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 * * * SKY & TELESCOPE's SKYWATCHER'S BULLETIN - October 19, 2004 * * *

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Welcome to S&T's Skywatcher's Bulletin. More information on the items
below is available on our Web site, SkyandTelescope.com, at the URLs
provided. (If the links don't work, just manually type the URLs into your
Web browser.) Clear skies!
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ORIONIDS IN A (RELATIVELY) DARK SKY

This is a fairly good year for observing the annual Orionid meteor shower,
whose maximum generally lasts from around October 20th to 26th. During
this period in 2004, the Moon waxes from first quarter to almost full, but
it sets early enough to leave some dark-sky viewing time each morning
before dawn, when the shower is most active. The shower peaks the morning
of the 21st.

http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/article_1328_1.asp

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OCTOBER'S IDEAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

Mark the date! On October 27th the full Moon will undergo a deep total
eclipse lasting for 1 hour 22 minutes, when it will be high in the eastern
sky after dark for most observers in the Americas.

http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/objects/eclipses/article_1340_1.asp

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SPOT VESTA (AND URANUS)

Two solar-system bodies just below naked-eye brightness can be found with
binoculars in eastern Aquarius on October and November evenings. The minor
planet 4 Vesta loops through the dim "water streams" pouring from Aquarius
's bucket. Uranus, which is 10 to 13 times farther away, moves much more
slowly as it glows at magnitude 5.8 south of Aquarius's elbow.

http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/objects/asteroids/

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SKY AT A GLANCE

A dawn challenge: before sunrise on Sunday morning (the 24th) as seen the
Americas, Jupiter's moons Io, Europa, and Callisto form a compact
grouping. Use a telescope to spy them out next to Jupiter low in the east
as dawn gets under way. To read more about what's happening in the night
sky this week, visit "This Week's Sky at a Glance":

http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/ataglance/

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Copyright 2004 Sky Publishing Corp. S&T's Skywatcher's Bulletin is
provided as a free service to the astronomical community by the editors of
SKY & TELESCOPE magazine. This bulletin may not be redistributed or
republished in any form without written permission from Sky Publishing;
send e-mail to permissions{at}SkyandTelescope.com or call +1 617-864-7360.
More information about astronomical observing is available on our Web site
at http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/.

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