Friday, August 9
Nonetheless about 50° excessive within the west some two hours after the Solar has set, our goal for tonight is NGC 5962, a so-called “flocculent” spiral within the constellation Serpens Caput. It’s positioned about 2.6° northwest of magnitude 3.7 Beta (β) Serpentis, one of many three stars in a triangular formation that make up the Serpent’s head.
NGC 5962 shines at magnitude 11.3 and is oval-shaped, roughly 3′ by 2′ on the sky. You’ll desire a bigger scope to see it finest. It’s referred to as a flocculent spiral as a result of its winding arms seem patchy, slightly than glowing uniformly. See how a lot element you can also make out — make use of averted imaginative and prescient, by trying barely away from the item towards the sting of your eyepiece. You would possibly see the faint arms higher out of the nook of your eye.
Dawn: 6:06 A.M.
Sundown: 8:04 P.M.
Moonrise: 11:02 A.M.
Moonset: 10:26 P.M.
Moon Part: Waxing crescent (23%)
*Instances for dawn, sundown, moonrise, and moonset are given in native time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. native time from the identical location.
Saturday, August 10
The Moon passes 0.7° north of Spica at 6 A.M. EDT. By dusk, the 2 are a little bit over 10 instances that distance, standing 7° aside within the west as they slowly set. The Moon is now some 35 p.c lit, exhibiting off a stunning crescent alongside its jap limb. Nevertheless, the western portion of the nearside could also be seen by means of a phenomenon referred to as earthshine, when daylight bounces off Earth and illuminates the a part of the Moon nonetheless in shadow. Viewing the Moon by means of a telescope below these situations is commonly notably rewarding.
Spica, which shines at magnitude 1, is now to the Moon’s decrease proper. This star lies so near the ecliptic that it’s typically occulted by the Moon — and observers in jap Asia and Indonesia could possibly catch such an occasion. The Worldwide Occultation Timing Affiliation has extra particulars on their website for the event, together with timing and places the place the occultation is seen. Each set about two and a half hours after the Solar.
Spica is a blue-white star that’s really a binary, although the parts are 10 instances nearer than Earth is to the Solar. The tight pair circle one another each 4 days. Each are B-class stars a number of instances the Solar’s mass and dimension; a minimum of one of many two is very large sufficient to probably explode as an excellent supernova on the finish of its life, although the opposite will extra slowly rework right into a white dwarf, because the Solar will do when it reaches the top of its hydrogen provide.
Dawn: 6:07 A.M.
Sundown: 8:02 P.M.
Moonrise: 12:02 P.M.
Moonset: 10:47 P.M.
Moon Part: Waxing crescent (32%)
Sunday, August 11
Mercury passes 6° south of Regulus, Leo the Lion’s alpha star, at 6 P.M. EDT. The tiny planet is heading rapidly for its August 18 inferior conjunction with the Solar and is now so low within the night sky that it could be unattainable to catch. It’s a mere 1° excessive at sundown and glowing a faint magnitude 2.2. In the event you do attempt to spot it, take care to not use any optics till the Solar is totally under the horizon out of your observing web site, which is closely location-dependent and will differ from the time listed under.
Though Mercury is a miss, brilliant Venus can be straightforward to catch, nonetheless almost 10° excessive at sundown and magnitude –3.9. By means of a telescope, the planet’s disk stretches a superb 10″, exhibiting off its almost full illumination (95%). It units inside about an hour of the Solar, so though it’s simpler to seek out, you’ll nonetheless have to be comparatively fast.
Venus, too, is getting tougher to catch, although not as rapidly as Mercury. Come again each night time to observe its peak above the horizon, and also you’ll discover Venus is transferring almost horizontally, slightly than upward, in order that it’s decrease after sundown and units earlier every day.
Dawn: 6:08 A.M.
Sundown: 8:01 P.M.
Moonrise: 1:04 P.M.
Moonset: 11:12 P.M.
Moon Part: Waxing crescent (41%)
Monday, August 12
The Perseid meteor bathe is likely one of the prime meteor showers of the 12 months — and, in reality, this 12 months will outshine even the extra well-known Geminids in December, because the latter happens close to a Full Moon.
The Perseids peak at this time, simply because the Moon is approaching First Quarter phase, which happens at 11:19 A.M. EDT. The most effective time to observe for bathe meteors can be early this morning within the few hours earlier than daybreak, when the radiant — the purpose from which bathe meteors seem to originate — within the constellation Perseus is highest.
Look east about two hours earlier than dawn, and also you’ll be greeted by fairly a sight. Simply rising above the horizon are Gemini and Orion, the latter’s well-known belt showing to face straight up as three stars stacked on prime of one another. Above Orion is Taurus, with its brilliant purple eye, Aldebaran. Look simply left of Aldebaran, although, and also you’ll see two brilliant factors of sunshine very shut collectively — these are Mars and Jupiter, now standing roughly 1° aside. It’s a preview of their shut conjunction, which happens in two days’ time, so make certain to set your alarm once more on the 14th and skim forward to that entry on this column to know what to anticipate.
However the two planets usually are not our essential focus this morning — that’s larger within the sky, as above Taurus sits the constellation Perseus. The Perseids’ radiant is in northern Perseus, about 23° straight above the intense star Capella within the constellation Auriga, which lies to Perseus’ decrease left.
The anticipated most zenithal hourly price for the Perseids this 12 months is about 100 meteors per hour. With the radiant reaching some 60° above the horizon an hour earlier than dawn, you possibly can anticipate to see some 80 to 85 meteors per hour — greater than a meteor per minute! Be aware, nevertheless, that this can be a time-averaged worth, so you may even see quite a few meteors in a short while, then go a number of minutes with none seen. Nonetheless, with no Moon within the morning sky and the nice and cozy temperatures of late summer season, the Perseids are prone to dazzle.
Dawn: 6:09 A.M.
Sundown: 8:00 P.M.
Moonrise: 2:08 P.M.
Moonset: 11:42 P.M.
Moon Part: Waxing gibbous (51%)
Tuesday, August 13
The Moon stands in Scorpius this night, seen within the south after sundown. Our satellite lies slightly below magnitude 2.9 Sigma (σ) Scorpii, and to the decrease proper of 1st-magnitude Antares, the Scorpion’s alpha star. Luna will cross 0.004° (that’s roughly 14″) south of Antares in a single day this night, standing due south of the star at 1 A.M. EDT on the 14th (nonetheless late on the thirteenth for the western half of the U.S.).
For observers in southern South America (or anybody who occurs to be studying this from parts of Antarctica), the Moon will even occult, or cross in entrance of, Sigma Sco late tonight — go to the Worldwide Occultation Timing Affiliation’s website for the event to see whether or not (and when) it’s seen out of your location.
Swing a telescope as much as Earth’s pure satellite this night to look alongside the terminator, the dividing line between night time and day on the lunar floor. Simply seen as daylight hits its western rim is the massive spherical crater Copernicus, with smaller Eratosthenes, equally lit, to its northeast. The angle of the daylight falling over these two pockmarks accentuates the tough terrain round them — notably Copernicus, which is surrounded by an apron of textured terrain, referred to as ejecta, that was thrown out through the impression that created it. Peer intently on the crater’s partitions at excessive energy, and also you’ll discover they seem stepped like a staircase main all the way down to the still-darkened flooring of the 58-mile-wide (93 kilometers) crater.
Smaller Eratosthenes is roughly 37 miles (60 km) broad, although its better-illuminated central peak supplies an awesome goal for research as properly. It, too, has an internal rim like a staircase, however little ejecta of its personal. As a substitute, see whether or not you possibly can observe the rays of fabric from Copernicus, which should have come later, mendacity over the panorama right here.
Dawn: 6:10 A.M.
Sundown: 7:59 P.M.
Moonrise: 3:14 P.M.
Moonset: —
Moon Part: Waxing gibbous (61%)
Wednesday, August 14
The Moon passes 0.004° south of Antares at 1 A.M. EDT. However the true present is a bit later this morning within the few hours main as much as dawn, when Mars and Jupiter stand simply 0.3° aside — a conjunction shut sufficient to seize each within the subject of view of binoculars or a telescope.
The pair lies in Taurus, between the horns of the Bull and simply over 8° to the left (northeast) of Aldebaran this morning. Jupiter blazes at magnitude –2.2; Mars, at magnitude 0.8, is a few 16 instances fainter. Early this morning, the Purple Planet lies simply northwest of Jupiter — Mars will cross 0.3° due north of the gas giant at 1 P.M. EDT.
This can be a pairing you gained’t wish to miss, finest seen within the hour or two earlier than dawn, when the area rises above 30° in altitude within the east. By means of your eyepiece, each planets ought to showcase clear disks, although Mars’ spans simply 6″, providing little element. However Jupiter is a special story — stretching 37″ throughout, the king of planets provides a wealth of element, together with seen cloud bands.
Relying on the time (i.e., your location), you might catch the Nice Purple Spot rotating off the disk, disappearing over the western limb. Additionally relying on the time, you might spot Io’s shadow transferring throughout the planet’s cloud tops in a transit that begins round 4:40 A.M. EDT and lasts simply over two hours. Be aware that Io is approaching from the east, adopted by Europa — whose personal shadow chases Io’s onto the disk simply after 5:30 A.M. EDT, not lengthy earlier than dawn on the East Coast. Io itself begins a transit round 4:55 A.M. CDT, with Europa lastly sliding in entrance of the disk round 5 A.M. PDT, simply minutes earlier than Io finishes its transit and strikes away to the west. Be aware these final occasions are solely seen on the West Coast. And the later you observe, the nearer to due north of Jupiter Mars will stand — see in the event you can catch the refined movement over the course of some hours in the event you’re up early to benefit from the view.
Dawn: 6:11 A.M.
Sundown: 7:57 P.M.
Moonrise: 4:20 P.M.
Moonset: 12:18 A.M.
Moon Part: Waxing gibbous (70%)
Thursday, August 15
Comet 13P/Olbers is passing by means of the beautiful Coma Star Cluster tonight, a barely difficult pairing for visible observing with the Moon’s brilliant presence however a not-to-be-missed goal for astrophotography.
Begin trying as quickly because the sky begins to develop darkish after sundown. The cluster, cataloged as Melotte 111, spans 4° and is seen to the bare eye from a darkish web site (although once more, the Moon could intrude at this time). Attempt on the lookout for it within the hour or two after sundown, close to 4th-magnitude Gamma (γ) Comae Berenices as that small constellation slowly sinks within the west. Olbers is 1.5° southwest of Gamma tonight, simply coming into the cluster at its northwestern edge. The comet will spend one other day or two amid the cluster’s a number of dozen brightest stars, transferring southeast every day.
Olbers is roughly seventh magnitude, now fading after reaching Sixth magnitude at first of July. The comet returns to the Solar each 68 years and can solely be observable within the Northern Hemisphere by means of November, although it’s now fading as properly and can solely get tougher to see, no matter whether or not it stays above the horizon. Nevertheless, it’s nonetheless placing on a present this month, and we’ll return when the Moon retreats from the sky in a number of days and Olbers passes by a well-known galaxy, M64.
Dawn: 6:12 A.M.
Sundown: 7:56 P.M.
Moonrise: 5:22 P.M.
Moonset: 1:06 A.M.
Moon Part: Waxing gibbous (79%)
Friday, August 16
Whereas Mars and Jupiter proceed to attract consideration, now almost a level aside in Taurus, let’s look to the Bull’s southwest (higher proper) within the early-morning hours to take pleasure in Cetus the Whale, a big constellation overlaying some 1,230 sq. levels of sky.
The constellation’s second-brightest star is Menkar, which lies near Cetus’ border with Taurus. Nonetheless, magnitude 2.5 Menkar is cataloged as Alpha (α) Ceti. Practically 13° to the proper (southwest) of Menkar is magnitude 6.5 Mira (Omicron [ο] Ceti). This seemingly unobtrusive star is a variable whose brightness waxes and wanes over the course of almost a 12 months. Mira can get as brilliant as magnitude 2 or as faint as magnitude 9. It lately reached its peak magnitude round April and is slowly dipping again all the way down to its minimal late this 12 months.
In actual fact, Mira is now middling-Sixth-magnitude, which means until your eyes are sharp and the sky regular and darkish, you won’t spot it with out assistance from binoculars or a telescope. Based on the late Jim Kaler’s STARS database, Mira is the one star with a correct identify that isn’t all the time seen to the bare eye. Can you continue to spot its faint glow, or is there merely a darkish patch in Cetus the place the star ought to be, until you enhance your view with a little bit of magnification?
Dawn: 6:13 A.M.
Sundown: 7:55 P.M.
Moonrise: 6:16 P.M.
Moonset: 2:04 A.M.
Moon Part: Waxing gibbous (88%)
Sky This Week is dropped at you partly by Celestron.
