Blue Quasar Center for Learning

Photo taken at the PAGASA Astronomical Observatory during the August 7-8, 2017 Partial Lunar Eclipse

Image credit: Lordnico P. Mendoza and PAGASA Astronomical Observatory staff

Can't attend the public viewing but still want to observe the partial lunar eclipse?
Here's a short guide to help you out! 🙂

We encourage you to take photos and videos of the eclipse from where you're watching and share them with us. Upload your photos and tag us and include so everyone can see!

Hope for clear skies and happy viewing!

August 3: Moon at Apogee
On this day the Moon will reach its furthest point along its orbit to the Earth. It will appear slightly smaller compared to other times.
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August 6: τ – Aquarid Meteor Shower
The maximum rate of activity would be on August 6. The best time to observe will be at around midnight and around 6 meteors per hour may be seen under optimal viewing conditions. Its meteors will seem to radiate from constellation Aquarius.
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August 7-8: Partial Lunar Eclipse
On the night of the eighth falls on the full moon of August
The partial eclipse of the moon will occur on the said date and it would be visible in the Philippines. The penumbral eclipse will begin at 11:51 PM (PHT) of August 7, the greatest eclipse will be at 2:21 AM of August 8, and the penumbral eclipse would end at 4:51 AM of August 8.
Observers of the lunar eclipse will not need to use any protective filters since it is safe to watch. The use of binoculars will help magnify the view and make the red coloration of the Moon brighter.
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August 13: Perseid Meteor Shower
The Perseid Meteor Shower will be active on July 23 to August 20, and will reach its maximum rate of activity on August 13. The best time to observe will be at midnight with a chance of seeing around 19 meteors per hour under optimal condition. Its meteor will appear to radiate around the constellation Perseus.
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August 15: Last Quarter
On this night falls on the last quarter of the moon of August.
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August 18: The moon at perigee
On this day the moon would reach its closest point along its orbit to the earth. It wil appear slightly larger than at other times.
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August 19: Moon - Venus Close Approach
Venus and the moon will make a close approach and will be visible in the dawn sky, at 3:11 (PHT) before fading from view at around 5:27 as dawn breaks. The two will both be in the constellation Gemini.
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August 22: Total Solar Eclipse
The total solar eclipse will occur on the said date however it would NOT be visible in the Philippines. It will begin exactly at exactly 11:46 PM (PHT) of August 21 and will be visible in Hawaii, America except southern parts of South America, Westernmost Europe and West Africa.
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August 29: Moon at First Quarter
On this night falls on the last quarter of the moon of August.
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August 30: Moon - Saturn Close Approach
Saturn and the moon will make a close approach and will be visible in the evening sky till near dawn and both will be in the constellation Ophiuchus.

For more information about these events:
http://www1.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/index.php/28-astronomy/424-sky-this-month
https://in-the-sky.org/newscal.php

Hello fellow sky watchers! Here's what's happening this month of July! Have fun! Stay warm and dry!

We are already halfway through the year. Here are some astronomical events you can look forward to for the month of July!

July 1: Jupiter - Moon Close Approach
Jupiter and the moon will make a close approach and will be visible from dusk to midnight above the south-western horizon in the constellation Virgo.
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July 7: Saturn - Moon Close Approach
Saturn and the moon will make a close approach and will be visible from dusk until past midnight in the constellation Ophiuchus.
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July 9
On this night falls on the full moon of July.
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July 20: Venus - Moon Conjunction
Venus and the moon will make a close approach as share the same right ascension. They will be visible after midnight until dawn in the constellation Ta**us.
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July 23
On this night falls on the new moon of July.
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July 29: Jupiter - Moon Close Approach
Jupiter and the moon will make a close approach and will be visible from dusk until a few hours before midnight above the south-western horizon in the constellation Virgo.
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July 29: Delta* Aquarid Meteor Shower
The Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower will be active from July 12 to August 23, and will reach its maximum rate of activity on July 29. The best time to observe will be after midnight and around 13 meteors per hour may be seen under optimal viewing conditions.
Its meteors will seem to radiate from constellation Aquarius but may be seen anywhere in the night sky.
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July 31: Mercury at Greatest Elongation East
Just after sunset will be the best time to observe Mercury as it reaches its farthest point from the Sun along its orbital path from our perspective here on Earth. It will appear at 16° above the western horizon until it sets before 8PM.
Source: https://in-the-sky.org/newscal.php

Here's something fun to do

Before summer ends, here's another chance to see dazzling meteors in the night sky! The annual Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower is already active since April 22 until May 20. The peak will fall on the night of May 6 to the early morning of May 7 PST.

The moon's phase for night of the peak is a waxing gibbous, meaning it is up until 2:30 AM in the morning of May 7. The light from the moon could obstruct fainter meteors but it would set just in time when the radiant rises in the east where it is practically the best time to observe a meteor shower.

In the hours of the shower's peak, one could expect 20-40 obeservable meteors per hour under optimal conditions (good weather, a moonless sky, and away from light pollution). If the conditions are really good, during the hours when the radiant is up in the sky, an expected zenithal hourly rate is around 40-85 meteors per hour. However, the peak will only rise at 2:30 and sunrise around that time is at 5:30 AM.

One distinct feature of a meteor is that it leaves a persistent train, an ionized gas trail that glows for a few seconds after a meteor has passed, and a roughly half of Eta Aqaurid meteors tend to generate these. For a video clip you may watch it here: https://vimeo.com/72910925 at about 00:16 you'll see a meteor pass by and the persistent train glows right after.

For any meteor shower, it is named from its radiant. The Geminids come from Gemini, Perseids from Perseus, and of course, the Eta Aquarids would come from Aquarius, specifically the faint star Eta Aquarii. It is one of of the four stars making up the "Water Jar" asterism. Radiant is the term for the point in the sky where meteors seemingly come from, if you trace back the streaks. You don't have to wait for the radiant though, you can wait and watch for the meteors at any part of the sky, its just where the meteors radiate from.

Do not be confused that the constellation is the actual source of meteors. It is only from our perspective that comets come from a certain constellation. The actual source for the meteors that burn in our sky are actually the debris left by comets or asteroids that tend to come and go in the inner solar system (where Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars reside). As the comet weaves in and out of the inner solar system, it leaves a trail of debris that would
eventually be picked up by Earth's gravity whenever our planet would intersect with this trail.

Just before the sun rises, Aquarius and the radiant of the Eta Aquarids will just be 33º above the eastern horizon, make sure that you enjoy this small window of opportunity! When a radiant is already in the night sky, would mean that the Earth is "in the zone" of the trail of debris left by a parent comet or asteroid. For Eta Aquarids, it is actually associated with Comet Halley, however these debris have already deviated from the comet's orbital path due to various factors such as gravity, radiation, or interplanetary gas.

For more information, you may visit the articles from Space.com and earthsky.org:
http://www.space.com/36502-eta-aquarid-meteor-shower-guide.html
http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-eta-aquarid-meteor-shower -many

Finally, some tips for observing meteor showers:
-You may bring a blanket or a chair for comfortability as you observe the night sky.
-Second, find an area far from the city lights. The moon may not be up for the whole night but city lights generate huge amounts of light pollution,
potentially obscuring faint meteors.
-At the start your observaton, give your eyes some time to adapt to the darkness. This will allow your eyes to become sensitive to light, potentially
increasing the chances of you seeing meteors.
-Lastly, be patient and enjoy! There's plenty of time to observe.

Also please note that we will not be having a public observation for this meteor shower as we have another event on this date. You may watch this at the
convenience of your own place or planned trips as long as the conditions are good. Clear skies everyone!

Here's what you need to know and look for during the summer night skies of May!

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May 6-7: Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower

The Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower is already active from April 22 until May 20, and its peak will fall on the night of May 6 to the early morning of May 7. With the moon on its waxing gibbous phase, it illuminates much of the night sky until it sets at around 2:30 AM of May 7. However, its radiant has already risen. This time, the expected amount of meteors that you can see if observation is optimal would be around 40 - 85 when the radiant is at the zenith.

Its radiant can be found in the constellation Aquarius, however you do not need to observe the radiant. Meteors will fall in any part of the sky but it is important to take note of the radiant's arrival because that would be the expected moment for the peak number of meteors that you could observe.

For more information, you may visit these sites:
http://www.space.com/36502-eta-aquarid-meteor-shower-guide.html
http://earthsky.org/?p=158833

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May 8: Jupiter - Moon Close Approach

There will be a close approach of the moon in waxing gibbous phase and Jupiter on this night. It will be visible right after midnight until dawn in the constellation Virgo.

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May 10: Comet C/2015 ER61 (PANSTARRS) at Perihelion

On the pre-dawn hours of May 10, Comet C/2015 ER61 (PANSTARRS) will reach its closest point to the sun in its orbital path. It will rise at around 2:13 AM and it can be found between the constellations Pisces and Aquarius until it reaches its maximum altitude at 33° just above the horizon before the sun rises at around 5:30 in the morning. The comet's magnitude will be at 7.2, making it easily observable through binoculars.

For more information, you may visit in-the-sky.org at:https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20170510_18_100
For an online planetarium, you may visit: https://theskylive.com/c2015er61-info

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May 11: Full Moon

On this night falls the full moon of May.

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May: 14: Saturn - Moon Close Approach

There will ba another close approach, this time with Saturn and the moon in its waning gibbous phase. It will be visible right after midnight until dawn between the constellations Scorpio, Saggitarius, and Ophiucus, with Saturn sitting right next to the galactic center of the Milky Way galaxy in the night sky.

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May 18: Mercury at Greatest Elongation West

On the morning hours of May 18 just before daybreak, Mercury will be at the farthest point from the Sun along its orbital path from our perspective here on Earth. Its position, whether eastern or western, determines its time of appearance. If it is on the east, can be seen right after sunset, while if it is on the west, it will be seen just before sunrise.

In this case, Mercury's appearance will reach up to an altitude of 18° until the sun rises. However, due to its close proximity to the Sun, it is advisable to observe it before the first light arrives.

For more information, you may visit in-the-sky.org at: https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20170517_11_100

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May 22: Venus - Moon Close Approach

The third planet to have a close approach with the moon would be Venus. They can only be seen from 3:00 AM in the morning where the moon first rises followed by Venus in the constellation Pisces, until the sun rises.

Just before summer ends, here's your line up for May's night skies! Just remember, if you want to have optimal observation sessions, be as far from city lights as possible, the weather is good, and have lots of patience!

Open to all sky watchers!

UP Astrosoc will be holding a public observation for the Lyrid Meteor Shower later, April 21, at the PAGASA Astronomical Observatory's Sundeck. The event will be from 9PM onwards.

If weather conditions are unfavorable, however, it will be necessary to cancel the event. Keep an eye on our social media accounts for updates before you head to PAGASA!

Let us hope for clear skies! Ad Astra! :D

Summer night skies will soon be lit by dazzling meteors! The annual Lyrid Meteor Shower will be active starting tonight, Apr. 16 until Apr. 25. The peak will fall on the night of Apr. 22 to the early morning of Apr. 23 PST.

You can watch as early as the sun sets because the moon's phase from this night until the 25th is in its waning phases, with a waning crescent on the night of the peak. This would give us plenty of time to watch the night skies and a good opportunity since the moon's brightness won't interfere with the light of fainter meteors.

In the hours of the shower's peak, one could expect 10-20 obeservable meteors per hour under optimal conditions (good weather, a moonless sky, and away from light pollution). However, most meteor showers tend to be notorius in giving off unpredicted number of meteors. Historically, an outburst of Lyrid meteors have been recorded and reached up to about 100 Lyrid meteors per hour in 1982, 1922, and 1945. Although current prediction says that there is no outburst predicted for this year, but don't get dissuaded to observe!

One distinct feature of a meteor is that it leaves a persistent train, an ionized gas trail that glows for a few seconds after a meteor has passed, and a few of Lyrid meteors tend to generate these. For a video clip you may watch it here: ttps://vimeo.com/72910925 at about 00:16 you'll see a meteor pass by and the persistent train glows right after.

For any meteor shower, it is named from its radiant. The Geminids come from Gemini, Perseids from Perseus, and of course, the Lyrids would come from Lyra. Its radiant can be found between the constelaltions Lyra and Hercules. Radiant is the term for the point in the sky where meteors seemingly come from, if you trace back the streaks. You don't have to wait for the radiant though, you can wait and watch for the meteors at any part of the sky, its just where
the meteors radiate from.

Do not be confused that the constellation is the actual source of meteors. It is only from our perspective that comets come from a certain constellation. The actual source for the meteors that burn in our sky are actually the debris left by comets or asteroids that tend to come and go in the inner solar system (where Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars reside). As the comet weaves in and out of the inner solar system, it leaves a trail of debris that would
eventually be picked up by Earth's gravity whenever our planet would intersect with this trail.

Just before the sun sets, Vega, Lyra's alpha star, and the radiant of the Lyrids will be high up in the sky. This would mean that the Earth is "in the zone" of the trail of debris left by Comet Thatcher, the source of the Lyrid meteors.

Finally, some tips for observing meteor showers:
-You may bring a blanket or a chair for comfortability as you observe the night sky.
-Second, find an area far from the city lights. The moon may not be up for the whole night but city lights generate huge amounts of light pollution,
potentially obscuring faint meteors.
-At the start your observaton, give your eyes some time to adapt to the darkness. This will allow your eyes to become sensitive to light, potentially
increasing the chances of you seeing meteors.
-Lastly, be patient and enjoy! There's plenty of time to observe.

With the tropical depression "Crising" downgraded to a low-pressure area, we would have relatively good weather conditions for the days to come, if not optimal.

To know more, you may visit this site: http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-lyrid-meteor-shower

For our upcoming public observation for the Lyrids, we'll soon release the details.

FUN FACT!!

Constellation Columba is the only modern constellation based on the Bible. Its original name was Columba Noachi, the biblical dove that informed Noah that the Great Flood was receding. Columba can be seen just to the south of Canis Major and Lepus.

Watch out for more astronomical trivia. Like and follow our page! :)

Celebrating : On this day, 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of Earth. See http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Welcome_to_ESA/ESA_history/50_years_of_humans_in_space/Yuri_Gagarin

Look up!

Summer is just around the corner and so are the astronomical events lined up for you this April!

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April 1: Mercury at Greatest Elongation East

Starting with the first day of April, Mercury will be at the farthest point from the Sun along its orbital path from our perspective here on Earth. Its position, whether eastern or western, determines its time of appearance. If it is on the east, can be seen right after sunset, while if it is on the west, it will be seen just before sunrise.

In this case, Mercury's appearance will be just right after sunset at about 13° above the horizon. However, due to its close proximity to the Sun, it is advisable to observe it after the dusk sky fades.

For more information, you may refer to in-the-sky.org: https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20170401_12_100

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April 3: Comet 41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák Reaches its Brightest

Dubbed as the April Fool's comet, Comet 41P will fly by Earth during April 1. Its perihelion point will be just outside Earth's orbit, so we have a good vantage point to see this comet before it vanishes. A six-day period will be our window of opportunity, from Mar. 29 to Apr. 3, where the comet is closest to the Earth, before it arrives on its perihelion on Apr. 12.

You can find the comet in the constellation Draco just beside Ursa Major. It will reach around the magnitude 7 in brightness, so a pair of good binoculars or a small telescope would be needed along with a dark sky, as it cannot be seen by an unaided eye or if you are surrounded with light pollution.

For those who can't observe under a dark sky or does not have the proper equipment, you can watch the online live feed via the Slooh
http://main.slooh.com/event/april-fools-day-comet/

For more information, you may refer to these links:
http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/see-april-fools-comet-41ptuttle-giacombini-kresak-2017
https://theskylive.com/41p-info

and an Online Planetarium:
https://theskylive.com/planetarium?obj=41p

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April 11: Jupiter - Moon Close Approach

There will be a close approach of the full moon and Jupiter on this night. It will be visible right after midnight until dawn in the constellation Virgo.

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April 17: Saturn - Moon Close Approach

There will ba another close approach, this time with Saturn and the moon in its waning gibbous phase. It will be visible right after midnight until dawn in the constellation Scorpio, with Saturn sitting right next to the galactic center of the Milky Way galaxy in the night sky.

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April 22-23: Lyrid Meteor Shower

The Lyrid Meteor Shower will be active from April 16 - 25, and its peak will fall on the night of April 22 to the early morning of April 23. With the moon on its waning crescent phase, it would pose no threat to illuminate the night sky, potentially blocking the light of fainter meteors. This time, the expected amount of meteors that you can see, if observation is optimal, would be around 10 - 20 meteors per hour.

Its radiant can be found in the constellation Lyra, however you do not need to observe the radiant. Meteors will fall in any part of the sky but it is important to take note of the radiant's arrival because that would be the expected moment for the peak number of meteors that you could observe.

For more information, you may refer to earthsky.org: http://earthsky.org/?p=158735

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April 25: Venus - Moon Close Approach

The third planet to have a close approach with the moon would be Venus. They can only be seen from 5:00 AM in the morning until sunrise in the eastern direction.

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April 28: Venus at Brightest

After its close approach with the moon, Venus will reach its peak brightness on Apr. 28. Like Mercury, it is closer to the sun than Earth so it can only be observed during sunrises or sunsets. This time, we'll see Venus rise just before dawn.

Just like the moon, Venus has its phases too. It is at its brightest during crescent phase because this is the point in Venus' orbital path that it is closest to the Earth and becomes the third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and moon.. It doesn't get as bright when it is in gibbous or full phase, but it is still pretty luminous in the night sky.

For more information, you may refer to in-the-sky.org: https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20170218_12_100

April has a lot in store for you with various astronomical events or objects to look forward to! Make the most of your summer by enjoying the night under the stars. Clear skies everyone!

Today (March 20) is the Vernal Equinox (also known as Spring Equinox)! The word equinox comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), since night and day are approximately equal in length.

Although it isn't official, Vernal Equinox also signals the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere hence the name, Spring Equinox.

Source: http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-vernal-or-spring-equinox