Planetary viewing over the year

[voitty]

Hi Guys, does anyone know where i can find some software or info about what times of the year are the best for seeing particular objestc ie. when jupiter is closest to the earth and other similar things. I am fairly new to astronomy and have Stellarium and Celestia software which are great but a yearly viewing chart would be helpful. thanks and Merry Christmas and a Happy new year

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

Merry Christmas to you too, Voitty!

I am not one for software, hardware or anywhere for that matter, .

There is one yearly publication that is sensational for Australian amateurs - Astronomy Australia 2011

https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=9067

It is invaluble for novices as it has not only what you asked for, but also a lot of technical information that clearly explains both what is in the sky and tips on how to use your gear.

Mental.

[icytailmark (Mark)]

i use stellarium its free to download and u can skip days/months etc to see future oppositions by the diameter of the planet.

[GeoffMc (Geoff)]

I have to agree with Alexander. Software is fine, but the advantage of a publication like Astronomy 2011 is that all the filtering is done for you: the best times to observe practically anything is already worked out. The idea of sitting down with Stellarium or similar (which I use a lot for teaching) to work out dates and times of events is simply re-inventing the wheel.

(In the interests of honesty and openness, I must acknowledge my wife does their proof-reading, although I do not benefit financially from the publication.)

Cheers,

Geoff Mc

You can Google the site and buy it directly from Quasar publishing.