[AstroNet] Planetarium stuff: more talks, nice sight this evening (Monday), and an eclipse

[Claire Flanagan]

Moon + 3 planets Monday 7th
Look over to the west early evening Monday (as soon as it's dark) for the thin crescent Moon.  Above the Moon will be the very bright "evening star" (Venus), and below the Moon two other "stars" - Mercury (on the left) and Saturn (right).  Map at www.planetarium.co.za<http://www.planetarium.co.za>
Best time would be around 7pm (for Gauteng), 7:45pm (Cape Town), 6:45pm (Durban, Musina).  Tuesday, the Moon will be near Venus, which is always a pretty sight.

Eclipse of the Sun
The November 3rd (Sunday) eclipse of the Sun is total for equatorial Africa, and partial for every country on the African continent except Cape Town.  Gauteng gets 6%, Durban less than 1%, and the Eastern and Western Cape miss out.  We're still working on our eclipse website, but in the meantime we've uploaded a map<http://www.planetarium.co.za/Eclipse2013/PubPoster2013.pdf> with what to expect from around SA, and you can keep in touch via the Pan African Solar Eclipse Facebook page<https://www.facebook.com/PanAfricanEclipse2013>.  If you're planning a public eclipse-viewing event, please let us know so we can list you.

Eclipse viewers are available from the Jhb Planetarium @R6 each, or we'll post for quantities of 20+.  We will also publish a list of suitable alternative materials to use for eclipse-viewing - double-layer of Five Roses teabag foil, or a triple-layer of a foil "space blanket" (obtainable from Dis-chem) will work - if you use one of these alternatives, don't look for more than 5 seconds, or if the Sun looks too bright then look away.

Orionid Meteor Shower (to be drowned out by the Moon!)
but you may see a couple if you're lucky - they're quite bright
Best time would be night of 21/22 Oct  from midnight to dawn - look up, towards the north-east (around midnight) or north (before dawn) for maybe one "shooting star" in 5min

Comet ISON . . .
. . . is unfortunately not living up to expectations.  If it does brighten up (a lot) we may see it early November in the pre-dawn skies, before it approaches the Sun.  After that, it's only above our horizon during the day, so unless it REALLY brightens up we won't see it.  Some astronomers are saying it may be disintegrating.

Astronomy Events near Jhb this week:
* "Astronomy & Science Fiction" - talk by Sheldon Herbst at the Marang Astronomy Evening
   Wed Oct 9th - details at www.wits.ac.za<http://www.wits.ac.za>  under "Media Centre"  or here<http://www.wits.ac.za/newsroom/eventitems/201310/21590/event_item_21590.html>
* A cometary meteorite discovery?  Free public discussion with Profs Kramer (UJ), Block (Wits), Andreoli (NECSA)
   Thu Oct 10th - details at www.planetarium.co.za<http://www.planetarium.co.za/>
* Public Viewing Evening at the old Jhb Observatory (in Observatory)
   Fri Oct 11th - weather permitting - details at www.planetarium.co.za<http://www.planetarium.co.za/>
* "A Quick Tour of the Universe" - astronomy talk (Prof Derck Smits, UNISA) & dinner
  Fri Oct 11th  Eagles Fare Restaurant<http://www.eaglesfare.co.za/wmenu.php>, Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens
  [coming up at Eagles Fare: Friday 1st Nov:  "The Antikythera Mechanism"]
* Stargazing, Telescopes, Art & Dinner at Melon Rouge (Magaliesburg)
  Sat 12th Oct  - details here<http://www.planetarium.co.za/events/Melon.jpg>

Astronomy Talks in Cape Town
* "Space debris - a growing threat to outer space activities"
   Dr Peter Martinez, Chairman, SA Council for Space Affairs
  Wed Oct 9th at the Cape Town Science Centre<http://www.mtnsciencentre.org.za/> - for details of the talk click here<http://scenicsouth.co.za/2013/10/cape-town-science-centre-celebrates-world-space-week-with-fun-family-activities-4-10-oct/>
* "Exploring the Universe with the Karoo Array Telescope"
    Dr. Sharmila Goedhart (SKA)
    Sat 12th Oct at the SA Astronomical Observatory<http://www.saao.ac.za/public/open-nights/>
* "Mapping the Universe with Galaxy Survey"
    Dr. Matt Prescott (UWC)
    Sat 26th Oct at the SA Astronomical Observatory<http://www.saao.ac.za/public/open-nights/>

Regards
Claire Flanagan



--

Wits Planetarium

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Claire Flanagan
Wits Planetarium
011-717-1390
086-521-4273 (fax)
www.planetarium.co.za<http://www.planetarium.co.za>


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