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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the week ending Wednesday, April 10, 2013. Here is what’s happening in the skies of Southern California:
The planet Jupiter is the brightest evening object. It can be found high in the western sky after sunset, close to the orange star Aldebaran of Taurus the Bull. Jupiter sets in the west-northwest at about 11:45 p.m.
The planet Saturn, in Libra the Scales, rises before 9:00 p.m., and is well placed for telescopic viewing by midnight. A telescope will reveal Saturn’s spectacular ring system and several moons. Saturn is highest and transits in the south at 2:20 a.m.
The moon is visible in the early morning in waning crescent phase until April 8th when it will appear 7 degrees above the eastern horizon at 6:00 a.m., and will be only 7 degrees to the upper left of the planet Mercury. The moon is new on Wednesday morning, the 10th.
Comet PANSTARRS C/2011 L4 has faded too much to be seen from areas with urban or suburban light pollution, but can still be observed through binoculars or telescopes from mountain or desert wilderness locations just before dawn. The comet is low in the northeast sky, and is close to the Andromeda galaxy. A finder chart is available on our special comet PANSTARRS page.
Free views of the sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night, are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes Tuesday-Sunday before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for our schedule. The next public star party on the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place between 2:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 20th.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.