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Manchester Astronomical Society
Established 1903
Manastro Journal for September
Manchester University have kindly provided a new room for us to meet on a Thursday 7-9pm whilst the Godlee Observatory building is under reconstruction. We will be holding our meeting in the Blackett Lecture Theatre, Schuster Building, Brunswick Park, University of Manchester Main Campus (between Oxford Road & Upper Brook Street).
Members that have provided their car reg number ONLY - please use the University car park just off Dover Street.
In the Sky for the next few weeks (images taken at 10pm on 15th September)
North
East
South
West
The Moon
New Moon on 3rd
1st Quarter on the 11th
Full Moon on 18th
3rd Quarter on the 24th
On the 18th the full moon will be a 'Super Full Moon', which is when the full moon coincides with the moon at perigee (the moon's closest approach to earth).
The 18th will also show a partial lunar eclipse, between 03:14 and 04:16 BST. During this time the moon will be visible at 24° above the horizon from Manchester.
Planet of the month: Saturn
Diameter: 120536 km 9.449 Earths
Mass: 95.16 Earths
Density: 0.62 g/cc (water=1)
Gravity: 1.07 G
Rotation Period: 0.43 days = 0d 10h 14m 00s
© Stephen Faulder
Saturn remains the favorite this month, With the planet reaching opposition on the 8th September. Lying in the constellation Aquarius, it will be visible for much of the night, reaching its highest point in the sky around midnight local time.
From Manchester, it will be visible between 21:12 and 05:06. It will become accessible at around 21:12, when it rises to an altitude of 11° above our south-eastern horizon. It will reach its highest point in the sky at 01:09, 28° above our southern horizon. It will become inaccessible at around 05:06 when it sinks below 11° above our south-western horizon.
Constellation of the Month: Pegasus (shown 15th September 22:00)
Pegasus constellation lies in the northern hemisphere. It is one of the largest constellations in the sky.
It was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The constellation was named after Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology.
The constellation is known for the Great Square of Pegasus, a familiar asterism in the northern sky, as well as for a number of bright stars and deep sky objects, among them Messier 15 (NGC 7078, Cumulo de Pegaso), Stephan’s Quintet of galaxies, the Einstein Cross (a gravitationally lensed quasar), and the unbarred spiral galaxy NGC 7742.
Stephan's Quintet © NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon, J. DePasquale, F. Summers, and Z. Levay (STScI)
Meteor Showers this month
No notable meteor showers this month
MAS Society & MAS Facebook members' recent images
Here is a selection of some of the recent images from our members, there are many more excellent pictures on our Facebook page & in the images section of this website, check them out.
Red Moon © Sonia Turkinton - 18/08/24
Andromeda © Iman-Syahmi-Jasni-17-08-24
Solar Promenance © Phil Masding - 21/08/24
