Saturn is well visible during the early evening. It sets around 8 pm. Soon it will be too close to the Sun. When it reappears in the Spring, Saturn’s rings will only be half as open as now.
Jupiter transits during dusk. It is very high and good for telescopic observations. On the 20th, Ganymede is transiting the disk after 10 pm, visible as a dark spot.
Uranus is high in the evening sky east of Jupiter.
Neptune is west of Jupiter.
Brilliant Venus is best observed between 5 and 6 am, just before down starts.
Mercury joins Venus, visible until the end of the month. It is to the lower left of Venus around 6-7 am. There is no other star at similar brightness in this area of the sky. If you see one, it is Mercury.
Mars is within half a degree of Mercury on the 27th. Since it is a magnitude fainter then Mercury, it may require very clear air to make it out naked eye. Binoculars will easily show this close pair.
Countdown to the beginning of the Partial Solar Eclipse as viewed from Tucson (Monday April 8, 2024, 10 am-12:36 pm, with maximum at 11:19 am):
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
If you can’t make it to Totality, seek out an event in your area to view the Partial Eclipse. The entire U.S. will at least see a partial eclipse during the event. IMPORTANT: You MUST WEAR APPROVED SOLAR GLASSES to view any part of the partial eclipse or observe using a safe solar filter on a telescope or a telescope that is made specifically to observe the Sun. Be wary of knock-off glasses. Approved Solar glasses should be marked with ISO 12312-2 or 12312-2:2015. Do not use if they have scratches or holes. Purchase only from reputable sources.
In TUCSON, we will see about an 75% Eclipse and will look about like the below image at maximum.
Partial Eclipse at about 75 percent. The view from Tucson, AZ at maximum. Image by Bernie Stinger
Don’t miss the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse! If you are able to make it to the centerline to see Totality, it is certainly worth it. The centerline is a very narrow path and the only place you can see Totality. The closer you are to the middle, the longer Totality will last. The Eclipse enters the U.S. in Texas, moves through the midwest along a NE path toward the NE U.S., and exits the U.S. in Maine. Use the links below to see the Path of Totality. The Total Eclipse will look similar to the below image.
Image of 2017 Total Solar Eclipse by TAAA Member Bernie Stinger
If you are in the Tucson, Arizona area during the Eclipse our club will have Telescopes set up to safely view the sun during the event at Flandrau Planetarium (UofA Mall).
How to Photograph the 2024 Solar Eclipse – by Mike Shaw, presented to the Minnesota Astronomical Society, Jan. 2024. By permission of the MAS and Mike Shaw (www.mikeshawphotography.com).
