Editorial

Happy New Year to all of our Readers.

Welcome to the new Millennium. Unlike this time last year, there has been little hype and razzmatazz to usher in the New Year - but the planets have greeted the change of year in quite spectacularly beautiful fashion. Venus is at it's brightest in the West just after sunset, and Saturn and Jupiter are putting on a pretty good show overhead in the late evening…

…and a new "star" has made it's presence known in the sky as the International Space Station unfurled it's wings during the second week of December. It is certainly the brightest of all the satellites and will become more so as it grows larger to eventually span several hundred square metres. Just imagine a peaceful early evening, observing a favourite deep sky object and suddenly this magnitude -2 object springs into view at some 300 times magnification - instant arc-eye!!!

Brian has supplied monthly tables of the celestial happenings for the year to come, and the January issue contains the table for the whole year. From February, we will revert to showing only the current and following month's events. A precis of some of the other information Brian has supplied is also contained within this issue, and the expanded tables will all be available on our website.

Danie's Variable of the Month makes a welcome return to these pages, and a selection of interesting articles which have been received from NASA and other Astronomical institutions have been included for your perusal.  Especially welcome are some thoughts and predictions from out friend Bill Wheaton, who takes a few moments out of a frenetic 2MASS schedule to supply this article

The Web between the Worlds has been supplied by Evan and this series will hopefully become ( once again ) a regular feature within these pages.   Some of these websites contain the most amazing information which can be of great benefit to the amateur astronomer - if you have the opportunity, and of course, the requisite internet access, it is well worth your while browsing some of the sites.

Our year end Star Party was rather poorly attended, but those who arrived enjoyed themselves and each other's company under relatively clear skies. It clouded over around 21:00 and we were unable to do any viewing after the braai - however, a good time was had by all. …and to those who couldn't attend - well maybe we'll see you all at the next Star Party.

And my perennial cry for articles is once again repeated here - please send in any piece you would like to see in print
I can guarantee, if astronomically related, it will be published in the Canopus.

The Editor - chris@penberthy.co.za

 The 2000/1 Committee of the Johannesburg Centre