A Skywatch is a public viewing of celestial objects through telescopes that have been brought in for the event. The one held by the Richmond Astronomical Society and the Science Museum of Virginia takes place on the lawn in front of the Science Museum on the third Friday of the month, weather (usually clouds) permitting. Members of the Society set up their telescopes for anyone who wants to look at what is visible that night. Some of the telescopes will be commercially made and some will have been hand made by the person who brought it. The following calendar shows skywatch dates for 2007, assuming that it is not clouded or rained out. An O indicates New Moon night, taken as that night at which the New Moon comes closest to 9 pm.
January |
February |
March |
April |
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| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
O |
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| 6 |
7 |
O |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
O |
7 |
8 |
9 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
O |
8 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
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| 13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
10 | 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
O |
10 | 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
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| 20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
17 | 18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
16 |
17 | 18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
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| 27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
|
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
|
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| 30 |
31 |
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May |
June |
July |
August |
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| 1 |
2 |
3 |
1 | 2 |
O |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
1 |
O |
3 |
4 |
5 |
O |
2 |
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| 4 |
O |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
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| 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
10 | 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
|||
| 18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
17 | 18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
|||
| 25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
29 |
30 |
|
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
O |
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| 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September |
October |
November |
December |
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| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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| 7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
|||
| 14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
O |
10 | 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
|||
| 21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
16 |
17 | 18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
O |
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| 28 |
O |
30 |
|
26 |
27 |
O |
29 |
30 |
31 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
O |
28 |
29 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
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| |
|
30 |
|
|
|
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The time Skywatch begins varies because of the variability of sunset time, but can be roughly defined as 30 minutes after sunset, but no later than 9pm and no earlier than 7pm. Note change in March's time due to Daylight Saving Time coming earlier in March starting in 2007. This year a nearly full moon will intefere with visibility until the end of the year. Mars and Saturn rule the sky the first half of the year, and Venus and Jupiter the latter half.
| Month | Starting Time | Moon 2008 | Planets 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7 pm | Gibbous | Mercury Mars Saturn |
| February | 7 pm | Gibbous | Mars Saturn |
| March | 8 pm | Full | Mars Saturn |
| April | 8 pm | Gibbous | Mars Saturn |
| May | 8:30 pm | Gibbous | Mars Saturn |
| June | 9 pm | Full rising late | Mars Saturn |
| July | 9 pm | Full | Mars Jupiter Saturn |
| August | 8:30 pm | Full | Jupiter |
| September | 8 pm | Gibbous rising late | Jupiter |
| October | 7 pm | Gibbous rising late | Venus Jupiter |
| November | 7 pm | None | Venus Jupiter |
| December | 7 pm | None | Venus Jupiter |