Morning sky on Tuesday, October 31 as seen from Adelaide at 00:40 ACDST, (click on to embiggen). The moon is nearly to cowl the star Merope within the Pleiades. The inset is the binocular view of the moon right now (click on to embiggen). |
Morning sky on Tuesday, October 31 as seen from Melbourne at 01:00 AEDST, (click on to embiggen). The moon is nearly to cowl the star Merope within the Pleiades. The inset is the binocular view of the moon right now (click on to embiggen). |
Night sky on Monday, October 30 as seen from Perth at 23:00 AWST, (click on to embiggen). The moon is nearly to cowl the star Atlas within the Pleiades. The inset is the binocular view of the moon right now (click on to embiggen). |
On the late night thirtieth/early morning thirty first the simply previous Full Moon will cross over (occult) some vivid stars within the iconic Pleiades cluster. From jap states and SA essentially the most stars might be coated. WA sees just one vivid star coated and Darwin sees the Moon brush the sting of the cluster.
Whereas probably seen to the unaided eye, that is greatest seen with binoculars or a telescope. The intense Moon will wash out all however the brightest members of the Pleiades. Happily, for many of Australia at the very least one of many vivid stars within the cluster, Merope (Magazine 4.2) Alcyone (Magazine 2.8) and Atlas (Magazine. 3.6) are coated. A lot of the east coast and SA will get all 3 coated.
Timings for the masking of Merope and Alcyone are give beneath (apart from WA the place Atlas is given), Atlas is roofed not lengthy after Alcyone for the east coast and SA.
Merope DB | Merope RD | Alcyone DB | Alcyone RD | |
Adelaide ACDST | 00:43 | 1:15 | 1:33 | 1:57 |
Brisbane AEST | 00:30 | 1:27 | 1:24 | 2:11 |
Canberra AEDST | 1:13 | 2:19 | 2:03 | 3:04 |
Darwin ACST | – | – | – | – |
Hobart AEDST | 1:05 | 2:15 | 1:52 | 2:59 |
Melbourne AEDST | 1:07 | 2:09 | 1:55 | 2:53 |
Perth AWST (thirtieth) | 23:10* | 23:44* | – | – |
Sydney AEDST | 1:17 | 2:24 | 2:07 | 3:09 |
DB – disappear vivid limb, RD – reappear darkish limb.
* In Perth the Moon misses Merope and Alcyone, however passes over the bight star Atlas as an alternative on the late night of the thirtieth.
It’s greatest to arrange round half-hour earlier than the occultation so you may get oriented within the sky and don’t miss the start whereas fussing with tools.
Cloud cowl predictions could be discovered at SkippySky.
Right here is the near-real time satellite tv for pc view of the clouds (day and night time) http://satview.bom.gov.au/
Labels: binoculars, Moon, Occultation, Pleiades, telescope