Requesting the astronomical current affairs in September and October 2007 (urgent)

Celestial Phenomenon in September 2007

Uranus will oppose the Sun again on September 9, 2007

On the 5th, Uranus will "oppose" the Sun in Tianjin and Changchun, China In areas with fine weather such as Shenyang and Shenyang, many astronomy enthusiasts have used binoculars to appreciate the beautiful figure of Uranus.

Guo Zhongzhi of the Tianjin Astronomical Society observed this "solar opposition". According to him, the 5th was the 13th day of the lunar calendar. Due to the influence of the moonlight, the light blue Uranus was barely identified in the starry sky with the help of star charts and binoculars, but the effect was not very satisfactory.

According to reports, the so-called "opposition" means that Uranus and the sun are exactly on opposite sides of the earth, and the three are almost in a straight line. At this time, Uranus is closest to the Earth and its brightness is highest. It is the best time of the year to watch Uranus.

According to astronomical experts, Uranus was discovered by British astronomer William Herschel and his sister using a telescope in 1781. It was the first large planet discovered using a telescope for the first time in human history. Its volume is 65 times that of the Earth, and it orbits the sun once every 84 years.

Astronomers remind that the public who did not see Uranus on the evening of the 5th need not be disappointed, because in the next 15 days, as long as they are patient, the public will have the possibility to observe Uranus and will not be affected by the moonlight. interference. If you miss it again, at 18:45 on September 9, 2007, Uranus will perform its "opposition" performance again, and people will still have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Uranus.

Aurigid meteor shower value

At around 11:37 UTC on September 1, 2007, the earth will pass through the Aurigid meteor shower dust cloud at a very close distance. It is possible to produce a meteor shower with a zenith flow of about 1,000 per hour. Moreover, there may be mostly bolides, which will be very similar to the return of the "Lion King" in this regard. However, there are two slight regrets. First, the predicted outbreak time is 11:37 UTC, which is 19:37 Beijing time. For most parts of the country, it would get dark around 20:00 that day, so if the forecast is accurate, it would not be completely dark at the time of the outbreak. Of course, forecasts generally have errors, and we hope that this error will be postponed. Second, it is the 20th day of the lunar calendar that day, and the moon phase is about 76%. If the maximum moment is delayed further, further observations will be interfered by the moonlight.

The parent comet that formed the Aurigids meteor shower appeared in 1911, and its orbit around the sun takes about 2,500 years. Even so, there are many dense clumps of material distributed in its orbit. When the Earth passes through these clumps of material, the Aurigid meteor shower is formed. In 2007, the Earth will pass through a clump of material particularly close to the center, so the meteor shower will be worth looking forward to. This meteor shower forecast model has accurately predicted the outbreak of the Leonid meteor shower in 2001 and 2002, so it is still trustworthy. Everyone must pay close attention to the relevant information of this meteor shower and don’t leave any regrets for yourself!

Important celestial phenomena in October 2007

The Draconid meteor shower will be extremely powerful on October 8-9

There have been several wonderful performances in the 20th century The Draconids meteor shower may reach its peak twice at 18:00 on the 8th and around 2:00 am on the 9th. The Draconid meteor shower can be observed in China, Russia, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and even across the northern hemisphere. At that time, about a hundred meteors will streak across the night sky every hour.

Wang Shichao, a researcher at the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that compared to other constellations, the Draconids meteor shower is relatively active. There have been several spectacular Draconids meteor showers in the last century, including two meteor showers. The active period of this Draconid meteor shower is from October 6th to 10th, and the best observation times are around 18:00 on the 8th and around 2:00am on the 9th.

The parent comet of the Draconids meteor shower is called "21P". It was discovered by astronomers in 1900 and has an orbit period of 6.61 years. The eastern and northeastern regions of my country are in favorable observation positions for this meteor shower. Wang Sichao said that the position of the Draco constellation is relatively high, which is conducive to observation. Astronomy enthusiasts can observe 40 minutes after the sun sets. Taking into account light interference and meteorological effects, you must be patient and wait for meteors when observing. Wang Sichao said that because humans are still unable to accurately calculate the distribution structure of comet dust particles in the parent body of meteor showers, they cannot accurately predict the occurrence and scale of meteor showers like we can predict solar and lunar eclipses. The public should be mentally prepared for this when observing.

October 16th Jupiter and the Moon

If you still want to observe Jupiter this year, hurry up. Because in November, the height of Jupiter's horizon after sunset is only 10°, and it will set quickly, which is not conducive to observation. In mid-to-early October, there is still at least an hour for observation after dark.

October 22 The Orionid meteor shower is huge

The Orionid meteor shower must be mentioned because of its "big name" parent body - Halley's Comet. This is the first comet whose cycle has been confirmed by humans, creating two meteor showers, the Aquarius in the first half of the year and the Orionid in the second half of the year. The Orionid meteor shower has a steady flow.

The most recent peak is expected to occur in 2008 to 2010, which could make the flow the largest in only 25 years.

The forecast maximum value of this year’s Orionid meteor shower will be at 5 a.m. on the 22nd, Beijing time, with a ZHR value of about 25. That day is September 12 of the lunar calendar, and there is no moonlight interference. The latest forecast is that there will be a sub-maximum value on the night of the 17th to 18th. The moon will be in first quarter that night, so the impact will not be big, and the radiant will rise around 22:00. Highly recommended for everyone to observe.

October 28th, Venus’ western elongation

Venus has unknowingly become the “morning star” and quickly reached the unknown western elongation. In the early morning of the 28th, the angular distance between Venus and the Sun was 46°, and the horizon height at sunrise was also very high, 42°. The observation conditions were very good. From then until February next year, it is a good opportunity to observe Venus before dawn, but everyone must hurry up, because in the next five months or so, Venus will be too close to the sun, making it difficult to observe.