Useful Links – Bath Astronomers

What are we up to?

Jan22

Getting to Grips with the Night Sky: Introduction to astronomy

22 JanHerschel Museum of Astronomy

A talk on the night sky, how to get more involved in stargazing and ideas for enjoying astronomy. All are welcome from beginners upwards. It is intended to show you the simple science of the night skies above your head and how that knowledge can help you observe. The event is full and so no further bookings are being taken at present. There'll be a further session in March. Credit: NASA, Juno

Jan25

Telescope Workshop - BYO and have a chat

25 JanTunley Recreation Centre

A session for telescope owners who are new to the hobby or have got frustrated and need some help to get the best out of their telescopes. Please register your interest so we can manage numbers. Numbers are limited and so registration is required. Small charge to cover cost of the venue :)

Jan29

Member's Night; Short talks on your own projects and activities

29 JanHerschel Museum of Astronomy

Wednesday 29th Apr – Monthly meeting. Bath Astronomers monthly meeting for all members and new comers to meet up, enjoy perhaps a new topic and a cup of tea and a biscuit. Held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street. The format is open and comprises an update for the month and a talk on an astronomy topic within the reach of amateurs. All visitors welcome and there is a charge of £5 which helps cover the cost of the venue. Reduced to £2 for juniors, students or Bath Astronomers members. Picture: Simon Holbeche

Jan31

Stargazing at Wellow for all

31 JanPublic Car Park, Wellow, Somerset

Public stargazing session at Wellow, south of Bath. These events involve Bath Astronomers bringing along a telescope and helping visitors see objects of interest in the sky that evening. It's all about sharing. If you have your own kit, bring it along and we might be able to help you use it more effectively or give you some hints/tips. Start time is 6:30pm. Subject to clear skies - weather dependent. You can find out more about the Wellow site by visiting https://bathastronomers.org.uk/observing/sites-wellow/ We'll check the weather is suitable and issue guidance on whether things are going ahead by 4pm on the day. Guidance will be issued on Facebook and Bath Astronomers website. Do no travel until you see confirmation in this Facebook event or on Bath Astronomers website. If you register for the event on our web site, we'll email you to confirm the event is happening i.e. registration is a good idea. You should dress warmly and arrive as close to the start time as possible to avoid car lights ruining people's night vision too frequently. Wear stout, warm, waterproof footwear and consider a thermos of your favourite warm drink. If you are not a member of Bath Astronomers/William Herschel Society, you can get on our mailing list by emailing stargazing-join@bathastronomers.org.uk

Feb15

Stargazing at Wellow for all

15 FebPublic Car Park, Wellow, Somerset

Public stargazing session at Wellow, south of Bath. These events involve Bath Astronomers bringing along a telescope and helping visitors see objects of interest in the sky that evening. It's all about sharing. If you have your own kit, bring it along and we might be able to help you use it more effectively or give you some hints/tips. Start time is 7pm. Subject to clear skies - weather dependent. You can find out more about the Wellow site by visiting https://bathastronomers.org.uk/observing/sites-wellow/ We'll check the weather is suitable and issue guidance on whether things are going ahead by 4pm on the day. Guidance will be issued on Facebook and Bath Astronomers website. Do no travel until you see confirmation in this Facebook event or on Bath Astronomers website. If you register for the event on our web site, we'll email you to confirm the event is happening i.e. registration is a good idea. You should dress warmly and arrive as close to the start time as possible to avoid car lights ruining people's night vision too frequently. Wear stout, warm, waterproof footwear and consider a thermos of your favourite warm drink. If you are not a member of Bath Astronomers/William Herschel Society, you can get on our mailing list by emailing stargazing-join@bathastronomers.org.uk

Feb23

Stargazing at Wellow for all

23 FebPublic Car Park, Wellow, Somerset

Public stargazing session at Wellow, south of Bath. These events involve Bath Astronomers bringing along a telescope and helping visitors see objects of interest in the sky that evening. It's all about sharing. If you have your own kit, bring it along and we might be able to help you use it more effectively or give you some hints/tips. Start time is 7pm. Subject to clear skies - weather dependent. You can find out more about the Wellow site by visiting https://bathastronomers.org.uk/observing/sites-wellow/ We'll check the weather is suitable and issue guidance on whether things are going ahead by 4pm on the day. Guidance will be issued on Facebook and Bath Astronomers website. Do no travel until you see confirmation in this Facebook event or on Bath Astronomers website. If you register for the event on our web site, we'll email you to confirm the event is happening i.e. registration is a good idea. You should dress warmly and arrive as close to the start time as possible to avoid car lights ruining people's night vision too frequently. Wear stout, warm, waterproof footwear and consider a thermos of your favourite warm drink. If you are not a member of Bath Astronomers/William Herschel Society, you can get on our mailing list by emailing stargazing-join@bathastronomers.org.uk

Feb26

Talk by Owen Brazell

26 FebHerschel Museum of Astronomy

Wednesday 26th Feb – Monthly meeting. Bath Astronomers monthly meeting for all members and new comers to meet up, enjoy perhaps a new topic and a cup of tea and a biscuit. Held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street. The format is open and comprises an update for the month and a talk on an astronomy topic within the reach of amateurs. All visitors welcome and there is a charge of £5 which helps cover the cost of the venue. Reduced to £2 for juniors, students or Bath Astronomers members. Picture: Simon Holbeche

Feb29

Stargazing at Wellow for all

29 FebPublic Car Park, Wellow, Somerset

Public stargazing session at Wellow, south of Bath. These events involve Bath Astronomers bringing along a telescope and helping visitors see objects of interest in the sky that evening. It's all about sharing. If you have your own kit, bring it along and we might be able to help you use it more effectively or give you some hints/tips. Start time is 7:30pm. Subject to clear skies - weather dependent. You can find out more about the Wellow site by visiting https://bathastronomers.org.uk/observing/sites-wellow/ We'll check the weather is suitable and issue guidance on whether things are going ahead by 4pm on the day. Guidance will be issued on Facebook and Bath Astronomers website. Do no travel until you see confirmation in this Facebook event or on Bath Astronomers website. If you register for the event on our web site, we'll email you to confirm the event is happening i.e. registration is a good idea. You should dress warmly and arrive as close to the start time as possible to avoid car lights ruining people's night vision too frequently. Wear stout, warm, waterproof footwear and consider a thermos of your favourite warm drink. If you are not a member of Bath Astronomers/William Herschel Society, you can get on our mailing list by emailing stargazing-join@bathastronomers.org.uk

Mar13

Stargazing at Wellow for all

13 MarPublic Car Park, Wellow, Somerset

Public stargazing session at Wellow, south of Bath. These events involve Bath Astronomers bringing along a telescope and helping visitors see objects of interest in the sky that evening. It's all about sharing. If you have your own kit, bring it along and we might be able to help you use it more effectively or give you some hints/tips. Start time is 7:30pm. Subject to clear skies - weather dependent. You can find out more about the Wellow site by visiting https://bathastronomers.org.uk/observing/sites-wellow/ We'll check the weather is suitable and issue guidance on whether things are going ahead by 4pm on the day. Guidance will be issued on Facebook and Bath Astronomers website. Do no travel until you see confirmation in this Facebook event or on Bath Astronomers website. If you register for the event on our web site, we'll email you to confirm the event is happening i.e. registration is a good idea. You should dress warmly and arrive as close to the start time as possible to avoid car lights ruining people's night vision too frequently. Wear stout, warm, waterproof footwear and consider a thermos of your favourite warm drink. If you are not a member of Bath Astronomers/William Herschel Society, you can get on our mailing list by emailing stargazing-join@bathastronomers.org.uk

Mar18

Getting to Grips with the Night Sky: Introduction to astronomy

18 MarHerschel Museum of Astronomy

A talk on the night sky, how to get more involved in stargazing and ideas for enjoying astronomy. All are welcome from beginners upwards. It is intended to show you the simple science of the night skies above your head and how that knowledge can help you observe. Please register your interest so we can manage numbers. Numbers are limited and so registration is required. Credit: NASA, Juno

Mar21

Wells & Mendip Astronomers Messier Marathon

21 MarCharterhouse Outdoor Activity Centre

Wells & Mendip Astronomers are having their Messier Night on Saturday 21st March 20120 The event is open to the public and to Bath Astronomers. Discover Charles Messier’s deep-sky wonders in an almost moonless sky and listen to a Introductory talk.

Mar25

Talk by Bud Martin, A Life on Mars

25 MarHerschel Museum of Astronomy

Wednesday 25th Mar – Monthly meeting. Bath Astronomers monthly meeting for all members and new comers to meet up, enjoy perhaps a new topic and a cup of tea and a biscuit. Held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street. The format is open and comprises an update for the month and a talk on an astronomy topic within the reach of amateurs. All visitors welcome and there is a charge of £5 which helps cover the cost of the venue. Reduced to £2 for juniors, students or Bath Astronomers members. Picture: Simon Holbeche

Mar27

Stargazing at Wellow for all

27 MarPublic Car Park, Wellow, Somerset

Public stargazing session at Wellow, south of Bath. These events involve Bath Astronomers bringing along a telescope and helping visitors see objects of interest in the sky that evening. It's all about sharing. If you have your own kit, bring it along and we might be able to help you use it more effectively or give you some hints/tips. Start time is 8pm. Subject to clear skies - weather dependent. You can find out more about the Wellow site by visiting https://bathastronomers.org.uk/observing/sites-wellow/ We'll check the weather is suitable and issue guidance on whether things are going ahead by 4pm on the day. Guidance will be issued on Facebook and Bath Astronomers website. Do no travel until you see confirmation in this Facebook event or on Bath Astronomers website. If you register for the event on our web site, we'll email you to confirm the event is happening i.e. registration is a good idea. You should dress warmly and arrive as close to the start time as possible to avoid car lights ruining people's night vision too frequently. Wear stout, warm, waterproof footwear and consider a thermos of your favourite warm drink. If you are not a member of Bath Astronomers/William Herschel Society, you can get on our mailing list by emailing stargazing-join@bathastronomers.org.uk

Apr29

Talk by Chris Starr, Cassini and Saturn

29 AprHerschel Museum of Astronomy

NASA APOD

An Almost Eclipse of the Moon

Gyorgy Soponyai

This composited series of images follows the Moon on January 10, the first Full Moon of 2020, in Hungarian skies. The lunar disk is in mid-eclipse at the center of the sequence though. It looks only slightly darker there as it passes through the light outer shadow or penumbra of planet Earth. In fact during this penumbral lunar eclipse the Moon almost crossed into the northern edge of Earth's dark central shadow or umbra. Subtle and hard to see, this penumbral lunar eclipse was the first of four lunar eclipses in 2020, all of which will be penumbral lunar eclipses.

The Moon

Third Quarter (Illumination: 40.9%)
Age: 23.01 days (Phase: 77.9%)
Size: 32.5' (Distance: 367,600km)
Moon rise: 01:19
Moon set: 12:01

New Moon	First Quarter	Full Moon	Last Quarter
Thu 26 Dec	Fri 3 Jan	Fri 10 Jan	Fri 17 Jan
Fri 24 Jan	Sun 2 Feb	Sun 9 Feb	Sat 15 Feb
Sun 23 Feb	Mon 2 Mar	Mon 9 Mar	Mon 16 Mar
Tue 24 Mar	Wed 1 Apr	Wed 8 Apr	Tue 14 Apr

The Sun

Sunset: 16:34
End twilight: 18:33
Begin twilight: 06:05
Sunrise: 08:04

Current Meteor Showers

Shower	Start	Peak	End	ZHR
Gamma Ursae Minorids	10 Jan	18 Jan	22 Jan	3

Current Missions

Past Missions

Mythology

Constellation Mythology- A nice little page with links to more details on the mythology behind certain constellations

Exoplanets

Sun

Mercury

BepiColombo

The Moon

Moon Phases and Libration 2019
Apollo- NASA's overview of the Apollo programme to land people on the Moon

Mars

Jupiter

Juno

Saturn

Cassini-Huygens- Great mission that rewrote the book on Saturn

Asteroids

Space Ideas

Space Elevators and Astronomy

Astro Clubs and Observing

Go Stargazing- Listings of UK observing events
Bath Astronomers- Meets last Wednesday of the month
Beckington AS- Meets 3rd Friday of the month
Bristol AS- Meets once a week
Starquest Astronomers
Wells and Mendip Astronomers
Wiltshire AS- Meets first Tuesday of the month

School Outreach Ideas

Telescopes

Guide to Telescopes by Stargazing Live- A 6 page guide from the BBC on buying your first telescope

Software

Solar System Scope- A great tool for exploring the Solar System in both enlarged and realistic modes. You can use it online or pay a small sum to download and use it offline.
Worldwide Telescope- The American Astronomical Society's Worldwide Telescope available as a web application or a Windows download

The Planets

Planet	Rises	Sets	Constellation	Disk Size	Sun separation
Mercury	Saturday 08:38:41	Saturday 16:48:09	Cap	4.8" (37%)	5.2°
Venus	Saturday 09:45:21	Saturday 20:00:22	Aqr	14.2" (22%)	37.8°
Mars	Saturday 04:52:05	Saturday 12:56:46	Oph	4.5" (18%)	47.5°
Jupiter	Saturday 07:12:18	Saturday 15:00:44	Sgr	31.3" (64%)	16.8°
Saturn	Saturday 07:56:31	Saturday 16:05:58	Sgr	14.6" (73%)	3.9°
Uranus	Saturday 11:18:59	Sunday 01:24:04	Ari	3.5" (87%)	94.3°
Neptune	Saturday 10:01:57	Saturday 21:02:01	Aqr	2.2" (99%)	49.3°

Rise and Set times are with respect to Bath, UK. (%) indicates size compared to maximum possible. As Separation with the Sun approaches 0°, we have Conjunction. As it approaches 180°, we have Opposition. Planets will not be visible between Sunrise(08:01) and Sunset(16:36)

Messier objects due South now

Messier	Name	Type	Magnitude	Constellation
M4	NGC6121	Globular Cluster	5.9	Scorpius
M6	Butterfly Cluster	Open Cluster	4.2	Scorpius
M9	NGC6333	Globular Cluster	7.9	Ophiuchus
M10	NGC6254	Globular Cluster	6.6	Ophiuchus
M12	NGC6218	Globular Cluster	6.6	Ophiuchus
M13	Hercules Cluster	Globular Cluster	5.9	Hercules
M14	NGC6402	Globular Cluster	7.6	Ophiuchus
M19	NGC6273	Globular Cluster	7.2	Ophiuchus
M62	NGC6266	Globular Cluster	6.6	Ophiuchus
M80	NGC6093	Globular Cluster	7.2	Scorpius
M92	NGC6341	Globular Cluster	6.5	Hercules
M107	NGC6171	Globular Cluster	8.1	Ophiuchus

Click on the Messier number for the finders guide for the deep sky object.

Spot the Space Station from Bath

Date	Mag	Start	Max	End
Tue 21 Jan	-0.3	18:13:25 look SSE alt 10°	11°	18:14:04 look SE alt 11°
Wed 22 Jan	-1.3	18:59:25 look SSW alt 11°	25°	19:01:15 look S alt 25°
Thu 23 Jan	-1.2	18:11:55 look SSW alt 11°	22°	18:15:12 look SE alt 20°
Thu 23 Jan	-0.4	19:47:35 look WSW alt 11°	15°	19:48:08 look WSW alt 15°
Fri 24 Jan	-0.8	17:24:44 look S alt 11°	16°	17:28:33 look ESE alt 11°
Fri 24 Jan	-2.3	18:59:39 look WSW alt 10°	48°	19:02:21 look SSW alt 48°
Sat 25 Jan	-2.2	18:12:02 look SW alt 12°	41°	18:16:19 look ESE alt 27°
Sat 25 Jan	-0.8	19:48:20 look W alt 11°	20°	19:49:26 look W alt 20°
Sun 26 Jan	-1.8	17:24:44 look SSW alt 14°	30°	17:29:57 look E alt 11°
Sun 26 Jan	-2.8	19:00:20 look WSW alt 11°	73°	19:03:20 look WSW alt 73°
Mon 27 Jan	-2.9	18:12:21 look WSW alt 11°	70°	18:17:15 look E alt 27°
Mon 27 Jan	-0.8	19:49:07 look W alt 11°	20°	19:50:13 look W alt 20°

Starlink satellites rise and set times

Date	Satellite	Rise	Max	Set
Sat 18 Jan	STARLINK-1066	17:49:51 look SSW alt 11°	20°	17:53:00 look ESE alt 16°
Sat 18 Jan	STARLINK-1066	19:23:51 look WSW alt 12°	16°	19:24:21 look WSW alt 16°
Sun 19 Jan	STARLINK-1066	18:12:21 look SW alt 11°	44°	18:15:44 look ESE alt 34°
Mon 20 Jan	STARLINK-1066	18:37:25 look WSW alt 12°	86°	18:40:09 look SSE alt 86°
Tue 21 Jan	STARLINK-1066	17:29:10 look SW alt 11°	47°	17:34:19 look E alt 13°
Tue 21 Jan	STARLINK-1066	19:04:23 look W alt 12°	36°	19:06:08 look WNW alt 36°
Wed 22 Jan	STARLINK-1066	17:57:28 look WSW alt 12°	88°	18:01:44 look ENE alt 26°
Wed 22 Jan	STARLINK-1066	19:33:00 look WNW alt 12°	16°	19:33:30 look WNW alt 16°
Thu 23 Jan	STARLINK-1066	18:27:23 look W alt 12°	63°	18:30:40 look NE alt 51°
Fri 24 Jan	STARLINK-1066	17:22:38 look WSW alt 10°	80°	17:28:44 look ENE alt 10°
Fri 24 Jan	STARLINK-1066	18:58:35 look WNW alt 12°	43°	19:00:37 look NW alt 43°
Sat 25 Jan	STARLINK-1066	17:55:03 look W alt 12°	61°	17:59:38 look ENE alt 22°
Sat 25 Jan	STARLINK-1066	19:30:31 look WNW alt 10°	22°	19:31:48 look WNW alt 22°
Sun 26 Jan	STARLINK-1066	18:28:00 look WNW alt 12°	70°	18:31:34 look ENE alt 45°
Mon 27 Jan	STARLINK-1066	17:26:18 look WNW alt 19°	61°	17:31:08 look E alt 12°
Mon 27 Jan	STARLINK-1066	19:01:16 look WNW alt 12°	54°	19:03:33 look W alt 54°

This is the lead satellite from the 3rd batch of 60 of the Starlink constellation