Astronomy Event in Stirling - 22nd/23rd Feb 2008

Stirling Astronomical Society in conjunction with the Society for Popular Astronomy will be holding a major astronomy event at the Albert Halls in Stirling on the 23rd Feb 2008.

There will be stalls, talks and demonstrations, and (weather permitting !) viewing on the Saturday evening at the David Marshall Lodge in Aberfoyle.

This is a free event, and all are welcome.

Further details will be posted here and on the SPA Website.

Celestial Events in February

• 1st: Venus and Jupiter are in conjunction in the dawn sky
• 3rd: Mira is expected to reach maximum brightness (magnitude +3.4)
• 4th: Venus, Jupiter and a thin crescent Moon are together in the sky before sunrise
• 8th: A very thin crescent moon may be glimpsed after sunset
• 21st: Total eclipse of the Moon: Moon has first umbral contact at 01h43m and last umbral contact at 05h09m; totality last from 03h01m until 03h52m with the point of total eclipse at 03h26m. NB All times are UT.
• 24th: Saturn (magnitude +0.1) reaches oppposition
• 29th: Moon occults Tau Scorpii (magnitude +2.8) at around 04h40m UT
• Events visible all month:
  Comet 46P/Wirtanen (magnitude just brighter than +9.5)
  Ceres in the west as the sky darkens (dims from magnitude +7.6 to +7.9 during month)

Next Meetings

The next meeting will be at the Smith Institute on Friday 15th February 2008, at 7:30 pm. All welcome.

Next Evening Class: Thursday 6th March. Classes take place in the Highland Hotel on the first Thursday of the month, at 7:00 pm.

Further details on our Meetings page, or please contact us for more information.