Saturday SkyWatch
Saturday 17th May 2025
🌌 Saturday SkyWatch! 🌌
🌅 Sunset & Observatory Hours
- Sunset: 5:15 PM
- Nautical Sunset: 6:13 PM
- Astronomical Sunset: 6:43 PM
This Saturday we will be open from sunset till 9:30pm.
☁️ Weather & Viewing Conditions
B.O.M. Forecast for The Rock: http://www.bom.gov.au/places/nsw/the-rock/
To learn how to read the Clear Outside forecast page, follow this link: https://clearoutside.com/page/how_to_use/
🌙 Moon Phase
Tonight’s Moon is a Waning Gibbous (79%) and will rise at 8:37 PM. This means the Moon will be in the East during the viewing period, so if you’re after some photographs of the Moon now is a great time to do it!
🌟 Feature Object: Ghost of Jupiter (NGC 3242)
This Planetary Nebula located in Hydra has multiple concentric shells formed by its star undergoing multiple ejections (i.e. multiple nova) and is rich in Oxygen which gives it its blue-green colour when imaged. The central star is one of the hottest stars known with a temperature of 90 000 K, that’s almost 16x hotter than our Sun!!
ℹ️ Other Information
The Eta-Lyrids meteor shower is still around with the radiant rising closer to 1 am and peaking at around 3am. Keep an eye out for any meteors you may see.
As always, feel free to bring along a picnic blanket, some non-alcoholic beverages, and don’t forget your stargazing eyes for tonight.
🔭 In the Sky Tonight
Note that just because these objects are in the sky at the moment, you may not always see them. Visibility is dependent on weather, moon brightness, atmospheric conditions, and equipment parameters. Check the weather and viewing conditions above, and if in doubt ask a friendly volunteer if you’re able to see an object in the night sky!
Prominent Constellations
Orion (setting), Canis Major, Gemini (setting), Canis Minor, Cancer, Leo, Leo Minor, Virgo, Libra (rising), Bootes (rising), Scorpio, Ophiuchus (rising)
Bright Stars
Betelgeuse, Rigel, Pollux, Sirius, Castor, Procyon, Regulus, Spica, Arcturus, Antares, Rasalhague (rising)
Nebula
Eta Carina Nebula (NGC 3372), Statue of Liberty Nebula (NGC 3576), Banana Nebula (NGC 3199), NGC 3603 (Star Forming Region in Carina), Running Chicken Nebula (C 100), Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334), Ghost of Jupiter (NGC 3242), Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132), Spiral Planetary Nebula (NGC 5189), Albino Butterfly Nebula (NGC 2440), Retina Nebula (IC 4406), Toby Jug Nebula (IC 2220), Chameleon Cloud (IC 2631), Snake Nebula (Barnard 72), GUM 15 (HII region in Vela)
Galaxies
Large Magellanic Cloud, Small Magellanic Cloud, Centaurus A (C 77), Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/4039), Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M 83), The Tweezers Galaxy (NGC 4945), NGC 5068 (Spiral Galaxy in Virgo), NGC 4650 (Spiral Galaxy in Centaurus Chain), Dust Devil Galaxy (NGC 4753), Iota’s Ghost (NGC 5102), NGC 4699 (Spiral Galaxy in a Group: Virgo), NGC 5253 (Irregular Galaxy in Centaurus), NGC 4976 (Peculiar Elliptical in Centaurus), NGC 3557 (Elliptical Radio Galaxy in Centaurus Group), NGC 4696 (Brightest Galaxy in Centaurus Cluster), NGC 3962 (Elliptical LINER-type in Crater), The Needle Galaxy (NGC 4565), NGC 4494 (Elliptical in Coma Berenices), NGC 3585 (Elliptical Galaxy in Hydra), NGC 3256 (Spiral Interacting Galaxy in Vela), NGC 2997 (Face-On unbarred Spiral in Antlia), NGC 3175 (Spiral Emission Galaxy in Antlia), Meathook Galaxy (NGC 2442), The Spanish Dancer (NGC 1566),
Star Clusters
Pearl Cluster (NGC 3766), Jewel Box Cluster (NGC 4755), NGC 5281 (open cluster in Centaurus), NGC 5316 (open cluster in Centaurus), Wishing Well Cluster (NGC 3532), IC 2714 (open cluster in Carina), NGC 2547 (open cluster in Vela), Southern Beehive Cluster (NGC 2516), Omicron Velorum Cluster (IC 2391), NGC 3114 (open cluster in Carina), NGC 3293 (open cluster in Carina), NGC 6124 (open cluster in Scorpius), NGC 6193 (open cluster in Ara), NGC 6167 (open cluster in Norma), Northern Jewel Box (NGC 6231), NGC 6383 (open cluster in Scorpius), Butterfly Cluster (M6), Ptolemy’s Cluster (M7), Omega Centauri (NGC 5139), NGC 6397 (globular cluster inu Ara), 47 Tucanae (NGC 104), M4 (globular cluster in Scorpius), NGC 6541 (globular cluster in Corona Australis), M62 (globular cluster in Ophiuchus), M19 (globular cluster in Ophiuchus), NGC 5986 (globular cluster in Lupus), MGC 6441 (globular cluster in Scorpius), NGC 6388 (globular cluster in Scorpius), NGC 4372 (globular cluster in Musca)
Planets
Jupiter (close to sunset), Mars
🪐 Upcoming Astronomical Events for this week
📅 23rd May: Moon and Saturn are in Conjunction at 3:51am.
📅 24th May: Moon and Venus are in Conjunction at 9:50am, will be close to each other before sunrise.
As always, don’t forget to look up wherever you are!
– The TRRO Team