“In time you may discover everything that can be discovered, and still your progress will only be progress away from humanity. The distance between you and them can one day become so great that your joyous cry over some new gain could be answered by an universal shriek of horror.“
– Galileo Galilei
Did you know Galileo documented his discovery of the Venus phases in an encrypted manner?Our neighboring planet Venus imitates the light figures of Cynthia (goddess of hunting), a poetic name used for the moon. In spring 2020, there is a good opportunity to observe the Venus phases for yourself. Venus appears as an evening star until mid-May and from the end of the year until the end of the year. It plays its role as a morning star. In January, it appears small and rounded in the telescope. It is exciting to see how Venus apparently grows in size over the course of the spring, gradually declining until it presents itself as a large, slim crescent in early May.The race of the two giant planets Jupiter and Saturn can be observed with the naked eye until they can be seen close to each other at dusk deep in the south-west sky towards the end of the year. In March, both gas planets appear in the morning sky. In July, they represent a firmament in the sky all night long. On December 21, 2020, Jupiter finally overtakes the much slower Saturn.
The two are getting closer together than since their last encounter in February 1961.
A calendar overview is posted here on the first day of every month.The year 2020 is a leap year with 366 days according to the Gregorian calendar. Beginning of the seasons:
Spring (Equinox): March 20, 4h50m
Summer (Solstice): June 20, 22h44m
Autumn (Equinox): September 22, 14h31m
Winter (Solstice): December 21, 11h02m
Summertime: Central European Summer Time (CEST) is one hour ahead of Central European Time (CET). It is to apply from March 29 to October 25, 2020. Short-term changes are possible.
Planets 2020
Mercury: appears in the evening sky in early February to mid-February and in late May. In late July and mid to late November, the planet close to the sun offers morning visibility.
Venus: comes in largest eastern elongation (46°) from the sun on March 24th. From January to the end of May it is represented in the evening sky. On the 3rd] uni it reaches its lower conjunction with the sun. From late June to January 2021 she will play her R039 lisa Morgenstern.
Mars: On the 14th of October, the red planet is in the constellation Pisces in opposition to the sun. Mars is visible in the evening sky from October to the end of the year.
Jupiter: comes in opposition to the sun in the Sagittarius constellation on July 14th. The giant planet can be seen in the evening sky until the end of December. vertvfeten. On January 24, 2021 it will be overtaken by the sun and in conjunction with it.
Uranus: comes in opposition to the sun on October 31 in the constellation Aries. In conjunction with the sun, Uranus is on April 26th.
Neptune: reached its opposition on September 11 in the constellation Aquarius. Neptune is in conjunction with the sun on March 8th.
Pluto: the most prominent dwarf planet of our solar system, is in opposition to the sun in the Sagittarius constellation on July 15th. Pluto moves into conjunction with the sun from the 13th onward.
Eclipses of the Moon & Sun
Sadly, all other eclipses this year remain invisible from Central Europe, such as the one on the 5th of June.
10th of January:
In 2020, a ring-shaped solar eclipse will take place on June 21st and a full solar eclipse will occur on December 14th. In sum, a total of four penumbra eclipses of the moon are happening this year. From Central Europe, as already stated, the only penumbra eclipse that can be observed under good conditions is on the evening of Friday, January 10th. The moon submerges 92.1% of its apparent diameter in the penumbra of the earth. At the height of the darkness, the southern cap shows a light gray veil…though penumbra eclipses of the moon are consideted largely unremarkable nowadays and are barely noticed.
The eclipse is trackable from Europe. Africa and Asia. However, neither the entry nor the exit of the moon from the penumbra can be observed.
The penumbra eclipse takes the following course:
- Entry of the Moon: MET
- In the Penumbra: 18h06m
- Middle of the Darkness: 20h10m
- Exit of the Moon from the Penumbra: 22h14m
In the middle of the eclipse, the apparent diameter of the moon is 92.1% that of the earth. This lunar eclipse is the 16th in the Saros cycle No. 144, which comprises a total of 71 lunar eclipses. The first of this cycle took place on the 29th of July 1749, whereas the last will occur on the 4th of September 3011. The Saros cycle No. 144 stretches over a third-period of 126213 years. The first total lunar eclipse of this cycle is on the 16th of July 2326.
5th of June
This eclipse occurs in the evening hours on Friday, June 5th, 2020. The moon is 59.3 percent of its apparent diameter immersed in the penumbra of the Earth. The slight shading of the southern calotte is quite inconspicuous. This eclipse can be observed in Asia without the northeastern areas and without Japan, eastern and southern Africa, Australia and the Indian Ocean.
The moon rises for 10° east longitude and 50° north latitude on June 5 at 20h12m CET (=> 21h12m CET). By the time the moon has risen above the thickest layers of haze on the horizon, the darkness has progressed so far that it is hardly noticed.
The eclipse proceeds as follows:
- Entry of the moon into the penumbra:
CET: 18h43m
CEST: 19h43m - Middle of the Eclipse: 20h25m / 21h25m
- Exit of the Moon from Penumbra:22h07m / 23h07m
In the middle of the eclipse, 59.3% of the apparent diameter of the moon is in the penumbra of the earth. This is the 67th eclipse of Saros Cycle No. 111, to the total of 71 eclipses. The first eclipse of the Saros Cyle was the penumbral eclipse on the 10th of June 830.
21th of June
Ring-Shaped Solar Eclipse
This eclipse will take place on Sunday, 21th June 2020. In Central Europe, it will remain unobservable even in its partial phases. It is visible in Southeast Europe, in Africa with the exception of the western and southernmost areas, in vast parts of Asia including Japans, in Oceania and in the northern Indian Ocean.
5th of July
Penumbra Eclipse of the Moon
It occurs in the morning hours on Sunday, 5th of Jult 2020. The moon only immerses itself in the penumbra of Earth at 38,000 of its apparent diameter. So this darkness is hardly going to be registered.
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