Different planetary altitudes within a time zone

Event Date: December 31st

Time: 12:09(.30) PM

Brief

The Mayan calendar ended 10 days ago, and the 2012 A.D. calendar ends tonight at 23.59.59(...) Universal Time (UT).  Of course, for time zones east of the prime meridian, it ends sooner.  However, acting as a standard, we remember UT.  Whenever exactly you want to celebrate for New Year's tonight or tomorrow, the sky will look similar for each time zone along a same latitude line.  The only small difference being whether a person is viewing east or west within a time zone.  For example, at the exact same time in the Pacific time  a viewer in Reno, Nevada will see the stars slightly further west than viewed at our location in the Bay Area, a few hundred miles west. With that in mind, look at Uranus and Neptune below: note their altitude and azimuth.  After that, I will show them about 45 minutes later, as they would be seen near the other end of the time zone.

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

Detailed

   The ecliptic and celestial equator show both planets' difference in declination, as well as R.A.  Neptune is getting low towards atmospheric pollution, and only easily visible for a couple hours once dark enough to see it easily with a large enough telescope.  Once atmospheric pollution gets in the way, it dims quickly, and its methane-blue color is harder to detect.  Uranus is further north and seen in image one just after transit.  Therefore, besides being a little "brighter" than Neptune, Uranus spends more time above the horizon for us to view longer after dark.  Both planets are approaching conjunction with the Sun, and about a month on each side of that, we will not beable to view these planets at all.  For the evening viewing before conjunction, the increasing glare of the Sun means waiting longer to see them, waiting for dark.  For morning viewing during mid-late spring, they will be too far south of the Sun to see them; they will rise only a short time before the Sun, getting washed out.  Try looking for Neptune easily through a telescope by late in the spring, and Uranus by early summer.