From: bcollins@utdallas.edu (Arlin B. Collins)
Subject: S&T Weekly News Bulletin
Organization: Univ. of Texas at Dallas
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 01:41:17 GMT

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sorry for the delay, had trouble with Pnews
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SKY & TELESCOPE NEWS BULLETIN -- AUGUST 21, 1992
 
 A PERSEID BONANZA?
 Reports on August's annual Perseid meteor shower continue to arrive
 here, and despite a nearly full Moon brightening the sky most observers
 rated the shower above average. The most exciting report, however, came
 from a group of Japanese meteor watchers stationed on the island of
 Okinawa. They logged some 200 Perseids between about 19:00 and 20:00
 Universal time on August 11th. The standard measure of a shower's
 strength is called the zenithal hour rate, or ZHR, and when corrected
 for the unusually poor observing conditions the Japanese report implies
 a ZHR of possibly 8,000. This burst of activity was on the wane as
 darkness began in Europe, but several observations made there appear to
 confirm the high activity. Others who monitored the shower with radio
 equipment also noted the burst, which corresponds exactly to the point
 where the orbits of Earth and Comet Swift-Tuttle cross. Swift-Tuttle is
 the comet responsible for the Perseid shower. Perhaps the comet will,
 as suggested, return later this year or early next. And perhaps the
 1993 Perseids will also thrill observers with an impressive display.
 Not only that, but moonlight will not be a problem next year as it was
 this time. 
 
 MERCURY IN THE MORNING 
 It's going to be a fine week for planet-watching, in both the evening
 and morning skies. Right now early risers can get a fine view of
 Mercury, which is low in the east-northeast as dawn approaches. Don't
 confuse it with the bright star Procyon, which is farther up and to the
 right. The morning of Wednesday, the 26th, will provide a ready- made
 guide to finding Mercury, as the planet will be sitting just a few
 degrees to the lower left of a thin crescent Moon. 
 
 VENUS AND JUPITER MEET 
 There's a great event shaping up for tomorrow night, the 22nd. With
 Jupiter sinking slowly in the West, and Venus climbing upward, there's
 bound to be a meeting. Right after sunset, you'll find the two less
 than 1/3 degree apart hugging the horizon in the West. That's close
 enough for both to fit in the field of a telescope. It should be a very
 interesting matchup, too. Venus is only about 1/3 the diameter of
 Jupiter, but it will be nearly 8 times brighter. The problem will be
 the low altitude of the event, just barely above the horizon. So if you
 can find yourself a nice vista with a completely clear view to the
 west, grab those binoculars and head for it. 
 
 AURORAS A'COMING? 
 Solar physicists say there's an active region on the Sun right now that
 is continuing to grow and develop. This at least offers the possibility
 that we can get a good auroral storm early next week. If the prospects
 really improve, we'll let you know about it. 
 
 ----- THIS WEEK'S "SKY AT A GLANCE"
 
 AUG 24 -- MON
 Jupiter and Venus are only about 2 degrees apart barely above the
 western horizon in early twilight. Scan with binoculars 20 to 30
 minutes after sunset. Venus is the brighter one. 
 During dawn Tuesday morning, the waning crescent Moon shines far to the
 upper right of Mercury in the east-northeast. 
 
 AUG 25 -- TUE
 During dawn Wednesday morning, the thin crescent Moon shines just to
 the upper right of Mercury low in the east. Procyon can be spotted to
 their upper right. 
 
 AUG 26 -- WED
 *
 
 AUG 27 -- THU
 New Moon (exact at 10:42 p.m. Eastern daylight time). 
 Saturn's brightest moon Titan can be seen in a small telescope four
 ring lengths east of the planet. 
 AUG. 28 -- FRIDAY 
 Saturn passes 1/2 degree south of the 4th-magnitude star Theta
 Capricorni. 
 
 AUG 29 -- SAT
 *
 
 AUG 30 -- SUN
 *
 
 ----- THIS WEEK'S PLANET ROUNDUP
 
 MERCURY is very low in the east-northeast during dawn. Don't confuse it
 with Procyon far to its upper right; Mercury is the one under Castor
 and Pollux. 
 
 VENUS is barely above the west-northwest horizon in bright twilight
 shortly after sunset, close to fainter Jupiter. Try binoculars! 
 
 MARS, in Taurus, rises just after midnight and shines high in the east
 before dawn. It's a few degrees from similarly-colored Aldebaran, which
 is a bit fainter. 
 
 JUPITER is on the verge of disappearing into the sunset; see the Venus
 note above. 
 
 SATURN shines in the southeast after darkness falls. It's higher in the
 south by midnight. 
 
 URANUS and NEPTUNE, 6th and 8th magnitude, respectively, are in the
 south after dark in Sagittarius. 
 
 PLUTO is a 14th-magnitude speck getting low in the southwest after
 dusk. 
 
 -----
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 CompuServe, Friday afternoons.
-- 
Arlin B Collins     CompuServe:  INTERNET:bcollins@utdallas.edu   :-)
Newsgroups: sci.astro,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.shortwave