Sky calendar

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SEPARATION

0.8° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

31° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SPEED

20.17 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

12.3 lunar distances — 4 731 952 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 21.0 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

146 m – 326 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SEPARATION

0.5° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

41° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

SPEED

12.54 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

16.1 lunar distances — 6 183 442 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 18.0 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

240 m – 536 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SEPARATION

1.1° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

68° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

SEPARATION

0.2° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

53° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SPEED

7.83 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

0.8 lunar distances — 314 823 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 20.1 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

3 m – 6 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SEPARATION

1.0° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

81° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

SPEED

8.72 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

15.7 lunar distances — 6 018 535 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 15.6 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

207 m – 464 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SEPARATION

0.5° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

76° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

SPEED

16.42 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

18.8 lunar distances — 7 243 615 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 15.9 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

293 m – 655 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SEPARATION

0.9° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

22° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SEPARATION

1.1° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

102° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SPEED

10.42 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

14.3 lunar distances — 5 478 070 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 15.0 — needs a telescope

SIZE

284 m – 634 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SEPARATION

1.4° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

129° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SEPARATION

1.4° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

160° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

SPEED

16.86 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

7.6 lunar distances — 2 918 357 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 18.0 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

172 m – 384 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SEPARATION

0.3° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

17° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SEPARATION

1.1° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

169° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SPEED

6.63 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

16.5 lunar distances — 6 350 271 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 16.6 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

192 m – 429 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SPEED

8.02 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

9.2 lunar distances — 3 527 630 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 16.2 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

111 m – 249 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SEPARATION

1.1° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

24° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SPEED

22.41 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

19.0 lunar distances — 7 308 194 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 15.2 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

665 m — measured

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SEPARATION

0.9° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

139° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SEPARATION

0.9° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

112° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SEPARATION

1.2° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

86° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

A naked-eye sight rather than a telescope one: the two are far enough apart that magnifying them separates them. Binoculars frame the pair nicely. The nights either side are nearly as good, so cloud on the night itself is not the end of it.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SPEED

23.82 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

12.0 lunar distances — 4 612 019 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 9.9 — a binocular object

SIZE

2.8 km – 6.3 km — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

Bright enough to find, and fast enough that the finding is the sport: it moves against the stars while you watch, so what you are looking for is the one point that will not stay put. Have a chart of the field ready before it arrives.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SPEED

17.79 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

19.6 lunar distances — 7 530 376 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 17.8 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

169 m – 379 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SPEED

26.28 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

1.0 lunar distances — 389 781 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 7.8 — a binocular object

SIZE

653 m – 1.5 km — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

Bright enough to find, and fast enough that the finding is the sport: it moves against the stars while you watch, so what you are looking for is the one point that will not stay put. Have a chart of the field ready before it arrives.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SPEED

19.86 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

17.8 lunar distances — 6 833 077 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 17.4 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

126 m – 281 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SPEED

25.21 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

16.7 lunar distances — 6 419 848 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 16.5 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

285 m – 637 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SPEED

10.56 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

19.9 lunar distances — 7 650 309 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 14.7 — needs a telescope

SIZE

267 m – 597 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SPEED

10.88 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

18.9 lunar distances — 7 272 829 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 17.2 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

398 m — measured

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SPEED

18.03 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

18.7 lunar distances — 7 180 573 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 23.0 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

495 m — measured

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SPEED

7.82 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

8.1 lunar distances — 3 110 557 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 15.6 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

143 m – 321 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SPEED

20.9 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

2.8 lunar distances — 1 066 323 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 14.2 — needs a telescope

SIZE

118 m – 264 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SPEED

11.79 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

13.2 lunar distances — 5 084 446 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 18.5 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

111 m – 248 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

SEPARATION

0.9° — about a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

28° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

SPEED

8.89 km/s — relative to Earth at closest approach

MISS DISTANCE

19.8 lunar distances — 7 620 326 km

BRIGHTNESS

magnitude 16.6 — far below anything an amateur telescope reaches

SIZE

134 m – 301 m — from its brightness, the range covering a reflective surface and a sooty one

This is a fact rather than a sight — far below what an amateur telescope reaches. It is listed because it is the kind of pass the surveys exist to catch, and because a calendar that only showed the visible ones would suggest the invisible ones are not happening.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

SEPARATION

0.5° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

18° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

Any eye, any binoculars, any telescope — and better through binoculars than most people expect. The one thing a full moon is bad for is the full moon itself: with the Sun straight behind us there are no shadows on the disc, so it is bright and flat. The craters look their best a week either side of tonight.

A small telescope on the line between light and dark, which is where the shadows are longest and the craters look carved rather than printed. Any evening within a night or two of this shows much the same thing.

SEPARATION

0.2° — about half a finger-width at arm's length

FROM THE SUN

26° — the angle between it and the Sun in our sky

Close enough to fit in the same telescope field, which is a rarer sight than either object alone. Binoculars show it comfortably; the naked eye sees two things almost touching. Look on the evenings either side too — they will still be close, and one of the two nights is usually the clearer.

There is nothing to look at, which is the point: this is the fortnight to go after galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way, and the week either side of it is the darkest sky you will get this month. Take the faintest thing on your list.