RMG Night sky highlights - October 2023
Superb moon photo:
https://www.rmg.co.uk/sites/default/files/styles/max_width_1440/public/2021-09/OM-33479-3_Highly-Commended_Iridum-to-Imbrium-%C2%A9-Stefan-Buda.jpg?itok=dmH-WOXI 
Highlights:
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/blog/astronomy/night-sky-highlights-october-2023 
 

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If skies should clear... 🙄
How to watch the Orionid meteor shower as peak due on Saturday
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67173468 
 

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For anyone interested, October's full moon will see a partial lunar eclipse visible from the UK on Saturday evening (28 October). It won't be a particularly large eclipse, but you will notice a bite taken out of the bottom left corner of the Moon at around 21:00.

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2023-october-28 

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There will be a lunar occultation of Venus on the morning of 9 November (Thursday) from the UK and Europe. At about 09:40, the Waning Crescent Moon will move in front of Venus for about an hour. Under good conditions, Venus can actually be seen during the daytime, so weather permitting, it might be worth taking a look.

https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20231109_16_100 

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Tonight while I was outside in the garden with my family preparing to light some sparklers and fireworks for  my grandchildren we noticed what we first though were two satellites moving west to east across the sky ( I live in Hertfordshire). Myself and family then noticed more were following in a dead straight line and the same distance apart. They all appeared from the same point in the western sky and in total there must have been between fifteen and twenty of them. 
Would anyone have any idea wtf they were. Cheers. 
 

Tonight while I was outside in the garden with my family preparing to light some sparklers and fireworks for  my grandchildren we noticed what we first though were two satellites moving west to east across the sky ( I live in Hertfordshire). Myself and family then noticed more were following in a dead straight line and the same distance apart. They all appeared from the same point in the western sky and in total there must have been between fifteen and twenty of them. 
Would anyone have any idea wtf they were. Cheers. 
 

They would have been satellites; I’ve noticed the same thing.  There are an awful lot of them up there now.

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Tonight while I was outside in the garden with my family preparing to light some sparklers and fireworks for  my grandchildren we noticed what we first though were two satellites moving west to east across the sky ( I live in Hertfordshire). Myself and family then noticed more were following in a dead straight line and the same distance apart. They all appeared from the same point in the western sky and in total there must have been between fifteen and twenty of them. 
Would anyone have any idea wtf they were. Cheers. 
 

Starlink satellites would be my guess, they follow each other like a string of lights

https://findstarlink.com/ 

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Starlink satellites would be my guess, they follow each other like a string of lights

https://findstarlink.com/ 

We were all thinking UFO alien invasion lol. Thanks for replying and the info.

It's a possible night for the aurora!
If it's clear - keep looking north! A strong geomagnetic storm is underway.
https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/ 
 

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It's a possible night for the aurora!
If it's clear - keep looking north! A strong geomagnetic storm is underway.
https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/ 
 

Makes a pleasant change from the fireworks. I'll go and have a look for it.
Cheers Roger. Have a good night. 😊👍 

Makes a pleasant change from the fireworks. I'll go and have a look for it.
Cheers Roger. Have a good night. 😊👍 

I see there is an Amber Alert now - 05.45hrs. Yesterday's was a Red Alert.
Check this link for the data:
https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/ 

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Piece in: Spaceweather.com : SAR arcs - not the same as STEVE.
A GLOBAL OUTBREAK OF RED 'SAR ARCS': A CME struck Earth on Nov. 5th, springing a leak in our planet's electrical ring current system. The result was a global outbreak of red lights in the sky called 'SAR arcs.' They looked like auroras, but they were not. Get the full story on today's edition. https://spaceweather.com/ 

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There will be a lunar occultation of Venus on the morning of 9 November (Thursday) from the UK and Europe. At about 09:40, the Waning Crescent Moon will move in front of Venus for about an hour. Under good conditions, Venus can actually be seen during the daytime, so weather permitting, it might be worth taking a look.

https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20231109_16_100 

The weather about to cock this up as well, around here, by the looks of it... 😐

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Piece in: Spaceweather.com : SAR arcs - not the same as STEVE.
A GLOBAL OUTBREAK OF RED 'SAR ARCS': A CME struck Earth on Nov. 5th, springing a leak in our planet's electrical ring current system. The result was a global outbreak of red lights in the sky called 'SAR arcs.' They looked like auroras, but they were not. Get the full story on today's edition. https://spaceweather.com/ 

Most interesting, especially if it was seen in low latitudes.

With increasingly advanced technology and at more affordable prices, amateur and professional scientists and hobbyists could well capture things that are new to science.

I must say that I believe to have captured something resembling the SAR arcs or an aurora on Venus on 5th September this year! I'll post the pics sometime.

The weather about to cock this up as well, around here, by the looks of it... 😐

Yep, thanks to the damned Cardigan Bay and Atlantic Ocean! Looks like it will reach Sheffield too. 😡

Space Weather News for Nov. 10, 2023
https://spaceweather.com 

ANOTHER CME IS HEADING FOR EARTH:
An eruption on the sun yesterday hurled a CME directly toward Earth. NOAA and NASA models agree that it will reach our planet during the late hours of Saturday, Nov. 11th. The impact could produce a G2-class (Moderate) geomagnetic storm with auroras in northern-tier US states. Updates @ Spaceweather.com.

Keep checking Aurorawatch:
https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/ 

 

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I noticed Venus in the sky before. It's amazing how you can actually see it in broad sunshine if you know where to look. It's a testament to how bright it actually is. In fact it's the only object (other than the Sun and Moon) bright enough to cast shadows.

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I noticed Venus in the sky before. It's amazing how you can actually see it in broad sunshine if you know where to look. It's a testament to how bright it actually is. In fact it's the only object (other than the Sun and Moon) bright enough to cast shadows.

How long does it take for the light from Venus to reach us? Its fascinating we can see objects so many miles away with the naked eye. Yet it would take months or years of travel to reach them unless we invent new technology

 

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How long does it take for the light from Venus to reach us? Its fascinating we can see objects so many miles away with the naked eye. Yet it would take months or years of travel to reach them unless we invent new technology

 

It depends where it is in its orbit in relation to Earth. At inferior conjunction (in between Earth and the Sun), it's about 2 minutes and 20 seconds. At superior conjunction (when it's on the opposite side of the Sun), it can be as long as 17½ minutes.

It shows how vast the distances involved are when it takes light this long to reach us. To put it into perspective, light from the Moon only takes 1.25 seconds. And even still, Venus is very close to us, compared to the outer planets.

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Well, it looks like the aurora didn't materialise last night, despite all of the hype. Aurora Watch showed no signs of any major geomagnetic activity at all.

Also, the skies were clear too, so I bet that had something to do with it as well. 😉

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