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 * * * SKY & TELESCOPE's SKYWATCHER'S BULLETIN - September 21, 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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THE CLOSEST WHIZ-BY OF TOUTATIS

An asteroid several kilometers wide will brighten to 9th magnitude and be
visible in small telescopes as it passes Earth in late September. When at
its closest on the 29th, Toutatis will race across the Southern Hemisphere
sky at 30 degrees per day! Two charts in this article cover September 21st
through 25th Universal Time (including the evenings of September 20th
through 24th in the Americas), when the asteroid is moving more slowly and
is still visible from most of the world.

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

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OBSERVING THE FULL MOON

The next full Moon falls on September 28th. Try something different this
month and observe our nearest celestial neighbor at its brightest. You'll
be surprised by the number of interesting features to see -- if you know
what to look for.

http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/objects/moon/article_1332_1.asp

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NEW COMET HEADING SUNWARD

Comet ASAS (C/2004 R2), discovered in early September, will pass fairly
close to the Sun -- both in the sky and literally -- during the coming
weeks. It reaches perihelion on October 7th, well inside the orbit of
Mercury and just 0.11 astronomical unit from the Sun. At this time it
should be visible to the SOHO Sun-watching spacecraft.

http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/article_1350_1.asp

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SKY AT A GLANCE

The equinox occurs at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on the 22nd. 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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SAVE THE DATE (Advertisement)

Get ready for another great year of stargazing!

Celestial Wonders 2005 Calendar
> http://SkyandTelescope.com/campaigns.asp?id=398

SkyWatch '05
> http://SkyandTelescope.com/Skywatch

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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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