Well, as usual the Christmas period (when we rest and recuperate) was busier than any other time of the year. During December I managed to get in quite     a lot of solar observing but a lot of the month was wet in the valley and the first really clear night was Christmas Eve. Some lucky members, Dan, Kim, Col and Ben all got a look at Comet Lovejoy (C/2011 W3). The comet was a sun-grazer and actually set its course through the solar corona where it was expected to disintegrate. Predicted to brighten to magnitude 8 (big deal) and possibly burn up as it passed the Sun, it suddenly fountained into the pre-dawn skies at magnitude 3! Comets can do this and judging by the photos it was a beauty. You had to be up at 3AM and looking low to the east or south-east and the sky was lightening by 4AM. I tried on four successive mornings as Jack did but was clouded out three times. By the fourth attempt it was too faint even to find in 80mm binoculars.

This photo shows a 35 degree tail on Dec  27^th  It was taken from Perth looking back toward land. You can make out the Pointers easily with Ara to the lower right.

The image on the right is from SOHO satellite and shows the comet on course for destruction, the gravity of the Sun distorting the arc of the tail enormously.

Speaking of the Sun, the two biggest events, astronomically speaking, that will occur in 2012 are both visible from Australia and both involve the Sun. I am putting out an early reminder so you can start planning.

The first and the rarest is a Transit of Venus which will occur on June 6^th. Your almanac contains an excellent article on pages 8-10 and as you can see from the table on p. 10 the Sydney area is so well placed viewing of the entire transit will last SIX HOURS!  Transits of Venus occur in “pairs” approximately 8 years apart and then the pair recurs one hundred and five years later so most of us will only see the pair once and you’d have to see it when you were one year old and again at 105, neither of which would stick in the memory bank.  It was in fact a scientific expedition to the South Seas to observe the transit of 1769 that brought Captain Cook to Tahiti and thence the east coast of Australia. I will write a separate article on this subject and give a presentation in the next few months but it is hard to go past the article in Astronomy 2012 for good historical facts and figures as well as observation detail.

For now you may like to think on this photo I took of the transit of 8 June, 2004 when some of us were still using FILM cameras.

The second major event is the Total Solar Eclipse on 14 November 2012. The path of the eclipse takes it across Cape York and Arnhem Land and it is best seen from the east coast in the area of Port Douglas and Cairns. This means no need to travel overseas so start thinking about your plans early  as overseas interest will be strong. International eclipse chasers will be well aware of the safety and beauty of the location so it will be a very popular event. Apparently good accommodation is still available but make up your mind early and make a booking! The journey is quite a long one and I am using it as an excuse for a driving holiday to explore some country I haven’t experienced. This eclipse occurs not long after dawn, unlike the eclipse of 2002 which was still in progress at sunset. Sunrise is at 5.40am and first contact begins only minutes later.  Once again your Astronomy 2012 observing guide contains a comprehensive outline of the event and is a must read. One drawback is that Nov 14^th is in the beginning of the Wet season and cloud will likely be an issue however often cloud builds up during the day as the Sun evaporates the warm ocean currents bringing afternoon downpours. Mornings over the ocean can be quite clear. One piece of advice for those considering photography is to try and automate your camera to some degree. You need to watch an eclipse to experience the wonder, you don’t want to be fiddling with equipment as two minutes of totality passes awfully quickly. The next Total Solar Eclipse occurring in Australia will be in 2028 but you can stay home for that one, totality cutting right across Australia from Broome to Sydney.

One of my film images of the 2002 TSE, taken at Wirraminna, SA. Disregard the scratches on the photo, I don’t know how to scan negatives yet.

 The second image shows the Sun setting while still eclipsed.

Now that we have dealt with the early warnings we should talk briefly about the local viewing.  For planetary enthusiasts Jupiter is high in the northwest at dusk and prime viewing.  Venus is starkly beautiful in the western sky and last month made a beautiful apparition with the one day old crescent moon in an indigo sky. Saturn is creeping up on us at last, rising around midnight. In about three months it will take over as our planetary target, Jupiter heading for the western horizon.

Should you be blessed with a clear sky overhead it is time to explore Orion, Canis Major and the enormous riches of the summer Milky Way. One of the bonuses for hunting Comet Lovejoy was watching Scorpius, Ara, Centaurus and Crux wheel up from the horizon in the early morning. Spectacular hour of meditation and anticipation. Clear Skies!

Gerard Keyzer

Some of you may believe that werewolves come out when there is a full moon…..and we’ve all heard about how people do crazy things during a full moon!  Whatever that myth or truth is associated with full moons, to me the week of the full moon from Friday 11 November up to 19 November means that I will be busy putting in root vegetables in my garden.

Moon planting is old… I am talking, ancient! In fact, the moon planting system has been utilised by just about every early culture in the world and its popularity and relevance has not diminished over time. It is said that by planting, cultivating, harvesting, weeding and the like in the appropriate moon phase, the flavour, yield, and vigour of our edible crops can be significantly increased.  This is a top outcome – for my purse, my family’s taste buds, my family’s health and the health of the planet!   But what is it all about?

We know, just from sitting at the beach and watching the tide, that the moon has an impact and effect on the earth.  But what has this got to do with gardening?

The moon (or lunar cycle) not only controls the tide, but is also reported to have a serious influence on the surface tension of liquids and in turn, plant growth. Scientific studies have shown that subtle changes to the biological functions of plants occur in direct correlation to the planets’ tidal changes, due to alterations to the earth’s electromagnetic fields.  It is all a bit complex, but think about it this way – the moon has an impact on water movement on earth, plants take up water from the soil through their roots, while seeds require water to germinate. It makes sense then, that the phases of the moon would impact upon the way plants take up water and in turn, the way plants germinate and grow!

The moon moves through a complete cycle every 29 and a bit days, and, during that time, we have the four main moon “quarters” – the new moon, the first quarter, the full moon and the last quarter. The number of days between each change of phase can vary, but usually about 7 days.

The new moon phase – It starts from the crescent to the first quarter moon, basically when the tiniest slither of moon is visible. The moon is waxing (growing bigger) in this phase, and living things apparently feel an upsurge of energy! One thing is for sure though, sap rises during this period.  Planting, grafting and transplanting leafy annuals is recommended in this phase. It’s a great time to mow the lawn, prune many plants and provide low environmental impact liquid fertiliser to the patch.

The first quarter phase – It starts from the first quarter to second quarter.  The moon is still waxing (growing bigger) in this phase, and the sap is still flowing! Gardening is NOT recommended in the 12 hours before the full moon. It is still a great phase for starting things off and even better for planting, grafting and transplanting fruiting annuals (those that produce above the ground, and have their seeds inside, like tomatoes, capsicums, beans and peas).

The full moon phase – It starts from 12 hours after full moon to third quarter. All living things, be it plants, pets or people, are at the peak of their electromagnetic energy during the full moon phase (remember the werewolf, yes, it’s all about the energy!).  What to do in the patch?  Sap is flowing downwards during this time, so planting root crops that produce underground is perfect. Pruning and harvesting is recommended during this phase, but avoid planting most foliage and edible leaves, as their initial growth will be impressive but will wane (just like the moon during this phase).

The last quarter phase – It starts from the third quarter to the new moon. This phase is barren which, in gardening terms, can be translated as a bit boring and tedious.   This phase is all about doing those annoying jobs in the garden, the ones we put off all the time like: weeding; cultivating; pest control and fertilizing. It’s also the best time to mow the lawn, especially if you want to slow down the growth of the grass. Preparing patches for impending planting is a perfect project during this phase.

Well now that I’ve explained to you what moon planting is all about, watch out!  I do crazy things during the full moon!  I plant potatoes!

Julaiha Kallus with a nice bunch of Broccoli

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Jupiter is very large at the moment and worthy of regular scrutiny with observers able to see the three cloud bands and the four Galilean Moons like a beautiful string of pearls. With some steady seeing you may be able to split the ? Centauri double even though it was low to the horizon.

This month’s report will carry over into December as the Full Moon is arriving on the 11^th (along with a few weeks of unsettled weather) and nothing much will change during November. Jupiter is available for observing from sunset and is still our primary target. Venus dominates the western evening sky, looking for the entire world like an aircraft coming in to land.

November usually brings great excitement for meteor shower aficionados with the Leonids peaking on the 18^th. This year however, is far from the best in the 33 year cycle which coincides with the recurring comet Temple-Tuttle. Hourly rates in 2009 were expected to be around 500 per hour but in 2011? Eight per hour. One thing that makes the Leonids spectacular is their average speed of 71 km per second, the highest of any of the known meteor showers. This year the Geminids on December 14^th are predicted to have a ZHR of 120!

While Gemini will be due north around 2AM the waning gibbous Moon will be only four days past Full Moon and will put this shower at a decided disadvantage. Nevertheless the sheer numbers should make it worth watching out for. Look for the meteors to come out of the northeast before midnight and the northwest if checking near dawn. Sunrise on the 14^th is around 430 AM so you’ll need to be up around 2 AM.

My recommendation this month is that rather than curse the funny weather we take advantage of it and learn a bit more about the Moon. This year’s almanac has a great two page spread on page 102-3 on observing the Moon. There is a list of suggested viewing targets given for each day from day 3 to day 17 in the monthly cycle. These targets contain a brief description and the Moon map below. Don’t worry about using a torch as the Moon will be bright enough to reduce your night vision anyway.

Leonids 2009

Shown below is one of the beautiful hand drawn Maps of the Moon by Antonin Rukl. Antonin Rukl was a professional astronomer, geologist and cartographer. Born in Czechoslovakia in 1932 and finally retiring in 1999, I think he is still alive. His passion and talent helped him produce the most exquisite and useful maps of the Moon which are in use everywhere. I find them more useful than photographic atlases because the clear ink lines give good detail where photographic hues can sometimes be blurred because of the accuracy in grey scale. Just look at the beautiful craters Cassini, Aristullus, and Archimedes!

Remember, there’s always something to do so broaden your observing platform as much as you can. Clear Skies

By Antonin Rukl

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