http://www.skyandtelescope.com.au 53EventsarecalculatedforeasternAustralia.Adjustfordaylightsavingwhereappropriate.JULY 28There’llbeatotaleclipseofthe
Moonthismorning.EasternAustralian
states will see the first half of the event
before moonset, with central states
seeing up to the end of totality, and
Western Australia seeing to the end of the
umbral phase.JULY 30–31Mars is closest to Earth,
closer and appearing larger than
at any other time from 2003 to
2035.Thisweekitshinesata
blazing magnitude –2.8, and
through a telescope it appears
just over 24 arcseconds wide.AUGUST 12–13The Perseid
meteor shower should be at its
peaktonight,butit’smainlyaNorthern
Hemisphere event. Still, a few bright
meteors might be seen zipping over the
northern horizon.SEPTEMBER 1Venus and the star
Spicawill be just over 1° apart in the early
western evening sky.SEPTEMBER 21Venus, bright all
month, will be easy to spot this evening,
shining at magnitude –4.8.SEPTEMBER 22Equinox: The hours of
darkness and daylight are roughly equal
today for most temperate latitudes.OCTOBER 15Saturn and the Moon
shinetogether in the dusk.OCTOBER 16Mercury and
Venus will about 6° apart in
the evening sky.OCTOBER 21, 22The
Orionid meteor shower,
moderately weak, should be most
active in the hour or two before dawn on
thesemornings,aftertheMoonsets.OCTOBER 28Look for Mercury and
Jupiterclosetogether,lowinthewestern
sky after sunset.WESTLAKE
There’ll be several good
meteor showers this
year. See page 47.NOVEMBER 8–11 Watch for Mercury
and the star Antares close together in the
evening sky.NOVEMBER 18 The Leonids meteor
shower reaches its peak in the early
morning hours.NOVEMBER 30 Venus is at greatest
brilliancy in late November and early
December, shining in the southeast
before and during dawn at an unusually
bright magnitude –4.9.DECEMBER 13–14 The Geminid meteor
shower should be at its peak. The sky will
be nicely dark from around midnight, when
the Moon sets, until the first light of dawn.
You might see a meteor per minute on
average. Some also appear in the evening.DECEMBER 21 Solstice: Marks the
approximate mid-point of Australasia’s
summer season.