If you are a stargazer you may have experienced a little frustration when you realize you missed a cosmic event last week, or even worse, last night. With a little research and organization, the next cosmic event wont be missed. Mark the following dates in your planner or calendar and prepare to be amazed.
For the celestial inclined, autumn of 2011 will be a busy season for some of the heavens’ more spectacular events such as the newly discovered Comet Elinin on October 16th. This comet will be difficult but possible to see with the naked eye however a pair of binoculars will will be all you need to see it perfectly. The Orionids meteor shower on October 21st & 22nd will be one not to miss, although this shower peeks every 33 years and last peaked in 2001 it is still a thrill to see a few dozen “shooting stars” every hour. That’s quite a few wishes.
November 8th marks the asteroid known as “2005 YU55″ and will pass by close enough for the novice astronomer to witness. But have no fear for this comet poses no threat to Earth whatsoever. Jupiter will be viewable with even the weakest telescope or a pair of binoculars, including it’s moons and bands of multi-colored clouds. The Leonids meteor shower on November 17th & 18 will be visible after midnight and should provide a heavenly show you won’t soon forget as will the partial lunar eclipse on November 25th and the total lunar eclipse on December 10. This year’s celestial events wraps up with the Gemenids meteor shower on December 13th & 14th. Gemenids is considered one of the more active and brilliant of all meteor showers so you won’t want to miss this one.
With a little preparation you won’t miss another ethereal event. The sky is yours so get out there and take all the splendor she has to offer.