Patrick Moore’s Observer’s Year: 366 Nights of the Universe, 2015–2020

406 Pages·19.663 MB·English

by  Mike Inglis

Mike Inglis
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2015–2020
Third Edition
The Patrick Moore
The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/3192

Patrick
Moore’s
Observer’s Year:
366 Nights of
the Universe
2015 – 2020
Third Edition
Mike Inglis
Editor
Mike Inglis
Long Island, NY , USA
ISSN 1431-9756 ISSN 2197-6562 (electronic)
The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series
I SBN 978-3-319-18677-1 ISBN 978-3-319-18678-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-18678-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015940439
Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015
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publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt
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Cover photo by Flickr user Spirit-Fire used under a creative commons license
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Foreword
The Observer’s Year: 366 Nights of the Universe, which was first
published in 1998, was a unique gem of a book. Written in Sir
Patrick Moore’s conversational, informative, and inimitable
style, it presented a guide to what was visible, and what was of
especial interest, on each successive night of the year. Part of
the abiding attraction of the book was the way in which
Patrick blended together crisp, straightforward information
about what was on view in the sky, and crystal clear guidance
on how to find objects of particular interest, with a fascinating
potpourri of historical and supplementary information,
including notes on anniversaries, personalities, and specific
dates in future years on which particular events and phenom-
ena would occur. In addition to giving night-by-night practi-
cal guidance, the book was a thoroughly good and enjoyable
read that could be dipped into with pleasure at any time.
Patrick carried out a full revision and update for the second
edition, which was published in 2005 and which included details
of planetary and other phenomena for the period from 2005 to
2010. Sadly, he passed away in December 2012 before being able
to carry out a further revision and update of this delightful book.
Having had the great privilege of knowing Patrick as a dear
and close friend for more than 50 years, and being a great
admirer of this book, I was delighted to learn that Springer
had commissioned Mike Inglis to undertake a revision that
would bring the book fully up to date and would cover the
period from 2015 to 2020. Mike—a former colleague of
mine—has been a great friend for many years and is, I believe,
the ideal person to have taken on this task. A professional
astronomer, researcher, educator, and successful and prolific
author and communicator, he has always retained a bubbly
and infectious enthusiasm for the subject, and he knows well
how to convey the sheer joy of observing the night sky for
pleasure, interest, and fun. With skill, sensitivity, and respect,
he has brought the book bang up to date, while leaving
Patrick’s original, and timeless, text unchanged. Thanks to
Mike’s labors, Patrick Moore’s T he Observer’s Year can now
continue to inform, enthrall, and entertain new, and estab-
lished, observers and readers for many years to come.
Alloa, Scotland Iain Nicolson
v

Introduction
to Revised Edition
Sir Patrick Moore was, in many people’s minds, the twentieth
century’s most famous astronomer. This was especially true in
the United Kingdom, where his television series on the BBC,
The Sky at Night, was compulsory viewing for amateur astron-
omers, and indeed many professional astronomers. His pas-
sion for the subject and the exuberance with which he
promoted it are legendary. Sadly, he passed away in December
2012, but he left behind not only a plethora of observing
reports and diaries but also many books on amateur astron-
omy, numbering in the hundreds, that he had written on all
aspects of astronomy. One of his favorite books was the one
you now hold in your hands.
My task in the revised edition was to correct some minor
typographical errors and bring the factual material up to date,
so that events such as occultations, eclipses, etc. would be cov-
ered for the years 2015–2020. In addition, where Patrick specu-
lates on possible future results from, say, the Cassini mission,
or the possibility, say, of extrasolar planets around Beta
Pictoris, I would add an footnote that provides the most rele-
vant recent research results.
A very important point I want to make is that the written
entries for each day of the month are Patrick’s words, and not
mine. I have not changed (above comments notwithstanding)
any of his text, so that when you read the entry for a certain
day of a certain month, it is Patrick’s words you are reading.
This, in my opinion, was a very important feature of the book
that should be left, more or less, untouched.
There are several people that I must thank publicly for
their help in bringing this project to fruition.
T he Astronomy consultant for Springer Publishing, my great
friend John Watson, who, as an amateur astronomer himself,
knows only too well what to put in and leave out of an astronomy
book. His help in presenting the proposal is deeply appreciated.
The Senior Editor for the publication of Astronomy and
Astrophysics textbooks at Springer Publishing, Maury
Solomon. She has been my guiding light in the world of
authorship, and her help, on several occasions, in steering me
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viii Introduction to Revised Edition
in the right direction, has been paramount in my success as
an author.
There are two other people that also need to be mentioned,
as without their input, this book would not have seen the light
of day.
The famous astronomer, author and broadcaster, Iain
Nicolson, is not only a dear friend, but was also one of my
mentors, when I was attempting to become a professional
astronomer. His enthusiasm and support for this book is
deeply appreciated, and what’s more, he even agreed to write a
foreword for the book. Thank you Iain.
Finally, the friend of Patrick and executor of his estate,
David McCahearty, who gave his approval to the project, with-
out which this new edition would not exist. Thank you David.
Working on this book has been both a privilege and an
honor, and I am deeply indebted to all I have mentioned.
So, without further ado, picture this scene—it is cold,
damp, and cloud-covered late on a Sunday night in February.
You are watching the Sky at Night on the BBC, and it is near the
end of the program. Patrick fixes his gaze upon you and, with
a mischievous glint in his eye, utters those immortal words “…
and frankly, we just don’t know. Goodnight.” Cue music.
N ow read on.
Long Island, USA Mike Inglis
Preface
to the First Edition
I t was once said that ‘the night sky always looks much the
same’. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. There
are 365 days in each year (366 in a Leap Year!), and from an
astronomical point of view no two are alike.
W hat I aim to do, in this book, is to go through a complete
year and point out some special items of interest for each
night. It may be a double star, a variable star or a nebula; it may
be a planet, or even the Moon in some particular aspect—
there is plenty of variety. (Anyone unfamiliar with astronomi-
cal terms should consult the Glossary at the end of this book.)
Let it be said at once that you do not need a large and
expensive telescope. A surprising amount can be seen with the
naked eye, and binoculars give increased range; indeed, it is
probably fair to say that good binoculars are ideal for the
beginner, and are far better than very small telescopes.
Telescopes are of two types: refractors and reflectors. A
refractor collects its light by means of a glass lens known as an
object-glass (OG); the light passes down the telescope tube
and is brought to focus, where an image is formed and is then
magnified by a second lens, termed an eyepiece. Note that it is
the eyepiece which is responsible for the actual magnification,
and each telescope should be equipped with several different
eyepieces to give different powers. The function of the OG is to
collect the light in the first place—and the larger the OG, the
brighter the image, and the higher the magnification, which
can be used. In general, it is probably unwise to spend much
money on a refractor with an OG less than three inches in
diameter. (Beware the Japanese 2½-inch refractor, on a spi-
dery mounting!)
W ith a reflector, the light passes down an open tube and
falls upon a curved mirror or ‘speculum’. The light is sent back
up the tube on to a second, small mirror or ‘flat’; the rays are
then diverted into the side of the tube, where the image is
formed and magnified as before. (This is known as the
Newtonian form, because it was invented by Sir Isaac Newton;
there are other optical systems, but these need not concern us
for the moment.) Inch for inch, a lens is more effective than a
mirror, and with a Newtonian reflector the minimum really
useful aperture for the main mirror is 6 inches. Of course,
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