It will be worth being awake early on Saturday to see the partial lunar eclipse. The eclipse enters the umbra, the darkest part of the Earth's shadow, at 3:17 a.m. Saturday, and it continues until the moon sets at 5:23 - just after sunrise at 5:19 am.
The sun will be rising in the east as the moon is setting in the west.
If you want to see as much of the eclipse as possible from Tucson, make yourself comfortable in a lawn chair around 1:30 a.m. and face toward the south, following the moon as it progresses through the partial eclipse until it sets in the southwest.
The eclipse should start to get really noticeable around 2 a.m., with the deepest portion at about 4:38 a.m. Observers throughout the Pacific region and in Australia and New Zealand will be able to see the entire eclipse. Unfortunately, Tucson is not far enough to the west to see the eclipse in its entirety, but it should be a good show, nonetheless.
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Alcon 2010 starts Friday
Alcon 2010, the Astronomical League's annual convention, takes place Friday and Saturday at the Tucson Hilton East, 7600 E. Broadway. The conference, which was last held in Tucson 25 years ago, is a must for anyone interested in astronomy.
It's hosted by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, the International Dark-Sky Association and the Astronomical League and features a number of world-class experts. New this year will be solar telescopes and an exhibition hall packed with everything from telescopes and books to meteorites and jewelry. Geoff Notkin, one of the stars of the Science Channel's "Meteorite Men," will attend and sign autographs and books.
Other events will include a lighting-ordinance workshop and the Lunt Solar Systems Arizona Solar Conference, and the annual general meeting of the International Dark-Sky Association. To register, go online to alcon2010.astroleague.org
Spot a comet
You'll be able to spot Comet McNaught with a pair of binoculars (the stronger the better) just before dawn over the next few days as it nears the sun.
The comet is now in northern Auriga, just a few degrees to the northeast of the 0th magnitude star Capella. It is visible very low in the northeast sky about a half-hour before the start of dawn.
Carl Hergenrother, a senior research scientist at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, says McNaught will appear lower and lower in the morning sky as it heads to perihelion - its closest approach to the sun - on July 2. While the comet may be visible low in the evening sky later on, it will be very close to the horizon and not very visible for most people.
Still to come: Hartley 2, which will be bright enough to see with the naked eye this fall.
Did you know?
Comet McNaught is one of several comets named for its discoverer, Robert McNaught.
Like other comets, McNaught is essentially a ball of ice and dust, remnants of the earliest days of the formation of our solar system. As they approach the sun, comets develop signature "tails" as solar winds cause them to shed their dusty outer layers.
Source: University of Arizona
Tim Hunter has been an amateur astronomer since grade school. E-mail him at skyspy@azstarnet.com