Abrams Planetarium
SKYWATCHER'S DIARY: June 1997
To the reader
The Skywatcher's Diary for June 1997 has been prepared by Robert C.
Victor. Sometimes you can see next month's in advance
by looking in our archives. Credit to
Abrams Planetarium,
Department of Physics and Astronomy at
Michigan State University, together with mention of our Sky Calendar, would be appreciated.
A sample issue of Sky Calendar from a previous month is available over the Internet.
It can be viewed via a World-Wide Web browser such as Netscape or
Mosaic, directly at URL:
http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/apr97skycal.html
If you would like a printed sample of the June issue, send a long, self-
addressed stamped envelope to:
June Sky Calendar
Abrams Planetarium
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Each month, the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan
State University also makes Skywatcher's Diary available over the
Internet. It can be accessed via a World-Wide Web browser such as
Netscape or Internet Explorer, directly at URL:
http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/diary.html
The Skywatcher's Diary is also available via anonymous ftp at:
www.pa.msu.edu in the directory /pub/swd
ftp://www.pa.msu.edu/pub/swd/
June Planetary Highlights:
Evening Planets: Venus is very low in WNW at dusk. At mag. -3.9 it's
the brightest "star" in evening sky. But Venus sets in twilight 1-1/4 to 1-
1/2 hours after sunset (from latitude 40° N) in June, and won't be seen
in a fully dark sky until September. On June 6th, the Moon passes near
Venus. On June 14, Venus forms an isosceles triangle with Pollux and
Castor and is 11° below those stars. On June 22 Venus passes 5° S of
Pollux. On June 25 and 26 Venus forms a nearly straight line with
Pollux and Castor. Mars, still rather bright at mag +0.2 to +0.6, is well
up in SW at dusk.
Morning planets: Jupiter, seen from lat 40° N June 1, rises in ESE just
before middle of night (not 12:00 a.m., but halfway between sunset and
sunrise) and reaches SSE at dawn. On June 30 Jupiter rises within 2-1/2
hours after sunset and is in S to SSW at dawn. At mag -2.5 to -2.7,
Jupiter is brightest "star" in morning sky. The waning gibbous Moon
overtakes this planet on June 24. Jupiter rises nearly half an hour earlier
with each passing week, and by date of opposition (August 9) will rise
at sunset and be up all night. Saturn, of mag +0.8 to +0.7, rises just N
of E about 2-1/2 hours after Jupiter (seen from lat 40° N; south of there
the waiting time is longer). At dawn Saturn is in E to ESE, getting
higher as month progresses. Crescent Moon is near Saturn on June 1
and 28. Saturn's rings have opened nicely since they were edgewise and
invisible two years ago; see June 27.
-
- Last easy chance to see the waning crescent Moon: On Monday, just
under an hour before sunup, look very low, just north of east. Saturn is
18 degrees to Moon's upper right. Watch the horizon 14 degrees lower
left of Moon for Mercury, just rising. Binoculars help locate this planet
in bright twilight.
-
- A final look at the old Moon: On Tuesday, about 40 minutes before
sunrise, look for a thin crescent Moon just above horizon, 15-20
degrees north of east. Binoculars help, and you'll need an unobstructed
view. Can you spot Mercury 2 to 3 degrees to Moon's upper left?
-
- Where is Comet Hale-Bopp? Tonight it passes within 2 degrees of
Betelgeuse, but sets with Sun from northern U.S. and isn't visible.
Even from Hawaii, the comet sets only about 3/4 hour after sunset, and
of magnitude about 2.5 it is hard to see in bright twilight. The comet can
still be seen in a dark sky from such deep southern hemisphere locations
as southern Australia, New Zealand, and southern Argentina and Chile.
-
- The Moon is New on Thursday at 3:03 a.m. EDT. With no interference
from moonlight, these are fine nights for seeing faint stars and the Milky
Way. Nearby star clouds in the plane of our galaxy can be seen within
the Summer Triangle, well up in the eastern sky after midnight. Look
especially for the Cygnus Star Cloud, just south of the central star of the
Northern Cross; binoculars resolve this bright patch of light into many
stars.
-
- The five brightest objects visible an hour after sunset, in order, are:
Venus about to set in WNW; Arcturus very high in SSE; Vega in east;
Capella low in NW 24 degrees upper right of Venus; and Procyon very
low in W.
-
- Half an hour after sunset, find the young crescent Moon very low in
WNW with bright Venus 7 degrees to its right. As the Moon sets and
the sky darkens, look for the Gemini twins, Pollux and Castor, about
20 degrees above.
-
- An hour after sunset, Moon is very low, between W and WNW. Look
for Venus 17 degrees to Moon's lower right; Procyon 12 degrees to
Moon's lower left; Pollux and Castor, the heads of Gemini, 12 and 15
degrees to Moon's upper right; and Capella 25 degrees to upper right of
Venus. Look nightly, watching for changes in the positions of Moon
and Venus against the stars. In one week Venus will form an interesting
triangle with Pollux and Castor.
-
- An hour after sunset, locate waxing crescent Moon in west, and find
Procyon 13 degrees below and bright Venus 27 degrees to Moon's
lower right. Pollux is about 15 degrees to Moon's right, and Castor 4-
1/2 degrees to right of Pollux. Tonight Venus is 18 degrees lower right
of Pollux, and their distance apart this week closes by over one degree
daily.
-
- The pretty crescent Moon is in W an hour after sunset. Can you locate
the Summer Triangle in NE to E? Blue-white Vega, its brightest star
well up in ENE, marks the top of the triangle. Deneb is in NE, 24
degrees lower left of Vega. Altair, the southernmost star of the Summer
Triangle, is low in E, 34 degrees to Vega's lower right.
-
- An hour after sunset, Moon is in W to WSW with Regulus, heart of Leo
the Lion, 4 or 5 degrees above. Mars is in SW, 30 degrees to Moon's
upper left. As the sky darkens, use binoculars to look for the 4th-mag.
star Beta in Virgo just half a degree to Mars' upper left. Look nightly,
watching for changes in Mars' position. Mars is currently moving 0.4
degree per day against the star background.
-
- The fat crescent Moon is in WSW an hour after sunset. Bright Mars is
18 degrees to its upper left, and Regulus is 9 degrees to Moon's lower
right. As the sky darkens, binoculars show a 4th-magnitude star within
0.2 degree of Mars. Compare this pair to the double star Mizar and
Alcor at the bend of the handle of the Big Dipper. Their separations are
similar.
-
- As you face the setting Sun, the First Quarter Moon is over your left
shoulder, 90 degrees or one-quarter circle to the left of the Sun. Note
the Moon is half full, with its right half illuminated. An hour later, find
the Moon in SW, with Mars within 7 degrees upper left.
-
- The Moon, now gibbous, is in SW at dusk with Mars 5 degees to its
right. Locate Spica 19 degrees to Moon's left. In early August, Mars
will pass closely north of Spica. MSU Observatory will be open for
viewing tonight and Saturday, 9:15-11:00 p.m., if skies are clear, after
the 8 p.m. showings of From Stardust to Life at Abrams Planetarium.
-
- The waxing gibbous Moon is in SSW at dusk, with Mars 17 degrees
right, and Spica 9 degrees lower left. Low in WNW, Venus forms an
isosceles triangle with the Gemini twins, Pollux and Castor 11 degrees
above. MSU Observatory: See June 13.
-
- The Moon, just over three-quarters full, is in southern sky at dusk with
Spica about 5 degrees lower right.
-
- In the south at dusk, find Moon with Spica 17 degrees right. High
above them is golden Arcturus, brightest star of summer evenings. You
can locate these stars if you remember to "Follow the arc (of the Big
Dipper's handle) to Arcturus and drive a spike to Spica."
-
- Jupiter and Saturn are in good view for early risers. Two hours before
sunup these mornings, bright Jupiter is in SSW, and Saturn is low in E.
-
- At dusk, Venus is very low in WNW, with Pollux 7 degrees above, and
Castor 9 degrees upper right. Moon is in SSE with Antares, heart of
Scorpius, 9 degrees below.
-
- With under a day until Full, the Moon is in SE at dusk; Antares is 13
degrees to its right.
-
- Moon is Full today at 3:09 p.m. EDT and rises in ESE a few minutes
before sunset. Tonight's Strawberry Moon (as it was named by
Algonquians) is the southernmost Full Moon of the year. With the
summer solstice at 4:20 a.m. EDT on Saturday, tonight's sunset and
Saturday's sunrise are the northernmost of the year.
-
- Watch for moonrise! From Massachusetts through lower Michigan to
Oregon, the rising Moon first clears the unobstructed horizon about 45
minutes after sunset.
-
- Locate bright Venus very low in WNW an hour after sunset. Pollux is 5
degrees to its upper right. Note Regulus in west 37 degrees to Venus'
upper left. One month from tonight, Venus will pass Regulus, and
Mercury will pass the same star a few nights later. Look nightly!
Also in late July, Jupiter will rise in early evening, followed by Saturn
within 3 hours later. By late November, all five bright planets will be
seen at dusk. You can keep up on celestial doings with the Abrams
Planetarium Sky Calendar. A subscription is $9.00 per year, starting
anytime, from Abrams Planetarium, Michigan State University, East
Lansing, MI 48824.
-
- Three hours after sunset, Moon is low in ESE with Jupiter rising about
4 degrees to its lower left. By an hour before sunup on Tuesday, they're
in south, within 3 degrees apart.
-
- An hour before sunup on Wednesday, Jupiter is in south, within 14
degrees lower right of the waning gibbous Moon.
-
- Tonight and Thursday at dusk, Venus is in a straight line with Pollux
and Castor. Binoculars show these Twin stars easily, tonight 6 and 11
degrees upper right of Venus.
-
- An hour before sunrise on Friday, the Last Quarter Moon is in SE, with
Saturn 15 degrees lower left. At sunrise, note the half-illuminated Moon
is 1/4 turn to right of rising Sun.
-
- An hour before sunrise on Saturday, the fat crescent Moon is in ESE,
with Saturn very close by the Moon's bright side. A telescope shows
Saturn's rings, now over 11 degrees from edge-on.
-
- An hour before sunup on Sunday, bright Jupiter is in south, and Saturn
is in ESE, about 12 degrees upper right of the waning crescent Moon.
-
- Locate Mars in WSW at nightfall, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours after sunset.
Note the first-magnitude star Spica 19 degrees to Mars' upper left, and
the 4th-mag. star Eta in Virgo just 1.2 degrees to Mars' upper right.
Mars is now shifting half a degree daily against the stars, and will pass
close to Spica on August 3.
-
- About 1-1/4 hours before sunrise on Tuesday, find the crescent Moon
low in ENE to E. Nine degrees to its upper left is the Pleiades star
cluster, very beautiful in binoculars. Rising 10 or 11 degrees to Moon's
lower left is Aldebaran, the "follower" of the Pleiades and eye of
Taurus, the Bull. Look again Wednesday morning, and you'll see that
the old Moon will have leapfrogged to the lower left of Aldebaran.
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