Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
The planet Mars shines in the early morning sky, rising in the east at 2 a.m. at the start of October and by 1:30 a.m. at the end of the month. The planet is at first magnitude, as bright as a bright star. If you look closely, you can see that it does have a pale orange color.
On the first night of October, Mars sits in front of the beehive cluster, the star cluster at the center of Cancer the Crab. The Beehive is pretty faint, and binoculars are helpful in picking out this lovely haze of stars. On Oct. 1 and throughout early October, Mars will be about one-third of the way up in east at daybreak. By the end of the month, the planet is about halfway up in the east at dawn.
We don’t know when the first humans will take the long trek to Mars, but expect it will occur sometime this century. On Oct. 15 Bishop Museum opens “Facing Mars,” an intensely interactive exhibit from Ontario Science Centre that explores the excitement and the challenges of sending humans to Mars. Experience what it’s like to walk on the red planet, your earthly weight cut in half. Get a little taste of the challenges of space flight by spinning in a chair for 30 seconds and then trying to do puzzles. The exhibit also explores the nature of Mars, from its planetwide dust storms to the search for life. The exhibit runs through Jan. 2.
When “Facing Mars” opens we’ll also debut the planetarium program “Mars and the Sky Tonight” (11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. shows). This is a 25-minute live tour of the autumn evening sky over Hawaii, with a special focus on Mars and where to find it. Both the planetarium and Bishop Museum itself are open daily except Tuesdays.
Jupiter through the night
Jupiter, the second-brightest planet, is in the sky all night this October. The planet reaches opposition on the night of Oct. 28-29, meaning there is a straight line between the sun, Earth and Jupiter, with Earth in the middle. A planet like Jupiter is particularly striking during opposition for two reasons. First of all, it is closer to Earth during opposition than at any other time. For this reason Jupiter will be at its brightest in late October, shining at a blazing minus 2.9. Second, a planet in opposition is with us all night. As the sun sets in the west at dusk, Jupiter is straight across from the sun, rising in the east. When the sun is under our feet at midnight, Jupiter is high overhead. And when the sun rises in the east at dawn, Jupiter is straight across from the sun, setting in the west.
Around the time of opposition in late October, look for Jupiter low in the west at dusk (6:30 p.m.). It will be in the top of the sky around midnight and will set around 6:30 a.m. as day breaks. In early October, Jupiter rises in the east around 8 p.m., crosses the top of the sky at 2 a.m. and is halfway up in the western sky at daybreak. Midmonth the planet rises at 7 p.m., crosses the top of the sky around 1 a.m. and is two-thirds of the way down the western sky at daybreak.
As long as the night is clear, you will have no problem finding the planet. At minus 2.9 magnitude Jupiter is brighter than any star and brighter than any planet except Venus. Look for the full moon next to Jupiter in the night of Oct. 12-13.
Venus and Mercury
Throughout October, look for Venus low in the west around 6:30 p.m. Venus will be only about 5 degrees above the horizon, or the width of two fingers at arm’s length. Interestingly, the lineup of the orbits of Earth and Venus means than Venus will hover a mere 5 degrees above the western horizon at dusk all month long.
You’ll also need to look fast to catch our sister planet. Venus sets by 7 p.m. all month, giving you a mere 30 minutes to see the planet. It helps that Venus is bright; at minus 4 magnitude, it should pop out of the western twilight, as long as you have that flat, clear horizon.
Look for a slender crescent moon just below Venus on Oct. 27 and above Venus on Oct. 28.
Mercury pops back into the sunset sky at the end of October. From Oct. 23-31, look for Mercury just below Venus around 6:30 p.m. Venus is much brighter, but Mercury holds its own at minus 0.3 magnitude. Make sure you have a flat, clear horizon, and look for the
Venus-Mercury duet from 6:30 to 7 p.m. By Oct. 31, Mercury will be only 2 degrees below Venus, or the width of a finger at arm’s length.
On Oct. 27, catch the tiny sliver of a crescent moon just to the left of Mercury at 6:30 p.m. Mercury and moon alike are just below Venus.
Orionid Shower
The Orionid Shower peaks on the night of Oct. 20-21. Stay up late on the night of the 20th and into the early hours of Oct. 21. This shower is caused by debris from Halley’s Comet hitting our atmosphere. The best viewing is between midnight and 2 a.m., when the waning crescent moon rises and causes some interference. This is not one of the biggest showers, but can produce up to 20 meteors an hour under good circumstances.
———
Mike Shanahan is director of education, exhibits and planetarium at Bishop Museum. Reach him at mikes@bishopmuseum.org.
69