What’s Up in Denver? October 26th through November 1st

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Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

October 26:

E-Board Meeting. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Bill Bradford
E-Board Meeting. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Bill Bradford

 

  • DAS E-Board Meeting:Free, online, members’ only event via Zoom (check membership email and Slack for details): 7:00 PM

October 27:

The Moon near the Pleiades
The Moon near the Pleiades

October 28:

ScienceKind: The Search for another Earth with Dr Ravi Kopparapu
ScienceKind: The Search for another Earth with Dr Ravi Kopparapu

October 29:

The Moon near the Shoe Buckle Cluster
The Moon near the Shoe Buckle Cluster

October 30:

The Moon near Castor and Pollux
The Moon near Castor and Pollux

October 31 (Halloween):

Standley Lake Stargazing Star Party
Standley Lake Stargazing Star Party

November 1

Daylight Saving Time ends
Daylight Saving Time ends
  • Daylight Saving Time Ends – Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour: 2:00 AM
  • Last Quarter Hunter’s Moon: 1:28 PM

This Week’s Solar System Summary:

  • The Sun shifts from rising about 7:22 AM to 6:29 AM and setting around 6:05 PM to 4:57 PM. Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 1, so the clock change accounts for the apparent one-hour shift in sunrise and sunset times.
  • The Moon rises in the morning at the start of the week and shifts into the afternoon by the weekend, while moonset moves from early evening to late evening. The Full Moon occurs Monday, October 26, with the Moon remaining bright throughout much of the week.
  • Mercury remains low in the western sky after sunset and is difficult to spot in the bright twilight. It is approaching inferior conjunction in early November.
  • Venus passes through inferior conjunction this week and is lost in the Sun’s glare. It will gradually emerge in the morning sky in November.
  • Mars rises during the early morning hours and is visible in the eastern sky before sunrise. It continues to brighten gradually as it approaches its next opposition.
  • Jupiter rises during the early morning hours and shines brightly in the eastern sky before sunrise. It is becoming an increasingly prominent target for morning observers.
  • Saturn is visible during the evening and much of the night. It remains well placed for telescopic observing following its recent opposition.
  • Uranus reaches opposition on October 26, making it visible throughout the night. It is near its brightest for the year, but the Full Moon will make it harder to spot without binoculars or a telescope.
  • Neptune is visible during the evening and much of the night following its September opposition. A telescope is needed to find this faint, distant planet.

This Week’s Meteoric Activity:

You can keep track of the activity of meteor showers as well as those beyond the limits of visual observing by visiting the NASA Meteor Shower Portal.

  • Southern Taurids (STA): 1:00 AM near Aldebaran in Taurus: About 2–3 per hour
  • Orionids (ORI): 4:00 AM near Meissa in Orion: About 2–3 per hour
  • Northern Taurids (NTA): 1:00 AM near Botein in Aries: Less than 1 per hour.
  • Leonis Minorids (LMI): 5:00 AM near Rasalas in Leo Minor: Less than 1 per hour
  • λ-Ursae Majorids (LUM): 5:00 AM in Ursa Major: Less than 1 per hour.
  • χ-Taurids (CTA): 1:00 AM near the Pleiades in Taurus: Less than 1 per hour.

Check Out These Helpful Guides from DAS:

Sky Map

Clear skies and happy stargazing!