the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
Psalm 8:3,4
(From Astronomy and Sky & Telescope Magazines)
Sunday, July 27
Use the low crescent Moon to guide you to Mars and Denebola in the fading twilight this evening.
The Moon has moved away from the Lion’s heart and toward its haunches in the evening sky. It will pass close to the planet Mars tomorrow, while the Red Planet crosses from Leo into Virgo today. We’ll check out the pairing tomorrow after sunset.
This evening, look high in the southeast a few hours after sunset to find the stately
constellation Aquila the Eagle, anchored by its brightest star, magnitude 0.8 Altair.
Monday, July 28
The Moon, a fat crescent just 1½ days short of first quarter, hangs 2° below Spica this evening, about a finger's width at arm's length.
The Moon passes 1.3° south of Mars at 4 P.M. EDT and sits horizontally in line with the Red Planet after sunset this evening. By 9 P.M. local daylight time, the pair is 15° high in the west, both now in Virgo the Maiden. They are visible for about two hours, setting shortly before 10:30 P.M. local daylight time.
At this time of year the Big Dipper hangs diagonally in the northwest after dark. From the Big Dipper's midpoint, look three fists to the right to find Polaris, not very bright at 2nd magnitude, glimmering due north as always.
Tuesday, July 29
Saturn still stands out in the early-morning sky as a bright, 1st-magnitude point of light in southwestern Pisces. Two hours before sunrise, the ringed planet is roughly 50° high in the south and offers an easy stepping-stone to Neptune, which lies 1° north of Saturn.
Wednesday, July 30
Asteroid 4 Vesta remains an easy-to-spot target in western Libra, just 5° north of Zubenelgenubi, the Balance’s double alpha star.
Thursday, July 31
The Moon passes 1.0° south of Spica at 2 A.M. EDT, though both are below the horizon at that time. That’s good news, because it means the Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks this morning with no moonlight to interfere with your view of shower meteors.
These meteors appear to radiate from a point in the sky to the lower right of the star Skat (magnitude 3.3) in Aquarius as the constellation sets in the early-morning sky. An hour before sunrise, the radiant is 25° high in the southwestern sky.
You can expect to see around a dozen shower meteors per hour. Your best chance for the most impressive sights will be to look some 40° to 60° away from Skat, to either side of this star. The Southern Delta Aquariids are medium-fast meteors, streaking through the sky at around 25 miles (40 kilometers) per second. They likely originate from Comet 96P/Machholz 1, which loops around the Sun every 5.3 years.
Friday, August 1
First Quarter Moon occurs at 8:41 A.M. EDT. Rising early in the afternoon, the Moon then reaches apogee — the farthest point from Earth in its orbit — at 4:36 P.M. EDT, when it will be 251,134 miles away. Readily visible in the south at sunset, our satellite is now half-lit and shows off its terminator, which separates night from day, running roughly down the middle of the visible lunar face.
Saturday, August 2
Every 15 years Titan, Saturn's largest moon, repeatedly crosses Saturn's face from Earth's viewpoint — and, more visibly, cast its very tiny black shadow onto Saturn's face. A new series of these events is under way. They will continue every 16 days until October.
Tonight Titan's shadow crosses Saturn from 6:25 to 11:04 UT August 3rd (UT date).
Use the low crescent Moon to guide you to Mars and Denebola in the fading twilight this evening.
The Moon has moved away from the Lion’s heart and toward its haunches in the evening sky. It will pass close to the planet Mars tomorrow, while the Red Planet crosses from Leo into Virgo today. We’ll check out the pairing tomorrow after sunset.
This evening, look high in the southeast a few hours after sunset to find the stately
Monday, July 28
The Moon, a fat crescent just 1½ days short of first quarter, hangs 2° below Spica this evening, about a finger's width at arm's length.
The Moon passes 1.3° south of Mars at 4 P.M. EDT and sits horizontally in line with the Red Planet after sunset this evening. By 9 P.M. local daylight time, the pair is 15° high in the west, both now in Virgo the Maiden. They are visible for about two hours, setting shortly before 10:30 P.M. local daylight time.
At this time of year the Big Dipper hangs diagonally in the northwest after dark. From the Big Dipper's midpoint, look three fists to the right to find Polaris, not very bright at 2nd magnitude, glimmering due north as always.
Tuesday, July 29
Saturn still stands out in the early-morning sky as a bright, 1st-magnitude point of light in southwestern Pisces. Two hours before sunrise, the ringed planet is roughly 50° high in the south and offers an easy stepping-stone to Neptune, which lies 1° north of Saturn.
Asteroid 4 Vesta remains an easy-to-spot target in western Libra, just 5° north of Zubenelgenubi, the Balance’s double alpha star.
Thursday, July 31
The Moon passes 1.0° south of Spica at 2 A.M. EDT, though both are below the horizon at that time. That’s good news, because it means the Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks this morning with no moonlight to interfere with your view of shower meteors.
These meteors appear to radiate from a point in the sky to the lower right of the star Skat (magnitude 3.3) in Aquarius as the constellation sets in the early-morning sky. An hour before sunrise, the radiant is 25° high in the southwestern sky.
You can expect to see around a dozen shower meteors per hour. Your best chance for the most impressive sights will be to look some 40° to 60° away from Skat, to either side of this star. The Southern Delta Aquariids are medium-fast meteors, streaking through the sky at around 25 miles (40 kilometers) per second. They likely originate from Comet 96P/Machholz 1, which loops around the Sun every 5.3 years.
First Quarter Moon occurs at 8:41 A.M. EDT. Rising early in the afternoon, the Moon then reaches apogee — the farthest point from Earth in its orbit — at 4:36 P.M. EDT, when it will be 251,134 miles away. Readily visible in the south at sunset, our satellite is now half-lit and shows off its terminator, which separates night from day, running roughly down the middle of the visible lunar face.
Saturday, August 2
Every 15 years Titan, Saturn's largest moon, repeatedly crosses Saturn's face from Earth's viewpoint — and, more visibly, cast its very tiny black shadow onto Saturn's face. A new series of these events is under way. They will continue every 16 days until October.
Tonight Titan's shadow crosses Saturn from 6:25 to 11:04 UT August 3rd (UT date).
 |
