2020

Date Local
Time		 Event
Aug 01  Sa 09:47 Moon South Dec.: 24.1° S
  01  Sa   Venus: 45.2° W
  01  Sa 21:14 Mercury-Pollux: 6.7° S
  02  Su 00:30 Moon-Jupiter: 1.6° N
  02  Su 14:17 Moon-Saturn: 2.4° N
  03  Mo 16:59 Full Moon
  09  Su 08:57 Moon-Mars: 0.8° N
  09  Su 14:51 Moon Apogee: 404700 km
  11  Tu 17:45 Last Quarter
  12  We 14:02 Perseid Shower: ZHR = 90
  13  Th 01:59 Venus Elongation: 45.8° W
  14  Fr 20:22 Moon Ascending Node
  15  Sa 14:01 Moon-Venus: 4.2° S
  15  Sa 21:40 Moon North Dec.: 24.2° N
  17  Mo 15:47 Mercury Superior Conj.
  19  We 03:41 New Moon
  21  Fr 11:59 Moon Perigee: 363500 km
  25  Tu 18:58 First Quarter
  27  Th 12:52 Moon Descending Node
  28  Fr 15:06 Moon South Dec.: 24.2° S
  29  Sa 02:33 Moon-Jupiter: 1.5° N
  29  Sa 17:40 Moon-Saturn: 2.3° N
Sep 01  Tu   Venus: 44.7° W
  02  We 06:22 Full Moon
  06  Su 05:42 Moon-Mars: 0°
  06  Su 07:31 Moon Apogee: 405600 km
  10  Th 10:26 Last Quarter
  11  Fr 00:05 Moon Ascending Node
  11  Fr 20:15 Neptune Opposition
  12  Sa 06:25 Moon North Dec.: 24.4° N
  13  Su 01:10 Venus-Beehive: 2.6° S
  14  Mo 04:19 Moon-Beehive: 1.9° S
  14  Mo 05:43 Moon-Venus: 4.6° S
  17  Th 12:00 New Moon
  18  Fr 14:44 Moon Perigee: 359100 km
  22  Tu 07:06 Mercury-Spica: 0.3° N
  22  Tu 14:31 Autumnal Equinox
  23  We 13:33 Moon Descending Node
  24  Th 02:55 First Quarter
  24  Th 20:11 Moon South Dec.: 24.5° S
  25  Fr 07:46 Moon-Jupiter: 1.7° N
  25  Fr 21:46 Moon-Saturn: 2.5° N
Oct 01  Th   Venus: 40.3° W
  01  Th 16:59 Mercury Elongation: 25.8° E
  01  Th 22:05 Full Moon
  02  Fr 18:09 Venus-Regulus: 0.1° S
  03  Sa 04:21 Moon-Mars: 0.8° N
  03  Sa 18:22 Moon Apogee: 406300 km
  08  Th 01:29 Moon Ascending Node
  09  Fr 14:07 Moon North Dec.: 24.6° N
  10  Sa 01:39 Last Quarter
  11  Su 13:27 Moon-Beehive: 2.2° S
  14  We 00:10 Mars Opposition
  14  We 00:57 Moon-Venus: 4.4° S
  16  Fr 20:31 New Moon
  17  Sa 00:46 Moon Perigee: 356900 km
  20  Tu 16:53 Moon Descending Node
  21  We 06:21 Orionid Shower: ZHR = 20
  22  Th 03:00 Moon South Dec.: 24.7° S
  22  Th 18:10 Moon-Jupiter: 2.1° N
  23  Fr 04:49 Moon-Saturn: 2.7° N
  23  Fr 14:23 First Quarter
  25  Su 18:14 Mercury Inferior Conj.
  29  Th 16:13 Moon-Mars: 3.3° N
  30  Fr 18:46 Moon Apogee: 406400 km
  31  Sa 14:49 Full Moon
  31  Sa 16:05 Uranus Opposition
Nov 01  Su   Venus: 34.2° W
  04  We 02:39 Moon Ascending Node
  05  Th 05:50 South Taurid Shower: ZHR = 10
  05  Th 19:30 Moon North Dec.: 24.8° N
  07  Sa 19:34 Moon-Beehive: 2.4° S
  08  Su 13:46 Last Quarter
  10  Tu 16:59 Mercury Elongation: 19.1° W
  12  Th 05:06 North Taurid Shower: ZHR = 15
  12  Th 21:31 Moon-Venus: 3° S
  14  Sa 11:48 Moon Perigee: 357800 km
  15  Su 05:07 New Moon
  16  Mo 13:24 Venus-Spica: 3.8° N
  17  Tu 00:07 Moon Descending Node
  17  Tu 11:24 Leonid Shower: ZHR = 15
  18  We 11:27 Moon South Dec.: 24.9° S
  19  Th 08:54 Moon-Jupiter: 2.6° N
  19  Th 14:57 Moon-Saturn: 3° N
  22  Su 04:45 First Quarter
  27  Fr 00:29 Moon Apogee: 405900 km
  30  Mo 09:30 Full Moon
  30  Mo 09:44 Pen. Lunar Eclipse
Dec 01  Tu 07:46 Moon Ascending Node
  01  Tu   Venus: 27.5° W
  03  Th 01:22 Moon North Dec.: 24.9° N
  05  Sa 01:10 Moon-Beehive: 2.5° S
  08  Tu 00:37 Last Quarter
  12  Sa 20:40 Moon-Venus: 0.8° S
  12  Sa 20:42 Moon Perigee: 361800 km
  14  Mo 00:35 Geminid Shower: ZHR = 120
  14  Mo 11:03 Moon Descending Node
  14  Mo 16:15 Total Solar Eclipse
  14  Mo 16:17 New Moon
  15  Tu 22:23 Moon South Dec.: 24.9° S
  17  Th 04:28 Moon-Jupiter: 3° N
  17  Th 05:25 Moon-Saturn: 3.1° N
  20  Su 02:56 Mercury Superior Conj.
  21  Mo 10:02 Winter Solstice
  21  Mo 23:41 First Quarter
  22  Tu 09:00 Ursid Shower: ZHR = 10
  22  Tu 09:35 Jupiter-Saturn: 0.1° N
  23  We 14:48 Venus-Antares: 5.6° N
  24  Th 16:32 Moon Apogee: 405000 km
  28  Mo 15:03 Moon Ascending Node
  30  We 03:28 Full Moon
  30  We 07:53 Moon North Dec.: 24.9° N

2021

Date Local
Time		 Event
Jan 01  Fr 07:05 Moon-Beehive: 2.5° S
  01  Fr   Venus: 20.2° W
  02  Sa 08:59 Perihelion: 0.9833 AU
  03  Su 14:47 Quadrantid Shower: ZHR = 120
  06  We 09:37 Last Quarter
  09  Sa 15:39 Moon Perigee: 367400 km
  10  Su 20:14 Moon Descending Node
  11  Mo 20:11 Moon-Venus: 1.5° N
  12  Tu 08:18 Moon South Dec.: 24.9° S
  13  We 05:00 New Moon
  20  We 21:02 First Quarter
  21  Th 13:11 Moon Apogee: 404400 km
  24  Su 01:59 Mercury Elongation: 18.6° E
  24  Su 02:26 Saturn Conjunction
  24  Su 21:47 Moon Ascending Node
  26  Tu 15:39 Moon North Dec.: 24.9° N
  28  Th 14:50 Moon-Beehive: 2.4° S
  28  Th 19:16 Full Moon
  29  Fr 00:51 Jupiter Conjunction
Feb 01  Mo   Venus: 13° W
  03  We 19:33 Moon Perigee: 370100 km
  04  Th 17:37 Last Quarter
  07  Su 00:29 Moon Descending Node
  08  Mo 13:39 Mercury Inferior Conj.
  08  Mo 15:34 Moon South Dec.: 25° S
  11  Th 19:06 New Moon
  18  Th 10:22 Moon Apogee: 404500 km
  18  Th 22:47 Moon-Mars: 4.1° N
  19  Fr 18:47 First Quarter
  21  Su 01:44 Moon Ascending Node
  23  Tu 00:12 Moon North Dec.: 25.1° N
  23  Tu 07:38 Mercury-Saturn: 4° N
  25  Th 00:16 Moon-Beehive: 2.5° S
  27  Sa 08:17 Full Moon
Mar 01  Mo   Venus: 6.3° W
  02  Tu 05:19 Moon Perigee: 365400 km
  03  We 23:32 Mars-Pleiades: 2.6° S
  05  Fr 05:11 Mercury-Jupiter: 0.3° N
  06  Sa 00:56 Moon Descending Node
  06  Sa 01:30 Last Quarter
  06  Sa 10:59 Mercury Elongation: 27.3° W
  07  Su 20:45 Moon South Dec.: 25.2° S
  09  Tu 23:02 Moon-Saturn: 3.9° N
  10  We 15:35 Moon-Jupiter: 4.3° N
  10  We 23:36 Neptune Conjunction
  11  Th 01:02 Moon-Mercury: 3.9° N
  13  Sa 10:21 New Moon
  18  Th 06:04 Moon Apogee: 405300 km
  19  Fr 18:48 Moon-Mars: 2.1° N
  20  Sa 04:31 Moon Ascending Node
  20  Sa 10:37 Vernal Equinox
  20  Sa 20:15 Mars-Aldebaran: 6.9° N
  21  Su 15:40 First Quarter
  22  Mo 09:35 Moon North Dec.: 25.3° N
  24  We 10:58 Moon-Beehive: 2.7° S
  26  Fr 07:17 Venus Superior Conj.
  28  Su 19:48 Full Moon
  30  Tu 07:12 Moon Perigee: 360300 km
Apr 01  Th   Venus: 2° E
  02  Fr 03:41 Moon Descending Node
  04  Su 03:08 Moon South Dec.: 25.4° S
  04  Su 11:02 Last Quarter
  06  Tu 09:34 Moon-Saturn: 4.2° N
  07  We 08:15 Moon-Jupiter: 4.7° N
  12  Mo 03:31 New Moon
  14  We 18:47 Moon Apogee: 406100 km
  16  Fr 06:53 Moon Ascending Node
  17  Sa 13:09 Moon-Mars: 0.1° N
  18  Su 17:02 Moon North Dec.: 25.5° N
  19  Mo 02:31 Mercury Superior Conj.
  20  Tu 07:59 First Quarter
  20  Tu 19:25 Moon-Beehive: 3° S
  22  Th 13:16 Lyrid Shower: ZHR = 20
  27  Tu 04:31 Full Moon
  27  Tu 16:24 Moon Perigee: 357400 km
  29  Th 10:17 Moon Descending Node
  30  Fr 22:15 Uranus Conjunction
May 01  Sa 10:37 Moon South Dec.: 25.6° S
  01  Sa   Venus: 9.4° E
  03  Mo 18:02 Moon-Saturn: 4.4° N
  03  Mo 20:50 Last Quarter
  04  Tu 04:01 Mercury-Pleiades: 2.2° S
  04  Tu 22:00 Moon-Jupiter: 4.9° N
  05  We 02:30 Eta Aquarid Shower: ZHR = 60
  11  Tu 20:00 New Moon
  11  Tu 22:54 Moon Apogee: 406500 km
  13  Th 11:29 Moon Ascending Node
  13  Th 18:59 Moon-Mercury: 2.4° N
  15  Sa 23:25 Moon North Dec.: 25.6° N
  16  Su 05:47 Moon-Mars: 1.6° S
  17  Mo 06:59 Mercury Elongation: 22° E
  18  Tu 02:08 Moon-Beehive: 3.1° S
  19  We 20:13 First Quarter
  26  We 02:52 Moon Perigee: 357300 km
  26  We 12:14 Full Moon
  26  We 12:19 Total Lunar Eclipse
  26  We 20:38 Moon Descending Node
  28  Fr 20:21 Moon South Dec.: 25.6° S
  29  Sa 04:01 Mercury-Venus: 0.4° N
  31  Mo 02:22 Moon-Saturn: 4.3° N
  31  Mo 12:39 Mars-Pollux: 5.3° S
Jun 01  Tu 09:57 Moon-Jupiter: 4.9° N
  01  Tu   Venus: 17.5° E
  02  We 08:24 Last Quarter
  08  Tu 03:27 Moon Apogee: 406200 km
  09  We 17:42 Moon Ascending Node
  10  Th 11:43 Annular Solar Eclipse
  10  Th 11:53 New Moon
  11  Fr 02:06 Mercury Inferior Conj.
  12  Sa 05:11 Moon North Dec.: 25.6° N
  12  Sa 07:44 Moon-Venus: 1.6° S
  13  Su 20:52 Moon-Mars: 3° S
  14  Mo 07:47 Moon-Beehive: 3.1° S
  18  Fr 04:54 First Quarter
  21  Mo 04:32 Summer Solstice
  21  Mo 16:57 Venus-Pollux: 5.2° S
  22  Tu 21:54 Mercury-Aldebaran: 6.4° N
  23  We 06:21 Mars-Beehive: 0.3° S
  23  We 07:07 Moon Descending Node
  23  We 10:58 Moon Perigee: 360000 km
  24  Th 19:40 Full Moon
  25  Fr 06:49 Moon South Dec.: 25.6° S
  27  Su 10:30 Moon-Saturn: 4.1° N
  28  Mo 19:38 Moon-Jupiter: 4.6° N

Sky Events Calendar by Fred Espenak and Sumit Dutta (NASA's GSFC)  https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html

Due to restrictions imposed by the need to follow Government rules and guidelines on containing the Coronavirus, the Darker Skies meetings at Mugdock Country Park are, unfortunately, suspended until further notice.

When we are back to “normal”, you as a member of the Society will be able to come and join us at our Darker Skies site at Mugdock Country park, just outside Glasgow.  We will meet there monthly from October to March.  ASG members will bring their own and the society's telescopes for use by the group.  This will be a great way to learn about the different types of telescopes, and if you are thinking of buying, what better way to 'try before you buy'.

On the occasions when the skies are not clear, we will have the use of the lecture theatre at Mugdock.  This comfortable theatre, with tea and coffee facilities and excellent AV setup will allow us to run presentations and talks on all topics of astronomy.

Please see the Membership page for information on joining the Society.

Prior to some of the public lectures, we have an Observing Section talk, the purpose of which is to highlight topical items of interest in the night sky over the following few weeks - planets that will be above the horizon, nebulae, interesting stars and asterisms, etc.

Delivered by the supremely knowledgeable Charles Cavanagh, for the 2018 - 2019 session these talks are scheduled for:

  • Thursday 18th October
  • Thursday 20th December
  • Thursday 21st March
  • Thursday 16th May

In each case, the talk starts promptly at 6:45 pm, with the aim of finishing in good time for the following scheduled lecture.

Recently, Charles prepared a short note about Observing our Solar System in 2019.

The talks are generally be held in Room 6.41, Royal College, Strathclyde University.  Access is via the Montrose Street entrance, take the lift to Level 3, exit the lift (turning left) and take the 2nd (furthest away) set of steps, and go through the double glass doors.  Room 6.41 is on your left approximately half way along the corridor.