For a print-friendly version of this page click here.

Look Up!

Planetary Treats
Jupiter at Its Best with 3 Red Spots!
Saturn and Mars Pair Up ~ The Lion's Heart Roars
It's Snowing Iron Deep Inside Mercury?!
Venus Emerges from the Sun's Glowing Embrace
Celestial Delights
Experience a splendid solstice celebration any day!
What and when is Aphelion Day?
Plus ...
Sky Lights
Printable Date Tables
Moon Dances 6/3-7/2
Moon Dances 7/2-8/1
The Night Sky ~ Home Page

Planetary Treats

Hubble Sees Jupiter's 3 Red Spots
The Giant Planet Is at Its 2008 Best During Cancer

Image: HubbleSite News Center

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured this gorgeous image of Jupiter and its three red storms May 9-10, 2008. Amateur astronomers have been eyeing the planet's newest, smallest, third red spot since late February 2008. Review this history and photos of the 3 red spots presented in the Taurus and Gemini editions of the Night Sky.

 

The Following is culled from Hubble News Release 5/22/08

Planetary Measles?

In what's beginning to look like a case of planetary measles, a third red spot has appeared alongside its cousins — the Great Red Spot and Red Spot Jr. — in the turbulent Jovian atmosphere.

This third red spot, which is a fraction of the size of the other two lies to the west of the Great Red Spot in the same latitude band of clouds.

The new red spot, previously a white oval-shaped storm, changed to a red color indicating its swirling storm clouds are rising to heights like the clouds of the Great Red Spot. It is thought the red storm is so powerful it dredges material from deep beneath Jupiter's cloud tops and lifts it to higher altitudes where solar ultraviolet radiation — via some unknown chemical reaction — produces the familiar brick color.

Global Climate Change on Jupiter?

The latest Hubble and Keck images reveal the turbulence and storms first observed on Jupiter more than two years ago are still raging. They also reveal the change from a rather bland, quiescent band surrounding the Great Red Spot just over a year ago to one of incredible turbulence on both sides of the spot.

Jupiter may be in the midst of global climate change. The giant planet is getting warmer near the equator and cooler near the South Pole. The planet's temperatures may be changing by 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Note: The Great Red Spot has been in existence for around 300 years, while Red Spot Jr. appeared in spring of 2006 and the new red spot in late February 2008.

If the new red spot and the Great Red Spot continue on their courses, they will encounter each other in August, and the small oval will either be absorbed or repelled from the Great Red Spot. Red Spot Jr. which lies between the two other spots, and is at a lower latitude, will pass the Great Red Spot in June. Complete News Release

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, 11x Earth’s diameter, is at its closest Earth approach, reaching opposition July 9. The gaseous giant gives its best performance for the year during Cancer. Now at its biggest and brightest, magnitude -2.7, it can be observed all night long. It's a welcome treat to obsesrve the brilliant planet for the entire evening, especially when short summer nights limit dark sky viewing. This breathtaking brilliant beacon of light rises in the southeast within an hour of sunset, reaches its zenith around 1:00am, and sets in the southwest around sunrise.

Note: Oppositions of Jupiter occur every year and one month ... 2006 in May, 2007 in June, 2008 in July, etc.

BTW: It takes Jupiter 12 years to orbit the Sun, during this time its elliptical orbit brings it closer to and farther from both the Sun and Earth. The average distance of Jupiter to the Earth is 484 million miles (779 mil km). In 2005 it was at its furthest orbital distance of 600 million miles (966 mil km). In 2008 at opposition Jupiter is 387 million miles from Earth (623 mil km), over 200 million miles (322 mil km) closer than its furthest distance.

Observing Jupiter

Jupiter, the brightest object in the sky, with the exception of the Sun and Moon, is easy to find, just look along the southern horizon. The planet rises in the beginning of Cancer around 9:30pm and at its end at 8:00pm.

June 19-21, Thursday evening to Saturday morning, night owls and early birds can enjoy lovely Luna approach and pass brilliant Jupiter. Click Moon Dances for a map and reflections.

Jupiter retrograde (5/9 - 9/6) remains located at the eastern border of the constellation Sagittarius throughout 2008. 7/10 10:00pm Sky Chart

July 13-17, Sunday-Thursday, watch the Moon approach Jupiter's beacon of light from the west and then pass it to the east. Click Moon Dances for a map and reflections.

July 17-18, Thursday-Friday, Jupiter is a point of light in an impressive Full Moon triangle. Click Moon Dances for a map and reflections. 

Try observing this giant with binoculars or a telescope. Can you see its four largest moons, which appear as points of light around the planet? Best viewing occurs late evening or early morning, when the planet is above the turbulent atmosphere.

The planet makes a complete rotation in less than 10 hours, so every 10–15 minutes its face changes!

Locate Jupiter’s Four Brightest Moons

Jupiter ~ The Fun To Watch Planet

Jupiter Observing Guide

Transit Times of Jupiter's Great Red Spot

Did you know?

Jupiter’s equatorial diameter is 7% larger than its diameter at the poles giving it a squished appearance?

Jupiter’s equatorial region rotates in 9 hours and 50 minutes, while higher latitudes take 9 hours and 55 minutes to make it once around the planet. This 5-minute difference produces super-gale-force winds along the boundaries of adjacent regions. These areas abound with turbulent structures. Streaks of dark material injected into brighter surroundings create features with sharp contrast that are easy to track a Jupiter rotates. Astronomy Magazine 5/05

Jupiter's Stormy Stripes

Mars and Saturn Pair Up ~ The Lion's Heart Roars! Observe Their Changing Relationship During Cancer
Mars	Saturn
Image: Hubble Heritage Project	Image: Very Large Telescope (VLT)
Image Description	Image Description

Note: The gorgeous view of Saturn above was captured 12/8/02. Today Saturn's rings are far less open because they are closing toward their 2009 edge-on view. Compute the current view of Saturn as seen from the Earth (choose 30% of the image). Why Are Saturn's Rings Disappearing? 

BTW: NASA's Cassini Spacecraft is now orbiting Saturn and capturing remarkable images of the planet and its moons. Three craft are now present and active on the surface of Mars: the two Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which have far out-lived their expectancy and the Phoenix that just landed 5/25/08.

Mars and Saturn in the constellation Leo the Lion are getting closer to each other, to the western horizon and the Sun's glowing light. Regulus, the Lion's heart star initially lies between the two planets. 6/27 Map As Mars nears Regulus, Saturn moves further away from the star. View this star and both planets now, before they disappear into the solar glare. Use binoculars to really enjoy the different hue of each; Mars glows orangy-red, Saturn is yellowish and Regulus sparkles blue-white. Saturn outshines the three and Mars is slightly dimmer than Regulus.

Begin your western observation around sunset several times a week to witness the approach, conjunction and separation of the two planets. Mars sets around 11:30pm at the beginning of Cancer, Saturn a half hour later at midnight. By the end of Cancer Mars sets at 10:45pm, Saturn 15 minutes earlier at 10:30pm. As Mars and Saturn sink in the west, brilliant Jupiter rises in the east.

The Journey ~ Mark Your Calendar!

While it appears that Mars is moving up toward Saturn, the fact is that Saturn, Regulus and Leo the Lion are sinking faster toward the Sun than Mars.

June 20-29 watch the Red Planet move closer and closer to Leo the Lion's blue-white heart star, Regulus. Saturn's yellow orb is gradually moving eastward further away from the star. 6/27 Map

June 30 Mars and Regulus are at their closest approach. Map

July 1-3 Mars slides past Regulus and heads toward Saturn.

July 4-6 the waxing Crescent Moon lines up with the trio. 7/4 Map / 7/5 Map / 7/6 Map Click Moon Dances for a July 5-7 map and reflections. Also see Fourth of July ~ Holiday and Holy Day.

July 7-9 Mars closes in on Saturn.

July 10 Mars lies south of Saturn in their closest approach until 2022. Constellation/Binocular View ... 10:00pm All-Sky Chart The exact conjunction occurs at 11:12am PDT; 18:12 UT.

July 11-22 Mars passes Saturn to the southeast. Saturn lies between Mars and Regulus now.

Reflections ~ Leo, Regulus, Mars, Saturn

Leo the Lion, Regulus the lawgiver, Mars the spiritual warrior and Saturn the lord of karma are preparing us to work together with the will and purpose of Deity. They are evoking the Law of the Soul within humanity.

Leo's highest expression is the fully integrated personality who stands out from the "herd" and is ignited by the fire of Divine Will. The one who masters Leo's energies can begin the group work of the Soul.

Regulus the Lion-Hearted Lawgiver acts as a regulator for the evolutionary energies of Sirius. Its emanations stimulate a response in humanity that expresses the love-wisdom of the Christ consciousness—the requirements of which are to love all of humanity, lead a disciplined life, recognize the divinity in all, and rule one’s daily life with Love.

Saturn stands at the Gates of Initiation ready to put all who approach to the test. This lord of karma utilizes limitation, pain, restriction and discipline to lead humanity to an expansion in consciousness and eventual freedom. When Saturn resides in the Lion's den we face tests of leadership, honesty and integrity.

The lesson here [Saturn in Leo] has to do with the alignment of the will in order that the mind may create the proper structures for the Will-to-Love. Esoteric Saturn

Mars insures we interact with and take action on the physical plane. This can often mean a war with opposing forces. Mars the spiritual warrior gives us the needed courage and discipline to transform ourselves from within, to transcend our inner demons, take action for the greater good and die to our former self.

The potential battle of transformation in this position [Mars in Leo] is quite beautiful. It indicates the passage from the energies of the physical Sun (animal vitality) to the service of the Heart of the Sun (Love as the Creative Source for manifestation).

... Self-consciousness and the desires of the lower self are very strong when Mars and the Lion join ... The battle that has to be fought is often a very difficult one, as the dynamic vitality and creative urges of the ego have to come under the direction of the Soul ... as fiery passions give way to enlightening ideas. Esoteric Mars

It’s as if humanity is being given the opportunity to face the "enemy" and take action in accordance with Divine Will and the Law of Soul.

It's Snowing Iron Deep Inside Mercury?!

Image: British National Space Center

Elusive Mercury, often low on the horizon and lost in the Sun's glow, is a treat just to be spotted with the unaided eye! With an Earth-based telescope, Mercury just looks like a small bland disk with changing phases. Spacecraft, on the other hand, show us a planetary surface that is heavily cratered. Mariner 10 revealed a surprisingly high density for this planet and scientists think more that half of it must be made out of iron and nickel.

 

It's Snowing Iron Deep Inside Mercury?!

The following is culled from: U of I News Bureau 5/7/08

Researchers created conditions believed to exist within Mercury. Mercury's mostly iron core is also thought to contain sulfur, which lowers the melting point of iron and plays an important role in producing the planet’s magnetic field. Scientists melted an iron-sulfur mixture at high pressures and high temperatures.

As the molten, iron-sulfur mixture in the outer core slowly cools, iron atoms condense into cubic “flakes” that fall toward the planet’s center. As the iron snow sinks and the lighter, sulfur-rich liquid rises, convection currents are created that power the dynamo and produce the planet’s weak magnetic field.

Recent Earth-based radar measurements of Mercury’s rotation revealed a slight rocking motion that implied the planet’s core is at least partially molten. But, in the absence of seismological data from the planet, we know very little about its core. Bin Chen

Researchers report that Mercury’s core is most likely precipitating iron snow in two distinct zones. This double-snow state may be unique among the terrestrial planets and terrestrial-like moons in our solar system.

NASA Sends a MESSENGER to Mercury!
This is NASA's first trip to the planet in 30 years.
Successful Launch ~ August 2/3, 2004
Orbital Arrival ~ March 2011
News Center

Mercury is a predawn twilight delight. It pops up above the eastern horizon around 5:00am during Cancer. Begin looking low in the northeast during the last few days of June.

Fourth of July ~ Holiday and Holy Day
Mercury rides the Bull's horn, as Taurus ushers in a brand new day.

By mid-July Mercury sinks quickly out of sight, reaching superior conjunction July 29.

Venus Emerges from the Sun's Embrace

Image: spaceweather.com

Note: The horizontal line through Venus is a result of the "bleeding" of the corresponding overexposed pixel(s).

SOHO Saw Sun-Hidden Venus

Venus, hidden by the Sun’s glaring light, was captured in the above image by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The SOHO spacecraft's coronagraph blocks out the Sun's glare to reveal Sun-hidden objects.

June 4 SOHO saw Venus approaching the Sun from the right side. Image
June 9 Venus was in superior conjunction behind the Sun.
June 11 SOHO saw Venus emerging on the left side as shown above.
June 14 Venus was leaving the coronagraph's view 20:06 UT; 1:06pm PDT. Image

Venus begins to leave the Sun's glowing embrace and emerge above the sunset horizon during Cancer. With sharp eyes, an unobstructed northwestern view and right timing one can begin their Venus watch July 1. At this time the planet sets only 30 minutes after the Sun. Set Times

Most of us can expect to see Venus to pop through the sunset's twilight glow during mid-July. Venus sets just before 9:00pm in the beginning of Cancer and shortly after 9:00pm at its end.

The energies of Venus significantly affect the New Moon cycle beginning July 2. Click Moon Dances for a map and reflections.

The Planets
Is it a planet? ... What planet? When you look up at the night sky, how do you know you are looking at a planet? Click here. ... Learn what a plutoid is and where the planets are now.

[Return to Menu at top]

Celestial Delights

The Summer Solstice occurs on Friday, June 20, at 4:59pm PDT; 23:59 UT, when the Sun enters Cancer and the Northern Hemisphere of Earth is tilted most toward the Sun.

The Summer Solstice
This is the earliest solstice since 1896!
What's unique about the Sun and its shadows now?
What's it like at the North and South Poles during this solstice?
Participate in a wonderful solstice celebration any day!
What's the spiritual significance of summer?
Participate in solstice global meditations.

[Return to Menu at top]

Aphelion Day - July 4, 2008

Image: TheSky Astronomy Software

Earth's orbit shown from above the Sun's North Pole; seasonal references are for Earth's Northern Hemisphere, and would be opposite for the Southern Hemisphere. On July 4 the Earth will be at the point in its orbit called aphelion, which is its farthest distance from the Sun, 94.5 million miles / 152 million kilometers.

 

Aphelion Day is the day that the Earth and Sun are at their furthest distance from each other. In 2008 the exact time this occurs is July 4 at 1:00am PDT; 08:00 UT. In fact, every July the Earth is at aphelion, the furthest from the Sun for the year and in January it is at perihelion, the closest to the Sun for the year. On July 4 we are 94.5 million miles away from the Sun, which is 3 million miles further away than when our Earth was at perihelion on January 2, 2008 at 5:00pm PST; 00:00 UT 1/3. We are so far away from the Sun in July that its light is 7% less intense than it was in January!

BTW: If you have trouble remembering the difference between perihelion and aphelion, an old astronomer's trick is to recall that the words "away" and "aphelion" both begin with the letter "A".

 

Sun ~ Perihelion and Aphelion

Image: Luis Carreira of Leiria, Portugal

When Earth is at perihelion, the Sun looks a little bigger than usual, as shown in the composite image from Luis Carreira. He took the two pictures from opposite ends of Earth's orbit: perihelion [*] and aphelion [*]. Sunlight falling on Earth at perihelion is 3.5% stronger than the year-long average. spaceweather.com 1/4/04

 

Sun's Size in January and July

Image: Westchester Amateur Astronomers, Inc.

 

Hmmm ... why is it colder in January and hotter in July for the northern hemisphere? What's the weather like in the southern hemisphere right now? The tilt of the Earth plays a big role in answering these questions. Here's a fun and simple explanation about the winter and summer Sun ... with the following disclaimer!

Does one hemisphere have a hotter summer
and colder winter than the other?

You might expect northern summer to be cooler because it occurs when Earth is farther from the Sun. Not so, explains Roy Spencer of the Global Hydrology and Climate Center. "The oceans and land on Earth are not evenly distributed around the globe. The northern hemisphere has more land; the southern hemisphere has more water. This tends to moderate the impact of differences in sunlight between perihelion and aphelion."

At aphelion the land-crowded northern half of our planet is tilted toward the Sun. For a given amount of sunlight, land warms up more than water (in other words, land has a lower heat capacity). Sunlight is therefore more effective at raising the temperature of the northern hemisphere. This results in the surprising fact that northern summer is a little warmer than southern summer even though Earth is farther from the Sun in July. NASA's Aphelion Day 2000

Earth at Aphelion ~ A Global View

Here are a few more Earth/Sun facts as well as a review of perihelion and aphelion. Here's a year to year chart of Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion. Enjoy!

Fourth of July
Holiday and holy day
Our physical Sun conjuncts our spiritual Sun
and we are free to travel the Milky Way!

We build a lighted world and therein dwell ...
United in the Glory of the One!

Printable Date Tables

Lunar cycle 6/3/08-7/2/08

Lunar cycle 7/2/08-8/1/08

For a print-friendly version of this page click here.

I'd like to know your thoughts about The Night Sky and
if you'd like reminders to Look Up! ...
send me an email.
May your Night Sky traveling always be filled
with Celestial Delights and Treats!
Susan Sun

Getting Started in Astronomy
Download a free flyer of bimonthly star maps.

Link to Sky and Telescope's This Week's Sky at a Glance

Click here for NASA's solar weather report and more!

Inspired? We invite you to participate! There are several ways to support our work.

[Return to Menu at top]