ajs@hpfcla.UUCP (12/29/85)
If you are a casual sky-gazer like me, here's a big section for your
1986 calendar file. This is gleaned from many sources, including the
Net and Sky & Telescope. No warranty express or implied; please post
corrections if you have any. If nothing else, this could save you some
typing.
Alan Silverstein, Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Systems Division, Colorado
{ihnp4 | hplabs}!hpfcla!ajs, 303-226-3800 x3053, N 40 31'31" W 105 00'43"
Jan 10 (-22) Voyager begins far encounter with Uranus
Jan 12 (and 13) Crescent moon, Jupiter, Halley together, evening
Jan 22 (-26) Voyager begins near encounter with Uranus
Jan 23 Predicted entry into Uranus' magnetosphere if it exists
Jan 23 23:41 occultation by rings of a 2nd magnitude star
Jan 24 08:11 pass within 231,000 miles of Titania
Jan 24 09:13 pass within 293,000 miles of Oberon
Jan 24 09:22 pass within 79,000 miles of Ariel
Jan 24 10:05 pass within 18,000 miles of Miranda
Jan 24 10:17 ring-plane crossing (search for particles)
Jan 24 11:00 pass within 51,000 miles of cloud tops
Jan 24 11:20 Uranus occults a bright star
Jan 24 11:28 Rings occult a bright star (Algol)
Jan 24 13:25 Voyager passes through shadow of Uranus
Jan 24 13:36 Uranus blocks radio contact with earth for 86 minutes
Jan 24 13:53 pass within 202,000 miles of Umbriel
Jan 24 14:45 Voyager comes out of the shadow
Jan 24 15:00 Radio contact resumed
Jan 24 20:42 High resolution search for auroras on Uranus' darkside
Jan 25 Resume "far-Encounter" sequence
Jan 26 (- Feb 25) Voyager begins post encounter with Uranus
Feb 6 Mercury 0.6 south Venus, evening
Feb 9 Halley's Comet perihelion, 0330 MST, 53.1M miles
Feb 10 Jupiter 0.6 north Venus, evening
Feb 17 Saturn 1.3 north Mars
Feb 25 Uranus encounter complete
Feb 28 Mercury greatest elong, 18 deg, evening
Mar 6 Vega 1 (USSR) fly-by of Halley's Comet, 10000km
Mar 8 Planet A (Japan) fly-by of Halley's Comet, 100,000km
Mar 9 Vega 2 (USSR) fly-by of Halley's Comet, 3000-10000km
Mar 13 Giotto (ESA) fly-by of Halley's Comet, 500km
Mar 13 Uranus 0.3 south Mars
Mar 20 Spring begins 1503 MST
Mar 28 Int'l Cometary Explorer (NASA) fly-by of Halley's Comet, 3Mkm
Mar 30 Moon occults Antares for western US and Canada
Apr 9 Partial solar eclipse for Australia
Apr 10 Halley's Comet outbound closest Earth approach, 38.8M miles
Apr 13 Mercury greatest elong, 28 deg, morning
Apr 24 Total lunar eclipse, start visible western North America
May 24 Moon occults Antares for North America except eastern part
May 27 Saturn at opposition
Jun 10 Uranus at opposition
Jun 21 Longest day of year (15:01)
Jun 21 Summer begins, 1030 MST
Jun 25 Mercury greatest elong, 25 deg, evening
Jul 5 Earth aphelion, 94512400 miles, 0400 MST
Jul 9 Mars at opposition
Jul 11 Venus 1 north Regulus
Jul 16 Mars nearest Earth, 37.5M miles, 0500 MST
Jul 17 Moon occults Antares for North America
Aug 11 Mercury greatest elong, 19 deg, morning
Aug 26 Venus greatest elong, 46 deg, evening
Aug 31 Venus 0.5 south Spica
Sep 10 Jupiter at opposition
Sep 23 Fall begins, 0159 MST
Oct 3 Partial solar eclipse for North America
Oct 7 Moon occults Antares for western North America
Oct 17 Total lunar eclipse for Europe and Asia
Oct 21 Mercury greatest elong, 24 deg, evening
Nov 30 Mercury greatest elong, 20 deg, morning
Dec 1 Moon occults Antares for North America (daytime)
Dec 18 Jupiter 0.6 south Mars, evening
Dec 19 Saturn 1.3 north Mercury
Dec 21 Shortest day of year (09:20)
Dec 21 Winter begins, 2102 MST
Dec 25 Uranus 0.4 north Mercury
Aug 25 1989, Voyager Neptune flyby