Association of Friends of Astronomy

Lunar Occultation of Saturn
On October 15, Moon will be close to Saturn. For observers in certain regions this event will include a lunar occultation of Saturn, where the Moon will pass in front of the planet, briefly hiding it from view. For State of Goa occultation will start on 15th October at 00:12Hrs till 01:20Hrs

Orionid Meteor Shower
The Orionid meteor shower will be active from 2 October to 7 November, producing its peak rate of meteors around 22 October. At its peak, the shower is expected to produce a nominal rate of around 20 meteors per hour.

Taurids Meteor Shower
The Taurids is a long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is unusual in that it consists of two separate streams. The first is produced by dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10. The second stream is produced by debris left behind by Comet 2P Encke. The shower runs annually from September 7 to December 10. It peaks this year on the the night of November 4 and the morning of the 5th. The second quarter moon may block most of the dim meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Taurus

Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 22.5 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.

Leonids Meteor Showers
The Leonids is an average shower, producing up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak. This shower is unique in that it has a cyclonic peak about every 33 years where hundreds of meteors per hour can be seen. That last of these occurred in 2001. The Leonids is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1865. The shower runs annually from November 6-30. It peaks this year on the night of the 17th and morning of the 18th. The crescent moon will set before midnight leaving dark skies for what should be a great early morning show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo

Jupiter at Opposition
The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons. A medium-sized telescope should be able to show you some of the details in Jupiter's cloud bands. A good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter's four largest moons, appearing as bright dots on either side of the planet.

Geminid Meteor Shower
The Geminid meteor shower will be active from 7 December to 17 December, producing its peak rate of meteors around morning of 14 December.
At its peak, the shower is expected to produce a nominal rate of around 120 meteors per hour. The shower will peak close to new moon, and so moonlight will present minimal interference.

December Solstice
The December solstice occurs at 09:17 UTC. The South Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its southernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.