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| The Top 12 for 2012 |
A solar eclipse and a rare transit of Venus highlight a year that contains an astonishing array of celestial events
By Alan Dyer
In 2009, we celebrated the International Year of Astronomy. But it is this year, 2012, that really deserves the title. A plethora of great celestial events is packed in from March to December. Whittling down the list to a “Top 12 for 2012” was tough, so you’ll excuse me if I add a few more in over-flow boxes! Of course, these are the predictable events. Perhaps a newly discovered bright comet will grace our skies or a nova will explode into view. Either way, this promises to be an exciting year for stargazing.
Click on photos to enlarge.
All Diagrams Courtesy TheSkyX™/Software Bisque |
#1 - Saturday, March 3
Mars reaches opposition, plus four other naked-eye planets on parade
As close approaches go, this is, admittedly, a poor one for Mars. But it’s still the best we’ll see the red planet for at least two more years. The real attraction in early March is the array of all five naked-eye planets across the sky, with Mercury, Venus and Jupiter at dusk, then Mars at its closest in the early evening, followed by Saturn later at night. |
#2 - Monday, March 12
Venus and Jupiter in conjunction
The two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, coming together in conjunction is always a celestial treat. The March 12 event is the best planet pairing of the year. As a bonus, Mercury also shines at its best in the evening sky for 2012 that same week. |
#3 - Monday, March 26
Crescent Moon and Venus in conjunction
Everyone looks up and takes notice when the crescent Moon passes by dazzling Venus. This is the best of several monthly meetings between the Moon and Venus in the evening sky in early 2012. |
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#4 - Tuesday, April 3
Venus shines within the Pleiades
This is the year for Venus. On the evening of April 3, it grazes the outskirts of the Pleiades star cluster for an amazing binocular and telescopic sight not to be repeated for another eight years. |
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 HONOURABLE MENTION
Friday, April 6 (and May 31)
Full Moon passes Saturn and Spica
On Good Friday, the full Moon shines close to Saturn and Spica. The same participants repeat their grouping on May 31. |
#5 - Sunday, May 20
Partial eclipse of the Sun
Travel to the American Southwest, and you’ll see the Sun turned into a ring of light by the undersized dark disc of the Moon, creating a rare annular eclipse of the Sun. The rest of the western half of the continent sees a partial solar eclipse, the first since 2002 for most of Canada. |
#6 - Monday, June 4
Partial lunar eclipse
There are no total lunar eclipses this year, but western Canada does see a nice 37 percent partial eclipse of the Moon at dawn, as the eclipsed Moon sets at sunrise. This occurs just one day be- fore the big event for 2012: the transit of Venus. |
#7 - Tuesday, June 5
Transit of Venus
There is no astronomical event more famous in the history of science than this: Venus silhouetted on the face of the Sun for up to six hours. Past transits (only six have been seen in recorded history) launched expeditions to far-flung corners of the world in a quest to measure the distance to the Sun. This year, all of Canada sees some part of the transit. Miss this one, and you’ll have to wait until 2117 to see another! |
#8 - Sunday, July 15
Crescent Moon, Venus and Jupiter in the Hyades star cluster
What a celestial pileup! The three brightest objects in the night sky gather in one of the sky’s best-known star clusters, the Hyades. It’ll be a stunning sight well worth the early rise on a July Sunday morning. |
Monday, August 6
Curiousity Arrives at Mars
Assuming that NASA’s next Mars rover launched as scheduled in late November 2011, landing should be August 6, 2012. Curiosity, as the Mars Science Laboratory is called, is twice the size and five times the mass of the hugely successful Spirit and Opportunity rovers that landed on the red planet in January 2004. Curiosity is designed to trek up to 200 metres a day and travel as far as 20 kilometres from its touchdown point in Gale Crater. For details, see http://mars program.jpl.nasa.gov/msl COURTESYNASA/JPL |
# 9 - Sunday, August 12
Perseid meteors under dark skies
The “old faithful” of meteor showers performs under dark moonless skies this summer. An all-night meteor watch ends with the sight of the waning crescent Moon and Venus close together in the morning sky. This year’s other great shower, the Geminids, on December 13, also coincides with the dark of the Moon. |
#10 - Monday, August 13
Daytime occultation of Venus
The day after the Perseids, Venus takes the stage again, this time being hidden by the Moon in a rare occultation. Pity it is not in a darkened sky. But both objects are so bright, they can be seen in a telescope in this late-afternoon or evening event for most of Canada. |
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HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Monday, August 13
Mars, Saturn and Spica
On the evening after your all-night Perseid meteor watch, you’ll see Mars, Saturn and Spica in a vertical line low in the western twilight.
Friday, September 7
Waning quarter Moon one degree below Jupiter
The Moon rises close to Jupiter in Taurus before midnight and approaches even closer to the giant planet as the pair rises through the wee hours of September 8.
Wednesday, September 12
Crescent Moon, Venus and M44
The waning crescent Moon sits three degrees below Venus, with Venus just two degrees below the binocular star cluster Messier 44, the Beehive. |
#11 - Wednesday, October 3
Venus and Regulus in close conjunction
Venus just keeps on encountering its celestial neighbours. On the morning of October 3, it passes 16 arc minutes (half a Moon diameter) below Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, for a remarkably close conjunction of planet and star. |
November 14, 2012
Total Solar Eclipse
Although none of this eclipse is visible from North America, this will be the celestial highlight of the year for eclipse chasers—a total eclipse of the Sun in Australia and the South Pacific on November 14 in that part of the world. From the north Queensland coast of Australia, the eclipse occurs just after sunrise, with the Sun over the waters of the Pacific. For North Americans, this is the last easily accessible total solar eclipse until the Moon’s shadow touches the United States in August 2017. For details, see http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html |
#12 - Monday, November 26
Venus and Saturn in conjunction, with Mercury nearby
On the morning of November 26, Venus passes just 3⁄4 degree below Saturn, as both planets shine low in the early-morning sky, with Mercury below the pair. A week later, on December 4, Mercury reaches its best morning-sky position for 2012, with Venus and Saturn equally spaced in a 15-degree-long line above Mercury. |
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HONOURABLE MENTION
Tuesday, December 11
Mercury, Venus and waning crescent Moon
Look in the predawn sky to see Mercury, Venus and the Moon lying within a sixdegree-wide triangle, with Saturn nearby. |
December 21, 2012
The End of the World (Not!)
No astronomer will escape questions from friends and relatives fuelled by Internet trash websites touting the end of the world on December 21. The world will go on, despite the trumped-up prophecies of doom from the pedlars of pseudoscience. On the positive side, it is a chance to explain real science (if people will listen!) and have some fun with solstice “end of the world” parties. So, for better or worse, the infamous date of winter solstice, December 21, 2012, has to be on every astronomer’s calendar this year. For a good summary of the facts surrounding the 2012 hoax, see the Griffith Observatory webpage at www.griffithobs.org/exhibits/special/ 2012.html |
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