Uranus at transit, followed by gibbous Moon

Event Date: November 24th

Time: 8:09(.18) PM

Brief

   Yesterday, the Moon was close enough to Uranus that trying to view it through a telescope would lead to it being washed out.  This evening, it is only slightly smaller in phase and about 10º further away.  Therefore, although it washes out the planet as seen with our eyes (under normally dark enough sky conditions), a telescope can pick it up with not as much glare.  If the glare becomes a huge issue, a higher powered eyepiece can help take away some of the glare; the planet may be a little harder to see brightness-wise, yet not too noticeably if your telescope gathers enough light.  

Here is the planet at transit, with the meridian also showing.

click on image to enlarge: courtesy of Starry Night Pro Plus, version 6.4.3, by Simulation Curriculum Corp.

Detailed

   Uranus is still at a declination where it seemingly traces out the celestial equator.  At declination 1.2º north, viewers at that latitude on Earth (South America, Africa, far east Islands) can see the planet at zenith if skies are very clear and dark.  Unfortunately, that part of the world is not ideal for observatories, or at least astrophotography, with so much humidity.  At mid-southern latitudes, the planet is still seen transiting high enough.  It is even at very good altitudes for the two hours on either side of transit to be far enough out of atmospheric pollution.  Over the next 20 years, Uranus will move further in declination, reaching sky coordinates of the June-solstice Sun by about that time, in the early 2030's.  At that time, it will also be slightly brighter, as it approaches perihelion about 20 years later, early in the year 2051.  By then, instead of magnitude 5.8, it will peak at magnitude 5.3, making it slightly easier to see in very dark skies.  Until that time, enjoy it moving past stars in many constellations: the rest of Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and finally Leo, spending about 7 years on average, in each.