Local Astronomical Info

Current Local Time:	Thursday, March 11, 2010 9:28:15 am CST
Julian Date:	2455267.14462
Local Sidereal Time:	20:28:22.8

This page provides automatically generated astronomical information for the Saint Cloud, MN area^[1] as well as links to astronomical information on other websites that can help you decide whether the conditions to make astronomical observations tonight.

The Sun, Moon, and Planets

The current positions and the rise and set times for the sun, moon, and planets are listed below. The positions are accurate to 2 arcseconds (the unaided human eye has a resolution of about 60 arcseconds) and the rise and set times are accurate to ±2 minutes.^[2]

Planetary Ephemeris for Saint Cloud, MN at Friday, April 24, 2009 10:15:00 pm CDT
	Right Ascension	Declination	Altitude	Azimuth	mag.
Sun	2h 11m 05s	+13° 12’ 24"	-18.7°	313.5°	-26.7
Moon	2h 01m 47s	+17° 04’ 35"	-16.5°	317.6°
Mercury	3h 30m 35s	+22° 11’ 01"	-0.4°	303.1°	-2.0
Venus	23h 56m 38s	+02° 27’ 32"	-41.0°	345.0°	-5.4
Mars	0h 09m 06s	-00° 15’ 44"	-43.0°	340.1°	0.8
Jupiter	21h 42m 43s	-14° 25’ 51"	-53.7°	38.2°	-2.2
Saturn	11h 09m 25s	+07° 51’ 10"	52.3°	180.8°	0.7
Uranus	23h 42m 30s	-02° 41’ 37"	-46.6°	348.7°	5.9
Neptune	21h 54m 09s	-13° 09’ 09"	-53.7°	33.0°	7.9
134340 Pluto	18h 13m 20s	-17° 37’ 43"	-23.2°	91.9°	14.0
136199 Eris	13h 58m 23s	-11° 40’ 35"	21.6°	135.5°	15.6

	April 24, 2009			April 25, 2009
	Rise	Transit	Set	Rise	Transit	Set
Sun	6:15am	1:14pm	8:14pm	6:13am	1:14pm	8:16pm
Moon	5:32am	12:47pm	8:17pm	6:01am	1:41pm	9:36pm
Mercury	6:53am	2:32pm	10:11pm	6:52am	2:32pm	10:13pm
Venus	4:48am	11:01am	5:14pm	4:46am	10:58am	5:11pm
Mars	5:12am	11:13am	5:14pm	5:09am	11:11am	5:14pm
Jupiter	3:42am	8:44am	1:46pm	3:39am	8:41am	1:43pm
Saturn	3:38pm	10:12pm	4:47am	3:34pm	10:08pm	4:43am
Uranus	4:56am	10:47am	4:39pm	4:52am	10:44am	4:35pm
Neptune	3:48am	8:55am	2:03pm	3:44am	8:52am	1:59pm
134340 Pluto	12:28am	5:15am	10:02am	12:24am	5:11am	9:58am
136199 Eris	7:47pm	1:01am	6:15am	7:43pm	12:57am	6:11am

NOTE ABOUT RISE/SET TIMES: If text is greyed out that means the rise/set time is on the previous/next day. "c.p." means the object is circumpolar and is continuously above the local horizon.

Currently Visible Comets

The following ephemeris lists the comets brighter than 15^th magnitude as tablulated by Seiichi Yoshida’s Weekly Information about Bright Comets website.

Cometary Ephemeris for Saint Cloud, MN at Friday, April 24, 2009 10:15:00 pm CDT
	Right Ascension	Declination	Altitude	Azimuth	mag.
C/2007 N3 (Lulin)	6h 35m 20s	+22° 24’ 37"	30.2°	272.0°	9.3
C/2006 W3 (Christens…	22h 52m 20s	+34° 18’ 55"	-10.0°	4.0°	9.4
22P/Kopff	20h 22m 52s	-15° 43’ 27"	-43.9°	63.7°	10.6
67P/Churyumov-Gerasi…	5h 11m 55s	+27° 24’ 16"	19.3°	289.9°	10.9
144P/Kushida	8h 15m 27s	+14° 47’ 45"	42.0°	244.7°	11.7
C/2007 Q3 (Siding Sp…	6h 09m 49s	-20° 10’ 03"	-4.6°	245.7°	11.6
C/2008 T2 (Cardinal)	5h 56m 14s	+31° 59’ 02"	29.6°	286.9°	11.7
C/2006 OF2 (Broughto…	7h 08m 27s	+31° 57’ 25"	41.9°	275.8°	12.3
116P/Wild	9h 30m 54s	+17° 33’ 52"	55.1°	225.0°	12.7
C/2007 G1 (LINEAR)	4h 10m 19s	-53° 05’ 05"	-43.0°	232.4°	12.8
C/2008 A1 (McNaught)	23h 01m 40s	+69° 31’ 06"	25.1°	0.9°	13.6
C/2006 Q1 (McNaught)	16h 45m 21s	+31° 58’ 52"	26.5°	70.3°	13.8
29P/Schwassmann-Wach…	7h 47m 04s	+22° 38’ 35"	42.9°	258.7°	13.8
65P/Gunn	11h 57m 39s	+14° 01’ 43"	57.0°	159.1°	14.3
C/2005 L3 (McNaught)	14h 10m 29s	+37° 17’ 52"	55.9°	87.9°	14.8
C/2008 Q3 (Garradd)	21h 02m 45s	-55° 43’ 35"	-67.5°	128.5°	14.8
77P/Longmore	11h 36m 06s	+07° 29’ 08"	51.6°	170.2°	14.9

	April 24, 2009			April 25, 2009
	Rise	Transit	Set	Rise	Transit	Set
C/2007 N3	9:57am	5:39pm	1:21am	9:53am	5:35pm	1:17am
C/2006 W3	12:53am	9:53am	6:54pm	12:49am	9:50am	6:50pm
22P/Kopff	2:29am	7:25am	12:22pm	2:27am	7:24am	12:22pm
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko	8:03am	4:15pm	12:27am	8:03am	4:15pm	12:27am
144P/Kushida	12:13pm	7:19pm	2:24am	12:12pm	7:17pm	2:22am
C/2007 Q3	12:39pm	5:13pm	9:49pm	12:35pm	5:11pm	9:48pm
C/2008 T2	8:15am	4:59pm	1:41am	8:17am	4:58pm	1:36am
C/2006 OF2	9:29am	6:12pm	2:54am	9:28am	6:09pm	2:50am
116P/Wild	1:16pm	8:34pm	3:52am	1:13pm	8:31pm	3:48am
C/2007 G1	c.p.	3:14pm	c.p.	c.p.	3:12pm	c.p.
C/2008 A1	c.p.	10:04am	c.p.	c.p.	10:03am	c.p.
C/2006 Q1	7:06pm	3:47am	12:30pm	7:00pm	3:43am	12:27pm
29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann	11:07am	6:51pm	2:34am	11:04am	6:47pm	2:30am
65P/Gunn	3:59pm	11:01pm	6:02am	3:55pm	10:56pm	5:57am
C/2005 L3	3:45pm	1:13am	10:42am	3:39pm	1:08am	10:37am
C/2008 Q3	c.p.	8:03am	c.p.	c.p.	7:57am	c.p.
77P/Longmore	4:06pm	10:39pm	5:12am	4:02pm	10:35pm	5:06am

NOTE ABOUT RISE/SET TIMES: If text is greyed out that means the rise/set time is on the previous/next day. "c.p." means the object is circumpolar and is continuously above the local horizon.

Meteor Activity Outlook for March 6-12, 2010

by Robert Lunsford (American Meteor Society)
Used by kind permission of the author.

March is the slowest month for meteor activity. No major annual showers are active and only two very weak minor showers produce activity this month. The sporadic rates continue a slow decline as seen from the mid-northern latitudes and mid-southern rates reach a first half minimum. There is not much to look forward to this month expect for the evening fireballs that seem to peak this time of year from the northern hemisphere. This could be due to the fact the antapex radiant lies highest above the horizon this time of year during the evening hours. During this period the moon reaches its last quarter phase on Sunday March 7th. At this time the moon lies ninety degrees west of the sun and rises near midnight local standard time (LST). The moon will be a nuisance this weekend, but as the week progresses, its impact lessens. The estimated total hourly rates for evening observers this week is near two for northern observers and three for those viewing from south of the equator. For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates should be near seven from the northern hemisphere and nine as seen from the southern hemisphere. The actual rates will also depend on factors such as personal light and motion perception, local weather conditions, alertness and experience in watching meteor activity. Morning rates are reduced due to moonlight. The radiant positions and rates listed below are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning March 6/7. These positions do not change greatly day to day so the listed coordinates may be used during this entire period. Most star atlases (available at science stores and planetariums) will provide maps with grid lines of the celestial coordinates so that you may find out exactly where these positions are located in the sky. A planisphere or computer planetarium program is also useful in showing the sky at any time of night on any date of the year. Activity from each radiant is best seen when it is positioned highest in the sky, either due north or south along the meridian, depending on your latitude. It must be remembered that meteor activity is rarely seen at the radiant position. Rather they shoot outwards from the radiant so it is best to center your field of view so that the radiant lies at the edge and not the center. Viewing there will allow you to easily trace the path of each meteor back to the radiant (if it is a shower member) or in another direction if it is a sporadic. Meteor activity is not seen from radiants that are located below the horizon. The positions below are listed in a west to east manner in order of right ascension (celestial longitude). The positions listed first are located further west therefore are accessible earlier in the night while those listed further down the list rise later in the night. The following showers are expected to be active this week: The wide Antihelion (ANT) radiant is now centered at 11:56 (179) -01. This area of the sky lies in western Virgo, three degrees southeast of the fourth magnitude star Beta Virginis. This radiant is best placed near 0100 local standard time (LST) when it lies on the meridian and is located highest in the sky. Due to the large size of this radiant, any meteor radiating from eastern Leo, Sextans, Crater, or Virgo could be a candidate for this shower. Rates at this time should be near two per hour no matter your location. With an entry velocity of 30 km/sec., the average Antihelion meteor would be of medium-slow speed. The Gamma Normids (GNO) is a weak shower best seen from the southern hemisphere. This shower is only visible south of forty degrees north latitude. The further one is located south (down to 50S) the better the radiant is situated in the sky. Expected rates from the southern hemisphere is only one per hour, even with the radiant located high in the sky. The current radiant position lies at 16:12 (243) -52. This position lies in central Norma, two degrees southwest of the fourth magnitude star Gamma Normae. The radiant is best placed during the last dark hour before dawn, when it lies highest above the horizon in a dark sky. At 56km/sec. the Gamma Normids would produce mostly swift meteors. As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45N) one would expect to see approximately five sporadic meteors per hour during the last hour before dawn as seen from rural observing sites. Evening rates would be near one per hour. As seen from the mid-southern hemisphere (45S), morning rates would be near six per hour as seen from rural observing sites and two per hour during the evening hours. Locations between these two extremes would see activity between the listed figures. Morning rates are reduced due to moonlight. The table below presents a condensed version of the expected activity this week. Rates and positions are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning. SHOWER DATE OF MAXIMUM ACTIVITY CELESTIAL POSITION ENTRY VELOCITY CULMINATION HOURLY RATE CLASS* RA (RA in Deg.) DEC Km/Sec Local Standard Time North-South Antihelion (ANT) - 11:56 (179) -01 30 01:00 2 - 2 II Gamma Normids (GNO) Mar 13 16:12 (243) -52 56 05:00
…
(The complete weekly outlook is available here)

A description of the meteor showers visible during the month of March is available from Gary Kronk’s excellent Comets and Meteor Showers webpage.

Deep Sky Objects

Here are the current positions and rise/set times for a selected sample of deep sky objects that look reasonably nice in a small telescope from the Saint Cloud area.

Deep Sky Ephemeris for Saint Cloud, MN at Friday, April 24, 2009 10:15:00 pm CDT
	Right Ascension	Declination	Altitude	Azimuth	mag.
Crab Nebula (M1)	5h 35m 12s	+22° 03’ 14"	19.6°	281.9°	8.4
Lagoon Nebula (M8)	18h 04m 24s	-24° 23’ 01"	-26.1°	99.0°	5.8
Hercules Cluster (M13)	16h 41m 57s	+36° 27’ 38"	29.8°	66.8°	5.9
Eagle Nebula (M16)	18h 19m 25s	-13° 46’ 30"	-21.6°	87.8°	6.5
Trifid Nebula (M20)	18h 03m 11s	-23° 02’ 03"	-25.1°	98.1°	8.5
Andromeda Galaxy (M31)	0h 44m 06s	+41° 53’ 14"	-0.2°	343.0°	4.4
Orion Nebula (M42)	5h 37m 02s	-05° 08’ 24"	0.8°	261.8°	4.0
Beehive Cluster (M44)	8h 40m 39s	+19° 57’ 43"	49.9°	243.1°	3.9
Pleiades (M45)	3h 48m 07s	+24° 18’ 13"	3.8°	301.4°	1.5
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)	13h 30m 17s	+47° 09’ 03"	66.2°	73.6°	8.1
Ring Nebula (M57)	18h 53m 37s	+33° 07’ 27"	7.9°	49.7°	9.0
Sombrero Galaxy (M104)	12h 40m 27s	-11° 39’ 07"	29.4°	154.8°	9.3

	April 24, 2009			April 25, 2009
	Rise	Transit	Set	Rise	Transit	Set
Crab Nebula	8:59am	4:39pm	12:19am	8:55am	4:35pm	12:15am
Lagoon Nebula	12:53am	5:06am	9:19am	12:49am	5:02am	9:16am
Hercules Cluster	6:24pm	3:44am	1:04pm	6:20pm	3:40am	1:00pm
Eagle Nebula	12:17am	5:21am	10:26am	12:13am	5:17am	10:22am
Trifid Nebula	12:45am	5:05am	9:25am	12:41am	5:01am	9:22am
Andromeda Galaxy	1:25am	11:48am	10:11pm	1:21am	11:44am	10:07pm
Orion Nebula	11:00am	4:40pm	10:20pm	10:56am	4:36pm	10:16pm
Beehive Cluster	12:15pm	7:44pm	3:13am	12:11pm	7:40pm	3:09am
Pleiades	7:00am	2:52pm	10:43pm	6:56am	2:48pm	10:39pm
Whirlpool Galaxy	c.p.	12:33am	c.p.	c.p.	12:29am	c.p.
Ring Nebula	9:06pm	5:56am	2:46pm	9:02pm	5:52am	2:42pm
Sombrero Galaxy	6:29pm	11:43pm	4:57am	6:25pm	11:39pm	4:53am

NOTE ABOUT RISE/SET TIMES: If text is greyed out that means the rise/set time is on the previous/next day. "c.p." means the object is circumpolar and is continuously above the local horizon.