Astronomy Israel

Friday, November 29, 2013

Comet ISON goes Pfffttt!!

It looks like Comet Ison will not become "The Comet of the Century", as it appears to have burned up as it rounded the sun, reaching its "perihelion" or closest approach to the sun on Thanksgiving Day at 1:48PM Eastern Time in the US. This is one of the reasons I wrote so little, actually nothing, about it. Touting a comet as "The Comet of the Century" before it actually becomes that is almost always a jinx. Those comets rarely are, and ISON has shown itself as no exception.

Oh well, there's still plenty to see in the sky. Come on down for a star tour adventure with the Starman of Mitzpe Ramon. We're open every clear night except Fridays and Jewish holidays.

Comet ISON is show in a composite NASA image as it approaches the sun. The sun's bright central image is blocked by a coronagraph so other objects can be seen in the frame.

Comet ISON's passage around the sun as it disintegrates in the heat of the corona.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Photos from the Solar Eclipse of November 3, 2013

We went up to the roof of the physics building at Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva where a public viewing session was being held. Here a group of students uses eclipse glasses and a small Meade telescope to view the eclipse.

On top of the physics building at BGU is a large dome with a 16 inch Meade schmidt cassegrain telescope. Here a student uses a small solar telescope attached to the Meade tube.

An impressionistic view of the eclipse through my No. 12 welder's glass.

The sun at mid-eclipse, about 4:15PM, partially obscured by an antenna on a nearby building.

The sun, 20% eclipsed. This is what it looked like through my No. 12 welder's glass filter.

The sun sets behing the BGU computer science building.

A rather impressionist view with the filter tiled from the perpendicular.

Allright, not an eclipse picture. But as I was leaving campus I came across this group of mechanical engineering students fine tuning their race car. Amazing what you can find at Israeli universities!

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Partial Solar Eclipse Visible from Israel on November 3

A partial eclipse of the sun will be visible from Israel on Sunday, November 3, 2013. The moon will cover approximately 20% of the sun from Israel, with maximum eclipse reached at 4:00PM. The sun will be very low to the horizon then, just 8 degrees high in the sky and very close to sunset. So, you will need a very clear horizon to observe it. Viewers on the coast will have the best chance gazing out over the Mediterranean Sea. Do not use binoculars or telescopes unless you have special solar filters for them. Naked eye observers should be able to view the partially eclipsed sun just as they would a setting sun, but don't gaze for long unless you have a special naked-eye solar filter. Also be careful not to stare at the sun when it is higher in the sky as this could permanently damage your eyesight.

How the sun will look when viewed from Israel at 4:00PM on Sunday November 3, 2013. This will be maximum eclipse with the sun 20% covered by the moon. This will also be just 30 minutes before sunset, so the sun will be very close to the horizon. The partial eclipse begins at 3:13 when you will definitely need a solar filter to safely watch the sun.

The partial eclipse will also be visible along the east coast of the US, with maximum coverage at 9:00am. The sun will then be high enough to require a solar filter to observe.

For an excellent summary page for this event see here: http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/israel/jerusalem

Friday, October 18, 2013

Penumbral Eclipse of Moon Peaks at 2:50AM Israeli Time Tonight

On late Friday night October 19 at 2:50AM Israeli local time, a penumbral eclipse of the full moon will peak and be visible throughout the country. But don't get too excited. A penumbral eclipse is barely visible as a shading of the full moon's light, but a good one may cast a reddish glow across the moon. Unlike a total eclipse of the moon, which completely darkens its light, a penumbral eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the outer penumbral shadow of the earth, which is very dim. This leads to just a slight darkening or shading of the moon's light.

Go outside, if you're up that late, and let us know if you see any change in the moon's light then. In any case, you will know and observe the exactly full moon then, 180 degrees opposite the sun at 2:50AM!

A penumbral eclipse of the moon occurs when it passes through the outer, dim shadow of the earth on full moon night . It will be visible in Israel on late Friday night, October 19, at 2:50AM local Israeli time.

Monday, September 9, 2013

The New Moon with Venus, Spica and Saturn

I captured the close conjunction of the new moon of Tishrei with Venus last night, adding as a bonus the bright star Spica with Saturn entering the picture at the upper left towards the end.

Spica, the brightest star in Virgo appears just to the lower right of the moon with Venus above left. Towards the end of the animation Saturn enters the field at the top left.

New moon of September 8, 2013 with Venus to the upper left and Saturn to the far upper left. Around 8:00 PM above the hills of Mitzpe Ramon, Israel.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Don't Miss Venus and the New Moon in the Evening Sky Tonight

Tonight, Sunday September 8, the new moon of Tishrei, just 3 days old, will make a beautiful pairing with Venus in the evening sky at sunset. Venus and the moon will be the two brightest objects in the sky, with Saturn visible above and to the left of Venus. If you have a completely clear western horizon and a pair of binoculars you should also be able to glimpse the elusive planet Mercury due west, above and to the left of the setting sun. But it will be very low in the sky and will set shortly after the sun. The other two planets and the moon will be visible well into darkness. On Monday night the moon will be above and left of Venus, not nearly as close, but still a pretty sight.

Give it a try and let us know what you see. Venus, Saturn and the moon are bright enough to be visible from even light polluted skies in Israel.

Venus will be visible just above and left of the moon, impossible to miss in the darkening sunset sky. Saturn should also be easy to see above and left of Venus, with Mercury a difficult binocular object above and just left of the setting sun. This view of the sky is for 7:00PM Local Israel Time on September 8, 2013.