October Night Sky and Comet Hartley

The beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere brings more time to observe under a canopy of darkness. Unfortunately, the solar system's major planets don't participate fully in the added viewing hours. Only Jupiter shines brightly nearly all night. With a large disk, an active atmosphere, and four bright moons, giant Jupiter provides endless fascination for those who view it through a backyard telescope.

Uranus lies along nearly the same line of sight as Jupiter. The more distant planet remains an easy binocular object all month. Neptune glows fainter than Uranus and lies significantly farther west, so it shows up best during the evening hours.

The other planets put in only brief appearances this month. Venus and Mars shine in evening twilight but disappear from view less than an hour after sunset. And Saturn reappears shortly before dawn after mid-October.

But a naked-eye comet could make up for the lack of planet views. Comet 103P/Hartley should peak near 5th magnitude in October, when it will look like a silver sword hanging beneath the majestic W of Cassiopeia the Queen. This region lies high in the northeast these October evenings.

The October Sky and Comet Hartley!

The beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere brings more time to observe under a canopy of darkness. Unfortunately, the solar system's major planets don't participate fully in the added viewing hours. Only Jupiter shines brightly nearly all night. With a large disk, an active atmosphere, and four bright moons, giant Jupiter provides endless fascination for those who view it through a backyard telescope.

Uranus lies along nearly the same line of sight as Jupiter. The more distant planet remains an easy binocular object all month. Neptune glows fainter than Uranus and lies significantly farther west, so it shows up best during the evening hours.

The other planets put in only brief appearances this month. Venus and Mars shine in evening twilight but disappear from view less than an hour after sunset. And Saturn reappears shortly before dawn after mid-October.

But a naked-eye comet could make up for the lack of planet views. Comet 103P/Hartley should peak near 5th magnitude in October, when it will look like a silver sword hanging beneath the majestic W of Cassiopeia the Queen. This region lies high in the northeast these October evenings.

Bank of Canada Maintains Overnight Rate Target At 1 Per Cent

Bank of Canada Maintains Overnight Rate Target At 1 Per Cent

Sometimes it feels good to be surprised, but Tuesday’s anticipated announcement by the Bank of Canada that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 1 percent was a relief.  The global economic recovery is entering a new phase, and the Bank of Canada is now expecting weaker-than-projected recovery across the board, especially in the United States.  Canada is not an exception in this shift in projections since July’s Monetary Policy Report, as the Bank continues to expect the economic recovery here will also be more gradual. Corresponding to the overnight right maintaining at 1 percent, the Bank Rate is set at 1 ¼ percent and the deposit rate is set at ¾ percent.  Growth rates in Canada are expected to be 3.0 percent in 2010, 2.3 percent in 2011, and 2.6 percent in 2012.  Although a portion of this more subdued profile is a result of the more gradual global recovery, it also takes into account a more subdued expectation for Canadian household spending.  The projections around household spending come from the decline in housing activity, and as a result, the increased focus on household debt considerations.