins.  Mars loses some brightness this month as it moves farther from Earth in its orbit, but some surface features and the northern polar ice cap may be seen by sky-watchers with telescopes.
Finally, the Vernal (Spring) Equinox arrives on March 20th at 5:01 am EDT, with day light hours and night-time hours about equal; with daylight continuing to increase moving forward.
 The March Full Moon (in eclipse), as noted earlier, is on March 14th.

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February sky-watch 2025: Bright winter stars and planets by Dennis Herrmann

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Any clear winter night this month, look due south between 8:00 and 10:00 pm to spot the large “hour-glass” shape of Orion the hunter.  In its middle 3 equally bright stars mark the belt around the waist of this hunter.  Using those 3 stars as a pointer through them down and left to spot Sirius, the brightest star in the sky as seen from Earth, and part of the the constellation Canis Major; Orion’s bigger dog.  Then using the 3 belt stars as a pointer in the opposite direction will lead our eyes to Taurus the bull; a distinct “V”-shaped zodiac constellation with a bright star, Aldebaran, of its own.  This whole region around Orion is filled with many bright stars; fully 8 of the top 20 brightest stars we can see, making it perhaps the brightest sky of the year.
Though Saturn will begin to move out of sight this month, setting just 1 hour after sunset by the end of February, it will be close to Mercury on February 24th making a nice conjunction of 2 planets.  Find a good clear view to the western horizon that night and look 30 to 45 minutes after sunset.  Saturn will be just left of Mercury.  Both will be very close to the horizon.
Venus is hard to miss above both Saturn and Mercury and may be seen for 3 hours after sunset.  On February 1st look for a slim crescent Moon very close to Venus.
Jupiter is also very bright and can be seen all month high in the sky just above Aldebaran.  A waxing crescent Moon will appear to form a line with Jupiter and Aldebaran on February 6th
If you have a telescope take the opportunity this month to study Jupiter as often as possible. Views of the giant planet will be rewarding.
Mars in the eastern sky will form a triangle with the top two stars of Gemini, Castor & Pollux, on February 1st.  Mars itself will be visible all night and during the month Mars’ retrograde orbital motion will make it appear to move into the center of Gemini until late in the month; when it will appear to move backup toward Pollux.
This apparent reversal of motion is due to Earth’s faster orbital speed making Mars appear to move “backwards” for several weeks.  It is a temporary illusion.  In reality Mars always moves slower than Earth around the Sun in an elongated orbit counter-clockwise around the Sun.
Ground Hog day is on February 2nd and has no astronomical significance despite what the ground hog sees, but February 2nd does mark the exact mid-point between the Winter Solstice (Dec. 22nd) and Vernal Equinox (first day of spring March 23).  Just a bit of trivia. February’s Full Moon is on February 12th.

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Planet highlights in December: December 2024 sky watch by by Dennis Herrmann

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December 2024 sky – watch
This December Jupiter will reach its best apparition in a decade for sky-watchers, offering loads of details for sky-watchers with telescope.  Mars will join Jupiter in the eastern sky on later December evenings; being just a month away from its own best appearance for us in two years.  Saturn will be visible in the early southwestern sky, while Venus dazzles soon after sunset in the western sky.
On December 4th look for the crescent Moon just below Venus.  We can’t miss either one because they are both so bright.
On December 7th a slightly fuller Moon will be seen below and right of Saturn; the ringed planet being visible until it sets in the west around midnight at the start of December, and around 10 pm at the end of the month.
Jupiter reaches opposition on December 7th; rising in the East as the Sun sets in the West ( they are opposite each other in the sky as we see them).  Jupiter is visible all night lying among the stars of Taurus the Bull, and above well-known constellation Orion.  Jupiter will be highest in the sky at midnight and will be bright.  In fact it is the brightest thing in that part of the sky, until a nearly full moon stand above and right of it on December 13th.
Mars opens December quite bright in the eastern sky rising around 8:30 pm, and brightens noticeably throughout the month.  By midnight it will be well up among the stars of Cancer the Crab in the eastern sky and it will reach opposition in January 2025.
On the morning of December 28th Mercury and a very slim crescent Moon appear very close, rising together around 6 am; and very close to the horizon.
Full Moon in December is on the 15th.
The Annual Planetarium Christmas program will be presented for 5 nights at 7 pm at the Kent County High School Planetarium beginning Friday December 13th.  The program continues on Monday and Tuesday December 16th and 17th; and again on Thursday and Friday December 19th and 20th.  There is no admission price and seasonal refreshments are available,
Join us for the show; and have a Merry Christmas!!

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Improving planet views: November 2024 sky-watch by Dennis Herrmann

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Our views of several planets improve this month, most notably that of Jupiter, which approaches its closet approach to Earth in early December.  Already Jupiter is well up in the eastern sky by 10 pm and it is the brightest object there, among the stars of background constellation Taurus.  Jupiter will also gain in brightness throughout the month.  A bright Moon will be seen just above Jupiter on November 17th.
Venus is easy to find just after sunset in the western sky and remains visible for two hours after the Sun goes down.  On November 4th a waxing crescent Moon is just above Venus; making a nice opportunity to make a photograph of the two.
Saturn continues high in the southern sky among the star of Aquarius.  In a telescope, Saturn’s rings appear very thin this month as Saturn’s tilt is widest to our line of sight right now.  So we see the rings almost edge on.  Indeed they almost disappear, and by the end of the year, they will.  Saturn will be seen just above a ten day old Moon on November 10th.
Mars is growing brighter in the eastern morning sky all month and by the end of November will actually be seen about 40 degrees up in the East by midnight.  Mars will move closer to Earth and be at is best in two years early in 2025.  On November 20th the Moon (waning gibbous) will be near Mars.
Mercury makes a brief appearance below and right of Venus and will be visible for about an hour after sunset; although pretty close to the horizon.  Best evenings to look for it will be from November 16th to the 20th.  Binoculars and a clear view down to the western horizon will help.
Remember this is the month we return to Standard Time, so when we retire of Saturday night (November 2nd) we set our clocks back one hour.  This means that night descends earlier in the evening; by 5:00 to 5:30 pm.  More opportunity to het our earlier and become a “Sky-Watcher!”
Full Moon for November is November 15th.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

October 2024 Sky-Watch : Maybe A Bright Comet By Dennis Herrmann

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I have rarely brought passing comets to sky-watchers attention through my column; not because they are rare, but because most comets remain too dim to be seen easily except through binoculars or small telescopes.  However mid-October brings a highly anticipated comet into view with its closest approach to Earth on October 12th.  The comet’s name is Comet Tsuchinshan – ATLAS X2023 A 3.   Comet’s odd names are derived from the person who first spotted them (usually an amateur astronomer) and a numerical code for when they were found. 
Meanwhile Venus dominates the evening western sky all month in the 45 to 75  minutes period after sunset.  On October 5th a thin crescent Moon will be seen just below Venus.
But we will start our search for the comet on October 13th and 14th when its orbital path into the inner solar system takes it just above and right of Venus.  Venus’ brightness acts as great guide to start the search as the comet will move from right to left away from Venus and across the southern sky over the next week.  Use binoculars to look for it, though it is possible that by that time the comet will be bright enough to be visible without aid. Only time will tell since comets hardly ever follow brightness estimates.
However once the comet is spotted, follow it from night to night across the southern sky for the next two weeks; especially from the 14th to the 19th when its tail develops.  Moonlight may dim the sky some so continue to use binoculars to see the tail.  After October 20th the comet will fade as it moves away  from us, but take every opportunity to look for it.  It could be the brightest comet in some years!
Saturn is well up in the south-eastern sky as soon as darkness falls and is a great telescopic object all month where its rings come into view.  It is visible all night until early morning.  Jupiter rises about 10 pm in the eastern sky with its best views from midnight to dawn.  The waning gibbous Moon will be near the giant planet on October 20th and 21st.  Mars can be seen in the eastern morning sky and getting brighter all month while moving out of Gemini and into Cancer; the two zodiac constellations that currently form its background in the sky.  A slim crescent Moon will be near Mars of October 1st. 
Finally the Orionid meteor shower peaks on October 21st, but the bright gibbous Moon may make it hard to spot the meteors.  Look southwest, however, one hour before sunrise, when 15 to 20 meteors per hour may be seen around the familiar constellation Orion (the hunter). 
Full Moon is October 17th.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Opposition and Equinox: September 2024 Sky-Watch By Dennis Herrmann

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Saturn reaches opposition on September 8th this year, when it will be visible all night, rising soon after sunset in the eastern sky.  The word opposition refers to Saturn being in a position opposite the Sun in the sky to us; we on Earth are “in between” the two as we look at the sky.  Saturn is also at its brightest for all of 2024 at opposition, and lies some 800 million miles from Earth.  Even so, Saturn is stunning when seen through a backyard telescope.
Although all of the “gas giant” planets have ring systems, only Saturn reveals its rings through backyard telescopes.  Jupiter’s rings are thinner and less dense, and Neptune and Uranus are just too far away to see their rings from Earth.  These planet’s rings were actually discovered by space probes out to them from the United States.
On the morning of September 17th look to the western sky an hour before sunrise when the Full Moon will be seen just below and right of Saturn.
Speaking of the Moon will be in partial eclipse on September 17/18, beginning at 8:41 pm EDT; shortly after moonrise that evening.  At its peak, about 8% of the Moon will be inside Earth’s shadow, with the maximum occurring around 10:40 pm.
Venus will be visible in September for about an hour after sunset in the western sky.  On September 4th the waxing crescent Moon will be just to the right of Venus; and on the very next evening the two will appear to have switched places.  The Moon will below and left of Venus.
Jupiter is very bright and rising in the eastern sky around midnight and visible until dawn among the stars of Taurus the Bull.  Best telescope view of the giant planet will be in the hour just before dawn when it will be at its highest in the sky.  Mars is also between the horn stars of Taurus in the early morning eastern skies when September begins, and will appear to move into Gemini by month’s end.
Autumnal equinox; the first day of fall, occurs at 8:44 am EDT on September 22nd.  This is when the Sun, moving along the ecliptic (the Sun’s apparent annual path against the sky), appears to slip below the celestial equator.

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August 2024 Sky-Watch: The Perseids And The Planets By Denis Herrmann

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 The planets remain the big feature for sky-watchers throughout August this year. However, favorable conditions for dark skies will offer us good viewing for the annual Perseid Meteor Shower.  The result of debris left behind by the passage of Comet 109P Swift Tuttle, the Perseids are one of the most productive meteor showers annually.  The maximum rate of meteors is 100 per hour; the direction to look for them is east, and the time is 1 1/2 hours before sunrise on the mornings of August 11th and 12th.
An additional treat this year is that Jupiter and Mars are in the same place in the sky as the Perseids.  Mars and Jupiter are very close to each other on August 12th and will appear to draw even closer when they form a conjunction (When 2 or more celestial objects appear to be very close to one another in the sky from our line of sight here on Earth) on the 14th.  Mars will be above Jupiter, the brighter of the two planets.
Mars and Jupiter appear among the background stars of Taurus the bull (zodiac); and the brightest star of Taurus, Aldebaran, is seen to the right of Mars, appearing reddish (it is a red star),  but dimmer than Mars.  Sky-watchers should try to start watching Mars and Jupiter in the eastern morning sky before sunrise around August 5th, when Mars appears above Aldebaran.  Continue to look at the two planets for the next 9 days as their orbits gradually bring them to their August 14th conjunction.  This conjunction of two bright planets is a sight not to miss!
Venus will be an easy object to spot in the western skies as long as one has a clear view to the horizon.  Venus will be very bright but will not have a lot of altitude, so one needs to look close to the horizon 30 minutes or so after sunset.
Saturn rises around 10 pm above the eastern horizon August 1st, and about 8 pm by August 31st.  In early August it will not be high enough in the sky to see easily until midnight, but it will be up enough to see by 10 pm at the end of the month.  Its rings will be easy to see in small telescopes then.  Next month Saturn will be at its closest to Earth this year and will rise in the east as the Sun sets in the west.  We call this opposition.
The beautiful summer Milky Way is clear when nights are clear and we find locations away from street lights, running from due south in the regions of Sagittarius and Scorpius, up and across to the zenith and down toward the northeastern sky.  The waning crescent Moon will appear just above Jupiter on the morning of August 27th (before sun-up), and August’s Full Moon is on 19th.

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July 2024 Sky-Watch: Summer Stars And Planets By Dennis Herrmann

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Image credit: ESA/Hubble and NASA, R. Cohen

Last month several planets appeared to line up across the eastern morning sky, but this month,  each planet’s own orbital speeds have caused a change in their positions as we see them.  This month only Mercury and Venus will be visible in the evening western skies briefly after sunset. Venus will set first and even though it is very bright it will be a challenge to spot it hugging the horizon.  On July 6th when the crescent Moon passes just over Venus 30 minutes after the Sun sets if might be easier to find it.
Mercury being a little higher, though dimmer, should be easier to see when the Moon passes above it on July 7th; especially through binoculars.  Venus will gain altitude later through the summer while Mercury’s orbit will take it closer to the Sun from our viewpoint and out of sight for awhile.
Saturn will be up above the eastern horizon by midnight in July and provide decent views of it by 2 pm until dawn. On July 24th, the waning gibbous Moon can be seen above the ringed planet.  Saturn rings will appear almost edge-on and very thin when seen through a telescope. The ring tilt currently is only 2 degrees away from our sight line out to Saturn.  Saturn orbits the Sun in a slightly different plane from the plane of Earth’s orbit so our view of the rings gradually shifts over about a dozen years.
Mars rises from the eastern horizon around 2 am and by July 21st will be about 30 degrees above the horizon.  On July 20th Mars will stand below the well-known Pleiades star cluster, and by the 22nd will be near Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus the Bull.  Aldebaran is often called the “eye” of the Bull because it is a bright reddish-orange star.  Reddish-orange Mars appearing so close and being the same in brightness as Aldebaran will make it look like the Bull temporarily has two “red eyes!”
Jupiter gains altitude this month, also in the eastern pre-dawn sky, and already bright, brightens through July.  Waning crescent Moons will appear close the Jupiter several times:  on July 3rd, 30th, and 31st,
The summer Milky Way comes into view this month as we will be looking due south toward the center of our Milky Way galaxy, where a greater concentration of stars, cluster, and nebulae(gas clouds) are found.  Zodiac constellations Scorpius and Sagittarius trace low across the southern horizon and the summer Milky Way sweeps up from these two toward the zenith and left over to the northeastern sky.  Choose good clear nights without conflicting street lights or house lights to reveal this “milky path” across the sky.  Binocular views tracing across this arc will show even greater glory and will be a real treat!
Also glance up straight to the zenith (top of the sky) and then look west (right) for Arcturus, another red-orange star; 3rd brightest of all stars as seen from Earth, and then look east (left) to Vega, bluish-white in color, and 4th brightest of all stars  (as seen from Earth).
Full Moon for July is on the 21st, one day after the anniversary of the  first manned Moon landing on July 20th, 1969 (Neil Armstrong/USA)

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